Prepare for Employment Tribunal hearings through live advocacy every day, with feedback on each substantive performance.
Cover preliminary hearings, case management, witness handling and final submissions. A basic understanding of employment law, or active study of it, is assumed.
LearnObservePreparePerformReceive feedbackImprove
Three days of practice.
Each day combines demonstration, preparation, live practice and feedback.
Day 01 / Control the case
Case Management & Preliminary Hearing Advocacy
Organise the case and present procedural submissions with purpose.
Identify the real issues and build a usable case theory and chronology.
Turn pleadings into a focused issues list.
Prepare for preliminary hearings, oral applications and responses.
Address case management, disclosure and witness strategy.
Answer questions from an Employment Judge clearly and concisely.
Live preliminary hearing or case-management advocacy, followed by direct tutor feedback.
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10:00–11:00
Case Strategy & Tutor Demonstration
A tutor demonstrates case theory, procedural submissions and concise answers to an Employment Judge.
11:00–11:30
Case Preparation
Participants receive a case-management or preliminary hearing exercise and prepare their submissions.
11:30–14:00
Live Preliminary Hearing Advocacy
Two groups of up to 10 run together. Each participant has about 10 minutes of advocacy and 5 minutes of individual feedback.
10 minutes live advocacy5 minutes individual feedback
Exercises may involve case-management submissions, procedural or amendment applications, responses to applications, disclosure and hearing preparation. Feedback covers structure, clarity, prioritisation, responsiveness, judgment and professional communication. Each substantive performance is recorded and provided privately to its participant for review.
14:00–14:30
Lunch
14:30–15:30
Developing the Case
Tutors address themes from the morning. Participants practise narrowing issues, distinguishing strong points from unnecessary ones, making concise procedural submissions and answering judicial questions directly. Short exercises and demonstrations may be used.
15:30–15:45
Break
15:45–16:30
Judicial Intervention & Debrief
Short case-management scenarios introduce questioning and intervention. Tutors close with guidance for stronger preparation and oral submissions.
Day 02 / Control the evidence
Witness Handling & Cross-Examination
Question with clear evidential objectives, control and professional judgment.
Plan propositions, chronology and document use.
Ask concise leading questions and manage evasive answers.
Identify contradictions, challenge evidence and put the case.
Know when to move on or adapt after intervention.
Address examination-in-chief, re-examination and vulnerable witnesses where relevant.
Live cross-examination with direct individual tutor feedback.
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10:00–11:00
Cross-Examination Method & Tutor Demonstration
A structured approach to evidential objectives. The tutor demonstrates leading questions, documents, chronology, propositions, control and concise questioning.
11:00–11:30
Witness Exercise Preparation
Participants review the case papers and prepare their cross-examination.
11:30–14:00
Live Cross-Examination Practice
Two groups of up to 10 run together. Each participant has about 10 minutes of cross-examination and 5 minutes of individual feedback.
10 minutes live cross-examination5 minutes individual feedback
Feedback covers questioning technique, control, sequencing, evidential purpose, documents, responsiveness and professional manner. Each substantive performance is recorded and provided privately to its participant for review.
14:00–14:30
Lunch
14:30–15:30
Developing the Examination
Tutors address common issues: shorter questions, avoiding compound questions, evasive answers, contradictions, putting the case and Tribunal intervention. Further witness exercises and demonstrations may be used.
15:30–15:45
Break
15:45–16:30
Difficult Witnesses & Debrief
Short scenarios involve evasive, hostile or emotional witnesses, unexpected answers and judicial interruption. Tutors close with guidance on refining technique.
Day 03 / Present the case
Final Hearing Advocacy
Bring the issues, evidence and submissions into one coherent hearing performance.
Present a case theory and navigate the issues.
Open and close with concise, persuasive submissions.
Link findings of fact and legal tests to the evidence.
Address credibility, weaknesses and remedy where appropriate.
Respond to Tribunal questions under pressure.
Live final-hearing advocacy with direct tutor feedback.
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10:00–11:00
Final Hearing Advocacy & Tutor Demonstration
The tutor demonstrates a coherent tribunal case: case theory, opening, findings of fact, law applied to evidence, weaknesses, closing and answers to Tribunal questions.
