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Contract drafting sits at the heart of commercial practice.
Whether you’re in-house, in private practice, or managing contracts from a business function, your ability to draft clearly and negotiate effectively can define the success — or risk — of every deal.
Contract-drafting courses have evolved far beyond learning boilerplate language. They now cover clarity, commercial awareness, cross-border risk, and even AI-assisted drafting.
This guide brings together the most reputable and up-to-date courses across the globe, with insight into who they’re for, what they cover, and why they stand out.
But first, let's examine why now is a great time to look into contract drafting training.
Why contract drafting training matters more than ever
Poor drafting remains one of the leading causes of contract disputes. As deals become global and clauses more complex — covering data, AI, ESG, and automation — precision and clarity are now essential risk controls.
Modern drafting courses give you:
- Structured, repeatable techniques for clear contract language
- Confidence in handling complex clauses (indemnities, limitation of liability, warranties)
- Awareness of how courts interpret terms in different jurisdictions
- Tools to negotiate fairer, faster agreements
For in-house legal teams, it’s also an opportunity to standardize language across templates and accelerate turnaround, which keeps the commercial function happy too.
How to choose the right contract drafting course for you
Before you enrol, think about three key factors:
- Your experience level: Beginners or non-lawyers will benefit from courses covering fundamentals and plain English drafting. Advanced practitioners may prefer programmes that dive into risk allocation, negotiation, or cross-border issues.
- Jurisdiction and context: If your contracts are UK-law governed, ensure the course is UK-based, or covers this jurisdiction in detail. If you handle transatlantic or EU deals, prioritise international drafting modules instead.
- Format and time: From half-day workshops to week-long intensives, choose a structure that suits your schedule and learning style. This is something to explore with your employer, as they can mandate certain training time away from the desk.
What are the best contract drafting courses in 2026?
1. UCL Contract Drafting Skills Workshop
This particular contract drafting course is run by the University College London (UCL), which is one of the UK’s most prestigious universities. The course is led by Mark Anderson, who is a practising solicitor, renowned legal author, and contract drafter.
What does the course cover?
The UCL contract drafting course covers everything from writing techniques to the four Cs of contract drafting: clarity, correctness, conciseness, and consistency.
It also helps participants distinguish between good and bad contract wording, as well as introducing them to strategies that help to avoid litigation.
Unlike many other contract drafting courses, this course also briefly covers how courts interpret contracts.
Who is it designed for?
This contract drafting course is best suited to individuals with some basic commercial and legal writing experience. However, it is open to anyone that is interested in improving their contract drafting skills.
Length
This contract drafting workshop takes six hours in total and can be completed within just one day. This makes it one of the shorter contract drafting courses available.
Location
Although UCL is a university based in central London, this contract drafting course takes place online through Zoom. This means that participants can complete the course from the comfort of their own homes.
Cost
The total cost for the online contract drafting course is £600. However, there is a £90 discount for UCL alumni, taking the price of this course down to £510.
2. UCL Drafting ‘Legal’ Clauses in Commercial Contracts
This contract drafting course is another one run by University College London (UCL), one of the UK’s most prestigious universities. It’s led by Mark Anderson, a practising solicitor, legal author and expert in commercial contracts, who brings decades of real-world experience to the sessions.
This course is offered every three to four months, so you'll have plenty of opportunities to enrol and complete the programme.
What does the course cover?
The UCL Contract Drafting Skills Workshop focuses on practical writing techniques for lawyers and contract professionals.
Participants analyze examples of both good and bad drafting to understand how language impacts enforceability and interpretation.
The course also touches on how courts read contracts, giving attendees an understanding of how word choice can affect litigation outcomes.
Who is it designed for?
This course is ideal for individuals with basic legal or commercial writing experience — such as trainee solicitors, junior in-house lawyers, or contract managers — but it’s open to anyone interested in improving how they draft.
Length
The workshop runs for a total of six hours, typically delivered across two half-day online sessions, allowing participants to complete it in one day or over two mornings.
Location
Although UCL is based in central London, the course is delivered fully online via Zoom, making it accessible to professionals worldwide.
