Interview Tips

American Bar Association / ABA

Non-Sequiturs: 01.18.13

* Is this contract for sex based on Facebook likes enforceable? [Gawker] * Speaking of unenforceable contracts, what in the hell does Bilbo sign before his unexpectedly long journey? [Wired] * And Jesus, you certainly can’t barter legal services for sex! I think everybody needs to go home and read the Second Restatement. [Indianapolis Star] * Now you can hear for yourself the three words that Clarence Thomas spoke. It’s at the 41 minute mark. [The Supreme Court] * Ms. JD is offering lawyers and law students the chance to submit questions to ABA President Laurel Bellows that will be answered at an event on January 31 (with viewing parties around the country). [Ms. JD] * How to answer a question when an interviewer asks you something that you don’t have to answer. [Lawyers.com] * Litigation can be a good excuse to get your client to do things they should have been doing all along. [What About Clients?] * North Carolina dean claims she was forced to underreport sexual assaults at the college. When reached for comment, the Duke Lacrosse team said, “We kind of have the opposite problem.” [Salon]

By Elie Mystal
In-House Counsel

House Rules: You’re in the House — Now, Stay There…

After that initial shock of getting an interview wears off, get to the getting. Not only do you want this job, the person on the other end of the phone wants to hire you. Nobody enjoys seeing candidate after candidate -- time is money, and unlike law firms where interviews can entail lavish lunches or dinners, in-house interviews are vastly different....

By David Mowry
In-House Counsel

Inside Straight: Revamping Interviews Entirely

A couple of weeks ago, I posted about the difference between résumé-based interviews and behavioral interviews. (In a nutshell, résumé-based interviews ask applicants for opinions about their personal histories; behavioral interviews ask for factual descriptions of how applicants handled certain situations in their lives.) I really didn’t expect that to be a controversial topic, but […]

By Mark Herrmann
Advertising

Career Center: Acing Your Law Firm Interview

Lateral interview season is about to kick off. You’ll likely see several law firm vacancies pop up early in the new year as firms struggle to find replacements for attorneys who jump ship after receiving their year end bonus. In preparation for the upcoming interview season, the recruiters at Lateral Link have compiled a list […]

By Above the Law
In-House Counsel

Inside Straight: Thinking About Interviews

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 […]

By Mark Herrmann
Biglaw

An Inside Look at Sullivan & Cromwell’s Recruiting Process

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....

By David Lat
Biglaw

Inside Straight: Interviewing To Retain Outside Counsel

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 […]

By Mark Herrmann