CPD Courses for Advocates

Lawyers who have passed the assessment for Higher Rights of Audience and are practising Solicitor Advocates may wish to maintain and develop skills and competence following the award of their qualification.

These courses are all 1 day programmes (5 hours excluding breaks) (9:30- 16:00) and are offered to anyone with an interest in advocacy training, not just qualified solicitor advocates.

Cross-Examination

Solicitor advocates would have learned the principles of cross-examination on the Higher Rights of Audience course.
But given the brief nature of the exercise it is important that advocates gain more practice in this critical area.
On this case the delegates will be asked to carry out a number of cross-examinations and to build on the skills they developed on the original course.

Cross-Examination of Experts (Accountants and Doctors)

These courses will teach delegates how to become poised, informed and persuasive cross-examiners of expert witnesses.
Delegates will learn how to prepare a cross-examination with the help of their own expert witness. We have secured the services of some distinguished accountants and doctors to play the role of expert witness on each course.
They will learn how to undermine the main areas of an expert’s evidence: qualifications, experience and method. They will realise the importance of common ground and of obtaining favourable concessions from the opposing expert.
Finally, they will learn how to present the cross-examination in a way which educates and assists the fact-finder whether it is a judge, an arbitration panel or a jury.

Witness Preparation

This is a one-day course on which delegates learn how to prepare their witnesses for hearings without breaching the Code of Conduct. Delegates learn how to present evidence in the most ethical and persuasive manner. They also learn what most assists the court in the delivery of a witness’s testimony.