Effective client counseling is an important skill for every attorney to develop. Obtaining information about a client’s problem, while creating a comfortable and trusting atmosphere, can be challenging. The John Marshall Law School offers students multiple opportunities to learn and practice effective ways to develop the skills to overcome the challenges. Courses such as Counseling and Negotiation allows students to develop these essential skills in a classroom setting. Participation in the American Bar Association Law Student Division Client Counseling offers a hands-on opportunity for students to practice these techniques within a competition setting.
This year, the team representing John Marshall in the ABA Client Counseling Competition consists of Jamila Ahmed, Jessica Davis, Joseph DiLorenzo, Jillian Eckhart, Barry Kanarek, and Sophia Ortiz, with Angelique Palmer and Judge Erica Reddick coaching. The competition is held February 12-13 at DePaul Law School. Practices have been held on Wednesdays and Fridays, but with the competition quickly approaching, the team has been meeting more frequently. During these practices, the team members prepared for the competition by portraying both roles of client and attorney.
Out of the six team members, only two are chosen to represent The John Marshall Law School at the competition. In the competition, the team interviews the client together which includes eliciting relevant facts, advising the client about the relevant law and assisting the client to make an informed choice about how they should proceed. Scoring is based on their ability to work together to make the client comfortable and address all of the client’s concerns. The area of law the competition focuses on this year is professional responsibility and the conduct of both attorneys and judges.
Good luck at the competition!
