“The only thing that matters is what happens on the field. Preparation is essential, but once the game starts, you have to adjust to what’s happening in front of you. Bill Belichick” Former head coach for the New England Patriots
Why Interview Preparation Matters
If you’ve been invited to interview, you’ve already cleared one important hurdle. On paper, the employer believes you have the experience, credentials, and technical skills to do the job.
The interview is about something different.
Whether you are pursuing a position with a law firm, an in-house legal department, a government agency, or a nonprofit organization, the interviewers are trying to answer a more fundamental question: Is this someone I want to work with? They are assessing your judgment, communication skills, enthusiasm, confidence, and fit with the organization.
Ironically, lawyers sometimes struggle in interviews despite spending their careers persuading judges, negotiating transactions, counseling clients, and solving complex problems. That’s because interviewing requires a different mindset. It is not an oral argument, a deposition, or a client meeting. It is a conversation. The strongest candidates are not simply trying to prove they are qualified; they are building rapport, demonstrating sound judgment, showing genuine curiosity, and helping the interviewer envision what it would be like to work with them every day.
The interviewing process has also changed. Employers increasingly use behavioral questions, panel interviews, and multiple rounds of interviews to assess not only technical competence but also emotional intelligence, collaboration, adaptability, and cultural fit. As a result, simply reviewing your resume or rehearsing answers to common questions is no longer enough.
The best preparation is much more strategic. It means understanding the employer’s needs, identifying the experiences that best demonstrate your qualifications, anticipating difficult questions, researching the people you will meet, and thinking carefully about the impression you want to leave. When you prepare this way, you are less likely to sound scripted because you are no longer trying to remember the “right” answer. Instead, you can focus on having an authentic conversation.
The guidance that follows is based on more than twenty-five years of coaching attorneys at every stage of their careers, including associates, partners, general counsel, government lawyers, and attorneys transitioning into new practice areas or industries. While every interview is different, the principles in this guide have helped hundreds of lawyers interview with greater confidence and, ultimately, receive more job offers.
The First Five Minutes Matter
According to career expert Steve Dalton, many interviewers decide within the first five minutes whether they want to continue pursuing a candidate.
That doesn’t mean the rest of the interview is irrelevant. It does mean that first impressions matter.
Show up prepared, engaged, and enthusiastic. Smile. Make eye contact. Be fully present. Demonstrate genuine interest in the organization and the people you are meeting.
One of the first questions you may hear is, “Tell me about yourself.”
Don’t treat this as an invitation to recite your resume.
Think of your answer as the trailer for a movie. Your goal is to make the interviewer want to learn more. Share a few highlights from your background, explain what has shaped your career, and include something memorable that helps distinguish you from other candidates.
Keep it concise. Two minutes is usually plenty.
Get Yourself in the Right State of Mind
Most people find interviews stressful. Some nervousness is normal and can even improve performance. The goal is not to eliminate anxiety but to manage it.
Before the interview, do whatever helps you feel confident and focused. For some people that may be meditation, breathing exercises, exercise, music, prayer, or a walk around the block. For some it is positive self-talk.
The important thing is to arrive centered and present.
Confidence comes from preparation. The better prepared you are, the easier it becomes to focus on the conversation rather than your anxiety.
Prepare Like a Lawyer
Many candidates spend hours preparing answers to interview questions but very little time thinking about what the employer actually needs.
Start with the job description.
Identify the key skills, experiences, and personal qualities the employer is seeking. Pay attention to words that appear repeatedly. If the posting repeatedly refers to collaboration, initiative, business judgment, client service, or leadership, that is probably not an accident.
Prepare examples that demonstrate those qualities.
For each major responsibility listed in the posting, identify a story from your experience that illustrates your ability to perform that function. The STAR framework (Situation, Task, Action, Result) can help organize your examples.
You should also research:
- The organization
- The legal department or practice group
- The people interviewing you
- Recent news involving the company or firm
- The organization’s mission, values, and culture
Whenever possible, speak with people who have worked there or currently work there. Their insights can help you ask more thoughtful questions and demonstrate genuine interest.
Think About Your Audience
Every interviewer is evaluating you from a different perspective.
A hiring partner may be focused on business development potential.
A general counsel may be evaluating judgment and business acumen.
A future colleague may simply be asking whether they would enjoy working with you.
An HR professional may be evaluating communication skills, professionalism, and cultural fit.
Before the interview, think about the people you will be meeting and ask yourself:
“What does this person need to hear in order to feel confident hiring me?”
The strongest candidates tailor their answers to the concerns of their audience.
