d. Attorney Conference

The attorney conference should take about 5 minutes. It takes place after the client has left. It gives the attorneys a chance to talk about the issues without the client present.

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c. Ending

The ending of the client consultation is where you need to cross your t’s and dot your i’s. Unlike the middle of the round, here the attorneys should be doing most of the talking. Attorneys should be making sure that anything the client wanted addressed in their consolation is addressed.

i.  Catering to the client’s needs

After an attorney has “looped” a clients narrative back to them, it is time to make sure the client is satisfied with the meeting. This can be accomplished by asking questions like “based on our conversation today, do you have any other questions for us?”. Or “Is there any question you have that we have not addressed?”. These questions make sure you satisfy the client by directly asking them if they are satisfied, instead of just guessing. Continue reading »

b.  The Middle

The middle of the interview is actually the longest segment. It is also the portion where the client will do the most talking. Although, as an attorney, you are going to need to ask follow up questions and explain the law to the client, you really want them telling you everything they can. The more the client talks, the more information you have to work with to make informed decisions.

i.  “Seven Second Rule”

When I worked as an LSAT teacher at Kaplan, they taught us something called the seven second rule. This is where you ask Continue reading »

Having recently participated in the ABA Client Counseling Competition and done quite well, I thought I would share my knowledge on the subject.

Any time you meet with a client, especially for the first time, the meeting should be broken up into an opening, middle, and end. An attorney should have goals for each section of the process in order to make their job easier and the client happier.

There are two very important points an attorney must take away from the first consultation with any client. The first point being Continue reading »