New Lawyer Interview Preparation Guide

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Lawyers must be able to work long hours alone, with complex documentation and literature. At the same time, their interpersonal skills must be outstanding to effectively communicate in the office and in the courtroom. Lawyers use not only their analytical prowess but also their personalities in their work.

Be brief and use specifics to say what and how you do when, for example, you receive clients, draw up legal documents relevant to the case, decide for or against taking the case, etc.

Lawyers are usually represented as criminal lawyers in the public eye. Many, of course, are civil lawyers, and there are those who specialize in corporate law - the legal aspect of business transactions. Business companies always hire lawyers to represent them and handle any legal aspects, definitions, and documentation of their activities.

The relationship should be an honest, open, and trusting one where questions can be asked and opinions can be expressed without concern of retaliation.

Find out what specific behaviors are inadequate. Even if the impressions are wrong about you, do not retaliate.

In the Movie the actor portrayed a lawyer who shared his honest feelings to all around him. Sharing honest feelings, especially ones of anger, frustration, and hate, may be inappropriate and also based on inadequate information about another person or situation.

Determine how the candidate defines what is right.
Determine how the candidate defines a loss. Is there a loss in terms of fundamentalism, social institutions, moral agency or virtuous organizations as a whole?
Fundamentalism: Financial and legal responsibility only "Business of business is profit."
Social Institutions: Social contract exists beyond economics and legalities. Need to accommodate stakeholders' interests.
Moral Agency: Moral obligations similar to people. Morality and ethics are part of culture: The 'right thing to do.
Virtuous Organizations: Organizations that foster the good society. Obligation to build a better world.

Lawyers are highly trained, highly educated professionals who command vast and precise knowledge in many areas besides law. They are also able to manipulate their knowledge creatively to make their case. Lawyers are confident and charismatic.

Besides a law school degree, many lawyers have degrees or coursework in a number of other relevant subjects, like English, politics, socialism, and economic science. Some lawyers have degrees in accounting or engineering.

☛ Who are our main competitors?
☛ What other law firms have you applied to, and why?
☛ Why do we need offices abroad, and where should we open next?
☛ Why do we do pro bono work?
☛ What stories in the business press have interested you recently?
☛ What part would laws and lawyers play in a corporate acquisition, an IPO, a dispute between two businesses, or a price-fixing investigation?
☛ What deals or disputes that have been announced publicly are we currently involved in?
☛ What have you learned from your studies and extra-curricular activities that can be applied to a career in the law?
☛ Why did you choose to study X at university?
☛ What are you reading at the moment or enjoying on TV? Who would be at your dream dinner party? Why did you get that one bad exam result in your first year?

☛ Why do you want to be a lawyer?
☛ Why do you think you're suited to a career in the law?
Why don't you want to be a barrister?
☛ If you couldn't work in the law, what would you be?
☛ What do you think you'll be doing during your first year at the firm?
☛ Do you like working in a team?
☛ Do you like working by yourself?
☛ How do you feel about long working hours?
☛ What are our strongest practice areas?
☛ Which of our practice areas interest you and why?

☛ What classes are you taking?
☛ How did you like ___ (work experience)?
☛ What are your ultimate career goals?
☛ Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten? Twenty?
☛ What is your greatest strength?
☛ What is your greatest weakness?
☛ What one thing have you done that you're proudest of?
☛ Do you have any more questions?
☛ Why do you want to work in city? (Be prepared for this one if you have no obvious ties to the area. Firms do not want to waste recruiting efforts on someone who is not committed to their location)

☛ How would you reconcile being assigned a case you were morally opposed to?
☛ Why do you want to be a lawyer?
☛ Why did you go to law school?
☛ How do you like law school?
☛ How are you doing in school?
☛ What are your grades?
☛ Why are you interested in this firm?
☛ What can I tell you about this firm?
☛ What type of law do you want to do?
☛ Who are your favorite instructors?

☛ What is your greatest personal asset? Your greatest weakness?
☛ Do you like routine work?
☛ What constitutes "security" in your mind?
☛ What fields interest you other than the one you are in?
☛ What do you really feel are things that help a person become successful?
☛ What constitutes "success" in your mind?
☛ What kinds of things give you the most satisfaction in your work?
☛ What criteria are you using to evaluate the employer for which you hope to work?
☛ What's the worst question you can think of to ask me?
☛ What do you enjoy doing the most?
☛ Why did you only get a "P" in ____?

☛ What experience have you had in organizing or directing clubs and/ or activities?
☛ Tell me about yourself?
☛ Describe yourself in one word?
☛ What are your future career plans?
☛ Why did you choose law?
☛ What courses have you liked best? Least?
☛ What qualifications do you have that make you feel you will be successful in your area of interest?
☛ What have you learned from some of the jobs you have held?
☛ What type of people do you feel you work with best?
☛ What type of people would you have trouble working with?

