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Every year, Vault Law’s annual associate survey polls tens of thousands of associates from hundreds of the nation’s most prestigious law firms about both the relative prestige of firms other than their own as well as the working conditions at their own firm. Besides this, we also ask each respondent for practical advice for law students and prospective laterals, as well as a sample of interview questions they were actually asked. Our survey also distinguishes between large and midsize law firms. Below is a cross-section of interview questions provided to us by respondents from midsize firms.
“I was asked to describe a hard legal question and how I thought about it. The question is designed to show that you can think on your feet about hard problems and communicate about them in a clear and concise manner.”
“As a lateral, the firm was primarily interested in the types of work I had done and my reasons for choosing to leave somewhere I was happy at.”
“The firm is big on experiential questions, like "tell me about a time when you disagreed with a superior and how you resolved it." The point is to get the candidate to discuss how they work together with others in a team. If we have invited you for an interview, we know you are smart. We want to know if you will work well with others -- specifically, with us.”
“As a litigator, expect questioning to focus on any in-court experience, substantial (MSJ, etc.) briefing, trial experience, deposition experience, and other major litigation tasks. Partners will inquire whether you have enough experience that they could reasonably delegate major pieces of their cases to you, since they will be interested in freeing up their time. Focus on being a time-saver for partners. Good writing is extremely important.”
“The firm asked goal-oriented questions to make sure that my goals and aspirations as an attorney were in line with the type of associates they hope to develop to later become contributing members of the firm’s team.”
“Why they want to leave their current firm, what makes them interested in a smaller firm, what types of tasks and responsibilities they have taken on and what types they would like to do more of, etc.”
“As an associate performing interviews, we try to assess how the new hire would fit into our work culture. IP requires an inquisitive mind beyond mere rote knowledge. Beyond that, we also have candidates perform a practical exercise, and then I'm sure the partners ask more question about their qualifications.”
“Why are you interested in the firm as opposed to other firms? What areas of law are you interested in? Why are you interested in this geographic market?”
“The firm has a very extensive interview process. A candidate has a ten-minute initial screening with a partner. If the candidate passes that, they then meet with a member of the Talent team. The final step is an interview with a five-member panel that consists of three partners and two associates. The interviews are very professional and pleasant. And once I was hired the firm's boss personally called me and welcomed me, which was a nice touch.”
“You WILL be asked to describe a time that you overcame adversity. At least one interviewer will want to talk about the "interests" section of your resume. You should be able to explain why you want to be a trial lawyer.”
“How did you learn about this firm? What makes you interested in trial work? Do you have preferences for working alone, in small groups, in larger groups, and why? (If you've had work experience prior to this firm) tell me about your favorite case.”
“I always ask candidates to speak about a legal issue they have encountered that they find troubling or that they would change. Often times, a case may require you to make creative arguments or advocate for a position that implicates an unsettled area of the law. Therefore, it is important that candidates have had experience thinking critically about legal issues and potential ways to distinguish certain aspects of the law or advocate for new interpretations.”
“The main ones in every interview are why do you want to work here (they will press on this one), what do you plan to do in five years/what are your career goals, and what's an interesting legal issue you worked on (they may press on this one a little but not as much). Typically a lot of time is dedicated to let the candidate ask questions.”
“We get really in depth into technical knowledge. The firm does not tolerate sub-par work so we really try to put candidates through the grinder to make sure they can be good members of our firm.”
“In addition to the traditional interview process, the firm also has a skills assessment that includes a writing assignment and a mock oral argument.”
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