Advocacy in Employment Tribunals NEW

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Develop and hone your advocacy skills and improve your pre-hearing preparation to succeed in employment tribunals
Maximum 10 participants 2-day interactive seminar
28-29 Oct 2010
London £895 + VAT

Advocacy in Employment Tribunals:

Recent statistics indicate that the number of employment tribunal claims has risen significantly in the last year - breach of contract (up 31%), unfair dismissal (up 29%), redundancy pay (up 48%) and failure to inform and consult on collective redundancy (up 150% from 2007/08 statistics).

In the unpredictable environment of the employment tribunal, employers and employee representatives depend as much on their ability to present, structure and represent their case as they do on the strength of their legal argument. Effective training in advocacy for HR professionals, advisors and representatives is already proving to be an effective investment, minimising cost and optimising chances of success.

This practical and informative seminar concentrates on the key skills necessary for effective presentation and persuasive advocacy at tribunal hearings.

Pre-work: Participants will be asked to prepare for a tribunal case and will be tested in a role-play scenario on day two when they will be given the opportunity to practise and hone the skills developed.

This event is CPD accredited.

Designed for:

HR professionals, employee relations executives, in-house lawyers and anyone else who might have to represent their employer at a tribunal

Seminar highlights:

  • Enhance your advocacy skills and improve your pre-hearing preparation
  • Learn to present your own witnesses effectively and acquire the skills of cross-examination
  • Know how to prepare persuasive closing submissions
  • Participate in a 'real-life' tribunal role-play to consolidate skills and knowledge learnt
  • Minimise potential costs by having skilled in-house tribunal representatives
  • Increase likelihood of a positive tribunal outcome

The Programme

Day One

09:30
Welcome, introduction and outline of objectives
09:45
An overview of the tribunal process
  • What is the general tribunal procedure?
  • Tribunal case preparation: first steps: Completing ET1 and ET3; time limits; preparing a case strategy; investigating the claim
  • Deciding whether to fight or settle: valuing the claim
  • The merits and prospects of alternatives to the employment tribunal
  • Documentation and the tribunal ‘bundle'
  • Preparing witness statements
10:45
Coffee
11:00
Preparing to win
  • Who goes first?
  • Note taking: top tips and techniques
  • Presentation and dealing with witnesses
  • Relationship with the tribunal
  • Opening remarks and ‘housekeeping’
  • Examination-in-chief : as a witness and advocate
  • Cross-examination and the rules that apply
  • Re-examination
  • Closing submissions
  • Written advocacy
12:30
Lunch
13:30
Tribunal advocacy essentials: developing the skills for success
  • Delivery of opening remarks
  • ‘Housekeeping’ issues
  • Calling the first witness
  • Supplementary questions
  • Cross-examination questions
  • Re-examination questions
  • Final submissions
16:30
End of day one

Day Two

09:30
‘Real-life’ tribunal role-play

This highly interactive exercise will provide you with the opportunity to practise your skills and knowledge in the context of a mock tribunal role-play of an unfair dismissal claim.

Participants will have the opportunity to take on the role of key players in the tribunal hearing: Chair, members, claimant, respondent, witnesses. Each role will be fulfilled using the practical tips and techniques covered in day one with guidance and feedback from the advocacy skills expert.

This session will also be recorded providing the opportunity for feedback later in the day.

Note: Precise format of role-play subject to change depending upon final group size.
12:30
Lunch
13:30
Feedback for the future

Following the morning’s recorded role-play session, participants will receive individual feedback to maximise their future success.

  • How do you deal with the professional opponent successfully?
  • How do you deal with an unrepresented party?
  • Handling the Chairman
  • Top tips in handling questions from the panel
  • The art of the advocate: tips and techniques for success
16:30
End of seminar

Venue details

Venue details will be confirmed shortly.

For further information on the training facilities we use, please call us on +44 (0)20 8371 7010

Consultants

Our People

Andrea Chute

Andrea Chute LLM Barrister is a JSB Trainer/Consultant and practising barrister specialising in employment law. Before becoming a lawyer, Andrea had a business background in publishing, marketing and sales. She is Visiting Lecturer in Employment Law at the University of Westminster and has particular experience of designing and conducting employment law courses for major organisations, including several large trade unions and the TUC itself.

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If you have 4 or more people who would benefit from this event, why not consider running it in-house?

 

Call us now on
+44 (0)20 8371 7011
or send us an outline of your requirements.

 

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