20 Interview Questions from Top-Ranked Summer Firms

Whether you are a 1L in the thick of your summer job search or a 2L starting to think about bidding on OCI interviews for the upcoming summer, preparing for law firm interviews can be daunting. Practicing answers to mock interview questions is one of the best ways to prepare for summer associate interviews. If you’ve never experienced a legal interview, however, you may not know what kinds of questions to expect. As part of our Annual Associate Survey, we inquired about the types of questions the firms ask during interviews. Below are 20 common interview questions shared by associates from the top 50 firms in Vault’s 2019 Best Summer Associate Programs ranking.

1. “Why do you want to work in this firm?”
2. “Why BigLaw?”
3. “What type of law/practice area are you interested in? Why?”
4. “What have you done in law school or professionally that could prepare you for those practice
groups that interest you?”
5. “Why did you decide to go to law school?”
6. “Favorite class in law school?”
7. “What is your connection to [this geographical area]?”
8. “What are you looking for in a firm?”
9. “Where do you see yourself in [X] years?”
10. “What do you think makes for a great attorney?”
11. “Why should we hire you?”
12. “What motivates you?”
13. “What do you want to get out of your experience at [X firm]?”
14. “Tell me about an interesting legal issue you worked on.”
15. "Talk to me about a challenge that you have faced and how you dealt with it."
16. “Tell me about a time you had to work alongside a difficult colleague. How did you manage the interaction without jeopardizing the final work product?”
17. “What can I tell you about the firm?"
18. “What do you do for fun?”
19. “What books are you currently reading?”
20. “What is important for me to know that I haven't asked you?"