Choose Your Outfit Ahead of Time
Choosing your outfit ahead of your law firm interview may seem obvious in how to prepare for your law firm interview, but it’s still important. It seems that during the pandemic, we’ve read story after story of lawyers who should know better not wearing pants or shirts for video conferencing events (not to mention clients showing up to court in full hazmat outfits…not that we necessarily blame them). It does not matter if you’re an unemployed lawyer, a paralegal for hire, or getting hired after law school, you should treat a virtual law firm interview as you would an in-person interview. Dress appropriately. Of course, if it is a virtual interview, you may be able to nix the shoes.
If Your Law Firm Interview Is Virtual, Ensure Plenty of Time to Work Out Technical Issues
Make sure that you’re familiar with how to use Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams, Google Meeting, or whatever virtual medium the law firm interview will take place through. Ensure that your laptop or desktop as well as your webcam and microphone (or headset) is ready for use. Giving yourself this extra time before your interview helps ensure that your interview is smooth or gives you the opportunity to secure other arrangements to complete the interview, such as using another laptop or installing an app on your smartphone or tablet.
Research the Law Firm Hiring for the Position
To prepare for your law firm interview as well as to prepare to handle the interview questions, research the law firm. They don’t want to just hire someone to fill an empty spot. Law firms invest significant resources in the hiring process as well as into onboarding and training their employees. They want to hire someone who will stay. Otherwise, they must begin the process again. Law firms hire legal assistants and lawyers they believe are most likely to stay long-term.
To convince the hiring partner that this is your objective, show that you put in the time to research the law firm. It really doesn’t take much time or effort to do this. You can read about the law firm on their website; make sure that you read their About page and understand their mission. Review their practices areas. You can look them up on LinkedIn. They may have a profile on Avvo. You can read a few of their recent blog posts. You could look for recent news articles about them. You could perform an internet search on the named partners to learn about some of their more recent cases or verdicts.
Review the Details of the Job Opening and Consider Potential Interview Questions
After you’ve researched the law firm itself, read the firm’s mission statement, and hopefully found some information on the firm’s recent legal victories, review the details of the job opening. This will help you put the details of the law firm job opening in better perspective. While we named this article legal interview tips, do not neglect this. It really can help give you the edge over the other applicants. Think about how your skills, experience, and what you’ve learned about the law firm can help you determine which potential law firm interview questions may be asked as well as how you may be able to best frame the answer to show the law firm that you are the best candidate for the position given their mission statement.
Preparing for the Structure of the Law Firm Interview
It’s important to understand the structure of the law firm interview. The first part of it will be spent reviewing your professional and educational knowledge. If you’re an entry level attorney, paralegal, or legal assistant, don’t worry. Your resume can be stylized to highlight your education as well as previous internship experience, volunteer experience, or even previous professional experience that has transferable skills.
The remainder of the interview will focus on determining whether the law firm hiring partner believes that you could be a good fit for the open law firm position as well as the day to day culture. This is the part of the interview where you’ll be asked a lot of questions. Some may come straight from your resume and relate to your listed strengths, skills, and experiences. Others may appear hypothetical in nature, but still help the hiring partner understand how you’d fit into the environment.
Don’t ramble. Be concise. Stay focused on what you’re being asked.
The Most Important Legal Interview Tip: Practice Answering Potential Law Firm Interview Questions
How you answer law firm interview questions is arguably the most important part of the interview. You must be prepared. You must be articulate. The questions that you may be asked depend on the law firm, their needs, and your resume. The questions you will be asked cannot be predicted with 100% accuracy. Some questions are still quite generic in a “getting to know you” sense, but there are also specific questions you should be prepared to answer in the event they are asked.
Tell me about yourself. With this question, the hiring partner is looking to assess if you are a personality fit for the law firm. Be careful not to give away too much personal information or go straight into information that can be found on your resume. Instead, talk a little bit about things you enjoy. Talk a little bit about your favorite hobbies or what you enjoy doing.
Why did you decide to go to law school? This question is generally asked of recent law school graduates who have yet to find work. Be honest. What attracted you to law school? Of course, if the answer is because your parents insisted that you go, you might want to change your answer to something that will sound better for the hiring law firm. No one appreciates being a back-up plan.
If you’re a paralegal or legal assistant and went to college or a training program or perhaps went through a certification program (or even on the job training), you may be asked what made you decide to get into the legal field. You may also be asked this question if you’re an entry-level legal assistant or paralegal who is looking for their first job without any sort of education or on the job training. Answer truthfully. What attracted you to the legal field? Do you have a desire to make a difference in the lives of others?
Why do you believe you’re a good lawyer / paralegal / legal assistant? Most law firms understand that a GPA isn’t necessarily the determining factor on whether someone will be a good attorney, paralegal, or legal assistant. This question is just as likely to be asked of an experienced attorney or paralegal as it is of a new graduate. Think about what it is about you as a person as well as your skills that makes you a good legal professional. In addition to your legal skills, are you an active listener? Are you skilled in building professional relationships with other legal colleagues both in and out of the office? Are you skilled in providing compassionate support for clients? Do you know how to build business?
Why are you leaving your current role? This can be a tough question to answer. It’s imperative that if you’re leaving your current role for negative reasons that you do not state those negative reasons during your law firm interview. Those things may be 100% true, and you may be 100% justified in your feelings. However, it does not paint you in a positive light during the interview.
Instead, you must be tactful in navigating the answer. You could choose to say something about how your current role no longer affords you the opportunity to grow as a professional and you believe it is time for change and how you are more interested in working in [practice area offered by the law firm hiring].
If you are moving to a new area, it is fine to mention that you are moving to their area. If you’re looking to move into a different practice area or you’re excited to work with this particular firm, those are also acceptable reasons to make the switch.
What are your long-term career plans? The purpose of this question is for the hiring partner to assess if you’re going to stay. Law firms invest significant time, money, and other resources not just into law firm interviews, but also into recruiting and training for job openings. If their new hires don’t stay, the process starts all over. They want to choose the right person. Consider your long-term goals as well as whether the law firm has the means to support your plans. If you’re an attorney interested in becoming a partner, make sure the firm has a partnership track.
What questions do you have for me? A law firm interview isn’t just a time for the law firm to ask you questions about your credentials and to see if you’re a good fit for them. It’s also a time for you to interview the law firm to make sure that it really is a place that you want to work. While it isn’t mandatory for you to ask them any questions, you will be given the opportunity to do so.
Send a Thank You Note After Your Interview
A thank you note is a small way that you can stand out after your law firm interview is over. Send a thank you note to each person who was part of the interview. This note may be sent through USPS mail or it may be sent via email. The note should be sent within 24 hours of your interview so that you can address any small details of the interview that stood out to you. This will help you remain at the top of the hiring partner’s mind when it comes time for them to make a decision.
