An analogy to a first interview is a „first date“ – if you go on a first date and spend all your time talking about yourself without showing any real interest in getting to know the other person, that person may feel like you are not interested in them or get to know them and are less inclined to have a second date with you. The same applies to a job interview, especially an internal legal interview. Ask! Let them know you`re interested so you can move on to a second date! If you`re preparing for job interviews, check to see if you`ve covered these key areas. If you`re interviewing virtually, all of these tips apply. We`ve asked some of our legal experts to share their ideas to help you in your next interview. Take the hassle out of your next interview by following these quick and easy tips from our industry experts. There is a simple solution: the Internet. It takes very little time to research the company on the internet by consulting the company`s website, Wikipedia, and recent press releases. This prepares you for the common question that almost all companies inevitably ask trainee lawyers in internal legal discussions: Why do you want to work for our company? This is a question that cannot be answered intelligently or sincerely if you know very little about the company.

Prior to an interview, Lindy advises her candidates to research the latest market developments in the legal industry that might be relevant to the potential employer. „When you go to an interview for a legal position, first impressions are always important,“ says Lindy, who advises her candidates to dress professionally and appropriately to let hiring managers know they`re serious about the job. In in-house legal interviews, it can be very intimidating for an interviewer if the interviewee knows nothing about their company. For more interview tips, check out our blog on 7 ways to stand out from the competition. „It`s extremely important for candidates to find the right balance between technical and soft skills,“ says Lindy. „These days, it`s not just about technical skills and knowledge – law candidates need to demonstrate their ability to deal with diverse stakeholders. When helping candidates prepare for interviews, Ken always reminds them to keep a cool head. „Don`t be too intimidated if you`re being interviewed by a senior partner at a law firm — remember they`ve been in your shoes before,“ he says. When you graduated from law school, you probably had several interviews and were prepared by your law school guidance office and counsellors. So, four to five years (or more) later, if you`re considering a change, you can dust off your resume and remember your previous experiences and think you`re good for an in-house legal interview. Unfortunately, this may not be enough.

Interviews are not „universal“ and can vary depending on a number of factors, such as whether you are an experienced law student or lawyer, a partner or partner, or if you are considering a law firm rather than a corporate legal department. This is especially important for in-house counsel roles, she adds: „Effective legal counsel must demonstrate not only their legal expertise, but also their keen sense of economics and ability to work with multiple teams within the organization to support business development.“ Lawyers are known to be good researchers. You spent countless hours in law school researching and questioning information. Before each interview, know who you`re going to talk to and research their background. Find them on LinkedIn and do a simple Google search to find similarities between you and your interviewers. Write down their achievements, awards and accolades. If you talk about them in your interviews, show them that you`ve taken the time to find out who they really are and give them an overview of your research opportunities. So you are looking for a job in a law firm.

It`s competitive there. They compete not only with other graduates of the Smart Law School, but also with other experienced lawyers. But whether you`re being interviewed for a law position, paralegal, articling or any other law firm position, let me give you the top five tips for getting that law firm job. Job interviews can be nerve-wracking and intimidating, but if you follow our top tips, you won`t do much wrong. There are a variety of behavioral problems that come in many forms. If you`re working with a recruiter, that person should be able to tell you if their client is using them. Ask your recruiter if there are any frequently asked questions in the past during internal legal discussions. Take virtual interviews as seriously as an in-person meeting. When an interviewer starts a debate on a legal issue, you should not defend your position with too much passion and warmth. Stay calm and serene and focus on professionalism. While the legal industry is currently one of the strongest sectors for recruitment growth, interviews can be a daunting process no matter where you are in your career.

Every business, whether non-profit or for-profit, has a desire to attract customers. In addition to legal work, I spend almost half of my time running the firm and bringing in new work. Normally, my employees do not see this page. But it is there and just as stressful as the legal work. So if I`m interviewing someone and they have creative ideas on how to attract clients or bring more work, it gives me an indication that the person is getting it. The practical side of business. When I hire you, you are expected to do a good job with your files, especially good work for clients, but if you can help me get more clients, that`s always a plus. A good legal recruiter who knows their client company can effectively guide any candidate through their client`s internal legal interview process. Having recruited and prepared lawyers for interviews in law firms and in-house legal departments, I have noticed significant differences in these interview processes. To make things even more complicated, many companies differ in the way they conduct their interviews. You need to know the latest financial updates and the number of countries/basic offices that you can get directly from the company`s website.

However, you should also read recent news articles, legal journals, and the company`s social media production to deepen your knowledge. You may also be able to find ideas for questions at the end of the meeting. For internal jobs, employers want you to know exactly what the company does and how it operates, so make sure you`ve done your research. Below are a handful of helpful general tips that can help a candidate during an interview for any internal role. A candidate`s CV is their chance to sell themselves to their potential employer, so it`s important that they get the most out of it,“ says Lindy Ho, Legal Manager and General Secretary at Robert Walters` Kuala Lumpur office. More and more companies are using behavioral questions with trainee lawyers during in-house legal interviews. If you don`t expect this type of questioning, it can catch you off guard, give you confidence, and cause you to completely ruin the interview. Therefore, it is important to know if you can expect behavioral problems and to be well prepared.

Find out in advance about the company you are interviewing with. It`s essential that they not only believe that you have heard of them (or taken the initiative to learn more about them), but that they were your first choice for a job. There are many online resources for education (Glassdoor.com, LinkedIn, Hubble Matindale, and articles written for law journals, as well as biographical sites for partners or employees you meet). Don`t just go to the interview to regurgitate your prepared game on your law school results or the experience you had. One of the greatest qualities I look for is an intuitive person. In the course of business, I don`t like micromanaging. I don`t have time to look over my shoulder. So when I hire someone, I guess you`re a professional and you understand what`s expected of you, and if you don`t know, you`ll figure out how to find answers.

So I`m looking for an intuitive candidate. So, what you need to do is understand what the interviewer is focusing on. Each interviewer will focus on something different. If you discover that an interviewer is looking for someone with good verbal skills, then you need to talk about your experiences that show your verbal skills. Let me give you an example, my practice involves many clients who do not speak English. I talked about the benefit of helping clients navigate the legal system in a language they don`t feel comfortable with. Surprisingly, many candidates respond to compliment me and think it`s wonderful. That is not what I am looking for. I am not at the interview to impress you. I want to see if you share the same ideas and if you can bring the same mindset. So I want to know if you too can identify with clients from different backgrounds and what skills or experiences you had that would contribute to my client environment.

We hope these interview tips will help you prepare for an in-house legal interview. If you have any questions or need help, please do not hesitate to contact LHH. The questions asked during the interview are very important! They are important not only because they give you the information you need to make an informed decision about the opportunity, but also because they can show interviewers that you have done your due diligence and research on the business.