How I Scored My Law Internship | Interview Tips
Don’t worry—behavioral interview questions like this are not traps to disqualify you from the position. Instead, this type of question is an opportunity for you to display how you handle conflict with real experiences from your life. It’s critical that legal jobseekers prepare for behavioral interview questions, as they are becoming even more common in law firm interviews (especially as firms work to target implicit bias in hiring).
Interviews are naturally stressful because you can’t predict exactly which questions will be asked, but prepping for common interview questions will help you ease some stress. Whether you’re getting ready for an entry-level or lateral interview, OCI, or a callback, preparing in advance will give you time to think of specific examples and ways to tie your experiences to the specific role and firm/organization. Below are some common legal interview questions—plus suggestions on how to approach them.
This may seem like an easy question—after all, you know yourself better than anyone else. But the open-ended nature of this question can be a disaster without proper preparation. A great response will be brief but provide enough information to intrigue the interviewer. Think of this question as an opportunity to share your elevator pitch—discuss your relevant experience, skills, and goals. You can also use this question as an opportunity to explain how you became interested in this area of law or even why you decided to pursue law. Your response should be brief and targeted to your audience. Be sure to practice in advance so that you can deliver this response with confidence on interview day.
Can you describe a challenge or conflict you have faced at work and how you overcame it?
This is another question that feels like a trap. But it does not have to feel that way if you have an answer ready. For starters, don’t pick a weakness that is actually a disguised strength, such as “I am a perfectionist.” Prepare in advance by identifying a weakness and ways that you are working to improve. Also, don’t discuss a weakness that is a specific skill mentioned in the job description or that would be truly detrimental to your job performance (e.g., if you want to be a litigator, don’t pinpoint poor writing skills as your weakness). Instead, focus on a skill that you can grow and develop to become an even stronger lawyer. Some examples to consider include not being assertive enough, having trouble saying “no,” and focusing too much on the details.
Why do you want to work here?
A law firm has an opening for an associate position. You want to be a law associate. The answer seems obvious, right? It might feel like a softball question, but your answer to “why do you want to work here” could make or break your interview right from the start. Current attorneys advise candidates to make it personal.
“We know there are a million law firms or million legal organizations, but at the end of the day, we want to hire the person who really wants to work for us. [We want to hear] why you chose our firm versus the ones down the road. What is it about us that you think will be a good fit?”
Moy Ogilvie, Hartford office managing partner, McCarter & English, LLP
“What employers want to know about is, how will your interests align with the service that they are providing to their client? What value are you bringing? So shift your messaging to say ‘I’m interested in this practice area because I’ve developed the skills to help the clients of your organization in the following ways, and here are the skills and attributes I bring to the table.’”
Jennifer Leonard, chief innovation officer and executive director of the Future of the Profession Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania’s Carey Law School
Prosecution Interviews: District Attorney Offices
- Why do you want to be a prosecutor?
- Why do you want to work here? Why not [a different office]?
- What is one skill you have that would distinguish you as an ADA compared to other applicants?
- In your first year as an ADA, what do you think will be your biggest strength? Biggest weakness?
- What have you seen in court that you want to emulate? Avoid doing?
- Much of your experience has involved helping people from the same socio-economic background as many people we prosecute. What conflicts do you see this causing for you?
- How do you manage your time?
- You have been asked to handle another ADA’s hearing concerning the search and seizure of a pound of cocaine. The notes you have for the case indicate that the arresting police officer saw the defendant driving erratically and so pulled over the defendant’s car. When the officer asked for the defendant’s license and registration, the defendant said he didn’t have them. The officer arrested the defendant and searched the car. He found a pound of cocaine in the gym bag of the trunk. What questions do you have for the officer before you analyze how to argue for admission of the cocaine in front of the hearing judge? Do you think the search was constitutional? Develop your argument.
- What would you do if you were assigned a case you were morally opposed to? How would you reconcile the conflict between your personal beliefs and the case?
