Top Legal Interview Battle Is Something To Talk About
27 February 2013
(L to r) University of Derby second-year Law students Yasmin Jivraj and Samantha Hand will compete in the finals of the 2013 annual Client Interviewing Competition for England & Wales.
This is a really tough annual competition which this year was entered by a record 30 university law teams.
”David Hodgkinson, LL.B course Stage One Tutor at the University of Derby.
Legal eagles from the University of Derby will compete against fellow student lawyers from the UK in the finals of a contest to judge how well they can advise clients facing court cases.
The annual Client Interviewing Competition for England & Wales tests the ability of two-person Law student teams to interview and counsel clients - by having them advise an actor playing someone with a serious legal problem - exactly as they would when in professional practice.
University of Derby Law students Samantha Hand and Yasmin Jivraj won their regional heat and will now take part in the national finals at Cardiff University on Saturday 2 March. They will face eight teams from the universities of Cardiff, Keele, Kent, Newcastle, Plymouth, Sussex, Winchester and from City University.
In the finals each team will interview a 'client' involved with a case - as either a victim or defendant - involving 'serious crimes against the person'; a category which can include unprovoked attacks, wounding with a weapon or even attempted murder.
The England and Wales contest's winning team could then go on to compete against student teams from around 20 other countries, in a further battle.
Derby's team for the 2013 Client Interviewing Competition for England & Wales are both second-year students on the University's LL.B (Bachelor of Laws) Honours degree course.
Samantha, 22, originally from Milton Keynes, said: "The whole competition has been a truly fantastic experience. Not only has it developed my understanding of legal issues but it has given me a glimpse into what life in practice will be like."Yasmin, 20, originally from Ashby-de-la-Zouch, added: "I want to go into family law. We had counsellors on the competition judging panel who were very helpful in explaining how, when interviewing someone, it's not just about your knowledge of the law but also how you explain things to clients and empathise with them."
David Hodgkinson, LL.B course Stage One Tutor at the University of Derby, said: "This is a really tough annual competition which this year was entered by a record 30 university law teams, so I'm proud of Samantha and Yasmin for reaching the finals; especially when they were often up against more experienced students.
"A lawyer's skill at arguing a case in court, which we often see dramatised on TV and in films, is obviously important but so is their ability to talk to clients before a court case begins, clearly explaining their options and what is going to happen."
The winning team on 2 March will receive a trophy and prize from the national Law Society's Advocacy Training Sub-Committee.
They can then go on to compete in the 2013 Brown-Mosten International Client Consultation Competition, which can feature student law teams from around 20 countries competing for the top spot. The 2013 international contest will be held at the University of Glasgow from 3 to 6 April.
For more information about the annual 2013 Client Interviewing Competition for England & Wales view website www.clientinterviewing.com
For further media information please contact Sean Kirby, University of Derby Press and PR Officer, on 01332 591891 or email: s.kirby@derby.ac.uk
