The University of Nebraska College of Law will host teams of law students from 20 countries during the Louis M. Brown/Forrest S. Mosten Client Consultation Competition from April 15-18.
The Brown-Mosten competition is an international contest in which participating teams use client-interviewing techniques to assess a mock client’s legal claims and provide advice. The competition emphasizes relating to the clients; understanding their needs and the situations that brought them to the law office; analyzing the clients’ situations from both legal and non-legal perspectives; and informing the clients of possible options to try to reach a resolution.
UNL’s law college was chosen to host the 2015 event because of its tradition of success in the competition. Last year, the college’s team represented the United States at the international competition and placed second. In total, the law college has won one international competition, five national competitions and 15 regional competitions.
“Under the direction of two longtime faculty members, professors Alan Frank and Craig Lawson, Nebraska Law has developed an international reputation as a leader in training students in how to interview new clients and assess legal needs,” said Susan Poser, dean of the law college. “Because of this reputation and past success, the college was chosen to host the competition in Lincoln this year.”
The format of the competition simulates a law office where two lawyers interview a client and then, when the client leaves, reflect on the process and outcomes of the interview. This occurs before a panel of three judges, typically two lawyers and a member of a counseling profession. Interviews are evaluated on several criteria related to interviewing and fact-gathering skills. After the 20 teams conduct two interviews – one on Thursday and one on Friday – the top nine teams compete in the semifinal round Saturday morning, and the top three in the final round on Saturday afternoon.
While on campus, competitors will also have opportunities to participate in an all-American barbecue and tour landmarks such as the Nebraska State Capitol, the Nebraska Supreme Court and Memorial Stadium. More than 85 student-competitors, observers, coaches, national representatives and ICCC officials are to attend the competition, representing Australia, England and Wales, Canada, Georgia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Turkey, the Ukraine and the United States.
