Preparing for a Legal Interview – Questions You Can be Asked

Everybody wants to feel confident during an interview and demonstrate their skills and experience to the best of their ability. But the truth is, legal interviews can be a daunting experience. One of the best ways you can combat feelings of anxiety is by preparing for the interview in advance. In other words, you can look at possible questions and think about what your response would be. This is your opportunity to expand on your resume and show everything you have to offer.
 

We know it can be difficult to anticipate what questions a legal interviewer can ask you. That is why we have come up with a lot of them so you can spend time articulating your response.

 
Personal Questions
 
Let’s start by looking at the personal questions you can be asked. Namely, this is going to be about your personality and the skills that you can bring to the legal firm. The overall aim here is to sell your best traits and demonstrate how you can apply them to this position. You want to show your potential employer that you have the character to excel at their law firm and you have what they are looking for.
 
Here are some example personal questions that you can be asked in a legal interview:
 

• Can you tell me about yourself?
• What are the hobbies you like to do in your spare time?
• Who is your role model?
• Do you have any interests that you think are suited to this role?
• Can you work well under pressure?
• Would you say you were a team player?
• Can you work independently?
• What would you say are your strengths and weaknesses?
• Would you let your personal feelings get in the way of your legal work?
• What is your biggest accomplishment?
• Have you made a big mistake and what you learned from it?

 
When you are answering these questions, it is easiest to be truthful. This way, you can expand on points and it will come naturally to you. In addition, do your best to reference the job description and link it to legal work. But some of these questions are about you personally and it is just an opportunity for your employer to get to know you better. Open up and try to relax. Rehearsing ahead of your legal interview is going to help you and ensure that you do not freeze when asked about yourself. You want to show that you are confident.
 
Resume Questions
 
Of course, you know in every interview they are going to ask you about your resume. They want to ensure that your qualifications and experience match what they are looking for at the law firm. Thus, you want to be prepared to expand on your resume and demonstrate what you can bring to the legal position.
 
Let’s take a look at some of the example resume questions you could be asked:
 

• Why did you study that subject for your undergraduate degree?
• Why did you choose to study at that law school?
• Have you always wanted to go into law?
• What made you look for another job?
• What did you like about your previous legal jobs?
• What were your responsibilities at your previous jobs?
• Have you completed any voluntary or pro bono work?
• Can you tell me more about the law journal you worked with?

 
Again, this is an opportunity to expand on the brief points you have made in your resume. You can demonstrate your experience and how you have made positive contributions to the legal field. You can make comparisons and how you can bring your skills and experience into your new legal position that you are applying for.
 
Job Questions
 
The law firm that you are interviewing for are going to want to know why you have applied for a job with them. This is your opportunity to explain what draws you to this law firm and how you think you are the right candidate for the position. You want to keep it balanced when you talk about what you can bring to the law firm. You do not want to make out it is all about furthering your own career. You also want to demonstrate that you like their company values and how they work in the legal world.
 
Here are some common questions we see when it comes to job questions:
 

• What made you apply for this legal job?
• Why do you want to work for our law firm?
• What makes us different to other legal jobs out there?
• What legal area are you interested in working in?
• What skills do you think you can bring to the job?
• What makes you stand out from other candidates?
• Is there any training you expect if you get this job?
• Would you be open to supervision?

 
Public Service Questions
 
Are you interviewing for a legal job that means you are giving your private sector position for one in the public interest? This can mean that you have your own set of questions you have got to be prepares to answer.
 
This is a list of potential questions you may be asked if you are going into the public service:
 

• Why are you applying for public interest work?
• Do you have a lot of experience in a similar position?
• Do you have any fields of interest you want to work in?
• Have you ever worked with any public interest organizations?
• Have you been involved in community service projects and what was your role?
• Can you explain a project that you made a big impact with?
• Have you had any challenges during your volunteer work? How did you handle it?
• Do you have any long-term goals?
• Do you see yourself in a similar position in 10 year’s time?
• Have you applied for other similar positions?

 
Legal Reasoning Questions
 
Of course, any legal interview is going to consist of questions regarding the law. In particular, they may ask you about your background, as well as get you to demonstrate your legal reasoning skills. In order to impress in this part of the interview, it is best to be prepared. This allows you to show off your real skills and you can feel confident.
 
Let’s take a look at some of the legal reasoning questions you might be asked during an interview:
 

• What were the most challenging parts of law school for you?
• Why did you decide that law school was the direction you wanted to take?
• What was your most and least favorite thing about law school?
• Can you tell us about your favorite professor and why you liked them?
• Can you tell us about your favorite law school class and why you liked it?
• Can you talk about the qualities you believe a lawyer should have?
• Can you explain more about a legal memo that you have written?
• Can you talk about a Supreme Court case decision that you believe was wrong?
• Can you talk about a difficult legal issue you have been tasked with?

 
Questions to Ask Your Legal Interviewer
 
Of course, during a legal interview, you are going to be asked a lot of questions. The priority for the interviewer is to discover the best candidate for the role. However, you also have the opportunity to ask questions and this is something that you should take advantage of. This allows you to learn more about the job and whether this is going to be the right one for you.
 
Here are some questions you can ask at the end of the interview:
 

• What types of cases are you involved with?
• What are the areas of specialization here?
• What are the biggest challenges for this role?
• What are the characteristics that allow a person to fit in here?
• Are there any personal attributes that are beneficial here?
• Do I have a supervisor for my work?
• Is there any training available?