Chapter 15 – Interviewing

Communication Skills

• Communication is a two-way street
• Active listening
• Nonverbal communication
• The influence of ethnic, racial and gender differences
• Establish a comfortable interview setting
• Listening as hard work

Active Listening

• Active Listening:  the process of signaling that you are really listening, accomplished by using
  • verbal and nonverbal Clues
  • paraphrasing
  • reflecting the client’s feelings

Paraphrasing

• Paraphrasing is simply the process of repeating, in a shortened form, what the interviewee has just finished saying. It serves three basic functions:
  • to convey to the client that you are with him or her, that you are trying to understand what he is saying;
  • to crystallize a client’s comments by repeating what he or she has said in a more concise manner; and
  • to check your own perceptions to make sure you really do understand what the client is describing

Two Main Goals of an Initial Client Interview

• to obtain information that is legally relevant, complete, and reliable
• to establish a relationship of trust with the client so that the client will feel sufficiently comfortable to convey the needed information.

Steps in the Client Interview

• Starting the Interview
• Taking Notes
• Asking Questions
• Keeping the Interview Going
• Ending the Interview
• After the Interview is Over

Asking Questions

• Open questions:  broad questions that put few limits on the freedom of the respondent.
• Closed questions:  specific questions that usually demand very short or yes-no answers.

The Funnel Approach

• Broad Open Questions
• Narrower, more focused Questions
• Very Specific Questions

Types of Witnesses

• Lay witness:  a witness who has not been shown to have any special expertise.
• Expert witness:  a witness who possesses skill and knowledge beyond that of the average person.