Lousy interview, or is this just Big Law? Forum

[call-me-bubbles]

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[foregetaboutdre]

So, current 0L who just interviewed for a corporate law summer immersion-type program. First half of the interview was ok, second half was really rough; not only did I give some painfully awful answers, but also (main concern in this thread) the interviewer just didn't seem interested at all, didn't look into the camera or break a smile the entire interview, and was in a rush to end it. At first I thought this was just the person who interviewed me, but the more I think about it, I wonder/worry: Is this just Big Law? Like, is this the norm? Is this expected behavior? Is this what BL firms consider "professional"?

I don't personally know any corporate lawyers, but all of the folks I do know in the legal sector are just normal, emotive people. The interviewer was so monotonous and so icy cold, it was like I was talking to a wall or really bad AI. Not only did I leave the interview feeling like a total loser, but I also left kind of creeped out. Not sure what to think right now.

Just try to relax. Contrary to what a lot of people may think, biglaw attorneys (and all attorneys) encompass a wide range of personalities. Not everyone is going to be an extrovert or super engaged/exciting to be interviewing 1Ls. Also, many attorneys (unfortunately) don't even like interviewing people and are forced to. Remember attorneys don't necessarily get to bill for recruitment.

So no, it's not biglaw. This could of happened at any interview you did. It's your job to upbeat, positive, and energized during the interview. Consider maybe practicing interviewing with your CSO if you have concerns. You mention a camera, and if the interview was through Skype, that can make an interview more awkward/less personal too.

**Edit - saw you're a 0L. Yeah I could possibly see an interviewer not being super motivated because you'll most likely be no use to them over the summer (sorry, but it's true). Also not sure if you know the interview format for law, but generally you ask more questions than the interviewer.

[Anonymous User]

**Edit - saw you're a 0L. Yeah I could possibly see an interviewer not being super motivated because you'll most likely be no use to them over the summer (sorry, but it's true). Also not sure if you know the interview format for law, but generally you ask more questions than the interviewer.

I went to a T14, did OCI, did clerkship interviews, did interviews for permanent positions, and this was not my experience. I'm not saying that the quoted poster is lying; that could have been his/her experience. I just don't want OP to think that it's any sort hard rule. OP: You will be expected to have questions at the end of the interview, but I've never had my questions take up more than half of the entire interview.

[call-me-bubbles]

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[elendinel]

I would say peppering an interviewer with questions is a good strategy for avoiding answering their questions (if for a field that isn't known for hypos). People also like talking about themselves, so making them talk about themselves sometimes helps you manufacture a good interview vibe.

I definitely would not say it is required for any particular applicant to do this to get a job, though.

You will find cold people in every field. C'est la vie.

[Anonymous User]

I second all the other posts about cold personality being represented everywhere, including clerkship and government interviews. But I'd add one big caveat: I do find more less-than-welcoming atmosphere from big law firm interviews. Try interviewing with some public interests. I find the experience to be more pleasant, but no less competitive, than big law interviews.

[foregetaboutdre]

**Edit - saw you're a 0L. Yeah I could possibly see an interviewer not being super motivated because you'll most likely be no use to them over the summer (sorry, but it's true). Also not sure if you know the interview format for law, but generally you ask more questions than the interviewer.

I went to a T14, did OCI, did clerkship interviews, did interviews for permanent positions, and this was not my experience. I'm not saying that the quoted poster is lying; that could have been his/her experience. I just don't want OP to think that it's any sort hard rule. OP: You will be expected to have questions at the end of the interview, but I've never had my questions take up more than half of the entire interview.

Thanks for quoting and clarifying. I agree with the poster above (and misspoke). What I meant to say is it is more expected to ask the interviewer questions in law vs. in business (at least in my experience.) It was perfectly fine for applicants to have no questions after a run-of-the-mill analyst interview with HR.