This book provides a practical approach to client interviewing, counseling, and decision-making. These are practical skills, not theoretical ones. Thus, the overall pedagogical approach taken by the text is to explain to students what to do and how to do it when engaging in interviewing, counseling, and decision-making with a client. This accords with the growing trend in law schools to de-emphasize heuristic theory in teaching practical skills and instead teach those skills in simulated real-life contexts.

Based on the guidance and techniques provided in the text, students will best learn the skills of interviewing and counseling by applying them in various role plays contained in the Teacher's Manual or through other role plays developed by their professor. Other features of this book that are worthy of mention: