Interview Tips

People have occasionally asked me for advice about interview techniques. My suggestion has always been short and pointed: “Say something smart. Say something funny. Ask a good question. And get the heck out of there.” What about on the other side of the table? I really don’t trust interviews. I don’t believe that it’s possible […]

A lot of people ask in-house columnist Susan Moon how she ended up in her in-house gig. She likes to call the interview process she had for her current job the Shortest Interview Process Ever (SIPE, for short). She's going to tell you about it, and include a couple of tips that she thinks helped her....

Be careful about what you place in the trash. Law firms have paper shredders for a reason; use them. Consider this your practice pointer for the day. Earlier this month, an ATL reader sent us a collection of documents relating to Sullivan & Cromwell's on-campus interviewing program. So, what was in these documents? The contents will be of interest to partners and associates at other firms, as well as law students going through the OCI process right now....

Every couple of years, people need to be reminded not to have private conversations in public. Who could forget Acela Bob, the Pillsbury partner who talked about firing people on a crowded train? UVA Law students, that's who. We have another installment of: when popping your collar goes wrong....

Your company was just named in a new complaint, and there’s no obvious choice of counsel to defend you. What do you do? You ask around internally to see whether any of our lawyers has worked with good counsel in the jurisdiction. Perhaps you ask a trusted outside lawyer or two for recommendations. You narrow […]

Today is Friday, September 9, 2011. Do you know why today is special? Here’s the answer: Yes, that’s right — we’re smack dab in the middle of the clerkship application season. Today was the first date and time (10 a.m. Eastern) when judges could contact applicants to schedule interviews, pursuant to the official law clerk […]

With OCI coming to an end at most law schools, now is the time to sit back and assess the interview process. While you may be tempted to tune out until you receive an offer (or rejection), don’t. In addition to reviewing your performance in the interview, you should critique the performance of the law […]

There are no magic questions to take through the interview process. There are only areas to be examined. Life is one long extemporaneous speech. It is not canned dialogue. The student who prepares and understands the areas that are significant to her decision will know where to focus her questions. Some questions should be directed […]

As part of your interview preparation, you should familiarize yourself with the kinds of questions you may be asked and prepare responses to those questions. Nothing turns off an interviewer more than “ummms” and “uhhhs.” You don’t have to memorize your responses verbatim (and you shouldn’t), but being prepared will help you avoid any Miss […]

At law schools and law firms around the country, on-campus interviewing and callback interviews are in full swing. We've been covering the fall (or summer?) recruiting process quite closely, offering you a mix of interview advice, humorous anecdotes, and soul-crushing reality checks. Now it's your turn to talk back to us....

Congratulations! After enduring several hours of OCI “speed dating,” you scored a callback interview. You have done your research, gotten “in the zone,” and it’s off to the firm reception area for a day of interviews. You’re tense — which is proof that you’re alive and that you care. You’re worried that you don’t know […]

It's time for on-campus interviewing. It's a stressful time, but law students know they can make it better if they are successful during OCI. If only they can wow the law-firm interviewers who show up on campus. The problem is that for many law students, especially those at schools ranked outside the top national institutions, their OCI fate was decided long before they shook the hand of any interviewer. One tipster is just now realizing that, and he is understandably pissed....

When a small employer loses a member of the team, it's a big deal. People will remember how you leave a place almost as much as they'll remember how you worked there. Jay Shepherd has some advice on how to quit your small firm job carefully....

Is there a difference between an interview for an in-house job and an interview for a Biglaw firm? Of course there is -- actually, according to Mark Herrmann, interviews for in-house jobs matter more than interviews for summer slots in Biglaw. Read on for advice on how to successfully tackle an interview for an in-house job...

It’s very difficult to get a job as an associate in a small law firm. First of all, there is a lot of competition. Many of you are between jobs. Many are at Biglaw jobs looking to get out. Many of you are finishing up law school and are still looking. Don’t get me wrong: […]

Ed. note: This is the latest installment of Small Firms, Big Lawyers, one of Above the Law’s new columns for small-firm lawyers. It’s been many years, but I still remember the steps I took to land a job at a small law firm. Even though some of the methods have changed with technology, law students […]

Ed. Note: Our post on harsh rejection letters generated a lot of talk among people interested in applying to Small Law jobs. Donna Gerson — the author of Choosing Small, Choosing Smart — provided us with a list of tips that former-Biglaw associates should consider when applying to smaller firms. I spend an enormous amount […]