Interviews are over. Except for Harvard and Yale students who dun got served by their late OCI. And no advice can help them at this point.

"In my view, layoffs are when you decide to cut headcount. It's not when you decide to replace people with better people." -- Bart Winokur

easily the worst interview advice I've seen. after I interview someone and I've done all the talking, I assume they don't have the ability or interest to assert themselves into a conversation -- find another line of work.

"The guy's not looking at you? What is he looking at? Talk about that."
Yes, call an interviewer out for not making eye contact. That won't make the person think you are a prick. That advice will help nobody, Elie, you moron.

"This is your opportunity to talk about "lifestyle" and how that interviewer handles the work-life balancing act."

Is the fat putting pressure on your brain? You DO NOT want to talk about lifestyle or work-life balance on an interview! All you want to put across in that respect is that you are a professional willing to work your ass off. Save the work-life balance shit for when you are a 4th year and people actually like you, assuming they do.

is it ever acceptable to show up for an SA interview wearing chinos and a sports coat? i just saw this nervous douche on the elevator and wanted to suggest that he invest in a suit but didn't want to ruin his day (not that he'll need help).

Agree with 4.

Marin is an idiot.

The Dechert View on "layoffs":

"In my view, layoffs are when you decide to cut headcount. It's not when you decide to replace people with better people." -- Bart Winokur

Marin, I like that picture of your dog.

I think Elie has found the trick. Write some stupid statement that is not spell-checked, get everybody to comment that he didn't spell check, and get a ton of hits (money) for the site. I think he's doing it on purpose now. Really, I bet every mistake he makes gets more people to comment. I wouldn't be surprised if the site is making more money with his errors.

Interviewers only ask those silly questions when they have nothing to work with (What's your greatest weakness? Why did you decide to attend law school? What's your favorite color? and my favorite, What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow? African AND European).

Point is, give them something to work with. Most likely if you are being asked these questions you've gone straight through undergrad and law school and have nothing that is of interest to the interviewer on your resume.

if this is you, put something that will interest the interview on your resume. they'll ask about that. You can then talk about it for 20 minutes. Heck, put 2 interesting thing on your resume. If the interviewer can find enough interesting things on your resume, most won’t ask the silly questions. The ones that insist on asking the silly questions are insufferable douches.

This is terrible, terrible advice that will get you nothing but a ding letter.

"The ones that insist on asking the silly questions are insufferable douches."

Back when I did OCI and offers were relatively easy to come by, interviewers who asked these questions received an immediate ding. If you are a lawyer, you should be able to schmooze with a 24 year-old for 20 minutes without asking "forgot your password" questions.

I love how terrible the advice is on this column.

My advice to those seeking advice from ATL: don't.

I disagree 12

I had some very unusual things on my resume and still got the "why did you go to law school" question all the time.

As someone who works in recruiting and hears attorneys comment on their interviews all day long, I would advise against letting them talk the whole time, even about themselves (or their kids, or their weddings). You might think you are inflating their already bloated egos, but they are just going to think you can't carry your end of the conversation and have nothing interesting to bring to the table

So, why DO you want to work for Skadden DC?

16, agreed. But better interviewers will not bore you with such questions.

I went through OCI with only one interviewer asking me one canned question. However, even that interviewer couched it in term of "this is the one canned question I ask everyone so I apologize that I have to ask it but I will and we can move on to more important questions"

Anyway, that was my experience last year as a 2l.

I LOVE the advice in this column. Honestly brightens my day.

T20 3L here, had MANY call-backs and offers all while wearing Fillene's Basement suits.

There is nothing wrong with a $200 suit and a $40 tie. Dont look cheap, but you do NOT have to have Prada shoes to succeed. It's how you carry yourself, not the brand under your jacket.

What arrogant advice!

Horrendous advice. Simply horrendous. For once, Elie has a good point and then Marin, in her infinite wisdom, trashes it. Hey Marin, it's called ADAPTING TO THE INTERVIEWER'S PERSONALITY. Oddly enough, people receive responses in kind quite well.

