Master the strategic questioning frameworks and psychological tactics needed to uncover hidden insights, navigate difficult conversations, and build unshakeable client trust.
Effective client interviewing is one of the most important skills in legal practice, yet it is often developed through experience rather than formal training. The quality of information obtained during client interviews directly influences legal analysis, risk assessment, case strategy, and client outcomes. When critical facts are overlooked, misunderstood, or never disclosed, even technically sound legal advice can be compromised.
This practical course explores advanced client interviewing techniques through the combined lenses of law, psychology, and communication. Participants will examine how memory, trust, cultural context, questioning methods, and interview structure influence the information clients provide. The session provides practical tools for improving information gathering, building stronger client relationships, identifying hidden issues, and conducting more effective interviews across a wide range of legal matters and client circumstances.
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Senior Lecturer | Faculty of Law, University of Otago
Selene Mize is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Otago, where she teaches and researches legal ethics, negotiation, mediation, civil liberties, media law, and the intersection of law and psychology. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Communication Studies from Northwestern University and a Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School. Prior to entering academia, Selene clerked for the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and practiced as a media law litigator in New York City. After relocating to New Zealand, she built a distinguished academic career focused on legal ethics, dispute resolution, and professional responsibility. Her work has also included training judges on working with self-represented litigants, training mediators internationally, and providing pro bono mediation services within the community. Selene is internationally recognized for her contributions to legal education and client counseling. She has been involved with the Brown-Mosten International Client Consultation Competition since 2001, serving as New Zealand’s National Representative for more than two decades and holding leadership roles on the competition’s international executive. She has coached multiple championship-winning teams and delivered master classes on client consultation and negotiation in countries around the world. A recipient of national recognition for teaching excellence, Selene is widely respected for her commitment to innovative legal education, experiential learning, and the development of future legal professionals.
