Legal Skills for Non-Legal Professionals
Professional training equipping non-legal professionals with essential contract law and management skills.
Course Overview
This professional training course is designed to equip non-legal professionals with essential legal knowledge and practical contract management competencies required to operate effectively in modern business environments. As contracts form the backbone of commercial relationships, a solid understanding of contract law is critical to managing obligations, mitigating legal risks, ensuring compliance, and safeguarding organizational interests. The course enables participants to address legal and contractual matters with confidence, without the need for formal legal qualifications.
The program adopts an applied and learner-centered approach, covering the full contract lifecycle, including formation, drafting, interpretation, performance, and dispute resolution. Through structured instruction, practical exercises, and real-world case analysis, participants develop the ability to identify legal risks, interpret contractual provisions, and apply best practices in contract management across diverse business functions such as procurement, HR, finance, operations, and general management.
Course Objectives
By the end of this training course, participants will be able to:
- Explain key principles of contract law and contractual enforcement.
- Analyse legal risks and implications within commercial agreements.
- Apply structured approaches to contract drafting and negotiation.
- Evaluate dispute resolution mechanisms and appropriate legal remedies.
- Implement risk management strategies to prevent and manage contractual issues.
Course Audience
This course is suitable for professionals across sectors who engage with contracts and legal issues, including:
- Contract Managers and Administrators
- Procurement and Supply Chain Professionals
- HR Professionals handling employment agreements
- Finance, Operations, and General Managers
- Compliance Officers and Legal Advisors seeking applied contract knowledge
Course Methodology
The course is delivered using interactive adult-learning methodologies to ensure effective knowledge transfer and practical application. These include:
- Expert-led lectures grounded in recognized legal and commercial frameworks
- Real-world case studies and guided contract analysis
- Group discussions and role-playing negotiation scenarios
- Hands-on contract drafting and review workshops
- Structured feedback to reinforce learning outcomes and professional practice
Course Outline
Day One: Foundations of Contracts and Procurement Management
- Sources of legal obligations
- Definition, elements, and classification of contracts
- Contracting strategies and procurement processes
- Contract evaluation and management responsibilities
Day Two: Contract Construction, Risk, and Legal Capacity
- Contract formation and essential terms
- Principles of contract drafting
- Standard documents and interim agreements
- Capacity, authority, and agency in contracting
- Avoiding common contractual pitfalls
Day Three: Legal Language and Precision in Drafting
- Legal terminology and plain English drafting
- Syntax, semantics, and contractual clarity
- Use of numbers, dates, and defined terms
- Practical drafting exercise using case studies
Day Four: Negotiation, Risk Management, and Contract Close-Out
- Negotiation strategies, styles, and tactics
- Contractual risk identification and responses
- Industry-specific risk considerations
- Contract discharge, close-out, and archiving
Day Five: Dispute Resolution and Claims Management
- Causes and consequences of contractual disputes
- Termination and breach implications
- Alternative and traditional dispute resolution mechanisms
- Applied case studies and mock dispute resolution exercises
Certificates