Here are some REAL interview tips:

1. Dress to conform, not to be stylish.
2. Be acutely observant of your surroundings and respond accordingly - good one, Elie.
3. Have a set of responsive stories prepared. Describing how you handle pressure via an anecdote is much better than simply saying, "I just keep my head down knowing that I will be able to come up for air soon."
4. Ask questions that make you seem interested in this PARTICULAR firm.
5. Be personable. Be interesting. Be human. If you sound like a robot, ding. If you sound like an insufferable douche, ding. If you sound like Marin, ding.

strew?

Ditto 21. Marin is a buffoon (to say nothing of Elie).

hi nervous nelly, wanna go out?

*nervously flirts with nelly about the joys of making 3k/week*

-nervous T-10 1L

19, there are firms (Ropes & Gray is one that sticks in my mind) that send interviewers in to OCI with a form full of canned questions.

That said, a decent interviewer can often ascertain all of the information required by the sheet of canned questions without running down the list.

1. Consume hot dogs
2. Become EIC of well-known legal tabloid despite utter lack of professional or life skills
3. ?????
4. PROFIT

Pretty funny nervous, you're starting to grow on me.

I thought the nervous T-10 douche was dead.

Confident UVA2L

You are all worthless and weak. Drop and give me 20.

crickets ...........crickets ...............silence ..............crickets

The amount of people on here who persist in thinking that this is a serious advice column makes me very sad. Granted, this one was not particularly funny, but taking it seriously is completely uncalled for.

22 is exactly right, so QFT:

"Here are some REAL interview tips:

1. Dress to conform, not to be stylish.
2. Be acutely observant of your surroundings and respond accordingly - good one, Elie.
3. Have a set of responsive stories prepared. Describing how you handle pressure via an anecdote is much better than simply saying, "I just keep my head down knowing that I will be able to come up for air soon."
4. Ask questions that make you seem interested in this PARTICULAR firm.
5. Be personable. Be interesting. Be human. If you sound like a robot, ding. If you sound like an insufferable douche, ding. If you sound like Marin, ding."

I have a tangentially related question. During the OCI process, my career services office put on a series of presentations featuring 3Ls who gave interview strategy tips to the rising 2Ls. Several of these 3Ls, in discussing their successful call-back interviews, referred to the interviewers' notes about them. I am naturally very curious to see what the interviewers at the firm whose offer I accepted had to say about me- is it really possible to gain access to this info?

This is probably the worst over all advice I have ever seen in print.

22 and 33 are much better.

maybe you could file a FOIA request - if you're interviewing w/ government employers.

I was at my Cadwalader interview and saw an NYU student wearing a black suit and skinny black tie. I thought to myself, "Wow, this guy has obviously been saving that outfit for the CWT interview." The sad thing is, they probably gave him an offer anyway.

This is funny. Lawyers are great because thanks to Scott Turow and his ilk we think law school, and later practicing law, is truly competitive. Anyone who's been in a genuinely competitive line of work (think supply and demand here) knows this is a joke. So applying that here, this all you need to know:

Don't be a douchebag in the interview. Most lawyers are douchebags. If you aren't you will stand out favorably. Done.

34 again-
I also wonder, generally speaking, what the ramifications are for an association who conducts an OCI interview that eventually leads to a callback and offer or ding. If the candidate is ultimately given an offer, does that sort of raise the level of respect given to the associate by more senior lawyers in the office (or at least those who sit on the hiring committee)? If the candidate gets dinged after the callback, does everyone give the initial interviewer shit?

34/39 again-
sorry, typo; I meant, what the ramifications are for an ASSOCIATE

all you 0Ls in here who can't recognize the snark here won't really have to worry about getting callbacks anyway.

Do not interupt the interviewer! That is what really pisses me off.

wow, this column is terrible. terrible as "real" advice, and even worse as humor. please euthanize immediately.

