how to answer the attorney interview question "what's your strength"? legal hiring, ppt

by Merle Spencer 7 min read

Focus on strengths you have that are required for the job. For example, if a job requires a lot of work on team projects, you might say one of your strengths is that you are a clear communicator who can work with diverse groups of people. Put a positive spin on your answer.

Full Answer

Are you prepared for an attorney interview?

Feb 18, 2021 · It might feel like a softball question, but your answer to “why do you want to work here” could make or break your interview right from the start. Current attorneys advise candidates to make it personal. “We know there are a million law firms or million legal organizations, but at the end of the day, we want to hire the person who really ...

What questions do law firms ask during the hiring process?

Apr 21, 2021 · The key question is whether the lawyer can deal with it and bounce back in the future. What to look for in an answer: Resilience to deal with failure. A commitment to improving abilities. Self-confidence to know that a mistake is not defining. Example:

How to answer “why do you want to be a lawyer”?

May 29, 2017 · Preparing for an Interview for an Attorney Position. Preparing for an interview can be really stressful. There are a lot of questions that the hiring manager can ask about your capabilities, and if you aren't prepared you might not give a good answer. Attorney interview questions and answers are no different than any other interview questions ...

What should you look for when hiring a lawyer?

Legal Counsel Interview Questions. A legal counsel is an in-house legal consultant found in a variety of industries. They may have a background in corporate law, a track record of working in-house, or currently be employed at a law firm with no in-house experience at all.

Why do you want to work here?

A law firm has an opening for an associate position. You want to be a law associate. The answer seems obvious, right? It might feel like a softball question, but your answer to “why do you want to work here” could make or break your interview right from the start. Current attorneys advise candidates to make it personal.

What makes you stand out?

Perhaps you’re not in the top 10% of your class – or perhaps you are, but hey, so is that guy. Both in-house and law firm interviewers are looking for candidates with strong academics, but it doesn’t end there. Setting yourself apart from the rest means showcasing your personality and interests while being respectful and thoughtful.

What relevant experience do you have?

Many law students don’t have a lot – or any – legal experience when they’re applying for a summer associate position, but that’s okay. There are still ways to impress your interviewers by highlighting specific skills, past professional experience, or knowledge of the industry.

Your Essential Career Toolkit

Bloomberg Law offers tips for the transition from law student to lawyer. Learn how to stand out in class, find the perfect role, and nail your job interview.

Networking Outside of the Interview

Whether it’s before or after you’ve landed an interview, networking is key to learning about opportunities and making sure you’re top of mind.

Can you please name a Supreme Court case that impacts your practice of law on a daily basis?

The purpose of this question is not necessarily to test the substance of the answer but more the fact that the candidate has an answer. This is indicative of the fact that they are informed and see the larger picture. So much of what a lawyer does relies on having strong background knowledge of the law.

Can you give an example of where you have chosen to involve yourself in the broader legal community?

Lawyers that network and do the “extra-curricular” activities are generally better informed about recent developments than other attorneys. In addition, networking helps a lawyer build a reputation in the legal sector. Attorneys who have better connections with other attorneys benefit from getting referrals of business from those other attorneys.

How do you handle a disagreement with a superior over a legal matter?

Disagreements happen in the practice of law. Two attorneys can reach different opinions about an issue and both can be correct. It is even more difficult when one of the attorneys works for the other. Part of being a successful lawyer is learning how to make one’s voice heard without being overbearing.

Can you elaborate on a situation where you were unsuccessful and how you handled it?

You should get a sense of how the lawyer handles adversity because there is quite a bit of it in the legal profession. A good lawyer will learn from failure and make the necessary adjustments so it does not happen again in the future. Every lawyer will experience failure at some point.

What aspect of the daily job of being a lawyer interests you the most?

Every lawyer has strengths and weaknesses. Some attorneys do things better than others. This question will test what a lawyer believes that they are good at and what interests them. If they indicate that they dislike a critical basic area of the job, it can help you determine where they would be a good fit in your company.

Have you ever worked on a case that was hard not to take home with you? How did you handle the situation?

Depending on the type of law they practice, lawyers may have to work on cases that evoke emotions like those in family cases or criminal trials. This question allows an interviewer to gauge a candidate's ability to maintain their mental health when working on particularly difficult cases.

Preparing for an Interview for an Attorney Position

Preparing for an interview can be really stressful. There are a lot of questions that the hiring manager can ask about your capabilities, and if you aren't prepared you might not give a good answer. Attorney interview questions and answers are no different than any other interview questions and answers.

