why do you want to be a lawyer interview questions

Interviewing for a position as a lawyer means you'll likely encounter several different types of questions that will help the interviewer get to know you, assess your skills and compare your qualifications with what they're looking for. These can include questions about your educational background, work experience, skills and qualifications.

Full Answer

What is a good question to ask a law firm interview?

Jul 23, 2021 · Interviewing for a position as a lawyer means you'll likely encounter several different types of questions that will help the interviewer get to know you, assess your skills and compare your qualifications with what they're looking for. These can include questions about your educational background, work experience, skills and qualifications.

How do you answer why you want to be a lawyer?

Oct 12, 2021 · The question will likely be tailored to your expertise, so the wording depends on the type of job you’re applying for. How well do you handle stressful situations? Stress is an inevitable part of every lawyer’s career, so it’s natural that lawyer interview questions often include something related to stressful situations.

Why do law firms use standardized interview questions?

Law Firm Interview Question 1: Why do you want to work at our firm? This question is tough. You’re going to have a lot of interviews with a lot of different firms. The problem is, no amount of research you do on their website will help you answer this question.

What are the best reasons to work at a law firm?

Preparing for an interview is one of the known ways that can help you build your confidence during the interview. The following questions along with their answers will give you an idea of what to expect in a lawyer interview. Rehearsing them will help you to improve your chances of getting your dream job.

How do you prepare for a law firm interview?

Preparing for interview questions doesn’t take too much time, especially if you use our guide that covers the most common questions. Aside from pre...

What questions do they ask in a law firm interview?

It’s a mix of general and specific questions related to a particular type of law or job position. There aren’t many unique interview questions, as...

How do you prepare for a law firm video interview?

Treat the video interview as you would the in-person interview. Be presentable and go through the most common interview questions and answers, of c...

How do you answer the law firm ‘Why do you want this job?’

This is one of several law firm interview questions where rookies usually stumble. Here, you can talk about the experience you’re seeking and your...

Common Law Firm Interview Questions

While there is always a chance you could get an off-the-wall question, recruiters typically stick to certain routines during job interviews. This is done for a variety of reasons, one of which is to ensure a level playing field for analyzing all potential employees.

More Examples of Law Firm Interview Questions

There are many more questions an interviewer may ask during a job interview. This depends on the type of law you’re practicing, the job position you’re applying for, and of course, the interviewer’s level of expertise.

After the Job Interview

After the potential employer goes through all the legal interview questions, the tables turn, and it’s time for you to start asking questions. Most interviewers will ask whether you have any questions for them. This is a perfect opportunity to come off as curious by asking open-ended and substantive questions about the job and the firm.

General questions

These questions help a hiring partner get to know you a little more by understanding your passions, interests and how you may fit into the firm's culture:

Questions about experience and background

These questions help an interviewer understand how your education and previous experience translate to the role:

In-depth questions

An interviewer may ask these questions to get to know how you build a relationship with clients and navigate court issues. These questions also give you a chance to explain your processes and display the parts of your personality that make you the right candidate for the role.

Sample interview questions and answers

Review these sample interview questions and answers to form your own responses:

Law firm interview tips

Here are some interview tips to consider so you can present yourself well to the hiring partner:

Law Firm Interview Question 1: Why do you want to work at our firm?

This question is tough. You’re going to have a lot of interviews with a lot of different firms. The problem is, no amount of research you do on their website will help you answer this question. Most firms have a broad range of practice groups, prestigious lawyers that are leaders in their field, and they promote a great work culture.

Law firm Interview Question 2: What was your favorite law school class?

One thing to remember during these interviews is that you’re going to be physically and mentally exhausted doing them over and over again. Guess who else is doing just as many interviews and is going to be just as exhausted, plus has to go back to work afterward? The interviewer.

Law Firm Interview Question 3: Why Did You Go to Law School? Or, Why Do You Want to Be a Lawyer?

This is one of those, “how’s the weather” questions. No one really cares that much about the answer, but it feels like an obligatory question to ask, and then you kind of hate yourself for asking it.

Law firm Interview Question 4: What kind of law are you interested in?

This one is easy. If you are sitting there reading this and yelling at me saying you have no idea what kind of law you are interested in, it doesn’t matter. The formula for this answer is the same whether you know or don’t know.

Additional Tips for law firm interview Success

These interviews aren’t a qualification or talent analysis. You already passed that test with your resume and grades. The interviews are a compatibility test—would you fit in with the firm culture, would you be easy to work with, are you engaging. With that in mind, try and make the interviewer’s job as simple as possible.

How to prepare for a law firm interview?

To have a successful interview, there are two main things to keep in mind: First of all, take time to anticipate the types of questions likely to be asked in the interview.

How to make clients happy in legal practice?

A successful legal practice requires happy clients, and making clients happy starts with building trust. So be prepared to answer questions about how you manage client relationships. Example answers: 1) One of the key ways I build trust with a client is through frequent communication.

What is commercial awareness?

According to feedback from legal recruiters, commercial awareness is one of the most important skills that a candidate can possess. Law firm interview questions will likely touch on this area at some point. This means that you should be prepared to demonstrate your understanding of industry, regulatory, economic, and social issues, ...

How to write a good lawyer interview?

1. Tell me about yourself. This is where you should have your personal story ready. This should be a quick 1-2 minute summary (but no more than 2 minutes!) of what you did before law school, how that path led you to law school, and why you want to be a lawyer at your interviewer’s firm.

How to decide to go to law school?

First, reflect on your past personal, educational, and work-related experiences. Second, discuss how each experience logically led to the next. This should eventually lead to why you decided to go to law school and why you want to practice law. Third, reflect on your current set of skills and past work experiences.

What is a 2L internship?

This can take on the form of a 1L firm position, a public interest or government position, an in- house position at a corporation or startup, an internship with a judge, and etc.

What do attorneys do in 1L?

Practicing attorneys are usually only experts in their practice area. It’s also been years since they have stepped into a law school classroom. During your 1L course, you covered a variety of topics (e.g., criminal law, property, torts, contracts). Look at your interviewer.

Is an interview conversational?

Don’t Forget: Interviews are Conversational. Keep in mind that your interviews will be very conversational and your interviewers may interject during your responses with questions. Don’t plan on actually giving your whole spiel. Go along with the conversational flow. Below, are commonly asked questions.

Can you talk about leadership experience?

Your leadership experience doesn’t have to relate to a particular job. You can discuss leadership experience gained through your hobbies, academic projects, school organizations, and even volunteering. Use the STAR formula again.

Can you practice in front of a mirror?

When your interviewer asks you a question, it’s perfectly okay to take a few seconds to digest the question and formulate a response.

What does Ittleman say about practice interviews?

Ittleman says practice interviews help students discover the right words to use to clearly express their thoughts. With that in mind, attorneys say that law school applicants should figure out how they'd like to answer the following questions before their admissions interviews. 1.

Why do law schools look for applicants?

That's one reason why they look for applicants who have the capacity to speak with authority and conviction in a way that inspires others .

What is the ability to analyze a text?

The ability to analyze a text is a key skill for an aspiring lawyer, Boozang says. Questions of this type are also meant to reveal whether an applicant has a well-rounded personality that includes interests besides academics, Boozang says.

General Questions

See more on indeed.com

Questions About Experience and Background

In-Depth Questions

Law Firm Interview Tips