Cost
The full fee is £600, with a £90 discount for UCL alumni (reducing it to £510).
3. IPI Academy / Falconbury – Drafting Commercial Contracts
Offered by IPI Academy (formerly Falconbury), this course is one of the most hands-on commercial drafting workshops available in the UK. It balances legal accuracy with commercial awareness, making it a favourite among in-house legal teams.
What does the course cover?
The two-day training is split into sections on contract formation, interpretation, and clause drafting. Attendees work through real examples, redrafting clauses such as assignment, payment, limitation of liability, confidentiality, and termination.
It also provides a structured methodology for identifying ambiguous wording and aligning clauses with business objectives.
Who is it designed for?
This contract drafting course is ideal for in-house lawyers, private practice solicitors, contract managers, compliance officers and company secretaries who already draft or review agreements regularly.
Length
This course involves a two-day interactive workshop (around 12 CPD hours). Optional three-day extended sessions are also available.
Location
This is also one of the most flexible contract drafting courses available, with options to complete it both online or in-person in London.
Cost
Prices start from £1,199 for the two-day version, with longer programmes starting at £1,399.
4. IPI Academy – International Commercial Contracts School
This extended contract drafting and management programme is aimed at professionals handling cross-border contracts and international negotiations. It’s one of the UK’s most comprehensive multi-day training courses for legal and commercial teams working internationally.
What does the course cover?
The five-day programme blends legal theory and commercial application. Participants explore:
- Contract law across jurisdictions (common vs. civil law)
- Negotiation strategies for international agreements
- Key clauses and risk allocation
- Damages and liability management in cross-border deals
Who is it designed for?
Best suited for senior in-house counsel, contract directors, and commercial managers working in multinational organisations or law firms with cross-border clients.
Length
This course runs for four full days (24–30 CPD hours) within a classroom environment.
Location
Delivered in London with practical exercises and negotiation simulations included throughout.
Cost
The course was originally priced at £2,599, but is offered at a reduced rate of £2,199 at the time of writing this article.
5. MBL Seminars – Drafting Commercial Contracts and Law Updates
MBL Seminars offers a rotating calendar of contract-drafting and commercial law CPD courses, including half-day and full-day sessions led by experienced practitioners. These sessions are ideal for staying current with legal developments.
What does the course cover?
Each seminar focuses on a different aspect of contract drafting, such as:
- Drafting limitation of liability and indemnity clauses
- Recent case law updates affecting commercial contracts
- Drafting clauses for AI, data protection, and SaaS
- Common mistakes in boilerplate provisions
Who is it designed for?
Perfect for experienced in-house counsel and contract lawyers seeking to maintain their professional development and stay updated on best practices.
Length
Usually one full day (6 CPD hours) or half-day update sessions. However, MBL also offers short webinars that can be completed within just half an hour.
Location
Delivered both in-person (London and Manchester) and online through regular webinars.
Cost
Prices range significantly depending on the course and delivery format. There are also subscription options that unlock individual modules and seminars for subsidized prices.
6. British Legal Centre – Contract and Legal Document Drafting Course
This course, offered by the British Legal Centre, is perfect for those wanting to improve their drafting skills in English — especially international lawyers and business professionals.
What does the course cover?
The programme covers standard contract structures, common clauses, and legal vocabulary. Students learn to draft enforceable agreements and rewrite poorly worded provisions for clarity and accuracy.
Who is it designed for?
This course is suitable for lawyers, paralegals, translators, and professionals who work with English-language contracts.
Length
The online course includes 15 interactive units completed at your own pace. It involves everything from reading, writing, listening, and speaking exercises to vocabulary quizzes to ensure you leave with your knowledge on drafting up to scratch.
Location
This course is fully online and delivered across the globe, with options fto complete private, group, or pre-recorded sessions.
Cost
Fees vary depending on chosen modules and the format you wish to take on. For example, private courses can be charged at $1200, while pre-recorded sessions cost just a fraction of that ($250).
