Written Communication skills

Language is the primary tool of the trade for a lawyer. The ability to communicate information
about the law to clients, other lawyers, professionals in other fields, judges, jurors, and so on
is a central component of the daily work of solicitors and barristers. It should go without saying
then, that all prospective lawyers should have outstanding written (and verbal) communication
skills.
This means that you should be able to do the following things:

Write at a level of formality that is appropriate to the nature of the document and that is
pitched at a suitable level for the recipient;
Construct documents and correspondence that uses words and punctuation in an accurate
way so that your precise meaning is captured and no ambiguity arises;
Follow legal convention in the way that you refer to cases, statutes, and judges and in your
use of legal terminology.

These skills are developed through your essay writing as you will need to adhere to the
formalities of written language that are required within the academic law and use terminology
correctly. You will be expected to understand terms such as inter alia, per incuriam and res ipsa
loquitur and to be able to reference a case, statute, statutory instrument, and the laws correctly.
Source: Employability Skills for Law Students, Emily Finch & Stefan Fafinski, OUP Oxford, 2014