Mastering the Art of Interviewing: Legal Sector
Strong legal skills are essential to land the job – but they aren’t the only skills you’ll need. Acing an interview in the legal sector requires a unique set of skills and preparation.
Here, we offer practical advice on how to present yourself confidently, answer common legal interview questions, and highlight your practice area expertise. Learn how to leave a lasting impression – and secure your desired legal position.
Carrying Yourself With Confidence
How we dress plays a key role in our confidence. Choose an interview-appropriate suit that also fits well and makes you feel professional. Pairing your suit with your favorite blouse or dress shirt and tie can give you an additional boost of confidence.
Practice communicating confidently as well. Make eye contact, shake hands firmly but not aggressively, and pause before you respond to collect your thoughts.
Common Legal Interview Questions
It’s wise to prepare for the most common questions that arise in any interview. For a legal sector interview, it’s also vital to prepare for questions common to legal employers. These might include:
- Why did you choose law? Why did you choose this practice area?
- What is a legal skill you struggle with?
- Why do you want to work in this practice setting/on these legal issues?
In addition, you will likely be asked questions or given hypotheticals about the job and practice area. Take a few seconds to think about your answers before you give them. Doing so communicates that you’re taking the question – and the work – seriously.
Focus on Your Expertise
During a legal sector interview, don’t hesitate to discuss your experience or expertise. This may include work in past positions, internships or volunteer opportunities, or law school or college classes, clinics, and internships.
You can mention these experiences even when they diverge from a question or hypothetical presented by the interviewer. For example, in a hypothetical about landlord-tenant law, you might begin by saying, “In my landlord-tenant clinic, we had a similar situation. However, here, one factor is different, and here’s how that matters.”
Here, you’re not merely communicating that you had a past experience. You’re demonstrating your ability to understand, discern, and apply that past experience in your present reasoning – an essential skill for anyone in the legal sector.
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