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I saw a posting for a position on a firm's website, sent in an application, and a partner emailed me back saying that he would like to do an "informational interview" with me to discuss my background. What does that mean??? I'm afraid it means it's not a job interview or that maybe the posting was already filled, but it seems weird that the firm would invite a candidate for an informational interview. Any insight?

If they advertised a position and you applied, and a partner responded to your application, it's essentially a screener.

Thanks, I hope you're right.

It's a boutique, if that makes a difference, so I wasn't ascribing any special significance to the response coming from a partner. The phrase "informational interview" seems like such a weird phrase to use.

it's a screener and you should treat it as such.

gaddockteeg wrote:it's a screener and you should treat it as such.

Seconding the above. Some firms just don't like to call a screener an "interview" for whatever reason - maybe because they fear that using the word "interview" will create an expectation that they'll pay the applicant's travel expenses.

In any case, no firm is going to go to the trouble of asking an applicant to come in and meet with a partner if the firm isn't interested. For lawyers, time is quite literally money - each minute a lawyer spends talking to an applicant is a minute the lawyer can't bill to a client.

Best of luck, OP!