The Law department recently held its annual client interviewing workshops in collaboration with Teesside University. These are fantastic sessions which are designed to introduce Law students to the realities of working in legal practice. This year, 12 students worked in pairs to plan and carry out an interview with a fictional client, based soley on a short memo.
The workshops are structured to provide students with both theoretical and practical experience. In the first session, students learned essential client interview skills and collaborated with third-year LLB students from Teesside University to plan their interviews. Afterward, they had time to research the legal issue and prepare thoroughly for their interview. The highlight of the workshop took place at Teesside University’s Law Clinic, where students conducted their client interviews. Observed by Hannah Sellers, Director of Clinical Legal Education, a third-year LLB student, and Law teacher, Ellie White these interviews were followed by detailed feedback sessions to help students refine their skills further.
As always, this year has been a fantastic event. We had a high level of interest, and the students who were selected have worked exceptionally well together, delivering confident and insightful interviews. Ellie White, teacher of Law commented: “It was incredibly rewarding to witness their skill development and growing confidence throughout the event.”
Here’s what some of students had to say about their experience:
Imogen, Year 1 student said:
“I thought it was really amazing the people were all lovely especially Hannah and Molly who did our tour they were both really helpful and it was a really good experience overall, thank you and thank them for letting us do this. the interview was really good and I think we did well so it’s really nice to know they did too. I think it’s made my mind up about wanting to do law and making it seem a little bit less scary, so thank you.”
Grace, Year 1 student:
“Teesside was a great experience overall. Teesside made me feel more confident about my future and allowed me to discover different options after college. Thank you so much!”
Ellie, Year 2 student:
“I found the experience very insightful. The tour around campus was very helpful and useful, definitely made it seem a lot less daunting. I also found the students we were doing the interviews with to be very kind and they really helped a lot making me feel comfortable in experience as a whole. It really helped me learn more about the interviewing process and the law clinic. I enjoyed it a lot, I wish I could do it again!”
Lucy, Year 2 student:
“I really enjoyed client interviewing as it gave you the experience and insight of what it’s like to be a solicitor. By learning tips such as good questioning techniques, I now feel more equipped and comfortable with speaking to clients and I have gained so much more confidence. It’s something I would really like to carry on at university.”
Workshops like these provide invaluable real-world insights and help students build foundational skills for their legal careers. A big thank you to Teesside University, Hannah Sellers, and the third-year LLB students for their support and guidance. We’re proud of all the students who participated and look forward to hosting this event again next year!
