Legal eagle takes on world
Annabelle Klimt won first place in the Australian Law Students’ Association (ALSA) Client Interview Competition in Hobart last week.
After winning the 2016 Australian Law Students’ Association (ALSA) Client Interview Competition in Hobart last week, Sydney-born Jewish girl Annabelle Klimt is set to represent Australia at the International Brown Mosten Client Consultation Competition at the University of Kent in England.
The ALSA competition is an opportunity for law students to learn and practice interviewing and counseling skills. In a mock interview scenario, contestants must ask their ‘client’ strategic questions to work out their legal issue, and then give preliminary legal advice.
“You’re judged on whether or not the client feels comfortable with you and how accurate your advice is,” Klimt explained.
After winning the Gilbert & Tobin Senior Client Interview Competition at the Australian National University, where Klimt is in her third year of a Bachelor of Arts and Law, she travelled to Tasmania for the national finals, where she and her partner Charlie Austin won first place.
“There were four judges and an audience…I guess I was a little nervous,” Klimt said. “I was actually surprised that we won. I didn’t know quite how we’d handled the final round, but the judges told us that our amazing teamwork pulled us through.”
Klimt and Austin were praised for establishing an “open and friendly relationship with their client”, and congratulated on their communication, listening and problem-solving skills.
“It was a great experience,” Klimt said, “It was good to get involved in activities with other students from the law school.”
Klimt and Austin are now preparing for the international finals, which will be held in Kent in 2017.
“I’m really excited to go to England to for the competition,” she said. “I hope to be on exchange in Europe at the time, so it’ll be great to be able to do extra travel.”
YAEL BRENDER
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