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Conducting Client Consultations as a Candidate Attorney

This webinar on demand is part of a series of webinars. Click here to read more

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Overview

Legal research is not only for Constitutional Court judges’ clerks! Candidate attorneys need to learn the basics of conducting legal research to prepare effectively for clients’ matters. Conducting legal research involves going the extra mile to ensure that case law and general legal information is up to date and correctly applied to clients’ matters.

There are various sources of legal information with each having a different value in terms of their usage. Candidate attorneys need to know these sources and how to use each source.

Join Adv. Lisa Thomas as she opens the realms of legal research to expose candidate attorneys to one the best habits they can practice for their future careers.

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Learning objectives

By the end of this webinar the attendee should know:

• They will know the basic etiquette relating to first-time and existing clients
• They will understand the importance in reading the client’s file before the consultation
• They will understand what needs to be done in each consultation and set the direction
• They will learn the balance between allowing the client to speak freely and keeping to time
• The attendee will learn how to prepare questions for first-time clients (especially where those questions and answers will inform their drafting later)

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Content

The webinar will cover the following topics:

• Who are clients?
• Consultation ethics
• First-time or walk-in clients
• Existing clients
• Perusing the client’s file
• Explaining and signing a mandate (first-time clients)
• Preparing consultation questions
• The role of supervising attorney/principal attorney
• Time management in a consultation