The format
Expect an initial screen, then one or more rounds with practitioners, sometimes including a written exercise or a technical discussion of a matter you've worked on. Larger firms run structured processes; smaller firms are often a single longer conversation.
Ask who you'll be meeting and in what capacity. Preparing for a partner interview is different from preparing for a peer conversation with associates.
Questions that recur
Why this practice area, and why this firm. Walk me through a matter you worked on. A time you handled competing deadlines or a mistake. How you'd approach a specific problem in the firm's practice area.
Prepare two or three matters you can discuss in real depth — what the issue was, what you did, what happened, what you'd do differently. Respect confidentiality: describe your work without identifying clients or privileged detail. Handling that well is itself assessed.
What to ask them
Ask about the work you'd actually do in the first year, how files are staffed and supervised, what the review process is, and what happened to the last person in the role. Those answers tell you far more than any recruiting material.
Having no questions reads as no interest. Having questions you could have answered from the website reads worse.
Offers and negotiation
Ask for the full terms in writing before deciding, and read the termination clause and any restrictive covenants — those matter more than a small difference in salary.
Negotiation is normal and expected at experienced levels. Be specific and reasoned rather than positional, and get any agreed variation reflected in the written agreement rather than left in email.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I discuss my work without breaching confidentiality?
- Describe the issue, your role and the approach without identifying clients or disclosing privileged detail. Interviewers expect this and assess how you handle it.
- What should I ask at the end?
- What you'd actually work on in year one, how files are supervised, how performance is reviewed, and what happened to the previous person in the role.
- Should I negotiate an offer?
- At experienced levels it's normal. Be specific and reasoned, and ensure anything agreed appears in the written agreement.
- What matters most in the contract?
- The termination clause and any restrictive covenants — non-compete and non-solicit terms. Those affect you far more than a modest salary difference.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws, costs, and procedures vary by state, province, and your specific situation — speak with a qualified employment law lawyer about your circumstances before acting.