Freaking out over my last interview, which had some fun faux pas' on my part. Everyone post your most embarrassing / possibly damning interview moment.

Mine: interview with managing partner. He asked about NY sports (I don't follow sports). I said that I grew up a stone's throw away from Shea Stadium, yet refuse to root for the Mets.

He's a Mets season ticket holder.

I went into a callback interview with no prep. I asked the guy, "So, why did you choose to join [firm]?" He responded, "I was a founding partner."

I showed up a day early for an NYC callback. They wouldn't let me up, and told me to come back the next day.

One interviewer asked me some very inappropriate questions about how it felt to be a member of a minority religion.

Christianity?

Alabama firm. Screener. Discussing how we got interested in law with clearly tired lawyer late in the day. Lawyer says she was a choral voice major in college. I mention I was in chorus in high school and loved it for bonding purposes. It works, she gets excited, we talk chorus nerd stuff. Then, "So do you still sing now? In your church choir?"

Me, in unintentionally cutting tone: "I'm Jewish."

Awkward fiddling with papers, "Do you have any other questions about the firm?"

No callback.

I had an interview on the day before a long weekend (labor day). In fact, it was in the late afternoon the day before a weekend. Last interview of the day for me is with the hiring partner. Immediately after sitting down he asks me "So, what can I tell you about the firm." A few minutes into the interview he just starts getting up and organizing/preparing his office. He ended up leaving the building before I did.

Interviewer: "So, I see you're interested in healthcare law"

Me (resume SCREAMS it): "Yes I am"

Other Interviewer: "You do know our entire health care section just left in April"

Me dumbfounded b/c the website hadn't been updated with that relevant news "err, yes?"

2 of my 5 interviewers asked, in a critical tone, who my OCI interviewer was.

Leg spasm in the middle of the last screener of the day. No callback.

Two interviewers, one old and one young. I asked a question about a program for partners to the associate in the room, asking if he had done it before. He said no, because he is an associate and it's only for partners. I asked the older interviewer what he thought of it. He said "no idea, because I'm a counsel, not a partner."


No CB.

Interviewer: What wakes you up in the morning?

Me: (laughing)...ummm, my alarm clock.

No CB.

Something similar happened to me on my first OCI interview. A 20 minute scheduled interview lasted 5 minutes. Great way to start the week.

Was asked (on a CB at a V10) about my summer job doing public benefits work. Was then lectured for 5 minutes about how the "entitlement culture" is ruining America. Did not receive an offer.

Interviewer opens door looks me up and down "I don't know who is telling you its ok to wear a black suit but its not ok to wear a black suit" (I am female, thought it was ok) "I don't know if you are going to take my order or prep me for my funeral"

Later

"You know you should really take more substantive classes" (looks at my paperwork, sees that I am taking substantive classes) "Oh..." crickets start chirping and the interview dies. Luckily I was dressed appropriately for its funeral.

was excitingly telling the interviewer about a local restaurant near my school and its delicious meat dishes.

After I was done, the interviewer calmly revealed to me that she was a vegetarian...

Was asked in an OCI screening interview, if you were running for president, which celebrity would you want to endorse you?

I answered Jeff Gordon, explaining that I knew nothing about NASCAR and he could help me reach out to people. I then said something about "who watches NASCAR anyways," or something like that, joking around - one interviewer totally agreed. Bear in mind this was an interview for a Grand Rapids firm - the right wing part of the state. I already had a job offer from a peer firm so I wasn't on guard, but yeah, basically said NASCAR was a stupid sport for rednecks.

No call back.

Was once asked, in a serious way, why I did not do well enough in undergrad to get into Harvard law.

Walked out of the screener.

post is full of win.

.

Interviewer said his firm was expanding globally, and he joked they were aiming for world domination.

I respond, "Like Pinky and the Brain?"

One interviewer laughed, because he got it. Other was deadpan. No callback.

I really really want to be friends with you

"Do you have any questions for us?"

"I think your website pretty much covered everything."

We were all thinking it.

I prefaced a really in depth question with something like this. The interviewer didn't know the answer to any of my questions. I learned that the conventional advice of "don't ask something you can find on the website" doesn't apply to firms with really detailed websites. No CB