I loved seeing all those 23 y/o girls tottering on their heels during OCI week at my school; do you think it makes a good impression when you can barely walk into/out of your interview?

Dear 27,

<3

Best,
Guest

Wait - are you nitwits really taking Marin's advice column seriously? It could not be more tongue-in-cheek. Try some decaf, Gunga Din.

44 - agreed. stay comfortable, and if you aren't comfortable in a suit, wear one in a non-interview context until you are. like that neil patrick harris' character in how i met your mother.

It's very simple: A B C
Always
Be
Closing

If a callback seems to go well but you get Dinged anyway and the Ding letter says something along the lines of:

“Although we cannot offer you a position at this time, we really liked you and hope you will remember us next Fall (for 3L year) and we will also keep you in mind.”

Is this genuine perhaps due to the economy and trend of smaller SA classes or are they just letting you down easy?

I might get attacked for this but in my opinion, if youre going into seond round interviews they already find your work acceptable and know that you have the drive to perform. The reason youre there and meeting with so many people is that theyre are trying to find out if youre the type of person who they can work with for the next ten years or if youre just another snotty 2L who thinks hes Top Gun.

When you go into the office of your interviewer, take in your surroundings. See what types of things they have put up on their walls and desk (plants, football penants, toy cars). These things are usually put there to make the office feel more like home and are likely what the interviewer is passionate about. If you know anything about any of the the things ask about them. The interviewer will likely be more than happy to discuss their hobby with you and if things go well in the conversation they will feel like you are an enjoyable person to spend the next 10 years 20 hours a day with. (on the same note, do not go straight for the hobby bullshit, its still an interview)

Anyone agree/disagree.

p.s. - grammer sucks, deal with it.

I might get attacked for this but in my opinion, if youre going into seond round interviews they already find your work acceptable and know that you have the drive to perform. The reason youre there and meeting with so many people is that theyre are trying to find out if youre the type of person who they can work with for the next ten years or if youre just another snotty 2L who thinks hes Top Gun.

When you go into the office of your interviewer, take in your surroundings. See what types of things they have put up on their walls and desk (plants, football penants, toy cars). These things are usually put there to make the office feel more like home and are likely what the interviewer is passionate about. If you know anything about any of the the things ask about them. The interviewer will likely be more than happy to discuss their hobby with you and if things go well in the conversation they will feel like you are an enjoyable person to spend the next 10 years 20 hours a day with. (on the same note, do not go straight for the hobby bullshit, its still an interview)

Anyone agree/disagree.

p.s. - grammer sucks, deal with it.

26 - You must have just been boring during your Ropes interview. I don't think I received a single canned question. Everyone was very personable and it was more like a conversation than an interview.

this advice sucks. here's what you should do:

1) be sure to bow slightly when shaking hands with interviewer. it is a sign of respect.

2) comment on interviewer's brilliance by saying something like "you're 100% right about that" or "i couldn't have said it better myself."

3) refer to interviewer's secretary as "the help."

4) if possible, degrade a staff member in front of interviewer. if staff is unavailable, have at the ready a story about how you were forced to "drop the hammer" on a homeless person who asked you for change.

5) if interviewer makes a joke, laugh uproariously. follow laughter by muttering "yeah...fucking democrats... i tell ya," even if the joke had nothing to do with politics.

6) if married, mention that you swing.

7) whatever you do, don't look the interviewer in the eye. interviewer may take that as a direct challenge to his authority.

52, 26 here.

I may well have been boring (it was toward the end of a LONG day), but I walked in and he started with something along the lines of "I'm going to ask you the questions that I have to ask you so that I don't have to call you tomorrow and get the answers." That makes me think that it wasn't just me...

If 10-15 minutes into the interview you sense that it is not going well, you should "accidentally" drop a Jackson on the floor. When the interviewer bends down to picks it up, hit him/her over the head and run like hell.

Your ingenuity and cool under pressure will earn you a callback, if not an outright offer.

