Bad Interview Moments Forum

[Anonymous User]

Interviewer: "Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?"
Me: "Hopefully buying a home and starting a family."
Interviewer: "Okay. Where do you see yourself career-wise?"
Me: "Ideally working at a firm I have been with for a while."
*awkward silence*

10 years from now, the only right answer is "partner"

Unless the interviewer knows that partnership is a flame.

Correction "in this exact same position, but instead of vying to become a summer associate, I'm vying to become partner"

[Void]

Interviewer: "Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?"
Me: "Hopefully buying a home and starting a family."
Interviewer: "Okay. Where do you see yourself career-wise?"
Me: "Ideally working at a firm I have been with for a while."
*awkward silence*

10 years from now, the only right answer is "partner"

Unless the interviewer knows that partnership is a flame.

Correction "in this exact same position, but instead of vying to become a summer associate, I'm vying to become partner"

Also acceptable: "interviewing an awkward, nervous law student for a summer associate position."

[Anonymous User]

Wish I had thought of that.^^

[Anonymous User]

the tl;dr of it would be in the middle of discussing his practice area, the interviewer made a passing reference to "Blurred Lines" and I responded with "What rhymes with hedge funds?"

Turns out he didn't know the song all that well. And me singing it really, really poorly didn't jog his memory.

Different interview: Kept pronouncing the name of the firm wrong. Each time I did, he was sure to mention the firm's name in his next sentence, enunciating the misspelled word more and more. By the fourth time I did it, he practically shouted the name of the firm at me.

Happier story: Partner invites me into the room, then tells me he needs to step out to run to the hospitality suite for a second, but I should make myself at home. A minute later, there's a knock on the door, and I realize he's locked himself out. So I answer it. "Hi, I'm [Me], it's so great to meet you, please come inside." He was also carrying a giant handful of candy, and spent my first answer sorting through it. In the middle of explaining why I decided to go to law school, he mutters, "damn, no reese's cups." We ended up talking about candy for the next five minutes. Callback.

[sap]

Had a screener with a firm where the partner in the room clearly hated me. About midway through the interview, after not really doing my resume at all, he suddenly looks down at my resume, frowns, looks back up at me and says, "I don't really understand how....[looks up at the ceiling for about 30 seconds] please explain... [looks up again for another 30 seconds] I just don't get that [science degree] translates to wanting to be a patent litigator. It just seems like [science field] and patents are completely different. Why didn't you study [non-science]?"

I usually have a pretty good poker face, but I'm pretty sure I looked at him like he was an idiot. No CB.

Not an interview story, but hospitality suite. You know, they always have food, and I grabbed a cracker and slathered it with pate. Then I went over to the water bottle table and grabbed a water bottle. I started trying to open the water bottle, but it was kindof stuck so it was really, really hard to open, and when I finally got it open there was some recoil which tossed the cracker, pate side down, onto the recruiter's nice high heeled shoes. Got a CB.

[unc0mm0n1]

1) Had a screener with a partner and an associate. The partner farted and both looked over at me. I was flustered at that point so I just apologized profusely. It really stunk too. Got a CB.

lmao did you really take the fall for someone else's fart? only in law school.

This made me laugh so much

This story is my go to when I need to laugh.

[Samara]

the tl;dr of it would be in the middle of discussing his practice area, the interviewer made a passing reference to "Blurred Lines" and I responded with "What rhymes with hedge funds?"

Turns out he didn't know the song all that well. And me singing it really, really poorly didn't jog his memory.

Different interview: Kept pronouncing the name of the firm wrong. Each time I did, he was sure to mention the firm's name in his next sentence, enunciating the misspelled word more and more. By the fourth time I did it, he practically shouted the name of the firm at me.

Happier story: Partner invites me into the room, then tells me he needs to step out to run to the hospitality suite for a second, but I should make myself at home. A minute later, there's a knock on the door, and I realize he's locked himself out. So I answer it. "Hi, I'm [Me], it's so great to meet you, please come inside." He was also carrying a giant handful of candy, and spent my first answer sorting through it. In the middle of explaining why I decided to go to law school, he mutters, "damn, no reese's cups." We ended up talking about candy for the next five minutes. Callback.

