Interview Expectations for Law Graduates

𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸. And after two decades of GC and senior counsel searches, I’ve seen why. It’s usually not the candidates. It’s the questions. “Where do you see yourself in five years?” “Tell me about your strengths and weaknesses.” These won’t tell you how a GC or senior counsel handles ambiguity, pushes back on shaky deals, or builds trust with the C-suite. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻, 𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵: 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 Skip the hypotheticals. Use the STAR method (situation, task, action, result) to uncover what they actually did and how it played out. If they can’t walk you through it clearly, take note. 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 “What’s the toughest call you’ve made in a high-stakes deal? Walk me through the pressure, the players, and what happened.” 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 “Tell me about a time you had to say no to a business partner who didn’t want to hear it. What did you do next?” 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 Have every interviewer ask the same three or four core questions. You’ll spot patterns and gaps quickly. Also, remember that top candidates are paying close attention to how 𝘺𝘰𝘶 show up in the process. A vague or surface-level interview doesn’t just waste time. It sends a message about how your team operates. You’re not just hiring a résumé. You’re hiring a lawyer who fits your business, your team, your culture. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴? — 𝘏𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯-𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳? 𝘓𝘦𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬. 𝘔𝘺 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘻𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯��𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘸𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘦𝘥.

Law firms don’t struggle to find candidates with experience. They struggle to find candidates who can clearly show their impact... I see it every day with legal assistants, paralegals, legal ops, docketing specialists, billing professionals, admin staff, everyone. They make it to the interview… But they don’t move past it. And it’s not because they’re underqualified. It’s because hiring decisions in the legal world are made on clarity, not just competence. Most candidates default to statements like: ❌ “I supported 3 attorneys.” ❌ “I drafted legal documents.” ❌ “I handled case management.” ❌ “I helped with billing.” That’s not a story. That’s a job description. Here’s what law firms actually lean in for: ✅ Impact How did you make your attorney’s day easier? How did you reduce errors? How did your work improve organization, client service, or turnaround times? ✅ I coordinated witness prep, organized 1,200+ pages of evidence, and built a cross-examination binder that directly supported our lead attorney’s courtroom performance. The judge complimented our team on efficiency.” ✅ As Billing Manager for a 40-attorney firm, I led a team of 12 billing specialists and redesigned our pre-bill review workflow. Within three months, we reduced write-downs by 22%, strengthened cash flow, and increased annual collected revenue by more than $450K.” ✅ As a Litigation Legal Assistant supporting a 5-attorney team, I managed high-volume case calendars, drafted and filed pleadings across state and federal courts, and reduced attorney turnaround time through improved workflow organization. My case prep support contributed to multiple successful dispositive motions and timely case progression. Now you’re not describing your tasks. You’re showing your value. Stronger legal interview answers follow a formula: Set the scene – The problem, the volume, the challenge Explain your thinking – Why you approached it that way End with impact – The result, the improvement, the outcome If you want to stand out in the legal industry: Stop repeating your job duties. Start telling the story of the value you create. This is what gets offers.

On a one-on-one call recently, my mentee told me: "I come from a government servants’ family. I've been taught to treat job as job, so I don’t mind a law firm job as such." A lot of first generation law students have a similar mindset adopted from their family members. Here's why it doesn't work in our field. In government organizations, you usually get training before you handle the real work. In law firms, you’re expected to perform from Day 1. That’s because legal is not an employment, it’s a profession. Here, you’re not just “doing a job.” You’re solving problems under impossible timelines. You’re expected to anticipate client needs before they ask. You’re constantly judged not on 'attendance' but on 'value'. It’s not a “job” you clock in and out of; rather it’s a service you render with responsibility, judgment, and urgency. In our world, you’re not just working in the system, you are the system! Clients depend on your precision, speed, and foresight. So, if you are also aiming for a lawfirm "job"; please understand that you are stepping into a profession where excellence isn’t optional- it’s the baseline. You'll struggle really hard if you don't adopt this mindset shift beforehand. Your Legal Career Coach (YLCC) Sammanika