Pretty much terrible advice from top to bottom, except 23, who I will try to echo here:

1. Knowing you audience cannot be overstated- if you are somewhat normal (ie not a duesche) you should be able within minutes to pick up on the feel of the interviewers. Are these people you can talk golf and college football with, or are they stiff and more serious who only want to talk about the firm and its practice areas. If relaxed respond accordingly, if stiff respond accordingly.

2. Put yourself in the interviewers shoes- these people are trying to determine if you are someone who can handle the work as well as someone they would want to hang out with after work. So, your canned responses and phony questions that would never come out of your mouth in a normal setting are going to make you seem like a loser if you try to throw them out in the interview.

3. Appearance- just dont be a moron. You dont need a 1500 dollar suit and 500 dollar shoes to get hired- and in fact if a kid walks in with a flashy burberry tie I immediately think he may be a prick. So, conservative and nice is your best bet...nice enough for the interviewers to not even think twice about what you are wearing but not so over the top that the interviewer wonders why this 23 year old is wearing a more expensive suit then he is.

So, in general dont overthink anything. The best interviews are the ones where you pick up on the feel of the people interviewing you and then you talk to them as if you were talking to anybody.

Sad Truth:

If you need instructions on how to interview, you won't interview well.

Again, neither of you is competent at straightforward blogging. This periodic attempt at sarcasm has failed miserably every single time. Please, work on the fundamentals. This "feature" is beyond your skills right now. One recurring theme from the comments is that people just don't get it. It's not because they're not smart; it's because you two just aren't good writers.

If it's going well, take a deuce on the partner's desk. It will show that you're confident and completely in control. If it's going poorly, take a leak on the partner's desk, and everywhere else that you can reach. It will show that you're aggressive in marking your territory.

ladies: do not wear "fashion" suits or any color other than grey, dark brown, navy (and maybe black but it usually looks harsh on people). wear low or comfortable heels in case you are walking to your lunch. do not be afraid to speak up and be assertive. if you are married, do not wear your wedding ring.

everyone: the poster's advice above is spot-on. have something to talk about, even if you have to segue your lame internship into a more interesting topic. sense when you need to control the interview -- sometimes people are too tired or distracted to be talkative and they will appreciate that you hold up your end of the conversation. this may mean having a handy topic to discuss if there is a lull. avoid criticizing anyone (I see students dissing on their prof's alot, and it just makes me think they gave you a crappy grade and you are a baby).

good luck.

53 wins, close this thread down.

This is how I nailed my interview.

1. Be confident, honest and genuine.
2. Do NOT appear desperate; the interview can smell desperation from a mile away.
3. Bring a condom.

Uhh, Marin--the whole attraction of Filene's is that they DON'T carry the same Alfani suits you can find in the "career wear" section of Macy's. They sell quality stuff at a discount, not "cehap."

I am a married guy. I have been given conflicting advice about wearing my wedding ring. What's the deal?

60, in the advice not to wear my wedding ring, is it implict to offer a BJ? I just want to get this right.

If somebody likes you, they will find a way to justify giving you an offer. If somebody doesn't like you, they will find a way to justify not giving you an offer. Period.

I hear they have some really classy stuff for sale in Dallas at several upscale clothing retailers.

64. The ring is fine. Just don't blather on about your wife and kids (if you have any). They don't want someone that runs out the door at 5:30 to coach little league.

1. Refuse to sit with your back to the door. Who knows what shenanigans they have planned?

2. Offer to earn a spot by fighting the other applicants, to the death, of course.

3. If you know a foreign language, periodically slip out of English. Refuse to acknowledge having done so.

My advice:

Be gracious. When you meet with a partner sincerely thank them for giving them the opportunity to interview. Tell them you understand they must be very busy, and thank them for taking the time to meet with you. This is especially important if you come from a top school, or have credentials that might make the interviewer wary that you're a self-obsessed prick. The key point is to be sincere.

Read How to Win Friends and Influence People. Daily.

As someone said earlier, don't give answers, tell stories. If you don't know how to do this, learn and practice.