All three of these are gold.

Moar.

[Anonymous User]

interview with federal agency:

Interviewer: "What's your greatest weakness?"

Me: "Cheese."

(interviewer furrows brow)

Me: "Apparently, my joke timing"

[Anonymous User]

I was at a callback and the first 25 min were all résumé questions asked like I was being deposed:

"For the record, can you talk about your previous work experience?"

Interviewer then asked if I had any questions, (interviewer was not on the webpage for the firm for whatever reason and was last minute add-on), so I asked, "Can you tell me about yourself and why you came to this firm?"

Answer: "Yes, I can." Followed by silence as I expected the interviewer to expound-- nothing. Awkward silence for 15-20 seconds.

That was it. I had to ask each question very specifically.

[HellOnHeels]

interview with federal agency:

Interviewer: "What's your greatest weakness?"

Me: "Cheese."

(interviewer furrows brow)

Me: "Apparently, my joke timing"

[RodneyBoonfield]

I was at a callback and the first 25 min were all résumé questions asked like I was being deposed:

"For the record, can you talk about your previous work experience?"

Interviewer then asked if I had any questions, (interviewer was not on the webpage for the firm for whatever reason and was last minute add-on), so I asked, "Can you tell me about yourself and why you came to this firm?"

Answer: "Yes, I can." Followed by silence as I expected the interviewer to expound-- nothing. Awkward silence for 15-20 seconds.

That was it. I had to ask each question very specifically.

Good lord. My Uncle does the exact same thing and he literally has Aspergers.

[Samara]

[Anonymous User]

"Tell me, why you are interested in Patent litigation?"

"I'm not"

"Well, that's all we do at this office."

whoops

[EagleMe]

On a call-back with my first-choice firm, I was battling a bit of a head cold. One of the call-back interviewers was the firm-wide head of the practice group that I was being interviewed for. While giving an answer to a question, I managed to blow a giant snot bubble from my nose. At this point, I figured I had one of three choices:

a) Make a joke about it.
b) Keep talking as though nothing had happened.
c) Die on the spot.

I somehow managed to continue speaking, and the interviewer never mentioned anything. Offer.

[Anonymous User]

Meant to say "joking around" in a CB interview with 5 lawyers sitting around a table. Accidentally said "jerking off," tried to play it cool, failed. Rejection letter.

[ru2486]

this did not happen.

Meant to say "joking around" in a CB interview with 5 lawyers sitting around a table. Accidentally said "jerking off," tried to play it cool, failed. Rejection letter.

[Anonymous User]

this did not happen.

Meant to say "joking around" in a CB interview with 5 lawyers sitting around a table. Accidentally said "jerking off," tried to play it cool, failed. Rejection letter.

It sure did. Was hilariously awkward.

[Anonymous User]

Strangest interview ever. Struck out at OCI, so did the mass mail gig and played to my strengths. Targeted offices abroad by directly emailing partners after preliminary research on whose practices were expanding.

So one night I am dead asleep and get a phone call around 3:00am. My gal at the time lived abroad. I see the number and it looks like a standard foreign call. Must be the gal.

Pick up. "Hey babe, how are you? [insert random sexual comment]."

"Hi...this is [Partner X from Firm Y], who were you expecting?"

I nearly shit myself. Met most of the staff at that outpost via Skype that evening. Offer came in.

No planning or forewarning on the call btw.

NOT a flame.

[Anonymous User]

Screener, I walk in and I go "hey, I recognize you from the Cravath mixer a few months back"
"I'm with Weil"


(I actually named the right event, location, etc. I just got the firm name wrong)

[hephaestus]

Strangest interview ever. Struck out at OCI, so did the mass mail gig and played to my strengths. Targeted offices abroad by directly emailing partners after preliminary research on whose practices were expanding.

