Interviewing Skills For Attorneys

Interviewing Skills For Attorneys – Whether it be in a deposition, courtroom, or just an information gathering session, asking questions is an important part of an attorney’s job.  While most law schools don’t offer classes on interviewing, many attorneys are ill-prepared to best elicit information.  In this course, participants will learn tips and best practices from a 25-year veteran FBI Special Agent. (12-16 hrs)

Learning Objectives:  After this block of instruction, the participants will be able to:

• Develop an interviewing style.
• Create an interview plan.
• Define baseline behavior.
• Compare/contrast established interviewing methods.
• Utilize active listening skills.
• Develop methods to mitigate confirmation bias.
• Assess the impact of implicit bias on interviewing.
• Compare/contrast best practices to elicit information.
• Compare/contrast suspect and witness interviews.
• Establish methods to develop rapport.
• Apply social psychological behaviors in the interviewing process.
• Assess methods to detect deception.
• Define bounded ethicality.
• Develop methods to increase focus.
• Compare/contrast minimization and maximization.
• Evaluate the role of power structure in an interviewing environment.
• Identify characteristics of false confessions.
• Identify inconsistencies in speech and written statements.
• Assess the strengths and weaknesses of leading questions.
• Define moral equilibrium.
• Construct methods to frame questions to suit particular situations.