SQE2 client interview: how to structure it

The SQE2 client interview is a 25-minute conversation with an assessor who plays the client, after about 10 minutes of reading. It is marked on skills only: listening, effective questioning, explaining in plain words and building trust. You can practise a whole interview free on SQE Mock with an AI client by voice, with no sign-up, and get estimated grades for each criterion.

What the assessor is looking for

The criteria for the interview are about how you behave, not how much law you know. The published criteria cover three things: listening and questioning so the client can say what matters to them, explaining in a way the client understands, and building and keeping a relationship of trust and confidence.

Your law still matters, because it decides which questions you ask and what you record afterwards in the attendance note. But in the room, the client is judging whether you are a person they would trust with their problem.

A structure for 25 minutes

1. Open (2 minutes). Greet the client by name and say who you are. Say the meeting is confidential and how long you have. Ask them to tell you in their own words why they have come.
2. Listen (5 minutes). Use open questions: What happened next? How do you feel about that? Do not interrupt. Then summarise in two or three sentences and check you have it right.
3. Probe (8 minutes). Move from open to closed questions to fill gaps: dates, money, documents, who else is involved. Link each question to a legal need, such as time limits, parties, loss or what has been signed.
4. Goals (3 minutes). Ask what the client wants as an outcome and what worries them most. Ask about budget, timing and any deadline.
5. Explain (5 minutes). Give a short, plain-word view: what is likely to happen, the options, and what you suggest. Check understanding.
6. Close (2 minutes). Repeat the next steps, who will do what and by when. Explain costs and how you will keep in touch, then ask if there is anything else.

Watch the clock. Many candidates spend 20 minutes gathering facts and have no time to explain. The explanation and the close are where trust is built.

Worked mini example

The client, Mr Hussain, is buying a flat. The reading file says only that he has offered on a flat and has a lease query. Compare two openings.

Weak: 'What is the address? Is there a mortgage? Have you paid a deposit?' This is a form, not a conversation. The client has not said why he came.

Strong:

• Candidate: 'Good morning, Mr Hussain. I am Sam, a trainee solicitor at Hale & Brook. What you tell me today is confidential, and we have about 25 minutes. Could you tell me in your own words what you would like help with?'
• Client: 'It is the flat in Luton. They accepted my offer, but my broker said the lease is only 78 years.'
• Candidate: 'So your offer on the Luton flat has been accepted, and your broker is worried about a lease of 78 years. Have I understood? What worries you most about that?'

The strong opening is short, names the client, protects confidentiality and invites the story. The summary shows the client he has been heard. Note that the candidate then has a legal reason to ask about the mortgage, the price and the ground rent, and can explain why.

Questions that work

• Open: 'Tell me what happened.' 'What would you like to happen?'
• Probing: 'Can you say a bit more about that?' 'What did they say exactly?'
• Closed (to fix facts): 'What date was that?' 'Is that in writing?'
• Summary: 'Let me check I have this right.'
• Legal-need questions: 'Have you signed anything?' 'Is anyone else involved or affected?' 'Has a deadline been given?'

Ask one question at a time. Avoid leading questions such as 'You didn't sign it, did you?' because they can produce the answer you expect rather than the true one.

Ethics and client care in the interview

Ethics points are not flagged. Typical ones are a conflict of interest between two clients, a client who wants you to keep something from a lender or the court, signs of money laundering, a vulnerable client, and a client who is not clear what you can do for them. A competent trainee notices these, tells the client calmly what the rule requires and records the point. Say how you will be paid and who will do the work. Do not promise a result.

Common mistakes

• Using legal terms the client does not know, such as 'completion', 'exchange' or 'limitation', without explaining them.
• Giving advice in the first five minutes, before you know the facts.
• Not summarising, so the client feels unheard.
• Missing the client's real goal because you only asked about the legal issue.
• Ignoring emotion. If the client is anxious or angry, name it kindly and carry on.
• No next steps at the end.
• Talking more than the client for most of the interview.

Interview checklist

• Greeted by name; introduced myself; confidentiality stated.
• Asked an open question and let the client finish.
• Summarised at least twice.
• Asked about goals, worries, budget and deadlines.
• Used everyday words and checked understanding.
• Spotted any conflict, confidentiality or money laundering point.
• Closed with next steps, costs and contact.

Practise out loud. Our free taster lets you try an AI client interview with no sign-up, with estimated marking against the published criteria.

Practise this now

Templates and worked examples

• SQE2 client interview example

Questions

Related

• SQE2 attendance note: how to write a strong one
• SQE2 ethics and professional conduct: how it is tested
• SQE2 property practice: what the tasks look like
• SQE2 wills and probate: what the tasks look like
• SQE2 mock: how to run one that helps

Sources: SRA presentation: The SQE2 assessment; Law Society: SQE1 and SQE2 assessments; SRA Code of Conduct for Solicitors, RELs and RFLs. Checked 10 November 2026.