As two fourth-year law students, Bella and I are so glad we got involved with the

LSS Client Interview Competition in Semester One.

Not only did we gain invaluable practical legal skills, but we had fun competing

in both the LSS Competition and at ALSA, the national competition. What we

enjoyed most was getting to know different legal situations and gaining the ability

to read different clients.

We learnt throughout the competition that treating your client with respect was

the best thing you could do in creating a friendly and safe environment. Difficult

clients were inevitable, and making them happy and calm was a major objective for us. We made sure we put ourselves in the shoes of the client, quickly learning what it was they sought to gain from the interview. Each round we were faced with a completely different set of facts and a new client so flexibility was crucial. Adapting to new clients and each situation enabled us to change tactics when giving our advice to the client.

We were lucky enough to win the LSS Competition and progress to ALSA, which

was such a great week. Not only were we competing but we went to cocktail nights

and socials at Parliament House and the War Memorial. We left the competition

having had a great time and having come fifth which we were extremely proud of.

We would highly recommend getting involved with the LSS Competitions. It’s a

great way to further your legal skills and have some fun too!