The Career Brief
The Legal Interview: Answering Common (and not so common) Questions
The focus of this article is to assuage the nerve-wracking uncertainty about what questions the employer will likely ask during the interview – and help you develop good answers to the most common categories of questions:
Self-Descriptive Questions. Self-descriptive questions are open-ended questions asking you to describe or characterize yourself so that the employer can get a feel for what kind of person you are. Your answer will reveal desired qualities based on the characteristics, traits, or experiences you choose to discuss over others. Some examples of self-descriptive questions are “Tell me about yourself,” or “How would others describe you?” Although it these might seem like easy questions, it is worth practicing your response to make sure you are highlighting the aspects of your personality and experience that will likely resonate with this employer and to keep your response concise (aka - not your entire life story).
Attributes. Questions regarding attributes are designed to illuminate your strengths and weaknesses in ways that are relevant to the employer. The purpose behind them is to see if you have the skills the employer is looking for and to get a sense of your honesty and realism. In your answer, show the employer that you have the demonstrated that you possess the skills necessary to be successful in the role you are seeking. Acknowledge your weakness and tell the employer how you’ve worked to overcome those weaknesses or have found a way to turn them into an advantage. Be honest and confident, but not boastful or arrogant. You may be asked things such as, “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” or “How do you handle difficult people?”
Career Path. When an employer asks about your career path, they’re asking about your goals and your desire to pursue law—this includes the path that led you here, as well as what you see or hope for in your future. They want to know if you have the mindset to not only do the job but be part of their organization and the legal profession at large. They want to see a logical progression in your career and to see that you are goal oriented. Your answer should tell the employer why you want to practice law, and especially their type of law. Career paths are rarely a straight line, so give some thought to how the twists and turns on your path led to your decision to pursue a career in law. It may help to imagine your answer as a (very) short story with a beginning, middle and end, with more to come. Just be sure to keep consistent with the employer’s setting and practice. Career path questions can sound like, “How has your education and experience prepared you for the practice of law?” or “Why did you switch from your prior career to law?”
Qualifications. Because questions about job qualifications verify you have the education, experience and skills to do the job, interviews tend to spend the most time on these questions. The employer is also gauging to see if you are a good fit for their particular type of work and work culture. This is where doing a bit of research on the employer and interviewer ahead of time will serve you well. Your answers should demonstrate an understanding of the job and employer, as well as your confidence that you can do the work. Highlight your interest in the relevant areas of law by talking about your prior experiences, classes, and organizations. If asked about qualifications or experience you do not yet possess, point to similar skills to assure the employer you can easily grow into the role. For example, if asked about your (nonexistent) litigation experience, point out that you are a good persuasive writer, participated in debate in college, and will be taking a moot court competition course next semester. Some other examples of questions about qualifications are “What can you bring to this organization?” or “Why do you want to work here?”
Values. Employers may ask questions about your personality, values, and views on the law to ensure you’re a good fit for the employer’s work and cultural environment, as well as to assess your soft skills, cultural awareness, and for some types of positions, your passion, politics, and ability to advocate for particular positions. The answers you give will demonstrate your emotional intelligence such as ability to interact with others. Your goal is to show you would be good to work with – that you are reliable, personable, capable and confident – and to highlight your commitment to the employer’s cause and vision. Be authentic but also know your audience and demonstrate good judgment. Questions about your personality and values could be things like, “What qualities do you think a good lawyer should have?” and “Describe how you would handle [hypothetical scenario].”
Accomplishments. When asked about your specific accomplishments, the employer wants to learn more about you through your choice of accomplishment and to see if you are match for what they are looking for in a candidate. Be precise when answering and use concrete details to bring your accomplishment to life. Show how you can set goals and the process you take to achieve success. Take this opportunity to show the employer something exceptional about you. If you achieved something extraordinary that’s outside of your professional life, this is a great opportunity to mention it! Think about what that accomplishment demonstrates about your ability to succeed in your professional life. You may be asked, “What is your biggest/proudest accomplishment?” or “Tell me about a challenge you’ve overcome.”
Law School Experience. Questions about your law school experience are designed to highlight how well (or not) you did in law school, and to evaluate what kind of a legal learner you are. Remember that the purpose of these questions is to assess your love of the law, not necessarily whether you love law school. The employer wants to see that you are intellectually curious and to find commonalities. In your answer, keep it positive and focus on what you enjoyed and excelled at - do not complain about your professors or schoolwork. If asked about a less than favorite class, point out how much you learned in the class even though it was difficult. Demonstrate your involvement and engagement in your classes and the law school community to indicate that you will be similarly involved in your new profession and the employer’s business development efforts. These questions sound like, “What do/did you like most about law school?” and “Do you think your grades are a good indication of your academic achievement?”
Outside Interests. You may also be asked about your hobbies and interests outside of work. These are ice-breaker questions meant to jumpstart the conversation and ascertain that you are a balanced person who will be pleasant to work with. They also can be an indicator of whether you would be good at client business and development. In your answer, show that you’re a well-rounded and interesting person. Think about how your outside interests and activities demonstrate that you have qualities that would make you an asset to the employer. (Eg - team sports player = ability to work collaboratively towards a goal). Questions about your hobbies could be something like, “What is something interesting about you that’s not on your resume?” or “How do you spend your free time?”
Behavioral-Based. Behavioral-based questions focus on how you handled work/life situations in the past or questions about how you would hypothetically handle certain situations. The purpose is to reveal your judgment, your problem-solving ability and process, your ability to handle common situations within the workplace, and your personality in that past behavior indicates future behavior. When answering, use the STAR Technique to show how you previously handled similar situations successfully with a brief anecdote that illustrates your judgment and skills:
S – Situation
T – Task you were asked to complete
A – Actions you took
R – Results
Using this as a guide will help you articulate the scenario in an easy-to-follow and concise way. Remember that you can use the STAR Technique to answer any question, whether presented as a behavioral-based question or not. Examples of behavioral questions are “Give an example of a time when [a certain situation happened],” or “Tell me about how you worked effectively under pressure.”
Project/Test. Especially in the final stages of post-graduation legal jobs, employers may ask you to complete a legal project to demonstrate your skills. Sometimes these assignments will be on the spot and sometimes you will have some time to complete it. It is obviously important that you put your best effort forward, follow instructions, and stay within the guidelines.
Be sure to bring your own set of questions to the interview that demonstrate your knowledge of the employer, your interest in the practice area, and your curiosity in both. Have more questions than you think you’ll need because many of your original questions may be answered along the way. Finally, don’t forget to follow-up with a thank you email. The core of any interview is truly to see if you are a good fit for the position and the employer so above all, remember to have fun. Yes, there are stakes and it’s important to stay professional, but try to enjoy the opportunity to talk about yourself in a positive way and make a new connection.