Introduction to Advocacy
Introduction to Asking Questions
- Open Questions
- Closed Questions
- Leading Questions
Open Questions
Open questions are questions that DO NOT suggest a pre-determined answer. In law, an effective open-ended question is a question that narrows the range of possible answers without suggesting a particular answer. An example would be, "...How are you feeling today?...".
Notice that in the above example the expected range of answers is confined to answering how the person is feeling but the question does not suggest that the person is feeling any particular feeling.
Closed Questions
Closed questions are questions that narrow the range of possible answers within the framing of the question. An example would be "...Did you have an apple or a pear for lunch yesterday?...".
Leading Questions
Leading questions are questions where the answer is suggested within the question. An example would be "... Would you agree that mom makes the best meals?....".
Summary
It is important to understand and master your understanding of the above classes of questions. The ability to frame each class of questions above will determine your effectiveness as a legal representative before a court or tribunal.
