Second-year students Ali Matour and Robert Gilroy represented UAlberta Law last weekend at the 2017 National Client Consultation Competition held at the University of Toronto. The duo was chosen to represent UAlberta Law after first competing in an in-house selection round in January 2017 against nine other teams.
Together with their coaches Lynn Parish, Appeals Commissioner with Alberta Workers Compensation, and Barbara Acton, Blakely + Dushenski, the team travelled to Toronto to compete against teams from 12 other Canadian law schools.
The National Client Consultation Competition consists of interviewing a client for 45 minutes with no prior information other than the general area of law that is the subject of the consultation. During the interview, the team must establish rapport with the client, find out why the client needs assistance, demonstrate awareness of ethical issues, empathy and teamwork, provide a legal analysis, and address options for moving forward. Judges are members of the local bar and bench.
Although the University of Victoria emerged from the competition victorious - and will represent Canada at the international competition at the University of Kent in England - the UAlberta Law team received excellent comments from the judges about their teamwork, legal knowledge, and interviewing style.
UAlberta Law would like to extend its sincere thanks to Lynn Parish, who has coached the U of A client consultation team for many years. We are extremely grateful for her continued commitment to our students, and for generously sharing her experience and expertise.
Matour and Gilroy would like to thank coaches Parish, Acton, and Rick Ewasiuk, Q.C., as well as their "client" volunteers - David Cowley-Salegio, Clare Gerein, Brad Angove, Sandy Brophy, Ashly Betteridge, David Foster, Janille CoKehyeng, and Steven Tymiak - for their invaluable assistance.