Curveball OCI Questions Forum

[Anonymous User]

Generic questions will never hurt you, I don't think, especially ones that if you asked 3 different people in the firm, they might have a different answer.

"I saw you have a really comprehensive training program. What's been your experience training or mentoring associates/getting feedback from partners?"

"What sort of projects/assignments were you able to work on as a young associate?"

"What sort of experience/knowledge did you have before entering your practice group? Did the rotation help/ would you have preferred a rotation system?" (Most will tell you they didn't and explain how they came to choose their area and how the firm supported it, which is good because I've found these people love talking. Alternatively, there was the douche who told me 'After all, this is a vocational school so we expect you to take as many relevant course as you can....')

Yeah, no offense but this is exactly the crap that I don't want to ask. Most of it is more or less available elsewhere and it just seems lame. It is, unfortunately, the crap that I ask when I can't think of anything.

[gollymolly]

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[Da Stain]

I agree to a point. I find these answers pretty generic, but at the same time what is an associate from M&A going to really tell me about a firm's antitrust litigation that I can't find on the website. I've found these questions at least get a dialogue going if you play them correctly. Like I said though, that dialogue may be fucking useless.

It's really tough, I admit. I just have found that the idea of "research" and in-depth questions about a firm is sort of a myth. I've had a few firms where I was able to come up with some unique questions, but ultimately I find that there has been very little I couldn't find on a website, NALP, or Vault that really shows I "am really interested" in generic law firm x.

[gollymolly]

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[capitalacq]

Anonymous User @ 7:58 : I feel the same. The questions that I actually have, I can't ask. (Like things about layoffs/morale/no-offers). The questions I can ask, I really don't care about, and I feel like I'm wasting their time by asking them about how having X type of clients has affected their case types ITE blah blah, etc. I've kind of faked my way through OCI interviews but with callbacks starting, I'm getting nervous about thinking of substantive questions.


Da Stain : Those are the kinds of questions my career center discouraged us from asking.

If you don't have any legit questions, then just turn the interview into a conversation.
just go w/ a simple, conversational question--- ask them what deals/cases they are currently working on and hopefully already know something about these deals/cases; follow up w/ a question about a development on that case/deal or just ask what they have actually been doing for the deal

[Anonymous User]

Agreed. I'm just going to start asking "How are you different than any other law firm I've been talking to all week? Because honestly, you all sound the same to me."

You have no idea how much I've wanted to say this. But it should be prefaced with "I've just spent the last 15 minutes trying to convince you that I am different from all the other from all the other people that sound exactly the same as me. Now my question is..."

Former summers are way better to ask than the interviewer. That also would be a funny response "No. I figured I could get more honest answers from the returning 3Ls, so I'll just ask them."

[Da Stain]

"So, you guys got anything else in that box besides a highlighter with post-it flags in it? Firm x gave me rock candy, just saying..."

(Aside, I've found career services advice to be 50/50. 2 people I spoke with who interview for law firms gave me the exact same advice, while career services told me to do the exact opposite. I think I'm gonna go with the people who have jobs/decide who gets to have jobs...)

[Anonymous User]

Yesterday morning, the interviewer asked me after about 5 minutes what he needed to say to convince me that his firm was the one I would want. Totally caught me off guard, because I've always seen it as a one-way street. In fact, I still see it that way, but that particular question was surprisingly tough to answer. Basically it just gave me a renewed sense of how desperate most of us have become this year. Can't really think of anything worth asking other than "Um, do you have an office within the United States?" and "Will I have a job long enough to pay down the bulk of my debt?" Does any firm outside of the V50 expect those interviewing with them to actually be picky ITE?

[02082010]

"I noticed that you don't have any real extracurriculars. So have you developed any serious law-related passions in law school?"

I kind of stumbled around inarticulately for about a minute, and then he asked another question. Then, I got a rejection letter within 3 days.

[chitown825]

I had an interviewer greet me with "what questions do you have for me?" and not ask me any questions or introduce himself. I was promptly rejected. And no, I was not a minority interviewing at an old money firm.

[Renzo]

I had an interviewer greet me with "what questions do you have for me?" and not ask me any questions or introduce himself. I was promptly rejected. And no, I was not a minority interviewing at an old money firm.

Were you a white 1L interviewing for a firm that uses it's 1L gigs as a diversity initiative?

[chitown825]

I had an interviewer greet me with "what questions do you have for me?" and not ask me any questions or introduce himself. I was promptly rejected. And no, I was not a minority interviewing at an old money firm.

