Career Services Handbook
Interviewing for a Legal Position
Contrary to many students' fears, interviewing is not an innate talent. While some people are more
comfortable with it than others, interviewing is a learned skill that will improve with practice.
The Interview, In General
Generally, every interview has a greeting, discussion, and closing. While the discussion is the most
substantive (and thus critical) part, don't discount the importance of the other two aspects.
Frequently, the greeting will establish a rapport that sets the tone for the entire interview. Use a
firm handshake, make good eye contact, and be pleasant and positive (smile!) in this small talk phase.
During the closing, try to wrap up in an upbeat fashion and re-emphasize your interest in the
organization. Feel free to ask when you will hear from the organization and other questions pertinent
to the status of your application. End the interview with a thank-you and handshake, remaining positive
until the end! And remember to continue eye contact throughout the entire interview.
During the discussion phase of the interview, you and the employer will exchange information in an
effort to determine whether there is a good fit. Keep in mind that the employer is likely also a bit
nervous; employers want to find the right person and the time they spend in an interview is generally only
long enough to venture an educated guess as to whether that person is right for the job. You are both
learning about the other in this process. Your ultimate goal is to convince the employer that your
qualities and skills match the values and needs of the organization. Preparation and presentation
are the keys to realizing that goal.
Preparation
It is critical to bring to an interview as much knowledge as possible about the employer and
interviewer(s). Employers consistently rank lack of knowledge of the organization as a primary
reason for not extending an offer. In short, you must start the interviewing process well before
the actual interview.
When you are in the interview, make sure to get across to the interviewer that you took time to
learn more about the employer than what is in its promotional materials. Employers want to know
that you were attracted to them for specific reasons, rather than simply because they were interviewing
at Seton Hall, are located in a particular city, or have a position open.
The "Factors to Consider" list in the Appendix will help you think about the kind of information you
should be seeking about particular employers.
The best way to find out about a position and employer is through the Internet. Many law firms have
their own websites, even the Attorney General's Office. Martindale-Hubbell is also helpful.
In addition, the Harvard Public Interest Job Search Guide and the Pro Bono Students America database
offer comprehensive listings of internships with public interest and government organizations.
Finally, students often are the best sources of information on prospective employers. Most students
are willing to be contacted about their experiences. Take advantage of the opportunity. Talking with
other students will often give you a better sense of what it is like to work for a particular employer
than any written material.
Practice makes perfect. As it is with many activities, practicing is the best way to improve your
interviewing skills. It will also help you learn how to react to different interviewing styles.
Just like interviewees, some interviewers tend to talk too little or too much. You will need to
adjust your strategy and style depending upon the cues you pick up from the interviewer.
Practice is especially important for those who find interviewing particularly difficult for some
reason. If you are naturally quiet or talkative, have a very soft or loud voice, or have any other
tendency that might make you overly nervous in an interview, practice is crucial. Get a friend or
OCS counselor to work with you specifically on your problem areas. OCS
offers all students the opportunity throughout the year to experience a mock
interview. Participating in a mock interview will boost your self-confidence and ease your
nerves. In addition, meet with an OCS counselor after you've done a few interviews to go over how
they went and how to improve your performance in the future.
Presentation
At the most basic level, interviews are where employers learn more about your skills and experience
than is evident from your resume. More importantly, however, interviews are where employers get to
know you, often the critical factor in hiring decisions. How you present yourself, therefore, is
often the key to whether you will get an offer.
Develop a strategy. The underlying question in every interviewer's mind is "Why should our organization
hire this person?" Before the interview, you should develop a strategy for how to answer that question,
even though it is rarely explicitly asked. What you emphasize will need to be fine-tuned depending on
the employer and position. Remember, you must convince the employer that you are the right person for
this position and this organization.
To help you develop a strategy, consider what the employer is looking for in a law clerk, intern, or
new employee. What type of substantive legal knowledge is required? Is the organization seeking
particular skills (e.g. foreign language or computer)? Is the position litigation or policy-oriented
and how does your experience correlate? Do you have non-legal experience that would be valuable? Have
you worked in a similar organization before?
In addition, think of questions that you would like to be asked, i.e. questions that will allow you to
give the interviewer information about your strong points. Then think of how to adapt your answers
to other questions the interviewer(s) may ask instead.
Be positive and confident. In the interview, you must present yourself in a positive, confident, and
engaged manner. Make good eye contact and play an active role in the conversation. Ask relevant
questions and listen attentively. Don't be overly self-deprecating; this may display a lack of
self-confidence, which can be tantamount to a rejection.
Avoid appearing defensive, negative, or angry. To help, anticipate difficult questions (e.g., why is
your GPA not on your resume?) and practice answering them as confidently as possible. Often,
employers are more interested in how you respond to such questions than they are in the responses
themselves. And remember to never badmouth a former employer; nothing good has ever come of that.
Your best strategy for your presentation is to answer the interviewer's questions concisely and directly.
A rule of thumb some use is "equality;" by the end of the interview, both parties should have had equal
speaking time. Another rule of thumb is the two-minute rule; keep your responses to two minutes.
