Interview & Advocacy Assessment - A Guide
The purpose of the Interview & Advocacy Assessment (IAA) is to enable an assessment to be made of your competence and effectiveness as a duty solicitor acting for a client in magistrates' court proceedings.
On registration, you will be issued with a copy of our regulations which will provide detailed guidance on the format, content and assessment criteria.
The candidate will be expected to demonstrate skills and knowledge in a number of areas:
Procedural knowledge and legal accuracy
Presentation and advocacy skills
Interviewing and advising skills
Communication skills
The assessment consists of two parts:
A simulated client interview
A simulated appearance in a magistrates' court where you will make representations and/or submissions in respect of three cases
The test is conducted under examination conditions and you must achieve at least 50% in both the interview and the advocacy sections in order to pass.
During the interview stage of the assessment you will obtain instructions from an actor playing the role of your client. The interview will last for a maximum of 15 minutes, and will be used as the basis for one of the cases in the advocacy part of the assessment.
You will be provided with further written information in respect of this case, as well as written information concerning two other cases which are to form the basis of the advocacy stage of the assessment.
You will have 40 minutes in which to prepare for the advocacy stage.
During the advocacy stage of the assessment a member of our Assessment Board will play the role of a District Judge and will ask you to address them in respect of three cases.
Both stages of the assessment will be recorded.
On registration, you will be issued with a copy of our regulations which will provide detailed guidance on the format, content and assessment criteria.
The candidate will be expected to demonstrate skills and knowledge in a number of areas:
Procedural knowledge and legal accuracy
Presentation and advocacy skills
Interviewing and advising skills
Communication skills
Assessment Format
The assessment consists of two parts:
A simulated client interview
A simulated appearance in a magistrates' court where you will make representations and/or submissions in respect of three cases
The test is conducted under examination conditions and you must achieve at least 50% in both the interview and the advocacy sections in order to pass.
During the interview stage of the assessment you will obtain instructions from an actor playing the role of your client. The interview will last for a maximum of 15 minutes, and will be used as the basis for one of the cases in the advocacy part of the assessment.
You will be provided with further written information in respect of this case, as well as written information concerning two other cases which are to form the basis of the advocacy stage of the assessment.
You will have 40 minutes in which to prepare for the advocacy stage.
During the advocacy stage of the assessment a member of our Assessment Board will play the role of a District Judge and will ask you to address them in respect of three cases.
Both stages of the assessment will be recorded.
Updated on: 01/09/2023
Thank you!