☛ Do you feel as if the firm values pro bono work?
☛ How would you describe the firm culture?
☛ How much say do associates have in firm governance?
☛ What do you like most about the firm?
☛ What would you change about it if you could?
☛ Why did you choose this firm over other options you had?
☛ Why do you want to work for us?
☛ Why should we hire you?
☛ What do you know about our organization?
☛ How have you spent your summers?

☛ Is your work concentrated with a small group of partners or clients?
☛ At what point are junior attorneys expected to specialize?
☛ How accessible are partners to associates?
☛ How accessible are associates expected to be after hours?
☛ How important would you say "face time" is at the firm?
☛ What constitutes a billable hour?
☛ How much client contact do you have?
☛ How much control do you have over your schedule?
☛ How often do you have to change personal plans at the last minute?
☛ What kinds of pro bono work does the firm do?

☛ Is your work concentrated with a small group of clients?
☛ What is the biggest change you have seen since you were an associate at the firm?
☛ How would you describe the firm culture?
☛ If the partner has lateraled from another firm, why did s/he make the change?
☛ What do you like most about the firm?
☛ What would you change about it if you could?
☛ How is the firm governed?
☛ Would you describe management as very centralized, or more dispersed?
☛ How are associates involved in the decision-making process?

☛ Tell me about a time when you misjudged a person?
☛ Do you check your emails when you're on holiday?
☛ Do you have a role model? If so, who is it and why?
☛ If you could try any job for a week, what would you do?
☛ How do I rate as an interviewer?
☛ Rank these in the order of importance: power, health, status, wealth.
☛ Give an example of when you have learnt from a mistake.
☛ Who would you like to punch on the nose?
☛ Sing us a verse from your favorite song.
☛ What did you have for breakfast today?

☛ What sort of employment background do you have?
☛ Why did you come to us through an agency?
☛ Have you applied anywhere else apart from us?
☛ Have you had any other interviews apart from us?
☛ Have you been offered a position yet?
☛ How much notice would you need to give to your present employer if you were offered a position?
☛ Would you be willing to branch out into any other area of law, if the need arose?
☛ Have you ever been abroad?
☛ Do you speak any other languages apart from English?
☛ What questions have you for us?

☛ What sort of activities are you interested in outside of work?
☛ Are you a socializing person? What is your work/life balance?
☛ Would your social life infringe on your work commitment?
☛ If so, how? Explain.
☛ What sort of management skills do you have?
☛ Do you think you require training in management skills? Why?
☛ Do you prefer to manage yourself or let someone else do the managing?
☛ Are you a leader or a follower?
☛ Are you computer literate?
☛ Would you be able to do time-recording? Do you keep good time?

☛ In the future would you be willing to manage a branch office? If not, why not? Explain.
☛ What sort of advocacy experience do you have (apart from those taught on the LPC)?
☛ Do you think you would need to undergo training for advocacy?
☛ How do you stand on equal opportunities?
☛ Have you ever been involved either paid or unpaid with the services of the voluntary sector?
☛ What do you think about law as it is practiced in private practice firms?
☛ What are the three main attributes for a successful commercial lawyer?
☛ What views do you hold on the recent budget?
☛ Who would you take a desert island, and why?
☛ Are you a member of any clubs or charities?

☛ What do you know about the impact of the Human Rights Act on law in this country?
☛ Do you think that there will be a major impact on criminal law?
☛ How has business/commercial/family law been affected by the change?
☛ Have you ever attended a court hearing or employment tribunal?
☛ What was the outcome?
☛ How much preparation on files for trial do you do?
☛ How much do you expect Counsel to do?
☛ What do you think about the principle of Legal Aid? Should clients have to pay for services they use in all circumstances?
☛ Are you willing to do after-hour work?
☛ Are you willing to go through the accreditation process for police station advisers?

☛ What is your alternative career, should law not be the avenue for you?
☛ Would you be able to supply any references?
☛ What sort of response would we get from your referees about your professional as well as social manner?
☛ Why would you want to do LSC funded (legal aid) work? If not, why not? Explain.
☛ Why should we employ you, instead of someone else?
☛ What do you think about partnership prospects in the future?
☛ We are not willing to give partnership prospects, what are your views on that?
☛ What are you expecting from this firm in the future?
☛ What are your views on the franchising of legal aid firms?
☛ What are your views on the policies of the Legal Services Commission?

☛ Can you provide a recent example of when you were under stress, and how you coped?
☛ What support training would you require to be able to do this job? If not, why not? Explain.
☛ What would you look forward to most in this job?
☛ In your view, what are the major problems/opportunities facing the legal industry?
☛ What will be your key target in this job if we appoint you?
☛ What makes you think you can be successful with us?
☛ How does the job sound to you?
☛ Which subjects did you enjoy during your qualifying degree?
☛ Why do you want to be a solicitor?
☛ Have you always wanted to be a solicitor?