Law Firm Interviewing
GENERAL
As a lawyer seeking to move from a law firm to another firm, your challenge is to convince the interviewers:
You want to work at another law firm;
The reason you are leaving your current law firm is not a reason that will cause you to leave the new firm. This means that your most important mission is to find a way to distinguish your current firm – importantly, without disparaging it or anyone there – from the firm at which you are interviewing.
Some examples of good distinguishing characteristics include the following:
The size of the firm or department;
The firm’s client base (e.g., Your current firm focuses on financial sector clients, and you are more interested in doing legal work that is specific to start-up technology companies.)
The firm’s work or structure (e.g., You want to practice labor and employment law exclusively, but your current firm has only a few such matters under the auspices of the General Litigation department); or
The firm’s culture (e.g., The firm is headquartered in a city far away, and you want to be more in the thick of things rather than at what feels like an outpost.)
INTERVIEWING AS AN ASSOCIATE
For junior and some mid-level associates, the focus in your law firm interviews will be on:
Your skills and how you can contribute to the department; and
Your personality and how you will fit into the firm’s, and/or group’s, culture.
1. Skills
With regard to skills, be prepared to speak in detail about the hard legal skills you have and how you could apply them at the new firm. If you are legitimately concerned that you may not have developed critical skills expected for the position (even through no fault of your own due to heavily staffed matters, etc.), you should consider in advance how to have an honest discussion about this (while still highlighting your industriousness and motivation to learn). Consider whether it makes sense for you to offer to take a year or two cut in seniority. (Definitely discuss this beforehand with your counselor.)
Unvoiced expectations (on either or both sides) can lead to trouble down the road. A law firm will expect to bill your time at a certain dollar amount according to your class year and compensation level. If your actual experience does not justify your rate or your compensation, both the firm and its clients will take issue. Generally, the one who suffers in this scenario is the lateral associate who may then find him/herself searching for another job too soon.
You are much better off addressing any skills issues before you accept an offer. It is far better to manage expectations at the outset so you can exceed them than it is for you to feel undue stress at a new job (or for your resume to end up reflecting short stints at multiple law firms).
Some of your questions to interviewers should concern the experiences of lawyers at or above your level, as well as what kind of work you can likely expect. You should also ask open-ended questions regarding culture, so you can learn how (or if) this firm differs from your current firm. You should also ask how the firm integrates lateral associates, and learn about details of partnership and advancement (including the career paths of any previous lateral associates to the firm). Finally, you should ask questions to clarify the firm’s expectations (if any) regarding business development.
2. Personality
With regard to personality and culture, you want the lawyers at the firm to like you. Smile, show that you are easy to get along with, will form good relationships with colleagues and clients and will enhance the firm’s culture. Remember, however, that it isn’t enough for people to like you. Good interviewers will look at more than whether or not they would want to grab a drink or coffee with you. “Fit” is about integrating, contributing and appreciating your role in the larger group. A strong team spirit and sense of service will help remind you that, while it’s important to market your accomplishments and successes, you’re ultimately going to use these selling points to benefit the group, the firm and the clients. Don’t forget that you’re in a service profession.
INTERVIEWING AS A SENIOR ATTORNEY, COUNSEL OR PARTNER
For senior level (i.e., partner, counsel and senior associate) candidates, the questions may focus not only on your work, but also on the business-related details of your practice and your clients, as well as your fit with the firm’s culture.
When you applied to the firm, you likely completed a Practice Development Plan. You should review this document before your interview. In addition, you will be given a Lateral Partner Questionnaire containing important questions that partner- and counsel-level lawyers should consider about their practice and priorities when looking at a new firm. These issues range from details of the business/clients/practice, to hours and billing rate issues, to compensation, to administrative requirements. The LPQ also contains a list of questions you might want to ask when interviewing at a new law firm.
Your counselor can help you think of questions that explore the suitability of a firm to your practice. To get a sense of what questions may arise for senior lawyers at law firm interviews, consult the document below.
In terms of what you should be asking, in general, your questions to interviewers should concern their personal experiences, career development and general perspective on the firm. In addition, if they came over from another law firm, you might ask them to describe their lateral experience. It's helpful to consult the Law Firm Practice page of this site where many ideas for such questions are listed in the Sample Questions handout contained in that page's resources.
RESOURCES
Note that the questions included in the document below are applicable primarily to senior attorneys. Junior and mid-level attorneys should refer to this document only in passing, and focus on the general examples contained in Sample Questions & Answers.