1. Junior Competitions 2015 VP Competitions: Elly Phelan
Competitions Convenors: Sammy Toogood & Hannah Maxwell

2. Tutorial

3. Junior Client Interview
Who is eligible to compete?
Are you a Griffith University Law Student?
Are you in either your first or second year?
Are you interested in making new friends, wearing business attire and learning new skills?
If you answered yes to all of the above, you may compete in our Junior Client Interview Competition.

4. Junior Client Interview
What is it?
A simulation of the first meeting between a client and their potential legal representative.
The client has a legal problem.
You must provide the solution.
BUT
Your client may not be totally innocent or honest…

5. Junior Client Interview
What is it?
Aims:
Gather facts about the problems
Understand the client’s position
Provide informed advice for the client

6. Junior Client Interview
How does it work?
Competitors will compete in teams of two.
Teams will be provided with a client memorandum.
The memo will briefly indicate the general nature of the case.
The majority of your information will have to be extracted from the client.
Teams will have 30 minutes to interview their client.
After the interview, the teams will have 5 minutes to discuss the interview.
There will then be a 15 minute discussion with judge, regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the interview.

7. Junior Client Interview
Inside the Interview
Step 1: Meet and Greet
Step 2: Formalities
Step 3: Information Gathering
Step 4: Summarise
Step 5: Advice
Step 6: Farewell
These things include:
getting contact details from the client
outlining the legal fees
explaining the interview process and
outlining lawyer-client
confidentiality.
The general rule for fees is that the initial consultation is free and from then on it is a standard fee of $200 per hour.

8. Junior Client Interview
Important Skills
Oral Communication
Teamwork, i.e. note taking etc.
Time management and thinking under pressure
Establishing a professional working relationship with your client
Ability to extract relevant information from the client and identify the important issues
Recognizing and dealing with moral and ethical issues.

9. Junior Client Interview
Marking Criteria
Teamwork
Worked together? Balance of participation
/10
Self Analysis
Identified strengths and weaknesses? Learnt from experience?
Client’s Informed Choice
Assisted Client in understanding and making informed choices?
/10
Effective Conclusion
Effectively concluded the interview?
Client’s Goals and Expectations
Learned the client’s goals and expectations?
/10
Problem Analysis
Analysed the clients’ problems?
Moral and Ethical Issues
Recognised and dealt with moral and ethical issues?
/10
Alternative Courses of Action
Developed alternative solutions?
Working Atmosphere
Established effective relationship with client?
/10
Description of the Problem
How client views their situation and problems?
Ineffective
Somewhat ineffective
Standard
Effective
Highly Effective
0-2
2-4
4-6
6-8
8-10

10. Junior Client Interview
Preparation
Client Interview does not require much preparation!
We suggest:
Read the competitions handbook
Practice with your partner (talk about the roles)
Compare strategies and prepare general questions
Have some knowledge of the area of law that is involved (you will only be provided with scenarios from areas of law that you have already studied, i.e. contracts)

11. Junior Client Interview
Benefits for you!
Practical experience that you will use in the future!
Make new friends
Opportunities to enter external competitions
Feedback provided from older students who have competed previously

12. Junior Client Interview
Important Dates
Saturday, 15 August, 9am – 5pm (approx.)
Monday, 17 August (times to be confirmed or throughout the week)
Tuesday 24 August 5 pm (for a 5:30 start)
If you would like to compete in this competition, please complete the sign-up form. Please note that sign-ups for this competition will close on Friday, 7 August 2015 at 5 pm. If you sign-up and drop out of the competition, you must do so on or before 5 pm Monday, 10 August 2015.