Drafting and Negotiating Commercial Contracts: A guide to contract law for non-lawyers (FutureLearn)

This is a practical course which focuses on developing the key knowledge and skill required by professionals when negotiating and drafting commercial contracts that involve parties, laws or businesses. It is important that professionals have the sufficient knowledge and skills to achieve their desired outcome from a commercial contract negotiation.

What topics will you cover?

- Identify the purpose of the contract and understand parties’ expectations

- Identify and critically discuss the specific skills needed for drafting and negotiating commercial contracts

- Explore ways in which to draft and negotiate contracts that are readable, enforceable and achieve clients’ objectives

- Elucidate possible issues, challenges and pitfalls in drafting commercial contracts

- Explore the legal rationale and practical knowledge underpinning contractual clauses, and

- Discuss ways to close the deal (win-win outcome)

Learning on this course

You can take this self-guided course and learn at your own pace. On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

- Demonstrate a good understandings of commercial law contracts

- Apply these understanding to problem-solving and decision-making in practice

- Apply these understandings to critically analyse and evaluate your own professional practice, toward accountability and improvement

- Identify and explain the key legal principles governing the formation of contracts

- Draft readable documents, such as contracts, that integrate correct structure, clear language and risk management

- Demonstrate effective negotiation techniques in commercial contracts

Who is the course for?

All professionals (non-lawyers) such as executives, managers or individuals who want to improve their drafting and negotiating skills when negotiating external contracts on behalf of themselves or their company.