ABSTRACT
To the public and to writers for television and film, advocacy is what lawyers do: appearing in court; arguing their client’s case; fielding judicial interventions or beguiling the jury. A Hollywood film about a leading crusading lawyer who sits at her desk drafting razor-sharp documents is unlikely to be a success at the box office. It is not surprising that many law students believe, at the commencement of their legal studies, that advocacy is the skill that most closely relates to actual legal practice. In some areas of practice that view is realistic, but not in all. Underpinning effective advocacy, and crucial in their own right, are the skills of legal research, case analysis, legal writing, drafting and interviewing – all of which are developed within the academic and vocational stages of legal education and training.
