33 Interview Questions from a Law Firm and How to Answer Them
At law firms, partners will ask you questions to find out how much you know about the field, how you handle your cases, and how you interact with clients. For an interview with a law firm, it’s important to know what kinds of questions to expect so you can prepare your answers. When you give detailed answers to partner questions, you can make a good impression that will last and make it more likely that the law firm will offer you a job.
In this article, we’ll give you some examples of questions and answers that hiring partners at a law firm might ask you during a job interview. We’ll also talk about some interview tips that will help you stand out at your next law firm interview.
General questions
These questions help a hiring partner learn more about you by learning about your passions, interests, and how you might fit into the culture of the firm:
- What would your friends say about you if they had to describe you?
- What are some of your best qualities?
- How do you deal with criticism?
- What is the best thing you’ve done so far?
- What are you really interested in?
- How do you deal with tough situations at work?
- What is your biggest flaw, and how do you try to fix it?
- Why do you want to work as an attorney at this firm?
- Where do you want to be in your career in five years?
- How do you decide what to do first?
- Why did you decide to go into the legal field?
Questions about past work and history
The answers to these questions help the interviewer figure out how your education and past work experience relate to the job.
- Which class did you like best in law school, and why?
- Tell me about a case you were in charge of that really helped you learn more about the law.
- What groups did you belong to outside of class while you were in law school?
- Tell me about your internship or externship while you were in law school.
- Tell me about a hard case you had to handle.
- How would you deal with a hard client or member of the court?
- Why do you think it’s important for an attorney to pay attention to the little things?
- Tell me about a time you lost in court. How did it teach you something?
- Tell me about any legal documents you have written.
In-depth questions
An interviewer might ask you these questions to find out how you work with clients and deal with court issues. These questions also give you a chance to talk about your processes and show the parts of your personality that make you the best person for the job.
- How do you get a client to trust you?
- How would you let your clients know what’s going on with their cases?
- Explain how you would talk to a client who didn’t like what a judge said.
- What sources do you use when you write a complaint or defense for a client?
- How do you plan to help your clients and people in the area?
- What would you do if you had to take on a case that went against your morals?
- How can the justice system be changed so that everyone gets a fair trial?
- How do you manage your caseload?
- What kind of law interests you the most, and why?
Example questions and answers for an interview
Check out these sample questions and answers to get ideas for your own answers:
1.Why do you want to be a lawyer?
This question gives you a chance to explain why you want to work in the legal field. Your answer to this question can show the hiring partner why you are the best person for the job and give them an idea of the skills and knowledge you can bring to the job. Employers want to know how important this field is to you, so when you answer, show that you really care about law.
Example: “I want to practice law because I’m passionate about bringing justice to clients and upholding the law of our country. I think it’s important to be fair and unbiased, and I’d like to help someone experience that in their case. As an attorney, you do more than just file paperwork with the court. You also get to help people who need your help.”
2. What makes you a good lawyer?
Employers want to know what your strengths are so they can see how you might fit in with the team they already have. Since your strengths are unique, you can use your answer to stand out from other candidates. Answer this question by relating your strengths to the job you’re applying for and the tasks you expect to be in charge of. Use the STAR method to give a concrete example of a strength you have.
Example: “One of my best qualities is that I never give up. I once helped a client sue their boss because they wouldn’t pay for injuries they got on the job and I was their lawyer. Since no employees said they saw the accident and there was no video footage, it was hard to gather evidence. After doing a lot of research and talking to a lot of employees, I found out that there was a delivery driver there who backed up what my client said. After that, we were able to settle down quickly.”
3. What do you want your customers to know about you?
This question helps an employer learn more about how you work with clients. Think about how you want your clients to feel when they leave your office or courtroom. Think about what you do and how you do it that makes a client glad to have you as their lawyer. Employers want to know that you will be nice to clients and put a good face on their law firm.
Example: “I want my clients to know that I care about their cases and will work hard on their behalf. I care a lot about how things turn out for them personally, so I do my research to find solutions, file the right paperwork, and represent them in disputes. My clients should know that I’m looking out for them and that they can be honest with me about their situation and feel safe because of it.”
4. Tell me about how you act in court.
How you act in court can be the deciding factor in whether or not you win your case. When you answer this question, you can talk about how you talk to the judges, present your case, and stand up for your client. Give a detailed, step-by-step answer that shows how you work in a courtroom and how you prepare for it.
Example: “Either the night before a case or the morning of it, I go over all of my notes to make sure I’m ready for it. I make sure I can count on any witnesses or proof I need to present. During proceedings, I usually take a strong stance so that my client gets a fair case. When the other side is talking, I take careful notes so that I can respond well.”
How to get a job at a law firm
Here are some interview tips to help you show the hiring partner a good side of yourself:
Learn about the most recent court decisions.
The hiring partners at the law firm might ask you about recent court decisions to make sure you know what’s going on in your field. Be ready to talk about them and what you think about them. This will show your potential new employer that you care about your career.
Find out about the law firm
Even more so if the law firm has been around for a long time, the partners want to make sure you will continue to give them good representation. It is important to show that you know about the company and want to work there. You’ll also be able to explain better why you want to work for the company and what makes you a good fit for it.
Bring some of the papers you’ve written as examples.
Being able to explain your case in a clear, concise, and professional way is a big part of working at a law firm. The people who will be hiring you may want to see examples of your writing, so bring some with you. This could be a legal memo, a court document you wrote, or a long legal research paper you wrote in school.