When meeting with a big shot partner, ask advice on how they managed to do so well in law school/practice. Again, be sincere. Not only will those show a genuine interest in doing well, but it will help set you up as something of a protege in the partner's eyes, even if he forgets you ten minutes later.

Don't be afraid to actively sell yourself. During my first interviews, I held back from doing this for fear of coming on too strong. During my last interview, however, I took two minutes to point to some of my past experiences and say why I thought they would make me a successful attorney. The hiring partner made me an offer in the middle of the interview. This was at one of the most selective NYC law firms.

Good luck!

Interviewing advice for 2Ls: Discover something you have in common with your interviewer, and discuss ad nauseum. A good place to start might be your shared disgust for what aboveTTThelaw.com has become under the reign of MysTTTal.

Agree with 57.

If you need advice on how to get through a 20 minute conversation with someone, you're not going to interview well.

69 -

Amend #3 to read: "periodically sip out of Olde English. Refuse to acknowledge having done so."

60 here. This is my opinion on the topic:

women -- no wedding ring. don't lie about being married if you are asked, but sometimes dumb old men will ask you about it to try to gauge your connection to the city, how long you have been married, etc. easier to just avoid this.

men -- wear the ring, it makes you look stable and like you aren't the kind of single partier-type who will come in hungover 3 days a week.

I disagree. But I have two things going for me:

(1) I played football in college.
(2) Before law school, I spent a few years working for a very well known political figure.

My interviews largely consisted of my interviewers asking me to tell them ridiculous stories about 1 and 2. They didn't talk much. They just smiled and laughed. The younger, male associates - some were probably younger than me - just said things like, "Man, that's awesome." One of them even asked me to join his fantasy football league.

Granted, being a jock won't help me with the actual lawyering. But it certainly helped me land the job I wanted.

Beyond this, I think it's hilarious how much time douchebag law students spend prepping for interviews. As much as law school was an education in the law, it was equally an education in social ineptness.

I go to school with nervous Nelly. She is a cum-dumpster.

Grades still matter for callbacks. Associates and partners interviewing you get your unofficial transcript. The person who gave you the callback might not have had a problem with your grades and in some cases they can take people below the firm's cutoff (I had this happen a few times) but that could factor into someone else's decision.

That said, your grades are over with. If you make a good impression you are likely to get the job. 75, is right in many respects but it is still helpful to be able to talk about everything on your resume as it helpful to have quick soundbites.

I feel like now is not the time to make jokes to nervous 2Ls! To those of you still interviewing, as you know if you read ATL, the job is no longer yours to lose at the callback stage. 22, 50, and 56 all offer valuable advice. Here are a few more tips:

1-In addition to planning anecdotes that are responsive to hard questions, you need to think of stories that help make the case for why you'd be a great associate. Make a list of your strengths, and develop anecdotes to get them across.

2-If you've done something mildly impressive--say, planned a conference as a leader of your student group--think about points of entry to work that into an interview. You often won't be asked about your activities directly, but you want to make sure you highlight any interesting accomplishments.

3-You should have a very specific reason for wanting that firm, because every interviewer will likely ask some variation on the "why us" question. Unfortunately, "you're my only callback" won't help your cause (they'll just figure the other firms saw something negative that they missed). You need to connect your interests to the firm's strengths.

4-Research your interviewers. Most firms will email you a list of the ppl you will see that day. When you get to the question-asking part of the interview, it's nice to include something from their resume (i.e., "what was it like clerking for justice kennedy?").

5-Lastly, regarding that annoying question-asking part... It goes without saying that anything you can find answered with a quick Google search or scan of their website should not be asked. Your questions should reflect that you've done your research--and, where possible, that you listened to what your interviewer was talking about. Sometimes it helps to preference with a statement (ex. "I was really impressed by the firm's work on the recent ____ case. As a young associate, what type of work would you get to perform for a case like that?"). Incidentally, it goes without saying that the case you mention in that blank should be high-profile, and that this question is best given to associates.