Law students, For those of you who want to become Public Defenders or District Attorneys the interview is an important part of the process. For the most part, these firms interview with a different goal than clerkships or BigLaw - where you went to school and what grades you made are seldom discussed. A big part of the interview process isn't about your answers to the questions. Instead, the interview is seeking whether or not you will be a good fit with the office. Every PD office and every DA office has too much work. So, the folks that interview you want to see if you are up for the work. And, they want to see how you roll with the punches, so to speak. The criminal bar is very collegial. And that is one other thing that you are being "tested" on. There are some specific questions that you are likely to get (none of these come from my current job). I offer these to help you prepare. PD: Is there any type of case you wouldn't defend? This question is aimed both at your values and your ability to be part of the team. In a PD office, you will have many difficult cases and clients. You will handle cases that are full of trauma, horrible facts, all of which bring out the range of emotions. Those making the hiring decisions want to know that you are willing to handle all types of cases and why. DA: Do you believe in the death penalty? And do you think the death penalty is a deterrent? Despite what you might think, for most offices, whether or not you believe in the death penalty isn't really what they are looking at. Instead, they want to evaluate your thought process. Why? Because as a DA you will make thousands of plea offers and decisions about people's lives. They want to know if you have a depth of thought about a somewhat controversial topic to gauge how you handle tough issues. The follow up is seeking the same thing, albeit in a bit of a different light. Deterrence is a part of the role of the prosecutor, and how you value and see deterence is something an office will want to explore. If you want to be either a PD or a DA, you need to show demonstrable interest in what each office does. It matters. And because of this necessity, you need to do your homework on the local/state where you want to work. Each place has it's own peculiarities and things that make you stand out or which can hurt you as an applicant. #lawstudents

Dear Law Student, OCIs are coming up. Here's what the vast majority of employers want, and what they don't. What they want: 1. To know they will make money on your clerkship. See, law firms are in the business of making money. They (usually) don't hire loss-leaders, so they want to make money on every team member. Don't get me wrong, they're willing to mentor and teach, but they want some return on the investment. So, make sure you communicate what you will do to ensure they make $. 2. To know you might actually work for them after law school. Look, everyone knows law students probably won't end up working for the firm they clerked with first. But, they want to know there's at least a chance. So, if there's not a chance, don't pretend like there is. Be honest. 3. To know you will treat their team and their clients well. As a law student, you don't know anything about the law. Employers know that. But, they do except you, as a human, to know how to treat their humans well. So, communicate what you will do to make that happen. 4. To know that you're smart. There's this baseline idea that law students are smart. But, lawyers know lots of lawyers who aren't smart, so it's a rebuttal presumption. Play up the bright, but do it naturally. 5. To know your hobbies. Employers like interesting humans with real human interests, so show that side of yourself. What they don't want: 1. To know your politics. Almost no one cares what your politics are. (There are some ideologues who case deeply, and if you want to work for them, politics away.) The more you slather them on your resume, the more you annoy most employers. 2. To know your personal problems. I don't know why some think this is a good idea, but leading with personal problems is not a winning strategy for OCIs. 3. To know the color of your skin. Race is just not a consideration for the vast majority of legal employers. We want to know your individual character. If, however, a firm is interested in hiring you because of your race, run from that firm. It is likely not a stellar working environment.

“Sudden death” answers: Do they apply to an in-house interview? NYU Professor of Management Suzy Welch identifies three “sudden death” answers that will “instantly disqualify yourself” in a job interview. (https://lnkd.in/gVwSxjxe) But do they apply in a legal in-house interview? While two are spot on, the third requires more nuance, especially for Bay Area lawyers.  1. “I want to start my own business someday.” This is a definite no. Hiring managers want lawyers who are committed to the company and the role, especially because they invest significant time and resources into new hires and want to see a return on that investment. I’ve heard similar but more common “sudden death” answers from in-house candidates: "I want to be GC someday," "I want to manage," and "I want to also lead [adjacent areas]." Unless the hiring manager lays out those scenarios as possibilities, these common answers will hurt you because it sounds like you’re already thinking about the next step rather than the job in front of you. 2. “I’m looking for work-life balance.” Also no. Says Suzy Welch: “[W]e all want balance. But if you say this is your top priority, you’ll instantly disqualify yourself, at least in the eyes of many hiring managers. Companies want to know that you’re motivated, that you want to win, and that your goals align with theirs. Productivity and passion matter.” In-house lawyers already know law firms are demanding, so you don’t need to say you want to escape it. Hiring managers have told me they do not want burnt out big firm lawyers, or people looking to leave big law because they were passed over for partnership. 3. “I was let go as part of my company’s recent layoffs.” I disagree with Suzy that this answer is “sudden death” in the Bay Area, where many companies have made across the board cuts in the last couple years. But I do agree with her that you “need to explain your situation in more nuanced detail… For instance, you might explain that your company was getting out of a certain business line entirely.” And I would immediately add that you have done the [XYZ] work required by the job at hand with [123 metrics] so you can hit the ground running, and that you have been particularly interested in the company because [list reasons].

