The document outlines interdisciplinary training programs for barristers and social work trainees at Queens University Belfast, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in the family justice system. It details training sessions, benefits of the program, and feedback from participants indicating improved understanding of each profession's roles and the court process. Both bar and social work trainees reported enhanced skills in advocacy, report analysis, and networking through joint training experiences.

1. Interdisciplinary Training
Aine Maxwell ©
Solicitor and Senior Teaching Fellow
Institute of Professional Legal Studies

2. Interdisciplinary Training
• Institute of Professional Legal Studies
Queens University Belfast.
• School of Sociology, Social Policy and
Social Work Queens University Belfast.
• Academic years 2007 -2008
• 2008 – 2009.

3. Institute of Professional Legal
Studies
• Vocational Legal Training for barristers
and solicitors.
• Practice and procedure.
• Extensive skills training including
advocacy and case analysis.

4. School of Social Work.
• Degree in Social Work; module in court system and court
skills.
• Develop
• Understanding of the social work role in legal
proceedings
• Knowledge about structure and operation of court
system
• Knowledge of roles of different professionals involved in
legal proceedings
• Skills in presenting written evidence in form of report
• Skills in presenting oral evidence and dealing with corss
examination in court.

5. Interdisciplinary Training
• Fifth Annual Report: The Children Order
Advisory Panel of Northern Ireland highlighted
importance of interdisciplinary training:
• “It is only by an exchange of views, a sharing of
mutual experiences and a realisation of the
problems facing the disparate branches of the
family justice system that we can all benefit from
our shared experiences.”

6. Multi –disciplinary Structure in
Family Justice System.
• Lord Justice Thorpe:
• “ The delivery of a high quality service to
all those who enter the family justice
system, whether as applicants or as
respondents, must depend on informed
collaboration.”

7. Issues at Outset.
• 1. Areas of common interest ?
• 2. Opportunities for skills training?
• 3. Timetabling
• 4. Resources.

8. Issues
• 1. Where will they interact in practice?
Family Law and Criminal Law
• 2. Skills:
• Barristers- advocacy, drafting, case
analysis, role of expert witness.
• Social workers- drafting, court
presentational skills, role of barrister.

9. Template
• 1. Preparation of court reports by trainee
social workers based on analysis of real
life case study.
• 2. Analysis of these reports by trainee
barristers to elicit relevant information and
prepare examination and cross
examination.

10. Template
• 3. Briefing sessions for all trainees.
• 4. Training sessions for all trainees.
• 5. Preparation for court appearance by all.
• 6. Court appearance by all.

11. Training
• 1. Briefing sessions for both groups.
• 2. Training session at Institute of
Professional Legal Studies for Bar
trainees.
• 3. 118 Social Work trainees prepare
professional reports based on case study.
• 4. Completed by 14 December 2007 ( 19
December 2008).

12. Training
• 5. Delivered to the Institute of Professional Legal
Studies on 18 December 2007 ( 22 December
2008). Posted to Bar trainees on same day.
(2007 – 2008 24 Bar trainees: 2008 – 2009 30
Bar trainees. Approximately 4 -5 reports each
Bar trainee.)
• 6. Bar Trainees analyse reports and prepare
questions.
• 7. Staff available by e mail for assistance.

13. Training
• 8. Bar trainees e mail completed questions
to School of Social Work by 4th
January
2008 ( 5th
January 2009).
• 9. Scheme part of assessment for Social
Work trainees.
• 10. Final preparatory session for Bar
trainees on 9th
January 2008 ( 7th
January
2009).

14. Training
• 11. On 10th
and 11th
January 2008 ( 8th
and
9th
January 2009) Bar trainees undertake
examination in chief and cross
examination of Social Work trainees.

15. Benefits of Joint Training for Bar
Trainees
• Questionnaires distributed to Bar Trainees
2008 – 2009.
• 30 distributed: 24 returned.
• 24 trainees agree with concept of
interdisciplinary training.
• 24 trainees found the interdisciplinary
training scheme useful.