Good luck! It's rough out there for you guys, so be glad you have a job. I'm nervous for when my clerkship ends, since the economy is still likely to suck.

-3L

Grades still matter for callbacks. Associates and partners interviewing you get your unofficial transcript. The person who gave you the callback might not have had a problem with your grades and in some cases they can take people below the firm's cutoff (I had this happen a few times) but that could factor into someone else's decision.

That said, your grades are over with. If you make a good impression you are likely to get the job. 75, is right in many respects but it is still helpful to be able to talk about everything on your resume as it helpful to have quick soundbites.

There's definitely some YP going on in callbacks, too. I got offers from all the V50 firms where I interviewed, but two dings from non-Vault firms. If you go to a good school and have good grades, toilet firms are going to know that you have better options and may sometimes reject you as a result.

There's definitely some YP going on in callbacks, too. I got offers from all the V50 firms where I interviewed, but two dings from non-Vault firms. If you go to a good school and have good grades, toilet firms are going to know that you have better options and may sometimes reject you as a result.

I pity the fool who wears squared-toe shoes to an interview.

Mr. TTT.

FYI, at some firms, they DO NOT circulate a copy of your transcript to the attorneys who interview you during your callback. I had one particularly bad grade from 1L year.

With some firms, that grade came up in my screening interview and in my callback. At one particularly good firm, it was apparent during my callback that nobody else had actually seen my transcript. I guess they just had a GPA cutoff, and once you cleared that bar, they took grades off the table.

Beware 78's tip #4 w/ female interviewers. NYU sets you up w/ a practice interview at various firms; my S&C associate told me that asking about an award she had received made me sound like a creepy stalker. Only valuable insight gained from anything arising from OCS.

50/51: Your post is a joke, right? Every child in my wife's 3rd grade class writes more coherently than you do. Grammar mistakes aside, you sound like Corky from "Life Goes On."

Now if you're kidding...well done. But if you're serious, you will never break into BigLaw. Ever. Don't worry about interviews. Brace yourself for a career in insurance defense law.

80-
I experienced this during that phenomenon during fall's recuriting season, and was frankly quite annoyed. I come from a middle-of-the-road school with very good, but not superior grades (top 25%). I talked my way into callbacks with V100 firms whose grade cutoff I missed, only to get eventually dinged by most of them. At the same time, I got hardly any call-backs from AmLaw 200 firms with whom I interviewed, even though I more than exceeded their GPA cutoffs. I felt like I was in a VERY precarious position - not quite good enough to get into the elite firms, and too good for the toilet firms. In the end, I got offers from two V50 firms, but I really would have been happier to have more options, even among the toilets (maybe it would be worth taking a paycut for a better quality of life)

85. You are a douche. THS IS A FUCKING BLOG. Most people do not proofread their posts, nor should they. They glance at the article and some posts, and maybe make a quick comment. Then, they GET THE FUCK BACK TO WORK. Clearly, you have too much time on your hands.

Its pretty simple,

Associates - we look for people that look like they will be team players that might be fun to hang out with once in a while. Most of us don't care about flattery, because 90% of all associates realize they really haven't accomplished shit and are just cogs in the machine. The other 10% are insufferable douchebags who think they are indispensible. You'll find out who is who very quickly. You don't want to work with the aforementioned 10%.

Partners- these are the peeps to which to apply the ego stroking. The higher up the food chain, the more ass kissing you should do. Even if partners pretend to be "cool" and ask about you, they subconsciously want to be validated. Most times, the partners will steer the conversation back to themselves anyway.

87: Did you read 50/51's post? Even without typos, he sounds retarded. There's a significant difference between your post and his post - I can understand what the you're saying.

Alright, time to GET THE FUCK BACK TO WORK.

Prada sport is beyond busted

48 - NICE

And never ask for a cup of coffee. coffee is only for closers.

48 - NICE

And never ask for a cup of coffee. coffee is only for closers.

