Business Lawyer

This question is posed to figure out whether it was your decision to leave or whether you are being pushed out of your firm.

Answering Strategy and Options

Remember to never say anything bad about your current firm. Instead start with, “I’ve learned a lot and had a great experience at Firm X. However…” It’s perfectly acceptable to move firms when the workflow is unsteady or you want to expand your experience. Perhaps you want to specialize in a particular niche within your practice area or the firm you are interviewing with has a stronger corporate practice or more interesting clients.

Say ‘yes’ and the interviewer will think you’re a has-been. Personalise your work history, for this particular question, include the essence of this reply: “I’m proud of my professional achievements to date, especially [give an example]. But I believe the best is yet to come. I am always motivated to give my best efforts and there are always opportunities to contribute if you stay alert”.

The interview process is all about differentiation, and a question like this shows the interviewers that you are determined to be a rock star. Most companies have many folks who are perfectly happy to learn how to do the basic tasks of their job and then sit back and collect a paycheck. What they are looking for is someone who is driven to make things better, who won’t just be satisfied with the status quo. By not only identifying yourself as a big time horse, but making sure that the company will give room to graze, you are guaranteed to stand out.

Part of working in the law, particularly a large commercial firm, is being in action outside standard working hours, which could mean being on the job all through the night or for a whole weekend, at short notice. Law firms want to know that you've done your research into working life in the sector and that you can explain why you're not put off.

You might think the attractive aspects of the job outweigh this downside, or you might even like the idea of the buzz that comes from working full-tilt on the kind of headline-grabbing big deals that demand this way of working.

Find out how much of an attorney's time is spent battling it out in court and how much is devoted to mediating disputes. Then, decide which approach you're more comfortable with. "Sometimes attorneys who are highly litigious are hard to mold when you want to settle a case," says Deborah Sweeney, CEO of Calabasas, Calif.-based MyCorporation, a document-filing services firm that helps small businesses incorporate.

This is one of the most important questions you will have to answer. The interviewer is looking for examples of your professional development, perhaps to judge your future growth potential, so you must tell a story that demonstrates it. Other skills you may want to demonstrate here are listening skills, honesty and adherence to procedures.

Don't be discouraged by what seem to be high fees. Ask if there are ways to cut down on costs, says Fred Steingold, an Ann Arbor, Mich., attorney and author of Legal Guide for Starting & Running a Small Business (Nolo, 2011). For example, you might be able to save money by rounding up documents or writing a summary of events for a legal case yourself. "There are things clients can do that are often helpful," Steingold says. "If the lawyer is not willing to explore some of those options, it might raise a red flag."

One of the most frustrating things about hiring someone new is that it can take forever to get them trained and up to speed. When a candidate asks a question like this, they let the interviewers know that they will find a way to help as soon as possible, which is a major bonus. This again gives you the opportunity to sell yourself as someone who can help on those projects, and as an added bonus — it lets you know what skills you need to brush up on before your next interview or even before starting the job.

This is a favourite tough question. It’s not so much the difficult problem but the approach you take to solving problems in general, this question is designed to probe your professional profile, specifically your analytical skills.

Find out if your prospective attorney is working for other clients such as competitors or former business partners, who could pose a conflict of interest. If so, problems could arise, and you may not feel comfortable sharing competitive information with the attorney.

This question is not geared solely to rate your progress; it also rates your self-esteem. Be positive, yet do not give the impression you have already done your best work. Make the interviewer believe you see each day as an opportunity to learn and contribute and that you see the environment at the company as conducive to your best efforts.

Most lawyers assign work to paralegals, but Sweeney cautions against attorneys who delegate an extensive amount. Taking the time to explain something to your lawyer, then having it re-explained to a paralegal could cost you more money and might muddle the message, she says. While some work can certainly be delegated, be sure that you're clear on who will be handling which tasks.

A possible throw away, but the interviewer wants to see how serious you are. Know the list of other firms. Cold. Don’t blow names. Do not infer that Seattle is one stop on your coffee tour through the Northwest.

Your answer should be, “I have contacted the 5 or 6 leading firms that match my practice interest and background most closely.” If pressed for specifics mention the names, accurately and without bravado.

Some attorneys prefer to correspond primarily via email or phone; others don't communicate much beyond scheduled office meetings. You're likely going to want to work with someone who is available to answer your questions as they come up, so be sure to find out what their communication style is and whether it works for you.

This not only probes your understanding of department and corporate missions by also indirectly checks into your ability to function as a team member to get the work done.

To avoid surprises when your attorney's bill arrives for the first time, find out exactly how lawyers bill, Leach recommends. Some may bill for minimum increments of 10 minutes, while others might not bill for less than an hour. Also, ask about other expenses such as research and paralegal fees.

If you want your attorney to be prompt and easily accessible, be sure to ask how long he or she takes to get back to you when you call, Leach says. Sometimes, you have to go through a paralegal first and may not connect with the lawyer for several days.