So one night I am dead asleep and get a phone call around 3:00am. My gal at the time lived abroad. I see the number and it looks like a standard foreign call. Must be the gal.

Pick up. "Hey babe, how are you? [insert random sexual comment]."

"Hi...this is [Partner X from Firm Y], who were you expecting?"

I nearly shit myself. Met most of the staff at that outpost via Skype that evening. Offer came in.

No planning or forewarning on the call btw.

NOT a flame.

Did you take the offer? If so, I wonder what your interactions with him will be like this summer.

[mandyjay11]

OCI screener done in a weird hotel room suite that had a full kitchen in it. Interview was with a young female associate and an old and distinguished looking partner. We're talking perfectly pressed suit, cufflinks and monograms on his undoubtedly custom made shirt, every hair exactly where it should be; the kind of guy who talks without moving his jaw. About 10 minutes in, as I'm giving an excellent answer to some softball question, the partner leans back in his chair and puts his hand to his chin as if he's in deep rumination about my answer when all of a sudden he loses his balance and the chair falls backwards. His arms shoot out as he reaches for something, anything, to steady himself to no avail. As the chair hits the ground he does a summersault backwards and tumbles into a dishwasher, turning it on. It was loud. Partner gets up haphazardly, his suit jacket and hair flailing every which way, assures us he's fine and there was no need for us to get up as he starts manically mashing buttons trying to turn off the dishwasher. Associate has literally facepalmed and is shaking her head and quite obviously trying to stifle laughter, which is much better than me because I am cracking the fuck up. It was the most cartoonish thing I've ever witnessed in person and, god help me, I could not reign it in for the life of me. He stands there trying to get it to turn off for like a good 15 seconds before he starts cursing at it like a sailor. I am essentially doubled over laughing at this point and the associate is too. Eventually the partner realizes the sheer ridiculousness of having an interview interrupted by a dishwasher and starts laughing about it too, once he finally got the dishwasher to stop running of course.

Got a callback, offer, and a story I will be telling for the rest of my life.

I cried laughing at this!

[Anonymous User]

Walk into screener. Partner is sitting down. Does not stand when I enter. I reach out my hand and introduce myself. He stares intently at my chest for a moment, then nods approvingly and says "Nice dimple." I look down at my tie, then back up at him with a dopey smile. "Uhhh... thank you?" Partner continues nodding. "It shouldn't go unnoticed." Awkward silence. "So tell me about yourself, Anon."

[kaiser]

1) Had a screener with a partner and an associate. The partner farted and both looked over at me. I was flustered at that point so I just apologized profusely. It really stunk too. Got a CB.

2.) At a CB: Partner asks why I transferred. I give the same response probably every transfer gives. Partner responds with, "WRONG. I HATE LIARS. You transferred to xyz school because it was probably the best one you could get into. I bet the better schools rejected you, so you went to xyz because you didn't care about the stats or location of the particular school, just the ranking. You probably had a horrible LSAT score, mediocre GPA, and unimpressive resume and couldn't get into a decent school the first time around. I don't know where your 1L school is located, and I doubt anyone at our firm graduated from there. Why are you even here?" I just tried smiling, nodding and waiting for his next question.

omg please tell me that did not actually happen

This was me, and yes, it happened.

Why would you just smile and nod through that? I had an oddly similar question once (though not quite this harsh) and I assumed it was meant to make me defensive, but that it was a "trick" and that he wanted me to defend and refute. I immediately said, with all due respect, you are incorrect on numerous points. And I got a callback, so i guess it was the right call.

I can't see the negative in speaking back at that. At best, a defense is exactly what the interviewer was looking for. And at worst, you can at least walk out with your pride, knowing you didn't just stay quiet while another man baselessly attacked your integrity.

[basilseal]

This thread is just great.

[Anonymous User]

Callback interview. Meant to say, "I've always been more of a city girl." Came out, "I've always been more of a shitty girl." Kept talking as if nothing had happened, but my my face probably gave it away. TBD if I get the offer.