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What research should I have done going into a preliminary interview with a firm?

I'd research their practice areas, surely you are expected to tell them why you are interested in the firm and what they do.

Anonymous User wrote:What research should I have done going into a preliminary interview with a firm?

Read their website career section, their NALP form, if they are ranked, their Vault and Chambers pages, read through the bios on the website of your interviewers. If you know what practice you'll be in, see if there are any alums from your school in it and read the practice bio on their website.

LawIdiot86 wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:What research should I have done going into a preliminary interview with a firm?

Read their website career section, their NALP form, if they are ranked, their Vault and Chambers pages, read through the bios on the website of your interviewers. If you know what practice you'll be in, see if there are any alums from your school in it and read the practice bio on their website.

This, but I'd recommend against trying to meet up with people/talk to people who work there prior to your interview, since in my experience namedropping folks I knew at the firm never seemed to work for me.

It would be nice to know about any unique programs or services they offer to clients. Also, don't just familiarize yourself with their SA program, look into how they train/develop their 1st, 2nd, 3rd year etc. associates. You might find some talking points there.

johndhi wrote:

LawIdiot86 wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:What research should I have done going into a preliminary interview with a firm?

Read their website career section, their NALP form, if they are ranked, their Vault and Chambers pages, read through the bios on the website of your interviewers. If you know what practice you'll be in, see if there are any alums from your school in it and read the practice bio on their website.

This, but I'd recommend against trying to meet up with people/talk to people who work there prior to your interview, since in my experience namedropping folks I knew at the firm never seemed to work for me.

There are two schools of thought here, but one strategy is to call the alums and ask their advice on the firm. What they've gone through, why they picked it, etc. You don't have to drop names in the interview, but knowing what the average associate thinks is special about the firms gives you a leg up to the stupid question.

LawIdiot86 wrote:
There are two schools of thought here, but one strategy is to call the alums and ask their advice on the firm. What they've gone through, why they picked it, etc. You don't have to drop names in the interview, but knowing what the average associate thinks is special about the firms gives you a leg up to the stupid question.

I found it to be a really good way to get the interviewer involved by asking them why they chose the firm. Sounding genuinely interested but no inside knowledge actually makes you appear more natural instead of canned. Any one can do research and find out some general consensus of why the firm is good, but expressing why the firm is good for you (put the good things in context) is going to make you stand out.