1. OCI is over
2. ELI is CORRECT. Follow the flow of the interviewer and everything will seem great in his/her mind.

I'd also start sending resumes to public interest groups.

I'm on our firm's recruiting committee, and we still look at grades, especially if some interviewers liked the person, and some didn't. That said, your personality can always win the day. Please please wear something very conservative (ie, black or blue suit, cover everything your Grandmother thinks should be covered, and nothing flashy). This is about you, not your outfit.
Read the firm's website before you go, know what the firm does, and what this office specializes in, ask about that. And always pronounce the name of the firm.
You can ask "negative" questions LATER, at your post-offer sell dinner, not when you are trying to get the job. In other words, don't ask about work-life balance (makes me worry you don't want to work the hours). And don't ask what it's like to work in such a small/branch/etc office/practice.
And definitly DO talk. But yes, those surveys are correct -- interviewers love it when they've talked about 50-65% of the time. But not more than that. If I am the only one talking, I'll be the only one with a job here, not you. You gotta give me something.
And please, always sit up straight, lean in, and look like you care. The number of people who lean aaaaall the way back in their chair -- immediate turn-off.
That said, as long as you are awake and enthusiastic, you WILL get an offer.
Good luck! :)

1.) i didn't get the comment about putting red tape on the back of your shoes. explain.

2.) new issue to get y'all bitching--so do firms care what kind of car you drive?

Ummm...I had assumed this "advice" was humorous. While I think there are supposed to be nuggets of truth, I don't think people are actually taking notes and planning to their interview strategies on the basis of this post moments before they attend their solitary interview...

I'm following 53's advice from now on. Expect massive leaps forward in my career.

I'm on our firm's recruiting committee, and we still look at grades, especially if some interviewers liked the person, and some didn't. That said, your personality can always win the day. Please please wear something very conservative (ie, black or blue suit, cover everything your Grandmother thinks should be covered, and nothing flashy). This is about you, not your outfit.
Read the firm's website before you go, know what the firm does, and what this office specializes in, ask about that. And always pronounce the name of the firm.
You can ask "negative" questions LATER, at your post-offer sell dinner, not when you are trying to get the job. In other words, don't ask about work-life balance (makes me worry you don't want to work the hours). And don't ask what it's like to work in such a small/branch/etc office/practice.
And definitly DO talk. But yes, those surveys are correct -- interviewers love it when they've talked about 50-65% of the time. But not more than that. If I am the only one talking, I'll be the only one with a job here, not you. You gotta give me something.
And please, always sit up straight, lean in, and look like you care. The number of people who lean aaaaall the way back in their chair -- immediate turn-off.
That said, as long as you are awake and enthusiastic, you WILL get an offer.
Good luck! :)

96 - what tiny city are you in that you are DRIVING to interviews?

What if the law IS my passion? Should I tell the truth, or are you advocating dishonesty in an interview?

What's with all the hating on square-toed shoes? I hate pointy shoes.

102- most square-toed shoes are of the clunky variety, which are not to be worn with a suit. square-toed shoes that are NOT of the clunky variety may be worn with a suit, but they are not in style.

go spend a few bucks on some allen edmunds cap toes. they're expensive and boring, but they shine up great and are the gold standard for nondescript lawyer shoe.

/no homo

102- dingshit, you want to wear a conservative rounded toe shoes (e.g. cap-toe oxfords).

Interviewing is not hard. Just relax and make normal conversation. 99% of the time, the interviewer will ask you only one or two "substantive" questions, the rest of it will be mindless small-talk. If you steer the conversation into irrelevant but pleasant chatter, most interviewers will be happy to let the conversation stay there-and then give you a positive review based on nothing but the fact that you seemed like a nice, relatively normal human being with good grades. Most associates have no interest in "grilling" anybody and just want to get through the 20 minutes and get back to work. Capitalize on that and make the time pleasant for them-they will like you for it. Partners are a little different, but often the same will still hold true.

How to interview well:
1. Read post 53
2. Rinse
3. Repeat as necessary.