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Thread for Curveball Interview Questions

Post by Anonymous User » Sun Aug 07, 2011 3:30 am

With OCI approaching next week for many of us, how about we start a thread with some curveball questions that firms might ask?

A friend of mine was just asked the "If you could be any animal which one would you be?"

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Re: Thread for Curveball Interview Questions

Post by Anonymous User » Sun Aug 07, 2011 11:17 am

I told Weil I was interested in bankruptcy work, and Weil asked me what I thought bankruptcy work entailed. No bueno.

Same interviewer (!) asked me if my 1L summer employers were in the room and asked to describe what I could have improved on, what they would say.

A few of the firms I applied to were in markets I had no ties to. When they pointed that out and asked why I was applying, that was tricky. Wasn't a problem in NYC, but other locations seemed pretty unimpressed with the answers I came up with.

S&C and one or two other firms seemed to try to engage people in a substantive legal or academic discussion about an issue. I heard of people being asked about something interesting / legal that came up 1L summer, or substantive research that was obvious on the resume, and pushing back a little.

A few firms would just stare at you and say "So what can I tell you about the firm?" That was difficult. A rumor swirled that firms would do that when they knew they weren't interested in a candidate but I know that's not true, some people who had that non-question for the entire interview still got CBs and offers.


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Re: Thread for Curveball Interview Questions

Post by Cavalier » Sun Aug 07, 2011 11:29 am

Twice I got a series of four or five behavioral questions in a row, which was surprising, because I think I had only been asked only one behavioral question before that. Overall though I'd say the questions were fairly standard.

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Re: Thread for Curveball Interview Questions

Post by Anonymous User » Sun Aug 07, 2011 11:55 am

"You mentioned you're interested in our corporate and bankruptcy groups. You have too much personality for those practice areas and won't fit in. Convince me why I should give you a callback anyway."

Happened at a screener this week.

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Cavalier

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Re: Thread for Curveball Interview Questions

Post by Cavalier » Sun Aug 07, 2011 12:01 pm

Also another one I heard of: "How does 2000 billable hours sound to you?" (not joking)

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Re: Thread for Curveball Interview Questions

Post by quakeroats » Sun Aug 07, 2011 2:15 pm

Cavalier wrote:Also another one I heard of: "How does 2000 billable hours sound to you?" (not joking)
Like a good start.

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mths

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Re: Thread for Curveball Interview Questions

Post by mths » Sun Aug 07, 2011 2:18 pm

quakeroats wrote:
Cavalier wrote:Also another one I heard of: "How does 2000 billable hours sound to you?" (not joking)
Like a good start.
/golf clap

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dood

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Re: Thread for Curveball Interview Questions

Post by dood » Sun Aug 07, 2011 3:13 pm

whats the last book u read for fun?

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quakeroats

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Re: Thread for Curveball Interview Questions

Post by quakeroats » Sun Aug 07, 2011 3:43 pm

dood wrote:whats the last book u read for fun?
How is that a curveball?

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Re: Thread for Curveball Interview Questions

Post by KamaalTheAbstract » Sun Aug 07, 2011 3:49 pm

Its a curveball if you don't read for pleasure. I would have been stumped.

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Re: Thread for Curveball Interview Questions

Post by ak362 » Sun Aug 07, 2011 3:57 pm

First question during the interview:

"Tell me a joke."

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Re: Thread for Curveball Interview Questions

Post by goodolgil » Sun Aug 07, 2011 4:21 pm

ak362 wrote:First question during the interview:

"Tell me a joke."
I woulda gone with this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3o5m_mXadoU

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swc65

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Re: Thread for Curveball Interview Questions

Post by swc65 » Sun Aug 07, 2011 4:29 pm

ak362 wrote:First question during the interview:

"Tell me a joke."

So I walked into an interview and this joke of an interviewer said.....

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Re: Thread for Curveball Interview Questions

Post by beach_terror » Sun Aug 07, 2011 10:10 pm

Cavalier wrote:Also another one I heard of: "How does 2000 billable hours sound to you?" (not joking)
Reading this has caused me stress. Thank god for /r/jokes

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