Were you a white 1L interviewing for a firm that uses it's 1L gigs as a diversity initiative?

That seems a lot more likely

[crazycanuck]

Not at a law firm, but first question at a big 4 accounting firm: "How many diapers are in Africa?"

And another one from a different big 4 account firm: "How much money do you think I make every year?"

[chitown825]

Not at a law firm, but first question at a big 4 accounting firm: "How many diapers are in Africa?"

And another one from a different big 4 account firm: "How much money do you think I make every year?"

How in the hell do you properly answer the salary one? "I'm sure you are well compensated because (firm is great) and (you are awesome/valued member)" without naming a price?

[crazycanuck]

Not at a law firm, but first question at a big 4 accounting firm: "How many diapers are in Africa?"

And another one from a different big 4 account firm: "How much money do you think I make every year?"

How in the hell do you properly answer the salary one? "I'm sure you are well compensated because (firm is great) and (you are awesome/valued member)" without naming a price?

I looked him straight in the eye and said "Pay doesn't matter."

I ended up getting the offer but didn't accept it.

[AngryAvocado]

Not at a law firm, but first question at a big 4 accounting firm: "How many diapers are in Africa?"

And another one from a different big 4 account firm: "How much money do you think I make every year?"

I had a case interview question like the first one once, only it was "how many piano tuners are in Chicago?" Thankfully, I had already tossed in the towel after I realized I was competing against not one but two large breasted brunettes for a position at a company full of socially awkward math geeks. I could have been Steve Jobs and I still wouldn't have had a snowball's chance in hell.

[crazycanuck]

Not at a law firm, but first question at a big 4 accounting firm: "How many diapers are in Africa?"

And another one from a different big 4 account firm: "How much money do you think I make every year?"

I had a case interview question like the first one once, only it was "how many piano tuners are in Chicago?" Thankfully, I had already tossed in the towel after I realized I was competing against not one but two large breasted brunettes for a position at a company full of socially awkward math geeks. I could have been Steve Jobs and I still wouldn't have had a snowball's chance in hell.

Yeah I thought I didn't really answer the diaper question, but when they called me with an offer they said they thought my answer to that question was outstanding.

[slowmo2385]

Not at a law firm, but first question at a big 4 accounting firm: "How many diapers are in Africa?"

And another one from a different big 4 account firm: "How much money do you think I make every year?"

I had a case interview question like the first one once, only it was "how many piano tuners are in Chicago?" Thankfully, I had already tossed in the towel after I realized I was competing against not one but two large breasted brunettes for a position at a company full of socially awkward math geeks. I could have been Steve Jobs and I still wouldn't have had a snowball's chance in hell.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermi_problem

[Anonymous User]

Agreed. I'm just going to start asking "How are you different than any other law firm I've been talking to all week? Because honestly, you all sound the same to me."

Awesome... I'm using that next time I feel an interview going into the toilet.

[chitown825]

I can't wait to be an interviewer so I can ask students how long they think my penis is

[Kohinoor]

I've heard some absolute gems re OCI confrontations. The problem with an aggressive interview strategy is that if you get someone interviewing for the lulz, they might hurt your feelings.

[NewtonLied]

You're walking in the desert and you see a turtle on its back. What do you do.

[chitown825]

I've heard some absolute gems re OCI confrontations. The problem with an aggressive interview strategy is that if you get someone interviewing for the lulz, they might hurt your feelings.

Or all the star talent will think your firm is a bunch of asses and never join up. Especially in BigLaw where every firm is almost identical

[Anonymous User]

The worst interview I had was one where I walked in and after the greetings, the interviewer's first question was, "So, tell me everything you know about our firm."

After a few items describing why I was interested, I tried turning it around by asking him about one of the items.

He cut me off with "No, this is my opportunity to ask you questions. All I want to hear is what you know about our firm. Please continue."

I managed to go for about 5 minutes before completely running out of details. Then we sat silently for the next 15 minutes while I tried to think of anything else I could.

[chitown825]

The worst interview I had was one where I walked in and after the greetings, the interviewer's first question was, "So, tell me everything you know about our firm."

After a few items describing why I was interested, I tried turning it around by asking him about one of the items.

He cut me off with "No, this is my opportunity to ask you questions. All I want to hear is what you know about our firm. Please continue."

I managed to go for about 5 minutes before completely running out of details. Then we sat silently for the next 15 minutes while I tried to think of anything else I could.

Any consequences to getting up and leaving at this point?