Look for Common Ground
Look for things you may have in common with the interviewers (school, where they are from or even personal interests you share). Knowing something about the interviewer’s personal interests can give you more things to discuss with the interviewer – i.e. even if you don’t happen to have that hobby or interest, you can still demonstrate interest by asking questions (see If You Don’t Like Sports, Try Becoming a Sports Fan Fan).
Know Your Resume Cold
You should be prepared to discuss anything that appears on your resume.
Many candidates spend so much time preparing for anticipated questions that they forget to review their own experience. Interviewers often focus on something unexpected—a particular matter, transaction, article, volunteer activity, or career move.
Be prepared to discuss your role, what you learned, and why the experience matters.
Listen More Than You Talk
Lawyers are trained to advocate. Interviewing requires a different skill.
Listen carefully.
Many candidates become so focused on their next answer that they stop listening to the interviewer. Often the most important information is hidden in the nuances of the question.
The best interviews feel conversational rather than scripted.
Ask clarifying questions when appropriate. Demonstrate curiosity. Build on information the interviewer shares.
Remember that rapport is often more important than having the perfect answer. And understand that the person conducting the interview may feel just as uncomfortable as you. Interviewing is a skill and surprisingly, many lawyers have not mastered it. Getting the other person to talk will often make the interviewer feel more comfortable.
See Active Listening-Do I Really Need to Say This?
Show Enthusiasm
Employers want to hire people who want to work there.
You do not need to become someone you are not. But you do need to demonstrate energy, engagement, and interest.
Smile.
Maintain good eye contact.
Let your personality show.
Avoid speaking in a monotone or giving the impression that you are indifferent about the opportunity.
Be Authentic
Be yourself. Everyone else is taken. For example, don’t pretend you like sports if you don’t. If you have a sense of humor, it is okay to let that show (in a tasteful way). Religion and politics are generally off the table. But note that there are times when certain topics that seem taboo may actually play to your favor (see Building Your Business Relationships through Religion, Politics, and Humor). If you are interested in pro bono, diversity, or training opportunities, it is okay to ask about those topics towards the end of the interview (if the subject hasn’t come up).
Prepare for Difficult Questions
Before every interview, ask yourself:
“What is the one question I hope they don’t ask?”
Then prepare for it.
Perhaps you have a gap in employment. Perhaps you were laid off. Perhaps you are changing practice areas or industries. Perhaps there is a matter you worked on that received negative publicity.
Whatever it is, address it honestly, briefly, and confidently.
Do not overexplain.
Many lawyers feel compelled to provide every detail. Resist that temptation.
The employer generally wants a straightforward explanation and reassurance that the issue does not define you.
If You Don’t Know the Answer
Don’t bluff and don’t be afraid to pause for a few seconds before you begin speaking. It’s okay to take some time to collect your thoughts before you open your mouth.
If you are asked a technical question and do not know the answer, explain how you would approach the problem.
Describe your thought process.
Discuss the resources you would consult.
Identify the people you might seek guidance from.
Especially for in-house positions, employers often care as much about judgment and problem-solving ability as they do about technical expertise.
You should also realize that just like there are no perfect trials, there are no perfect interview performances. You are just trying to avoid “reversible error.
Prepare Questions of Your Own
A good interview is a two-way conversation.
Always come prepared with thoughtful questions.
Some examples include:
- What qualities make someone successful in this role?
- What challenges would the successful candidate be expected to address during the first year?
- What do you enjoy most about working here?
- If I were highly successful in this role three years from now, what would I have accomplished?
- What have I not asked that I should have asked?
Prepare more questions than you think you will need. Some interviewers devote significant time to candidate questions.
For Virtual Interviews
The same principles apply, but remember:
- Test your technology beforehand.
- Make sure you are well lit.
- Eliminate distractions.
- Look at the camera when speaking.
- Keep your answers concise.
- Use facial expressions to convey interest and engagement.
Most importantly, remember that it is harder to establish rapport virtually. You may need to be slightly more expressive than you would be in person.
Final Thoughts
No interview is perfect.
You may stumble over a question. You may forget to mention something important. You may encounter an interviewer who asks odd questions or seems distracted.
Don’t let one imperfect moment derail the rest of the conversation.
Your goal is not perfection.
Your goal is to demonstrate that you understand the employer’s needs, that you can help solve their problems, and that you would be someone they would enjoy working with every day.
Prepare thoroughly. Listen carefully. Be authentic. Show enthusiasm.
Then trust yourself.
Finally, make sure to send a brief thank you note to each person you spoke to (it’s okay to sent a thank you note to a group of interviewers if you met them together.) Do that within 24 hours. Thank them, mention something they said that resonated, repeat one thing you can bring to the employer, and say you look forward to continuing the process. Thank you notes won’t seal the deal. But the absence of a thank you note will.
To see sample interviewing questions, read my next post.