Psychometric evaluations during OCI? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Worked at a firm that makes applicants do one of these pre screener. All I will say is I’m glad I’m not going back.

[Anonymous User]

Confirming that OMM uses psychometric evaluations before the screener phase. Proskauer NY sending something similar at the CB phase

[Anonymous User]

Pretty sure these kinds of tests can cause discrimination/ADA issues. For instance, barring a candidate for failing a "mental" screening could form the basis of a juicy discrimination case under state or potentially federal law. Idk though, could be wrong.

[Anonymous User]

Did the Skadden psychometrics. One thing I noticed is that the platform says (in the fine print) that they reserve the right to record video/audio of you while you're taking the test, ostensibly to prevent cheating. So be mindful of that I guess.

[nixy]

Other industries use these things a lot. I’m sure there are some specific circumstances that could give rise to a discrimination case, like asking a blind applicant to complete a visual puzzle and not providing accommodations or dinging them for not being able to do it, but I don’t see how favoring candidates who show better skills at (whatever the given test is supposed to show) would support a discrimination claim. If the test shows (or purports to), say, better logical reasoning, or greater skills at working with others, being someone who (according to the tests) isn’t as good at those things doesn’t make you part a protected class. You can discriminate against candidates based on their ability to take law school exams, after all.

(I’m not saying these tests prove anything useful, just that I think it would be a stretch to call them discriminatory. It doesn’t sound like they’re attempting to measure mental health or anything.)

[Anonymous User]

Pretty sure these kinds of tests can cause discrimination/ADA issues. For instance, barring a candidate for failing a "mental" screening could form the basis of a juicy discrimination case under state or potentially federal law. Idk though, could be wrong.

FWIW the test I took had an ADD/ADHD-adjusted mode. Take that as you will.

[Anonymous User]

These types of tests are being used as a way to try to combat implicit bias that perpetuates itself in law firm interviewing (not that psychometric testing is free of bias itself, of course). I’m pretty sure most firms now (besides white and Case) are just using them as a test case, to compare how results from pure psychometric tests compare with human interviewers. If there is a huge discrepancy, it might suggest high levels of implicit bias is leading to missing out in promising candidates. Pretty sure once these tests are given meaning, it will only be to help you — that is , a good score could qualify you for a cb even if the human interviewer didn’t give you one.