Common Questions

There are a lot of common interview questions that you need to know how to navigate. Any type of interview could include generic questions that interviewers use to get to know you as a person and a worker. However, because you are going for an attorney position these questions will be specifically about working as an attorney.

What the Interviewer Wants from Your Answers

You need to know attorney interview questions and answers. In other words, you need to know what a potential employer is looking for when they ask these common questions. You know that an interview is meant to help the interviewer figure out if you would be a good fit in their firm.

What are your weaknesses in an interview?

What are good weaknesses for a job interview? 1 Self-criticism. 2 Shyness. 3 Lack of knowledge of particular software. 4 Public speaking. 5 Taking criticism. 6 Lack of experience. 7 Inability to delegate. 8 Lack of confidence.

What should your strengths and weaknesses reflect?

Your strengths and weaknesses should reflect the requirements of the role. Ensure that you highlight your skills that are listed in the job description, and explain how you will gain or improve critical skills that you lack. In general, your strengths should be skills that can be supported through experience.

What are your strengths in an interview?

Interview Questions About Strengths 1 What is your greatest strength? - Best Answers 2 How will your greatest strength help you perform? - Best Answers 3 What strength of yours will help you most to succeed in this job? - Best Answers 4 What can we expect from you in the first 60 days on the job? - Best Answers 5 What was your biggest strength as a student? - Best Answers 6 What strength will help you most to succeed in the job? - Best Answers

What are the most common interview questions?

One of the most popular interview questions is, " What is your greatest weakness? " which is often preceded or followed by, " What is your greatest strength?

When answering questions about your strengths and weaknesses, always keep the job description in mind.?

When answering questions about your strengths and weaknesses, always keep the job description in mind. Remember that these questions are essentially the same from different angles: the employer wants to know that you have the skill set, experience, and attitude necessary to get the job done.

What is the interviewer looking for in an interviewer?

The interviewer is looking for honesty, self-awareness, and the ability to learn from mistakes. So, don’t give a cliched answer like, “I’m a perfectionist!”. Hiring managers hear that one a lot, and they’ll assume that you’re either not aware of your actual failings or that you’re not willing to share them.

What are some examples of strengths and weaknesses?

Examples of Strengths for Interviews: These include analytical, communication, and leadership skills, as well as the ability to collaborate and work as a team. Examples of Weaknesses for Interviews: These include hard and soft skills, ...

What is the best employee?

The best employees are the ones who tackle their deficiencies head-on and keep learning throughout their career. Frame your answer in a way that emphasizes the qualities the hiring manager is looking for in a candidate. Show that you’re the best person to solve their problems and achieve their goals.

First, we'll start with the Strengths

During the interview process, it’s likely that the hiring manager will ask you to describe your strengths at some point. Many candidates probably wonder how to answer what are your strengths without bragging too much or risk appearing narcissistic.

Second Part - Weaknesses

As you already know, throughout the interview process, you will be asked to answer some tough questions. By now you should have a solid answer to that “What are your strengths?”, but what do you say when you are asked to describe your greatest weaknesses?

Conclusion

Practice, practice, practice. Rehearsing is one of the most crucial steps before your interview. If you aren't well versed in your examples and your stories, you may forget it or sound ingenuine.

General Questions

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These questions help a hiring partner get to know you a little more by understanding your passions, interests and how you may fit into the firm's culture: 1. What adjectives would your friends use to describe you? 2. What are your biggest strengths? 3. How do you handle feedback? 4. What is your biggest acco
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Questions About Experience and Background

  • These questions help an interviewer understand how your education and previous experience translate to the role: 1. What was your favorite course in law school and why? 2. Tell me about a case you were lead on that substantially broadened your knowledge of the legal field. 3. Which extracurricular groups were you involved in during law school? 4. Tell me about your law school i…
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In-Depth Questions

  • An interviewer may ask these questions to get to know how you build a relationship with clients and navigate court issues. These questions also give you a chance to explain your processes and display the parts of your personality that make you the right candidate for the role. 1. How do you build trust with a client? 2. How would you keep clients informed about the status of their cases…
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Law Firm Interview Tips

  • Here are some interview tips to consider so you can present yourself well to the hiring partner: 1. Familiarize yourself with recent court rulings. 2. Research the law firm. 3. Bring examples of papers you've written.
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