Lawyer Interview Preparation Guide
Sharpen your Lawyer interview expertise with our handpicked 41 questions. Our questions cover a wide range of topics in Lawyer to ensure youre well-prepared. Whether youre new to the field or have years of experience, these questions are designed to help you succeed. Dont miss out on our free PDF download, containing all 41 questions to help you succeed in your Lawyer interview. Its an invaluable tool for reinforcing your knowledge and building confidence.41 Lawyer Questions and Answers:
1 :: What are your most important cases or transactions?
This question can generate a useful dialog about what an associate is actually doing--not what the firm says lawyers do early in their career, or a recital of the firm's high-profile cases.
2 :: Tell me how are these cases and transactions staffed (partners /associates/seniority/reporting lines?
Every firm will tell you its cases are staffed "leanly." Hearing about how particular matters are staffed will help you understand whether this is true, and learn how much direct partner contact you are likely to get.
3 :: Tell me how does the associate evaluation process work?
All firms have evaluation procedures of one kind or another. But you will want to know how often young lawyers are reviewed, how the evaluation is delivered, how active a role the associate has in the process, how it affects compensation, whether reviews are anonymous, etc. Pay attention to cues about how the process seems actually to be working for the associate.
4 :: Tell me what is the process for providing feedback to summers?
Lots of useful feedback is a standard claim; try to get specifics about how the firm gets busy attorneys to provide constructive criticism to summer associates.
5 :: Explain supervision, mentoring and training for associates?
All firms tout their professional development opportunities. Specific questions about how this interviewer experiences them will help you find out what the firm's priorities are, and how organized the firm's approach to development is. Ask about mentoring, adviser systems, writing programs, in -firm and outside CLE programs. Ask about how much time associates are expected to devote to professional development. Does the firm have benchmarks for attainments of specific skills by associates at different levels? How does the firm support associates' realization of those goals?
6 :: Tell me how does the firm use summer associates work?
It's not always easy for lawyers to find projects of the right scope for summers. Some firms even create exercises for summer associates to be sure that everyone gets a chance to do different types of projects.
7 :: Tell me how is work assigned in your summer associate program?
What does the firm do to ensure that each summer gets a good mix of assignments? How much say do summers have in choosing assignments? How many of the partners/associates/staff attorneys is a summer likely to work with? Is there a centralized source of assignments, or will my work be assigned from a department head, or from one partner?
8 :: Tell me how is work assigned to associates?
Does the firm have a "free market" assignment system?
Does work come through a committee or do you just hear from partners who need help?
Do associates ever go to partners and ask for work?
How do the work assignment systems for summer associates and permanent ones compare?
Does work come through a committee or do you just hear from partners who need help?
Do associates ever go to partners and ask for work?
How do the work assignment systems for summer associates and permanent ones compare?
9 :: Tell me what practice development challenges does the firm face?
Every partner must think of the firm's future, and this is more urgent now than ever. Firms try to anticipate clients' needs, and ensure the capability to serve them. Questions could pertain both to practice areas (which ones the partner sees as being in demand in coming years) and to ways of serving clients (new technologies, billing schemes, etc.).
10 :: Suppose if I have heard about marketing, competition for business, "beauty contests" and the like. How has this changed in the past few years?
Is the ability to market important to hiring or promotion decisions? What does the firm do to train younger lawyers to develop business? This is new and important territory for everyone in the profession. Showing that you are aware that young lawyers can't just do great legal work, that they need to be involved in bringing in and keeping clients, will be gratifying to many partners.