- What would you do if your supervisor told you to file a case but you did not believe beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was guilty?
- Can you imagine a case in which you believed beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime was committed but you chose not to file?
- You are an ADA on a case and offer the defendant a plea of five years. The defendant rejects it and wants to go to trial. You receive a call the night before the trial informing you that your only witness just died of a heart attack. You come to court to tell the judge that you have to dismiss the case when defendant’s lawyer approaches you and says that they’ll take the deal. What would you do?
- A police officer and victim come in to the DA’s complaint office, wanting to charge an individual with armed robbery. The victim is an 80-year-old white man who was robbed at gunpoint at 3 AM with no witnesses. After the robbery, he sees a police officer and flags him down. The officer and the victim proceed to drive around for a minute when the victim points out the robber in front of a store with three other men. The robber has nothing on him at arrest – no gun, no wallet, not even his own identification. His three friends took off, so you don’t have any information on them. Would you charge armed robbery?
- You are about to start a gun possession trial. The defendant was arrested after he was pulled over for running a red light. The arresting officer testified in the grand jury that he saw the gun lying on the passenger’s seat as soon as the he approached the defendant’s vehicle. At 9 AM on the morning of the trial, the arresting officer says he needs to talk to you. He explains that the arrest happened as he explained in the grand jury, except that he came on the scene after the actual seizure of the gun. The officer who saw the running of the red light and found the gun was at the end of her shift and asked this officer to cover the case. What do you do?
- A police officer comes to your office with an arrest. She tells you that she heard about a robbery on her police radio; during the robbery, three guys knocked down an old lady and grabbed her purse. The officer started driving to the scene of the crime and she saw two men running down the sidewalk. One man was holding something bulky under his coat. She ordered them to stop. She searched them and the one with the bulky coat had a purse under his jacket, so she arrested them both for robbery. Would you write up the case?
- You are prosecuting a robbery case. You have spoken with the victim several times about the events that occurred the night of the robbery. She presents consistent facts to you every time you speak with her, providing you with specific details about robbery, including the location, time, and description of the perpetrator. There are no inconsistencies. However, you have a strong, nagging gut feeling that you don’t believe her, but you are not sure why. You just do not believe her and you cannot point to a specific reason why. Why do you do?
Log in to Bloomberg Law for more tips and guidance, including the do’s and don’ts of law interviews.
“A common answer to the ‘what is your greatest weakness’ question is to give an answer that’s not a weakness at all. The reason applicants give answers like this is simple: they’re afraid to reveal a real weakness, and somehow think they can snow interviewers with a fake answer. Guess what? Interviewers aren’t fooled.
“So what’s a better answer to this feared question than the hackneyed and disingenuous ‘I’m a workaholic’ response?
“Don’t be afraid to discuss a genuine weakness that you have overcome or that you’re working to overcome. … You could talk about how difficult it was to adjust to law school at first, especially the volume of reading and other work. You could talk about how you learned about the necessity of time management, how you learned to prioritize your obligations and commitments, and how you put into place measures to ensure you completed all your work on time and at the highest standards.”
Shauna C. Bryce, who practiced law and served on a law firm hiring committee before starting Bryce Legal Career Counsel
[Log in to Bloomberg Law to read the full article: Ask The Hiring Attorney: How do I answer interview questions about my weaknesses?]
FAQ
How do I prepare for a law internship interview?
What questions should I ask in a legal internship interview?
- How did you become interested in X practice area/subject matter?
- Did you focus on X while you attended law school? …
- Why did you choose this firm/organization over others?
- What do you like most about this firm/practice group/organization?
How do you answer tell me about yourself legal internship?
How do I prepare for a legal interview?
- Do your research. Lawyers are known for being good researchers. …
- Be presentable and dress your best. …
- Come prepared to ask questions. …
- Be personable and show enthusiasm. …
- Be genuine. …
- Promptly send a thank-you note.
