Legal Literacy for Non-Legal Professionals (Online / Remote)
1Summary
Most people who get into legal trouble at work aren't lawyers — they're managers who signed something they didn't fully read, or employees who assumed a verbal agreement was enough. This course by Arab British Fellowship Training Academy is built for exactly that gap: professionals outside the legal field who need enough legal grounding to manage contracts, spot risk, and know when a situation actually needs a lawyer.
Law itself resists easy definition — it's a social science concerned with human behaviour and its consequences, constantly evolving rather than fixed. What makes it different from exact sciences like chemistry or physics is that legal definitions can flex, carry multiple readings, and allow for exceptions. At its core, though, law is simply the set of rules governing relationships and rights — between individuals, between individuals and organisations, and between individuals and the state — backed by penalties for whoever doesn't comply. Understanding that core is what this course sets out to build.
2Objectives and target group
- Build a foundation of core legal knowledge, and develop the ability to handle legal-adjacent tasks correctly.
- Gain practical and theoretical command of the main branches of law.
- Manage disciplinary procedures in public-sector positions, and understand which of them apply to public employees.
- Deal confidently with judicial authorities and understand the scope of their powers.
- Gain working expertise in drafting legal contracts and administrative decisions.
Target Audience
- Directors of organisations and companies, and employees working in the legal field within business establishments.
- Business owners wishing to strengthen their legal skills.
- Professionals working across the different types of legal management.
- Law students and graduates from various universities.
3Course Content
Module 1: Contracts You Actually Sign
- What makes a contract valid: consent, capacity, and a lawful subject matter
- Spoken promises versus written contracts, and why the difference matters
- Drafting the clauses that protect you: rights and obligations, penalty clauses, and how to handle violations
Module 2: The Legal System Behind It All
- What law is for: justice, social order, and protecting rights
- Public law versus private law
- Courts, judicial bodies, and where laws actually come from — legislation, jurisprudence, rulings, and custom
Module 3: Running a Compliant Business
- Company types and registration: joint-stock companies, LLCs, and sole proprietorships, plus business licensing basics
- Protecting intellectual property: patents, trademarks, and copyright
- Building a compliance culture: local and international rules, competition law, and who owns compliance across finance, HR, sales and marketing
Module 4: Employee Rights and Obligations
- Employment contracts: types and essential terms
- Working hours, leave, and rights tied to time and pay
- Protections for women and children at work, and the role labour unions play
Module 5: When Something Goes Wrong at Work
- Termination procedures and employee rights in disputes or dismissal
- Types of legal liability: civil, criminal, and contractual
- Resolving disputes through arbitration, mediation, or litigation — and knowing when to call a lawyer