Interviewing as a Summer Associate

Tips for Interviewing as a Summer Associate

Preparation

• Study your resume, including older details so that you can speak to them.
• Make sure you connect with the information on your resume, including both personal and professional. How did the experience shape you? How does your background distinguish you from the next candidate?
• Research the firm you are applying to and the interviewers. This should include:
  • Reading the interviewer’s bios
  • Googling the firm and interviewers
  • Reading the firm’s press releases

Interview Questions You’ll Be Asked

All candidates are asked the same questions to keep consistency and reduce bias. Firms want to know:

Do you have the character traits that will make you a successful associate at the firm?
Are you an interpersonal fit with the firm’s culture?

• Some questions will be in a behavioral interview format. This is to showcase your adaptability, decision making, communication, project management, and cultural fit.
• Many of the behavioral-based interview questions will start with “Tell me about a time when” or “Describe a scenario where”.
• Use the STAR method to answer behavioral interview questions:
  • Situation/Task: Provide the situation or task, which is the background or why you took action.
  • Action: Explain the actions you took or what you said/did in response to the situation or task. This is the most important part!
  • Result: Share the results/effects of your actions to tell the interviewers what changes or differences your actions made and whether they were effective.
• Other questions may focus on certain traits. For example:
  • To see if you are detail-focused:
    • What do you think contributes most to your success as a student?
    • Which do you prefer long-term, high-impact projects or short-term, detail-oriented assignments?
• To determine if you are adept at multi-tasking:
  • Describe the times when you get the most work done and can be the most productive.
  • What are your strategies for juggling school, work, and outside activities?
  • Tell me about a time when you had many things going on at once and how you handled it all.
• Other questions to think about:
  • What appeals to you about working in a law firm?
  • What do you think will be the most rewarding aspect of being a lawyer?
  • Think ahead 5 years…and tell me the traits for which you’d most like to be known.
  • How will you make a decision about which employer is the right one for you?

Interview Questions to Ask—or Not

Always come prepared to ask a few questions of your own. This is where your research comes into play.

• Ask about articles written by partners, awards the firm has won or even what type of associates are the most successful there.
• Keep your questions open-ended, and then based on their answer, get more specific.
• Do not overcommit to a particular area of questions based on an attorney’s firm bio.
• Do not ask what the firm’s billable requirements are.
• Do not ask about work/life balance at the firm.
• Limit your number of questions about the firm’s pro bono work.

Advice for Success

• Use your college or law school experiences as examples since you may not have tons of workplace experience.
• Mention your connections to the city you are interviewing in. Interviewers want to know you are committed to staying at their firm long-term.
• Do not tell a firm you’re only interested in them because you met their GPA requirements or they were your only choice.
• Approach every interview with the attitude of what can I do for YOU.

Be your authentic self and put your best foot forward. Good luck!

Interview Prep Guide

For more advice on navigating different types of interviews, download our Interview Preparation Guide.