SQE2 Client Interview

The client interview is a central component of the SQE2 oral assessment and provides a practical opportunity for you to demonstrate your ability to interact professionally and effectively with clients. Unlike other stations, the client interview is assessed solely on your skills, not on your knowledge or application of the law. The focus is on communication, empathy, professionalism, and the ability to extract and understand relevant information.

Before the interview begins, you are given 10 minutes to read an email briefing. This typically comes from a partner or secretary within the fictional law firm and outlines the identity of the client and the general subject matter of the interview in the context of Property Practice and Wills and the Administrative of Estates. Sometimes, the email may also include accompanying documents or reference particular legal issues you should be prepared to address. However, the level of detail provided can vary. The preparatory window is intended to simulate the kind of brief a solicitor might receive just before meeting a client, requiring you to analyse the key issues quickly and prepare to structure an effective client meeting.

Following this preparation, you will conduct a 25-minute interview with an actor playing the role of the client. This actor is also the examiner and will judge you based exclusively on how you perform the relevant skills during the interaction. While the client may present with a standard legal problem, it is also possible that he or she may be in vulnerable circumstances, where she is, for example, emotionally distressed, intimidated, or otherwise in need of heightened sensitivity. You must therefore be adaptable in your approach, responding appropriately to both legal and emotional cues.

In conducting the interview, you are not required to provide detailed legal advice. Instead, the primary aim is to build rapport, obtain relevant information, and offer enough preliminary guidance to reassure the client that his or her concerns will be properly addressed. The solicitor-client relationship is built not on encyclopaedic legal knowledge, but on the client’s confidence that the solicitor understands his or her issue, is listening actively, and will act in his or her best interests.

The performance in this station is assessed against several key skills criteria. First, you must be able to listen effectively and ask appropriate questions that help the client communicate what really matters to him or her. These questions should be open-ended where necessary to encourage the client to speak freely, but also focused enough to elicit essential information efficiently.

Second, you must communicate clearly and appropriately. This means avoiding jargon and legalese unless properly explained, and ensuring the tone and language are tailored to the client's level of understanding and emotional state. Clarity and empathy are essential, especially if the client is confused or distressed.

Professionalism is also a fundamental aspect of the assessment. You must behave courteously and respectfully throughout the interview, demonstrating sensitivity to cultural differences and diversity where relevant. This includes the ability to manage the conversation ethically, for example, by acknowledging areas where advice cannot yet be given or avoiding giving misleading reassurance.

Further, you must adopt a client-focused approach. This means you should look at the problem not merely from a legal standpoint, but also from the client's perspective. What is it that the client ultimately wants to achieve? What are his or her concerns beyond the legal facts? Understanding these elements is key to providing practical legal solutions that are meaningful in the client's real-life context.

Finally, one of the most crucial objectives of the interview is to establish a relationship of trust. You must create an atmosphere in which the client feels comfortable sharing personal and sometimes sensitive information. This rapport-building is what sets apart merely competent candidates from those who display superior professional judgment.