Cambridge
Academy
In London

Introduction

Contract reviewers and legal support staff must understand contract language, spot risks, and help produce clear, consistent documents. This practical program builds core skills in reading agreements, identifying key clauses, drafting basic provisions in plain language, and applying simple checklists to review and mark up contracts with confidence.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

·        Understand common contract structure and key terms

·        Identify risks, gaps, and unclear wording in agreements

·        Draft basic clauses using clear, consistent drafting rules

·        Review, comment, and track changes using a simple process

·        Use checklists to support quality, consistency, and compliance

Target Audience

This course is designed for:

·        Assistant advisory and legal support staff

·        Contract administrators and document controllers

·        Procurement and vendor management staff reviewing contracts

·        Project teams supporting agreements and renewals

·        Anyone assisting with contract review and drafting

 Course Outlines

Day 1: Contract Structure and Interpretation Basics

·        Common agreement types and when they’re used

·        Contract structure: parties, scope, term, obligations, signatures

·        Definitions and interpretation clauses (plain meaning)

·        Reading obligations, conditions, and timelines

·        Activity: Identify key terms in a sample contract

Day 2: Key Commercial Clauses to Review

·        Scope of work and deliverables

·        Pricing, payment terms, and invoicing basics

·        Service levels, acceptance, and warranties (overview)

·        Change control and variations

·        Workshop: Spot missing items and ambiguities

Day 3: Risk Clauses and Protections

·        Liability and limitation of liability basics

·        Indemnities and insurance (simple overview)

·        Confidentiality and data handling basics

·        Termination, force majeure, and dispute resolution basics

·        Case study: Mark up a “risky” contract section

Day 4: Basic Legal Drafting Rules

·        Clarity and consistency (plain language principles)

·        “Must/shall/may” usage and avoiding ambiguity

·        Formatting, numbering, cross-references, and defined terms

·        Drafting simple clauses: scope, notice, confidentiality

·        Activity: Rewrite unclear clauses into clean versions

Day 5: Review Process, Redlines, and Finalization

·        Review workflow: intake, checklist, comments, approvals

·        Using track changes and writing helpful negotiation notes

·        Consistency checks: terms, dates, references, schedules

·        Version control and document filing basics

·        Final project: Review and improve a short contract pack