7. Adams on Contract Drafting: Drafting Clearer Contracts Masterclass
This highly regarded course, created by Ken Adams, author of A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting, focuses on clarity, structure and logic — making it one of the most influential drafting programmes in the world.
What does the course cover?
This masterclass teaches how to write clear, modern contract prose, remove redundancy, and avoid ambiguity. It also explores how to translate legal obligations into precise, plain-English clauses. Interactive exercises and quizzes ensure the skills are practical and applied immediately.
Who is it designed for?
This course is open to lawyers, in-house counsel, contract managers, and business professionals who draft or review contracts in English. There are no geographic limitations.
Length
The Masterclass is an eight week course with hour-long sessions. However, Adams Drafting also offers a 'Presentation' version of the content, which is delivered in two three hour long sessions instead, with larger, unlimited class sizes.
Location
This course is delivered online, with optional live sessions for Q&A. The learninbg materials will also remain available one year on from the first session you complete.
Cost
This masterclass costs $895 per person, but can be accessed for $745 per person when booked in groups of four or more.
8. Tech Contracts Academy – Tech Contracts Master Class
Founded by technology-law expert David W. Tollen, this programme is the go-to option for anyone working with SaaS, software or AI contracts. It is one of the most specialized contract drafting courses on the market, making it perfect for tech lawyers in 2026.
What does the course cover?
It dives into the unique drafting challenges of technology agreements — from SLAs and data protection to indemnities, warranties, and limitation of liability in tech contexts.
Each module includes examples drawn from real IT and cloud contracts, so you can see real-world applications of the principles you learn and implement them immediately.
Who is it designed for?
This course is ideal for IT lawyers, SaaS negotiators, data privacy specialists, and in-house counsel at tech companies.
Length
The course follows a modular structure with four courses, each delivered in 2-hour sessions. Participants can complete single modules or full certification, depending on what their knowledge gaps are.
Location
The course is accessed online, either live or delivered via on-demand masterclasses. The live course benefits from Q&A sessions, too.
Cost
This contract drafting course is charged at $1,699 for the entire masterclass (four courses), making it one of the more expensive options for in-house legal teams. However, you can access the individual courses at $499 each.
9. Lawline CLE Contract Drafting Series
Lawline and BARBRI CLE offer a collection of courses that teach drafting best practices in digestible modules. This is perfect for busy practitioners seeking to pick up learning as and when their schedule allows.
What does the course cover?
Topics include business contract fundamentals, pitfalls in drafting, boilerplate clauses, and ethics. Each module counts toward CLE requirements, making it a convenient way to stay current. There are currently 28 to choose from, so give them a browse!
Who is it designed for?
This series of courses is a great option for attorneys and paralegals needing to maintain CLE credits while improving their drafting precision.
Length
Individual classes range from 30 minutes to 2 hours, so length of learning can be adapted to fit your calendar and knowledge gaps.
Location
Lawline's course are delivered entirely online, so they can be completed flexibly and on your own terms.
Cost
Individual course prices can vary considerably, but you can subscribe for unlimited courses and pay a fixed fee. Lawline also offers a free trial for ten days.
How to choose a contract drafting course
We’ve only covered a handful of contract drafting courses in this guide, but there are plenty on the market. In fact, there are so many, it can be difficult to choose the best one for you.
To help you out, we have complied a short list of things to consider when choosing a contract drafting programme:
- Budget: How much can you afford to spend on a contract drafting course? If the cost is going to be covered by your employer, how much of it can you expense?
- Prior knowledge: How much do you already know about contract drafting? How advanced would you like the course to be?
- Teaching methods: How do you learn best? Would you prefer an interactive style of teaching?
- Location: How convenient is it for you to travel to the course if it is in-person? If the course is online, do you have the right materials and learning environment?
- Certification: Do you require a certificate of some sort?
- Your weaknesses: Is there a particular area of contract drafting that you struggle with?
- Specialism: Is the course relevant to the contracts you draft, or intend to draft in the future?
Are there any alternatives to contract drafting courses?
If you're not ready to commit to a contract drafting course just yet but you're keen to find out more about contract drafting, it could be worth checking out these resources:
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