How Well should I know Firm's History + Prep Time (OCI)? Forum

[Anonymous User]

As a transfer student, at a a T1 school, I received two preselects. Both are Biglaw preselects, not highly ranked on V at all but decent enough for me given that I'm a transfer. My OCI is 100 percent preselect by the way

1. How long should I prep for each screener , is four hours a day good enough?
(Right now, I am just making up questions that they may ask. As stated above, doing about 4 hours worth of prep work a day)

2. Any strategies on how to knock these screeners out?
(One of them is interviewing for a different city, not sure what to expect)

3. Also, what are some good questions they may ask me?
(I know they will ask you transferred, and etc.)

4. Finally, how important is it that I know the firm's history?
(Please, let me know if you were asked this type of question)

[Anonymous User]

I've done 30+ screeners and have literally never been quizzed on a firm's history.

Every firm history goes something like: white guy and white guy decide to open law firm in NY/Chicago at some point. More white guys join them. They decide to merge with some other firm started by similar white guys.

Other than that, know what the firm is known for. Know if they are lit or corp heavy. Know who their big clients/representative matters are. Be able to articulate why you want to work for this firm and why you are a good fit for the firm. Focus on the matters/clients that your interviewer works on.

It probably helps to know if you want to do corporate or litigation. Have a good reason for your preference.

[Anonymous User]

I'm not sure if your screeners are 20 mins long, but 4 hours of prep work a day for two screeners IMO is overkill. At least in my view (as a law student), the screener is for an employer to see if they'd "like" to work with you and you'd fit in. I have never been asked about firm history, and i'd consider to just briefly know. Consider it more a of a conversation rather than an interview where you need all the right answers. I'm not discrediting preparing what you'll say to questions they ask, but try not to sound rehearsed.

Use the search function to find general OCI/screener questions employers will ask. Common ones (Why law school? Why this firm? What was your fav class? Point out something on your resume/explain this?) As a transfer just be prepared to answer why you transferred (I transferred as well). Also, don't trash your previous institution that's just a bad look.

Also be prepared to ASK them questions about the firm...

[Anonymous User]

OP, here would corporate just be regular transactional work - anything not involving litigation pretty much, such as mergers and acquisitions, business planning, contract negotiations, real estate development (questionable corporate practice), financing and banking?

Also, how quickly do 20 mins. fly by?

[FascinatedWanderer]

If you're asking questions like this, my guess is 20 minutes will seem like an eternity to your interviewer.

Relax. Screeners require almost 0 prep.

[Anonymous User]

You need to know the actual kinds of work the office of the firm you're applying to actually does. Can't tell you how many times I've auto-dinged excellent candidates who walked in and said, "I'm really interested in your [practice area my office doesn't actually do]." Beyond that -- firm history, big deals or cases, major clients -- I do not care if you know and will not ask.

[Anonymous User]

4 hours a day prep is overkill. Odds are against you as a transfer with few interviews but you should be massmailing. And don't sound too over prepped or that is a negative

[RaceJudicata]

spend less time prepping for these screeners, and way more time mailing.

[Anonymous User]

So screeners require little to no prep huh? Interesting

[Anonymous User]

So screeners require little to no prep huh? Interesting

It's a 20 min convo about why you want to do what you say you want to. Interviewer asks 5-7 questions. You ask 2-3. It's not that deep it's checking if you fit.

[bluthmodelhome]

Just finished a week of 29 screeners. Now have 14 CBs. With that context, my advice is to not spend time researching every single detail about the firm. I did not really need to know anything related to firm history or current cases/deals. But you should have answers for the following questions:

Why this firm? (Find something unique about the firm like rotation among practice groups for young associates, method of assigning work or free market, etc. This can take you as little as 10 min on their website/vault/NALP)

What practice areas are you interested in? Why? (Have a reason for why transactional or lit. My answer for transactional is that I prefer the "win-win" constructive aspects of working on a deal that everyone wants to happen, while still advocating for your client's best interest, over the adversarial nature of lit. Everyone bought it.)

Why this location? (Have an answer for why you want to work somewhere that you've never lived or maybe even visited before.)
What was your favorite class in 1L? Why?
Why did you come to law school?
What did you do this summer at your job?

I got multiple of these questions in every single screener and in all the CBs I have done so far. They will ask you about your interests section.
Have questions for them. In screeners I'd ask about pretty routine things like methods of assigning work to summers & juniors. Ask whether they summered or lateraled and why they chose their firm. Why they picked their practice area (especially if it matches your interest). etc.
You might have a terrible interview where the interviewer asks you a list of behavioral questions from a sheet. Have an answer for a time you had to work as part of a team, a time you failed, a time you made a decision that you regret or was wrong (& what you learned)
Know what the firm does in the office you're interviewing with. Navforward.com has been a better resource for me in this area than NALP or the firm website.

Don't worry. 20 min goes quickly! 30 min CBs, on the other hand, not so much.