Things to ask when at a law firm

So, you got an interview with a law firm, or a networking event, or you’ve spotted the firm of your dreams across a crowded pit of fellow undergraduates and you want to ask them things that you think will make you sound interesting and worthy of whatever it is they have to offer. The fact of the matter is, as undergraduates, we’ve all been there and there will be no end of questions you could ask them to make yourself appealing but in reality, you’ve got a couple of minutes max (unless you’re one of those lucky ones that got invited to an event and have managed to corner a partner who’s had one too many of the free cocktails put on by his firm, and is now mouthing off about X United and their poor scoring rate). The point being, you need to choose your questions well, some work better than others and knowing which is the best could land you a LinkedIn connection or training contract. Hopefully, this post should provide some insight into what to ask the dragons when you’re at the precipice of their lair.

For the purpose of clarity and probably saving you time, I’m going to divide this into two posts. The following will deal with what to do and ask in an interview and the second; what to ask in a more social setting such as a networking event. The reason I do this is, as I have learned, the two experiences must be played very differently. You wouldn’t go to a networking event rigid as a board, wait to be asked questions and answer using only 3 syllable words, otherwise you would be the definition of a bore, and no partner (no matter how pretentious) likes a bore. This post is for the people who (like me) had literally no idea what to do or say around these seemingly perfectly presented heard of white collars. I remember initially shuddering at the thought of being forced to interact with them and that they would spot every flaw in me like mould in an uncultured Petri dish. The fact is though, they were once there too, and when you remember that, and read this blog, the experience is far more tolerable. Some of the advice I will share with you here was given to me at a presentation with a group of partners at a top-flight law firmand has greatly bolstered my confidence when talking to others in the profession and I hope it can go some way to doing the same for you.

Interviews

Expanding on your CV

Everyone by this point must understand, unless I have been viciously lied to about the process of applying for positions in the legal field, the imperative nature of writing and submittinga CV. The fact is though, a CV is usually not enough these days and so you must also write and submit a personal statement which describes you in all the ways your CV (somehow) didn’t. The personal statement is just that, a place for your personality to show just enough to get you in the room. Once you’re in there you have to be yourself, there’s literally no getting around that fact. So how do you make yourself seem as appealing as possible?

Firstly, it is important to remember that while you are one of many interviewee’s the interviewer will see in a week, you yourself are an individual and you have your own unique selling points. you should lean on these as much as you canduring your interview, this alone shows confidence in yourself and rubs off well to those hiring. Then there’s the assets themselves, your work experience, your resilience, your determination and passion for the subject. These firms want “foot soldiers”, people who can present themselves and the firm to the highest possible standard, determined to uphold the values of their employer and to go above and beyond for the client. If you can show yourself as a capable of this you’re half way there.

However, you should not disregard the fact that you are still just one of many, and therefore every little slip up that you think was an enormous deal, will very quickly fade from the memory of whomever is interviewing you, therefore you shouldn’t let this trip you up and snowball into larger and larger mistakes because, according to the analogue of conservation of energy, that energy has to be expended (usually in a crash).

I digress, it is also important to allow yourself time to think about your response to the questions, simply blurting something you aren’t entirely sure on may only lead to confusion and more questions than answers. That being said, don’t spend thirty seconds in silence while you careful IRACyour way to a response, this is still about thinking somewhat on your feet so use your best judgement. 

The scary end bit

Now, I haven’t had a lot of real job interviews because I’m a busy man and piling on extra commitments is not currently on my agenda (that being said, give me until the end of the month and I’ll be begging equally for some form of position). However, from those that I have attended I recall the part that most got my stomach turning, was when my interviewer askedjubilantly (and I swear with a slight twinge of evil curlingtheir lips) “Do you have any questions?”. 

The reason I felt this is because it’s the only part which effectively off their script. You have no idea how they will react to a question you ask and you worry could scare them away, and they know that.

The fact is that as much as you’d like to heard that they are ‘just as afraid of you’, they really aren’t, you’re a number, one of tens if not hundreds of prospective undergraduates desperate to impress someone who, let’s be honest, you’ll likely never see again. You’ve probably heard this from everyone but you need to make a good impression/ stand out. The most effective way to do this, aside from having done 300+ hours of work experience, is to give them some questions that got them thinking. Firms seem to like it when you know things about them and their accomplishments, so do your research. You don’t necessarily need to know the exact ins and outs of every big case they’ve had but it helps to know how well they do in certain areas. 

Question firms favour allow them to show off, so exercise your knowledge of what they want to hear. Ask them what they can offer you other firms can’t, ask them about their forecast vs competitors etc. However, never ask them a question that you can find on the website, if it isn’t obvious this will make you sound like you either a) can’t read or b) can’t research which will be detrimental to your chances for reasons I’m sure you can decipher. 

Additionally, it is important to avoid discussing any shady clients they may or may not have managed over the years. You wouldn’t be interested in this profession if you were interested in having a moral compass, so you’re used to avoiding the ties firms have to oil giants and big tobacco. Remember that it isn’t smart to bring up the fact that you know one firm has ties to PMI contracts if the firms you’re talking to also has worked with them past or present. Big law doesn’t like being reminded it’s a money-making machine with moral compass smaller than Donald Trump’s hands, so avoid this line of enquiry when questioning someone who will decide your fate.

Conclusion

The fact is, projecting yourself in a manner that’s impressive without being pretentious in an interview setting is not to be disregarded as easy. Some people have the social skill, writing ability and confidence to basically sweet talk their way through the interview process just on being liked alone. However, rest of us mortals must rely on what we have at our disposal; work experience, our individual selling points, what we feel we can provide for the firm. Remember that they are taking a big risk hiring you. You are an investment to themand if you turn out to be of limited yield, they will liquidate you. The best thing you can do throughout the interview process is show them that you are a worthwhile investment and that you will hold your own in their employ.

Thank you for reading, please stay tuned for the second part of this mini-series on how to make yourself presentable at networking events.