Most Common Interview Mistakes
Not Knowing Yourself
- Not knowing about information on your resume
- Failing to clearly articulate the legal assignments asked about
- Failure to distinguish yourself
Not Knowing the Firm
- Lack of preparation - failing to know background of the interviewer or the particular opportunities available/not available in particular offices
- Calling the firm by the wrong name
- Not showing real interest in our work
- Lack of interest in geographic location of office
- Being too open about your interest in public interest or academia (from law firm respondent)
- Stating that you are choosing firm work for the money
- Stating that you are interested in our firm to avoid doing document review
- Students who use interview as information gathering session
Poor Interview Demeanor
- Poor eye contact
- Fidgeting
- Being overly nervous, shy, meek
- Giving obvious responses based on what someone would want to hear, rather than candid responses
- Being over or under confident
- Giving yes or no responses – you should elaborate more
- Crisp, well-articulated answers tend to improve the flow of the interview
- Not seizing the opportunity for an interesting dialogue (the interview should be fun)
- Difficulty maintaining a conversation
- Making the interviewer fill dead time with talk
- Not having questions prepared
Favorite VIP Interviewer Questions
- Get to know you questions: interests or activities on the resume.
- Tell me about (something on the resume).
- What skill was most important in achieving (something on resume)?
- Why did you choose to attend law school?
- If you weren’t in law school, what would you be doing?
- Why do you want to be a lawyer?
- Why are you interested in our firm?
- What factors are most important to you when deciding on a firm?
- Inquiring about prior legal experience.
- What stood out for you in your work this summer?
- What was the most interesting thing you were asked to do last summer and why?
- Describe an interesting legal issue you have dealt with.
- Discuss a case that you thought was poorly reasoned.
- Explain a work assignment or thesis of a law school paper (or college thesis) in terms that your grandparent would understand.
- What are some disappointments you have had and how did you deal with them?
- Tell me about a difficult problem you have had and how you solved it.
- What are your personal standards of success and when have you met and exceeded them?
- What haven’t you talked about that is on your mind?
- What can I tell you that would be useful to you?
- What do you need to hear from me?
- What question do you want me to ask you and how would you answer it?
Best Questions for Students to Ask in an Interview
- What type of people succeed in your firm and why?
- What do you like most about your job?
- What kinds of assignments do junior associates handle for you regularly?
- Tell me about what your day-to-day involves.
- What is the most interesting project you’ve worked on in the past 6 months?
- Why did YOU pick your firm?
- What differentiates your firm from other firms?
- What advice can you give me as I start my legal career?
- Is there anything you wish you had known about your firm before you started?
- What do you wish you had known when you were sitting on this side of the table?
- What practice areas do you anticipate growing in the next five years?
- Tell me about the health of your office.
VIP INTERVIEWER PREFERENCES REGARDING STUDENT TRANSCRIPTS
- General Thoughts
- Take black letter courses outside requirements
- Take courses relevant to stated area(s) of interest – examples: Property, Criminal Procedure, Tax, Intellectual Property, Environmental Law, Trial Advocacy
- Journal experience nice but generally not necessary – 60% say “somewhat important”, 30% say “not important” and 12% say “very important”
- Having an Honor is valued – 55% say “very important, 39% say “somewhat important”, 5% say “not important”
- Specific Preferred Courses
- Administrative Law
- Antitrust
- Black letter courses outside requirements
- Business Organizations
- Clinics
- Constitutional Law
- Corporations
- Evidence
- Federal Courts
- Finance
- Legislation
- Moot Court and Mock Trial
- Regulatory courses
- Securities Regulation