Leave out all the gory details and give the interviewer the basics. In the movie "Shipping News,"
Kevin Spacey's career as a journalist gets off to a slow start because of his verbose and lackluster
descriptions. His colleague helps him improve when he takes him on a walk and asks him to explain or
describe the things they see. Kevin Spacey offers lengthy explanations taking too long to get to the
point. The fellow journalist tells him to learn to think in headlines, both
when titling a piece and when describing it. This strategy fits hand in hand with being a good
interviewee. General descriptions convey more information and keep the other person's attention in the
long run. So when answering interview questions always keep in mind your need to create a headline or
newspaper piece as opposed to a novel.
Make sure that you always put a positive spin on your answers. The best example to this
is the age-old question "what is your greatest flaw." The answer to this can have a positive spin.
For instance, if you are hardheaded and stubborn, say you are tenacious and never give up until
something is finished. If you are impatient, say you are and that you work hard to finish things as
soon as possible. There is a positive side to every negative trait; the trick is to find it. Finally,
don't rush. It is perfectly appropriate to take a moment to think about a question before answering.
Students occasionally will interview with an individual who is rude or asks illegal questions. The
key point to remember is to try to maintain your composure during the interview. You can decide
later if you want to withdraw from consideration. Always inform an OCS advisor if you feel that an
interviewer has asked you inappropriate questions or made discriminatory remarks.
Interview Protocols...
Acknowledging Invitations
Except for job fairs and on-campus interviews, interview invitations are usually made by phone.
Your response should also be by phone, unless you are specifically instructed or asked to respond in
another form. Always acknowledge an interview invitation as soon as possible.
Interview Types and Schedules
Interviews can take different forms depending on the type of employer, how the student initiates contact,
and the employer's geographic location. For first-year students, Seton Hall participates in the NYU
Public Interest Job Fair, at which interviews are scheduled in 20-30 minute intervals. Participating
organizations may invite students to their offices for second or "call back" interviews, but most make
their decisions based solely on the fair interviews.
OCS also conducts resume collections for employers interested in students. Usually, participating
employers will contact directly those students whom they want to interview. Interviews with these
employers, as with employers contacted individually by students, usually take place at employers'
offices or by telephone. Organizations within the greater NYC/NJ area generally interview at their
offices. Non-profit and government organizations outside the area will frequently arrange phone
interviews, because they do not have the resources to pay for students to travel to their offices.
Most firms, even those outside this area, do not interview by phone.
It is perfectly appropriate to interview by phone with willing employers. However, in-person
interviews are generally preferable. You will often make a stronger and more lasting impression in a
face-to-face interview. Moreover, you will get a better sense of the organization and its staff by
visiting its offices.
Even though most firms do not interview by phone, they also usually do not pay travel expenses for
first-year students. This is almost universally true of small firms; some medium and large firms
may be exceptions. Many students interested in interviewing with out-of-state organizations will try
to line up interviews during school breaks, holidays, or other times when they plan to visit a particular
geographic area. Make sure you learn beforehand whether or not a firm or organization will pay your
expenses, so that you can plan accordingly.
For interviews you are lining up yourself, try to schedule them as soon as possible, as many employers
make hiring decisions on a rolling basis. If you have an interest in a particular aspect of the
organization's work, let the interview scheduler know at the time you are arranging the interview.
The person will likely try to arrange for you to speak with someone knowledgeable about that department
or project. Office interviews typically last from two to three hours, although they can be as short as
half an hour and as long as an entire day. When you are scheduling the interview, feel free to ask how
long it will likely last. Call the day before the interview to confirm the time and other details.
You might also want to ask for the names of the people you will be seeing as well.
Meals
Sometimes interviews will include lunch (occasionally dinner), which provides the employer and you
the chance to get to know each other in a more casual, relaxed atmosphere. You might go with everyone
who interviewed you or just with a few people. Firms particularly will often have junior-level
attorneys take you to lunch or dinner on the theory that you will be more comfortable asking questions
of those who were most recently in your position.
Meal conversations often involve a combination of professional and personal topics (hobbies and
interests, law school, etc.) Be relaxed but always maintain a professional demeanor. Do not ask
questions or make comments that you would not ask or make in the rest of the interview. Although
the context may be friendlier, remember that you are still being evaluated; do not let your guard down!
Interview Expenses
If an employer has agreed or offered to pay your expenses to visit its office, the general rule is
that you will be reimbursed for all reasonable and expected costs. These typically include round-trip
coach airfare, hotel accommodations, meals, and ground transportation. Organizations have different
policies about expenses, however, so don't make assumptions about one employer based on what another
one has covered. You should ask what the organization's reimbursement policy is when you are scheduling
the interview. Also, if you have any questions about what is reimbursable or is a reasonable cost,
please talk to an OCS counselor. Seeking reimbursement for expenses an employer deems egregious can
doom your application.
Keep accurate records of expenses and save all expense receipts. Make copies of
your receipts in case questions or problems arise. You should check with the
organization about how best to submit your expenses, as some may have their own
expense forms.
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