Biglaw Interview Questions: Free One-Sheet with Commonly Asked Questions

Biglaw Interview Questions: Free One-Sheet with Commonly Asked Questions

If you are looking to prepare for your BigLaw interview, we have numerous BigLaw interview questions that you can review below. (Plus, download our free BigLaw Interview Questions One-Sheet!). These include questions you should be prepared to answer as well as questions you can ask the lawyers that you are interviewing with.

Biglaw Interview Questions: Free One-Sheet with Commonly Asked Questions

Basic Tips for Preparing for a BigLaw Interview:

Before we dive into the biglaw interview questions, here are a few tips for preparing for a biglaw interview:

• Research the firm and the lawyers interviewing you ahead of time. What interesting cases have the lawyers worked on? What differentiates the firm? (Is it their pro bono work? Their culture? Specific cases they work on?) Do your research and at the same time, come up with thoughtful questions to ask them. (We list a few ideas below.)
• Make sure you are prepared to answer questions about your resume. If you say you are interested in running marathons or you can speak French fluently, be able to back this up with some examples.
• Practice ahead of time by doing mock interviews! You will feel more at ease during the actual interview and also be able to refine responses that may need improvement ahead of time.
• Look professional. Err on the side of dressing conservatively.
• Be early. Being late sets a bad tone from the beginning. Being early will help you be more at ease by the time your interview begins.
• Remember that every interaction with the firm is part of the interview. This includes interactions with the secretary, other attorneys there (regardless of whether they are interviewing you), and alumni from the firm. People talk. And some law firms sometimes specifically track these outside interactions.

Now, with those in tips in mind, here are some biglaw interview questions to prepare for!

Want to print these questions? Download our free one-sheet here!

BigLaw Interview Questions:

Personal Questions:

• Tell me about yourself.
• Can you walk us through your professional journey and the decisions that led you to where you are today?
• What is your greatest strength?
• What is your greatest weakness?
• What passions or hobbies do you have outside of the law?
• What personal or professional objective are you currently working toward?
• What is a recent non-professional book that you read that captivated your interest? And why?
• What is a book or article that has profoundly influenced you?
• What is an accomplishment outside of academia that was significant to you?
• How do you define success?
• What has been one of your biggest challenges in life?

Law School Questions:

• Why did you choose to go to law school?
• Why did you transfer from (X) law school to (your current law school)?
• What was the topic of your paper/research project? Tell me more about it.
• What is your favorite law school class?
• What is your favorite part about law school?
• What is your least favorite law school class?
• What is your least favorite part about law school?
• Which extracurricular activity in law school has been most beneficial to you?
• How do you think your legal education has prepared you for the practical aspects of working in a firm?
• What did you learn from participating on (law review, moot court, XYZ clinic)?
• Do you think your grades accurately reflect your abilities?
• What was the best part of law school? What was the most challenging part?
• What do you think of XYZ professor?
• Who is your favorite law school professor?

Tip: Try not to be very negative an interview, even if asked about a professor you are not a fan of!    

Past Career/Professional Questions:

• Why did you do (X) before law school?
• How have your prior positions prepared you for a career in law?
• What did you do last summer? Did you receive an offer? Explain. (Note: This question is for 2Ls who worked at a firm the prior summer.)
• What was a legal issue you encountered during your last summer internship? (Note: This question is for 2Ls who worked at a firm the prior summer.)
• What was the most challenging project/case/deal you worked on recently?
• What is the most interesting project/case/deal you have worked on?
• Have you been involved in any pro bono work? If so, what did you learn from that experience?

Future Career/Professional Questions:

• What kind of work setting do you thrive in?
• Why do you want to practice law in a law firm?
• Where do you see yourself in five years?
• What are your long-term career goals?
• What do you consider to be most important in a job?
• What are the key experiences you hope to gain out of your summer job? What challenges are you looking to tackle?
• What skills do you have that will make you successful in the practice of law?
• Why should we choose you over other candidates? What makes you unique?

Questions Relating to Firm:

• What do you know about our firm?
• What can you contribute to our firm?
• What area of law do you see yourself practicing in? Why?
• What location do you want to practice in? Why? Tip: When answering this question, it is best to be specific and provide the firm with a specific geographical tie you have to the location (for example, family members live there or you were raised there). If you say you want to work somewhere just because it is a “big city” that is looked upon less favorably.
• Why are you interviewing with us?
• Where else are you interviewing?
• Do you have any job offers? If so, where and why do you continue to interview? What would be the deciding factor for you to choose one firm over the others?
• Have you talked to anyone who works at our firm? Who?
• Are there projects or initiatives at our firm that you are excited about contributing to, and why?
• What are the most critical attributes you are looking for in a firm? How have you assessed our firm against that criteria?
• What questions do you have about our firm?

Behavioral Questions:

• What do you know about our firm?
• What was a moment where you faced a significant obstacle? How did you address it?
• Tell me about a situation where you demonstrated leadership qualities.
• Can you discuss a project where you had to learn a new skill or adapt to a new situation? How did you handle it?
• Tell me about a time when a team member of yours was not pulling their own weight. How did you handle it?
• Describe an instance where you went above and beyond at work.
• Give an example of how you handled a customer, client, or boss who was dissatisfied with your service or product?
• Share an experience where you had to gather input from others to make a significant decision. How did you incorporate their feedback into your final decision?
• Discuss how you solved a complex problem in the past.
• Describe a time when you had to persuade others to embrace your perspective.
• Describe a decision you made that was unpopular.
• Describe an instance where you had multiple responsibilities and outline how you set your priorities.
• Tell us about a time where you managed a challenging colleague.
• Describe a time when you had to give difficult feedback to a peer or subordinate.
• Share an example of a goal you did not meet. What did you learn from that experience?
• Tell me about a time when you had to adapt to a significant change at work. How did you manage that transition?

Questions to Ask the Interviewer About the Firm:

• Can you tell me more about your summer program? Will I be assigned to a specific practice group?
• Are there any mentorship programs at the firm?
• What kind of attorney development programs exist at your firm?
• What is the law firm culture like at your firm?
• How is work distributed among associates?
• What advice would you give to incoming associates?
• What is a typical day like for an associate at the firm?

Tip: Make sure to browse the firm’s website, look them up on Vault, NALP, and other sites so that you can ask informed questions and familiarize yourself with the firm ahead of time.   

Questions for the Attorney Interviewer About Themselves:

• Why did you choose to work at this firm?
• Why did you choose this practice area?
• What do you enjoy about your job?
• What is the most challenging part of your job?
• What is one of the most interesting cases you have worked on?

Tip: If you are told who your interviewers are ahead of time, make sure to look them up and become familiar with their work history and prominent cases they have worked on.  

We hope you found this list of BigLaw interview questions helpful! Good luck preparing for your interview!

Want to print these questions? Download our free one-sheet here!

• Seeking Success in Law School?

  • Benefit from personalized one-on-one tutoring by our seasoned law school tutors.
  • Explore our NEW and highly acclaimed law school study aids, available for a free trial.