Overview

Communications for Legal Professionals by Helen Wilkie and John Roberts is part of our Working with the Law series. Helen Wilkie is a professional communications specialist who has worked extensively with clients in the legal community. John Roberts is a prolific academic author who has written several books for EMP, including books on communications, diversity, and First Nations issues.

This essential new student text is a complete communications program that enables students both to improve their writing skills and to become familiar with the various forms of communication required of law clerks and legal assistants. The format of the book allows instructors to work with an entire class at the same pace or at different levels, and allows students to work independently on their own or in groups, using extensive exercises, examples, readings, and other student-friendly materials.

TopFeatures

• Focuses on improving students verbal and writing skills, using examples drawn from the legal field
• Emphasizes spelling and grammar, and provides extensive guidance on writing and formatting memos and letters
• Provides clear learning objectives, exercises testing new skills, summaries, and spelling and definition tests
• Introduces students to legal terminology to strengthen their vocabulary of legal terms
• Stresses the importance of summarizing and paraphrasing skills
• Emphasizes the importance of listening and speaking skills in the real world of client interaction
• Includes a variety of legal forms (real estate forms, wills and estates forms, litigation forms, and corporate procedures and transactions forms)
• Offers an extensive appendix on proofreading techniques and exercises
• Provides an extensive appendix of readings that will prepare students for their careers as law clerks and legal assistants
• Instructor's Resources
  • Includes an Instructor’s Guide that provides teaching tips and strategies, the answers to all review and discussion questions, and a test bank

TopContent Summary

Introduction: The Importance of Communication in the Legal Field

• Chapter 1: Effective Listening
• Chapter 2: Spelling
• Chapter 3: Grammar Skills
• Chapter 4: Writing: Letters, Memos, Reports, and E-mail
• Chapter 5: Summary and Paraphrase
• Chapter 6: Speaking Effectively
• Chapter 7: Legal Forms

Appendix A: Proofreading
Appendix B: Readings
Index