An interactive panel discussion on what makes a witness interview effective. The faculty will explore the role witness interviews play across the litigation lifecycle, from depositions and trial preparation to cross-examination at trial, and how they can shape evidence, strategy and outcomes. Drawing on real-life experience, the session will showcase what good practice looks like in witness interviews, highlighting the importance of preparation, questioning techniques, cultural considerations and the common pitfalls to avoid.

The discussion will explore how witness interviews are used at different stages of the US judicial process and why they are critical to building credible evidence and effective case strategy. Through a mock witness interview exercise from the faculty, attendees will gain practical insights into interview preparation and witness handling, with opportunities to ask questions throughout the session.

In this session, faculty will introduce a series of scenarios that arise at different stages of the US witness interview process, from initial preparation through to deposition and trial. Participants will work in groups to discuss how they would approach each situation, before selecting pairs to perform a short mock interview to demonstrate their approach in practice within the different stages of the interview process.

A participant from each group will give feedback to the cohort on their tips from the exercise.