ABSTRACT
Effective communication for a lawyer includes respect and engagement with a client and their support networks, compassion, active listening, clear explanations, tailored advice and routine ‘concept checking’. ‘Clinical legal education’ has developed some useful resources and activities for their students to improve their interviewing skills. Equally relevant in helping hone/develop communication skills are approaches from other disciplines including medicine, social work, nursing, education and psychology. ‘Plain English’ is using language that is clear and simple and avoiding unnecessary jargon. It conveys information in an understandable format for its intended audience to aid understanding. Little is canvassed on what non-verbal skills, tone of voice and body language, can convey and ways lawyers can be mindful and adapt these skills to be more effective in how they communicate respectfully. After assessing how the client might be feeling, write down a list of adjectives to describe their emotions, fears and hesitations about sharing information.