11:00–11:30
Final Hearing Preparation
Participants prepare a realistic hearing exercise from the programme case materials.
11:30–14:00
Live Final Hearing Advocacy
Two groups of up to 10 run together. Each participant has about 10 minutes of advocacy and 5 minutes of feedback.
10 minutes live advocacy5 minutes individual feedback
Exercises may include opening, cross-examination, judicial intervention, closing or short mock-hearing advocacy. Feedback covers persuasion, structure, evidence, clarity, responsiveness, delivery and judgment. Each substantive performance is recorded and provided privately to its participant.
14:00–14:30
Lunch
14:30–15:30
Developing the Final Hearing Performance
Tutors address themes from morning practice. Participants sharpen concise presentation, links between evidence and issues, direct treatment of weaknesses, answers to questions and closing submissions.
15:30–15:45
Break
15:45–16:30
Final Hearing Challenge & Debrief
Short final-hearing or judicial-intervention exercises. Tutors close with guidance on independent development, reviewing personal recordings and demonstrations, and preparing for future hearings.
Advocacy is learnt in practice.
Up to 20 participants practise in two simultaneous tutor groups of no more than 10.
01
Learn and observe
Practitioner-led instruction and a substantive tutor demonstration establish the method. Demonstrations are recorded for later review.
02
Prepare the case
Work with realistic Employment Tribunal pleadings, issues, witness statements and selected documents.
03
Perform and receive feedback
Each participant typically receives about 10 minutes of practice and 5 minutes of feedback. Both groups run together.
04
Apply and improve
Further exercises and tutor discussion address the points raised in practice. Personal recordings allow continued review afterwards.
You advocate every day.
DAY 01Preliminary hearing & case-management advocacy
DAY 02Witness handling & cross-examination
DAY 03Final-hearing advocacy
Every substantive individual performance is observed by a tutor, followed by direct feedback and recorded for personal review.
Watch your advocacy back.
Review your private recordings to revisit feedback, assess questioning and track progress across all three days.
Your performances
Your substantive performances are recorded for private review. Others’ recordings are not shared without separate consent arrangements.
Tutor demonstrations
All substantive tutor demonstrations are recorded and made available to participants as reference material.
Access arrangements
Recording, distribution and access are subject to the Centre’s recording and privacy arrangements, provided before the cohort begins.
For people preparing to conduct hearings.
Suitable for developing tribunal advocates across legal practice, representation and case preparation.
Trainee and junior solicitors, paralegals and aspiring employment advocates.
Trade union representatives and employment law representatives.
Junior barristers developing Employment Tribunal experience and legal professionals moving into employment litigation.
HR or employee-relations professionals involved in tribunal preparation, where appropriate.
Participants should have, or be developing, a basic understanding of employment law. This is practical advocacy training, not an introductory employment-law course or a grant of rights of audience.
The work of the hearing.
The programme uses fictional unfair dismissal and discrimination files to connect case theory, evidence and oral performance.
Identifying tribunal issuesDeveloping a case theoryPreliminary hearing advocacyCase-management submissionsOral applicationsResponding to an Employment JudgeWitness handling and cross-examinationUsing documents in questioningManaging difficult answersOpening and closing submissionsAdvocacy under pressureProfessional tribunal communication
Training and feedback support development; they do not guarantee professional competence, rights of audience, employment or a case outcome.
Practical details.
Dates & venue
Dates and venue are confirmed before booking. Three training days run from 10:00 to 16:30.
Faculty
Two tutors lead simultaneous practice groups. Intended faculty are experienced employment barristers, solicitors and tribunal advocates, named before booking.
Materials
Fictional files include pleadings, issues, witness statements and documents. Includes briefs, demonstrations, feedback and private performance recordings.
Group size
Up to 20 participants, with 10 per tutor group during practice. Learn through performance, observation and discussion.
Entry
Basic employment law knowledge or active study is assumed. No live case is required. Do not share confidential client material.
What is included
Three in-person days and 18 live training hours, with daily advocacy, individual feedback, performance and demonstration recordings, and development guidance.
Programme fee.
Per participant£495
Register for dates, venue and booking terms. No payment is taken.