We are observing a surge in high-quality candidates within the legal job market, but there's a concerning trend emerging. Many candidates are changing jobs frequently, with resumes showing annual moves between firms for the past four years. This pattern is resulting in heightened rejections by hiring partners. Hiring partners are now placing a premium on stability and long-term dedication. Candidates with a history of job-hopping are often viewed as lacking commitment or not being worth the investment in training. This shift mirrors nationwide trends. While the demand for skilled legal professionals remains strong, firms are seeking candidates who exhibit steady career growth and loyalty. In 2023, the legal job market hit a historic peak, intensifying competition. Consequently, firms are cautious about investing in candidates who might not stay long enough to justify training costs. The key takeaway for job seekers is to highlight stability and career advancement in resumes and interviews. Firms increasingly value candidates who can showcase a commitment to professional growth within a single organization. This emphasis on longevity and progression is poised to influence hiring norms in 2024 and beyond.

How I got summer associate offers from five top (V10) law firms: (This method can be used to prepare for any job interview.) I prepared for callback interviews by studying each firm for 2-3 hours. Most of that time was spent reading three sections of the firm’s website: ✔ Careers and professional development ✔ Overview and representative matters of practice groups I was interested in ✔ Bios of the lawyers I would be interviewing with I also read each firm’s Vault profile and feedback from previous summer associates (provided by my law school’s Career Services office). Then I created a “crib sheet” – one single-spaced typed page per firm: ✔ Name and address of firm, time and date of interview ✔ OCI stats for my school from the previous year (ratio of on-campus interviews to callbacks; callbacks to offers; offers accepted) ✔ Name of my OCI interviewer(s) ✔ Name and bio of callback interviewers (title, practice, law school, undergrad) ✔ Number of lawyers and summer associates (in New York and overall) ✔ Office locations ✔ Practice groups in New York ✔ Key points about the practices I was interested in ✔ Highlights of summer program, taken from firm’s website and Vault guide ✔ Notes from previous summer associates at my law school ✔ Highlights from Vault profile I reviewed the notes for each firm in the cab on the way to my callback. This strategy helped me answer every interview question in a way that demonstrated specific knowledge of and interest in the firm. Instead of, “It seems like you have great training here,” I could say, “I read about the summer associate workshops on legal writing, depositions, and negotiations.” Instead of, “I’m interested in the Latin America practice,” I could say, “I saw that the LatAm group recently worked on an infrastructure project in Chile.” Instead of “It seems like the culture here is really positive,” I could say, “I read all of the feedback from previous summer associates at my school, and was impressed by what they had to say about how supportive the culture is.” I also learned a lot about each firm, which helped me ask relevant questions and make an informed decision. This method can be used to prepare for any job interview, not just law firm callbacks. Employers want to see that you have done your research and carefully considered why you are a mutual fit. P.S.: This is a redacted version of the one-pager I created in 2007(!) for the firm where I accepted a summer associate position. I wasn’t given interviewers’ names in advance, so that section is omitted.

I've been helping people navigate Biglaw OCI all summer. Here is the advice they told me resonated with them the most and that I should share here: 1. Understanding the difference between tackling a screener and a callback. With screeners, you only need to "hit" on one point really well because you only have a short amount of time and one person who will make an initial decision. With callbacks you need to hit on many points and do so in every single interview. 2. Being reminded that if you think you might want to do biglaw at some point in your career even if only for a short time, you should try to get a 2L summer position. It's much easier to leave biglaw for other firms, public interest, or to chase your passions -- but it's harder to get into biglaw if you don't start there. 3. Understanding that while biglaw is extremely difficult it can open doors for other opportunities even when you aren't sure what you want in your career. 4. Accepting that getting a position in biglaw is not the be all end all of my legal career. 5. Applying to a wide net of firms is really important because you might miss out on a firm simply because you didn't connect with the right person or there are firm politics at play that limit the number of spots available. 6. That getting a rejection from a firm didn't necessarily mean there was something wrong with me, my application, or my interview -- but sometimes you just don't get in front of the right person. 7. Learning to frame everything as a story. As well as preparing certain stories to try and steer all the interview questions back to. 8. Highlighting something you learned in your pre-law experience and then expanding on how you've continued to build on those particular skills through law school or 1L summer. 9. Striking the right balance between flexibility, but having a sense of what general practice areas I'm interested in. 10. Being more human. When people ask me to share something about me or my motivation, trying to showcase my personality and other interests instead of trying to answer everything purely "professionally." If you have any questions, my DMs are always open! Most of this advice applies to applying to law firms and other legal positions generally. If you find it helpful, let me know! #Biglaw #Lawfirms #Recruitment #2Ls