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Everyone tells you it’s imperative to research for your upcoming interview. But they don’t often advise on how or where to research.
Here are some helpful resources that are publicly available:
- The firm bios of the interviewers, as well as their LinkedIn profiles (if available).
- The practice group’s website, as well as the latest press releases and news articles about the group.
- Social media: follow the firm on LinkedIn and on Twitter.
- A Google news search: Set up an alert (https://www.google.com/alerts)!
- Legal 500 (https://www.legal500.com/): Learn about a practice and notable practitioners, and see how the firm’s group ranks compared to those of peer firms.
- Chambers and Partners (https://chambers.com/): Similar to Legal 500, see how the group ranks in the local market and who are the top practitioners.
- Chambers Associate (https://www.chambers-associate.com/): While Chambers and Partners is geared more towards potential clients, Chambers Associate addresses associate experiences at various law firms. A caveat when it comes to this guide and Vault (below): complaining sells more than happy associates, so take what you read with a grain of salt.
- Vault (https://www.vault.com/vault-guides/law): While you have to pay for the full firm profiles, some information is available at no charge.
- NALP (https://www.nalpdirectory.com/): This directory is my go-to resource for information on compensation, partnership tracks, and diversity initiatives. Information is provided by each law firm.
One major advantage to working with an experienced legal recruiter is that we will help you prepare and share our research. When I work with you as my candidate, I will:
- help you articulate your personal story, your reasons for looking to move, and why you would be an asset to the new employer;
- provide you with detailed interview tips, sample questions to prepare, and an “interview prep worksheet,” so you can focus your prep time;
- give you intel on the interviewers, the firm, and the group that is not publicly available; and
- even conduct a mock interview, if you feel it would be useful.
Please also see my article on 12 Lateral Interview Tips from a Legal Recruiter, and please reach out to me if you are looking to explore new opportunities or would like to learn more about the legal market and the lateral hiring process.
Abby Gordon
Ed. note: This is the latest installment in a series of posts from Lateral Link’s team of expert contributors. This post is by Abby Gordon, Senior Director at Lateral Link, who works with attorney candidates on law firm and in-house searches, primarily in Boston, New York, and Europe. Prior to joining Lateral Link, Abby spent seven years as a corporate associate with Cleary Gottlieb, focusing on capital markets transactions for Latin American clients in New York and for the last five years for European clients in Paris. A native of Boston, Abby holds a J.D., cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center and a B.A. in government and romance languages, magna cum laude, from Dartmouth College. Abby also worked with the International Rescue Committee as a Fulbright Scholar in Madrid, Spain. She is a member of the New York, Massachusetts and Maine Bars and is fluent in French and Spanish (and dabbles in Portuguese and Italian). You can view additional articles by Abby here.
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