16. Benefits of Interdisciplinary Training
• 24 trainees found the analysis of the social
work reports beneficial.
• “Reading the reports was highly beneficial
– there was a lot of information to digest
and scope for cross examination.”
• “Excellent practice.”
• Some trainees stated that they knew more
about the role of the social worker in court
and the significance of the report.

17. Benefits of Interdisciplinary Training
• 24 trainees found drafting questions for
examination in chief and cross
examination in this context beneficial.

18. Benefits of Interdisciplinary Training
• 24 trainees found the advocacy sessions with
other professionals beneficial.
• Trainees found the sessions more realistic than
mock trials. Social Work expert witnesses would
not help in the way colleagues role playing as
witnesses might help.
• “Advocacy exercise beneficial because we got to
experience how strong a professional witness
can be.”
• “More like a real cross examination… beneficial
as witnesses are strangers”.

19. Benefits of Interdisciplinary Training
• 18 trainees found networking with fellow
professional beneficial.
• “Extremely useful and informative to work
with people from other professions.”
• Some trainees stated that they found it
useful to network with students and staff
from other professions.

20. Benefits of Interdisciplinary Training
for Social Work Trainees.
• 1. Better understanding of importance of
producing high quality report for court.
• 2. Practise skills in giving oral evidence in
chief and dealing with cross examination.
• 3. Develop skills in working with legal
professionals.
• 4. More realistic oral examination.

21. Benefits of Interdisciplinary Training
for Social Work Trainees.
• 5. Variation in experiences with different
bar trainees was preparation for different
styles of advocacy.
• 6. Networking helped to reduce perception
that cross examination was a personal
attack.

22. Interdisciplinary Training
• Institute of Professional Legal Studies
QUB.
• School of Medicine QUB
• Academic year 2007- 2008.

23. Interdisciplinary Training: Bar
Trainees and GP Trainees.
• Ten GPs
• Twenty Trainee barristers.
• Two Bar trainees assigned to each GP
trainee: one responsible for examination in
chief and one responsible for cross
examination.

24. Issues at Outset
• 1. Areas of common interest ?
• 2. Opportunities for skills training?
• 3. Timetabling
• 4. Resources.

25. Issues
• 1. Where will they interact in practice?
Family Law GPs particularly interested in
Child Protection issues.
• 2. Skills:
• Barristers- advocacy, drafting, case
analysis, role of expert witness.
• GPs - drafting, court presentational skills,
role of barrister.

26. Interdisciplinary Training: Bar
Trainees and GP Trainees.
• 1. 15th
May 2008 IPLS provided GP
trainees with case study focussing on child
protection.
• 2. GP trainees prepared report based on
case study.
• 3. 30th
May 2008 Bar trainees received
reports. Reports analysed and
examination and cross examination
prepared.

27. Interdisciplinary Training: Bar
Trainees and GP Trainees.
• 4. 3rd
June 2008 Preparatory session for
bar trainees.
• 5. 4th
June 2008 GP trainees undertook
training session at Royal courts of Justice
including introduction to court process,
reporting to the court and appearing as
witness.

28. Interdisciplinary Training: Bar
Trainees and GP Trainees.
• 6. 5th
June 2008 Bar trainees undertook
examination in chief and cross
examination of trainees at Royal courts of
Justice. Experienced barristers gave
feedback both written and oral.

29. Benefits for Bar Trainees.
• 1. Analysis of reports.
• 2. Drafting questions for examination in
chief and cross examination.
• 3. Advocacy: greater scope as not linked
to assessment.
• 4. Networking.

30. Benefits for GPs
• 1. Better understanding of court system
• 2. Drafting experience and understanding
of importance of producing high quality
report for court.
• 3. Practise skills in giving oral evidence in
chief and dealing with cross examination.
• 4. Develop skills in working with legal
professionals.
• 5. More realistic oral examination

31. Issues Moving Forward.
• Questionnaires:
• 1. Assessment of Bar trainees as well as
Social Work Trainees.
• 2. Further teaching on report analysis.
• 3. Development of criminal session.
• 4. Trainees want more!