Practical Skills: Legal Analysis, Document Drafting and Client Consultation
What this domain tests
This domain tests applied lawyering: issue spotting, structured analysis, drafting, and client communication. The exam rewards clear facts, correct legal rules, and a usable remedy, not rhetorical flourish.
Core rules
- Use a structured analysis: identify the facts, frame the legal issue, state the rule, apply it to the facts, and conclude. Separate what is known from what must be verified.
- In consultation, explain the options, risks, likely timeline, and costs in plain language. Confirm the client’s objective before drafting. Record instructions and consent.
- A claim or application should identify the parties, the court, the facts, the legal basis, the evidence, and a precise prayer for relief. Attach documents and calculate deadlines.
- A demand letter should state the breach, the amount or action demanded, a reasonable deadline, and the consequence of non-compliance. Avoid admissions and unsupported threats.
- Review drafts for consistency: names, dates, amounts, legal references, and the link between facts and requested relief.
Worked example
A client seeks repayment of a loan. The advocate interviews the client, obtains the receipt and payment records, calculates the limitation period, and drafts a claim stating the loan, default, outstanding balance, interest basis, and evidence. The prayer requests principal, contractual interest, and court costs. The advocate also warns that a partial acknowledgment may have restarted limitation and confirms the date with the client.
Traps that cost marks
Writing conclusions without applying the rule; omitting a specific prayer for relief; overlooking limitation; drafting inconsistent dates or amounts; and failing to confirm the client’s instructions in writing.