Law Firm Interview Questions: How to Prepare for Your Law Firm Interview

Law firm interview questions can be tough, and many career websites only provide generalized questions and answers which doesn’t do much to help you truly prepare for your law firm interview. To be fair, some general questions are asked during phone interviews, virtual interviews, and in-person law firm interviews. It is certainly important to prepare for those. However, reading generalist advice on how to answer law firm interview questions may leave you feeling as if you’re unprepared. If you feel unprepared, the hiring manager will sense it and they may be less likely to consider you for a second interview or to extend the job offer to you.
 

Law Firm Interview Questions That Matter


Before we address the general interview questions, let’s talk about the law firm interview questions that matter. There are so many existing articles on general interview questions already and since you’ve probably held a job before, you have a general idea of how to answer those questions. So, we’re going to start with the law firm interview questions that matter. However, before we even get to those questions it is important to note that each law firm can ultimately decide what to ask. Lawyers who recently graduated the bar or who just finished a summer associate or summer internship position may clearly be asked different questions than a lawyer who has experience. Clearly, you should be able to tell the difference between the questions. There may be some questions that inexperienced lawyers should still prepare to be asked as well as some that more experienced lawyers should also prepare for on the off chance that the hiring partner or hiring manager decides to ask them. For example, it is still likely that an experienced attorney may be asked about long-term goals, what interests them about the legal system, or what makes them believe they are a good attorney. Those same questions could be used for an inexperienced attorney as well.

What do you know about our law firm?

The purpose of this interview question is to gauge whether you’ve done any research on the law firm or if you’re just looking for a job. Law firms invest a lot of resources into recruiting and hiring the right attorneys and legal staff. They want them to stay. So, to prepare for this question, do your research before the interview. Review their website, review their blog or news page, review the firm’s LinkedIn page, and look for any recent news articles showcasing positive results about recent cases.

Then, practice your response. What do you know about their law firm? This question may also be phrased as “Why do you want to work for our law firm?” You should also practice answering the question in this manner after you’ve done your research.

What are your long-term career goals?

For lawyers who just passed the bar (congratulations!), it’s okay to have aspirations now that might change later. If you’re an experienced lawyer making a lateral move, be prepared for this question. You just moved from another law firm that you may have thought was your long-term home. This law firm is clearly aware of the fact that your looking to move. Are you looking to this new firm (or other new firms) because you’re relocating or changing practice areas? Maybe you’re looking at a law firm that offers a partnership track. Be honest about your motives. Practice your answer. Clear communication is key to any long-term relationship.

If you’re a legal professional and you’re looking to move because there is simply to no room to grow where you’re at, be honest about that. Tell them that you’re looking to continue to grow as a professional. Maybe you’re looking to make a change to an environment that offers more opportunities. It’s fine to let them know that you’re looking for change, but make sure that you’re clear that remaining with their law firm is your long-term career goal. Practicing your answer as well as showing how well you’ve researched their firm and become knowledgeable about it is a great strategy to show your intentions.

What was your favorite law school class?

The answer to this law firm interview question should depend on which law firm you’re interviewing with if you took a class in that area of law. If you didn’t, don’t panic. Choose a class that was related to what the firm practices (especially if you truly did enjoy it) and use it. Then, engage with the hiring partner over that subject. Be energetic.
If you’re a practicing attorney with experience, this question may be posed to you as, “What makes you believe you’re a good lawyer?” They’re not necessarily looking for you to tout your track record of verdicts (although if you have a big book of business and a great track record of wins, that certainly doesn’t hurt). They want to hear about your love of love and how you care for and about your clients. While the practice of law is a business, the business wouldn’t exist without the foundation of client care.

If you’re a legal professional who went through a training program, went to school, or had on the job training, you may be asked one (or both) of the following:

• What was your favorite legal course or class?
• What was / is your favorite practice area and why?

Be prepared. Practice your answers. If you’re an entry level legal professional, that’s okay as well. You may be asked, “Why do you want to work in [practice area]?” You may also be asked, “What makes you think you’ll be a good legal secretary / legal assistant / paralegal?” Don’t be afraid to talk about previous employment where you used your problem solving skills, research skills, and other transferrable skills. Everyone starts somewhere!

What are your strengths as a lawyer?

Are your arguments well researched? Are you professionally empathetic with clients as well as any witnesses that you speak with? Do you excel at building business for law firms? While considering your strengths as well as highlighting them during the interview, remember not to breach attorney-client privilege when giving examples.

Are you comfortable utilizing legal tech?

More and more law firms rely on legal technology to assist them with the daily functions involved in running a productive environment. You may be asked if you’re comfortable utilizing legal technology. To answer this question, you may want to give examples of the programs you’ve used in the past such as Clio, ZolaSuite, Tabs3, PracticePanther, LawPay, etc. If you’re familiar with other timekeeping or invoicing programs, that may also be helpful even if you don’t have much legal tech experience.

Law Firm Interview Preparation Tips

To prepare for your law firm interview, here are a few tips. Aside from taking the time to review and practice the answers to potential law firm interview questions:
 

• Don’t forget to research the law firm. Even if the hiring partner never asks you why you’re interested in them, you’ll be more knowledgeable about their history and practice areas. You may be able to use that information to your advantage in other ways during the interview as well as while preparing for your interview. You may also need that information when you write the thank you note. And, yes, a thank you note should be written.
• Take the time to think about what you want from working for this law firm. Is it just to get you to your real career objective or are you in it for the long haul?
• Review your credentials. Around 20% of the interview will be spent talking about your credentials. Be prepared to answer questions about who you are and what you can do for the law firm. This is where researching the law firm can really be beneficial for your interview as you can take your skills and explain how they benefit the law firm. Keep in mind that the hiring partner is looking for specific keywords from your resume to ensure that you can handle the requirements of the law firm job opening. In fact, what’s on your resume may also be a factor in which questions are asked. Is “negotiation” a key skill? You’ll probably be asked about that. If you’re not and yet you’re asked about your strengths, you should bring it up.