It was a great pleasure to chair the continuing professional development seminar at the Law Institute of Victoria's office at 470 Bourke Street, Melbourne on Wednesday 14 March 2018. The seminar was on client interviewing and risk management for legal practitioners.

 

It was an excellent seminar full of practical advice, tips and helpful information on risks, client interviewing and some of the many rules that lawyers need to keep in mind.

 

First up we heard from Nick Mann from Polaris Lawyers on how to maximise the client interview.  Nick presented on a wide range of factors that can help practitioners achieve a better client interview outcome.  This included preparing for client interviews, helpful refreshers, tips for conducting the client interview, being upfront about costs and follow up action after the client interview.  Some of the tips from Nick included avoiding legalese and jargon, introducing yourself with qualifications and expertise to help set your client at ease, making eye contact while taking notes and taking into account that some clients will find interacting with a lawyer intimidating.

 

Next, we heard from Matthew Rose from the Legal Practitioner's Liability Committee on risk management for practitioners.  Matthew presented on the risk factors that contribute to increased risks of a claim being made against legal practitioners.  Particularly poignant was Matthew's comments that many claims against practitioners could be prevented if the indicators leading to a claim were not missed.  Some of the helpful titbits shared by Matthew included that practitioners should not be lulled into a false sense of security by good client relations and that practitioners who solicit feedback can better gauge client satisfaction and stop potential issues before they arise.

 

Finally, we heard from Monika Paszkiewicz, barrister from Svenson Barristers.  Monica presented on ethics and best practice.  Monica canvassed the duties of solicitors to justice, the courts, clients and colleagues.  Monica provided a refresher of the Legal Profession Uniform Law Australian Solicitors’ Conduct Rules 2015.  Of particular interest, was Monica's application of the solicitor conduct rules to daily legal practice and how the rules can be inadvertently breached.  Some of the duties covered include the duty of confidentiality to the client, the duty to act in a client's best interest, how a solicitor may become a material witness in a matter and former client conflict.

 

All of the participants seemed to enjoy the seminar and there was plenty of participant interaction.  I look forward to the next seminar.