Author Description

Given the importance of advocacy to the legal practitioner, the Inns of Court School of Law felt it necessary to produce a Manual devoted entirely to the subject. In order to succeed as an advocate, one must master a number of skills. The Manual looks at the advocacy skills which areconsidered essential for the junior practitioner and presents them in in a practical and accessible manner. Lawyers generally will find the Manual of practical use to them.The Manual is divided into several sections. The early chapters look at the most basic skills which any advocate needs and will assist the beginner in understanding what to look for when they see advocacy in court. Any junior practitioner will benefit from the chapters on preparing and presentinglegal submissions. The Manual then covers the important tasks of making opening and closing speeches. There are a number of chapters on the examination and cross-examination of witnesses. Finally, there are many chapters showing the junior practitioner 'how to do it', reviewing practice andprocedure in a wide variety of applications that might be made to a court or tribunal.The Manual has been written by experienced trainers and practitioners who are well aware of the pitfalls that face practitioners old or new. Their guidance on 'dos' and 'don'ts' provides a remarkable insight into the criteria by which an advocate's performance might be judged.