(d) Advice and explanation: overall grade [ ]

This competition for undergraduate law students was introduced into the UK in l984, from North America. The competition centres on a simulated law office interview. The students, working in teams of two, are required to interview and advise a ‘client’. Their management of the interview is judged according to agreed criteria, which include: the degree to which a good working relationship with the client was established; how well the legal problems were identified and handled; how sensitively ethical and personal issues, including costs, were addressed; and the appropriateness of the advice given. An additional element is the post-interview reflection, which encourages evaluation of the participants’ own performance and provides the opportunity to identify omissions and plan what action needs to be taken. The competition requires students not merely to know the relevant law, but also to employ effective interviewing techniques and be aware of a variety of considerations which they might not otherwise be exposed to as law students.