Some interviews just don’t go well. In this installment of our hiring partner OCI series, the partners dish out thoughts on the worst interviews they’ve had, what law students frequently get wrong in the interview, and what to do if your interview goes down the tubes in the first five minutes. It’s all so hot that some partners wouldn’t even go on record.
If a law student totally blows the interview in the first five minutes, what should they do?
Anonymous Partner, AmLaw 125 (Washington, D.C.):
How do they know that they’ve blown it? I’m serious. Law students say a lot of stupid things in interviews, but very few things are catastrophic. They shouldn’t dwell on how they’re doing—that’s my call. They should just keep going with the interview.
Alex Fugazzi, Partner, Snell & Wilmer LLP (Las Vegas):
We’ve all been there and know how awkward and artificial the interview process can feel. It helps to try putting the student at ease and getting to know them, but that’s not always successful. If a student blows the interview in the first five minutes, they should take a second to collect themselves and then address whatever mistakes they made in the first five minutes. It can be as simple as, ‘Going back to what you asked me earlier, let me try and do a better job answering your question . . .’
Anonymous Partner, AmLaw 75 (Los Angeles):
If they really know that they’ve blown it (and they’re not just being paranoid and insecure), they should try and fix it. Laugh about it, then move on.
Andrew Struve, Partner, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP (Los Angeles):
They shouldn’t assume they’ve blown it; they might not have. So the first thing they should do is not assume anything because it’s very, very hard to really blow an interview. But if they think they did, they should just relax. They have nothing to lose at that point, right? Who knows, maybe by relaxing they can actually turn it around. A lot of what you think is important doesn’t really matter at all.
What’s the worst thing you’ve seen a law student do or say in an interview?
Alex Fugazzi, Partner, Snell & Wilmer LLP (Las Vegas):
Cocky name-droppers get nowhere by spending an inordinate amount of time telling how prominent their family is and the circle of friends with whom their parents associate. While these connections can certainly be viewed as an asset, law students run a significant risk of coming off too strong with this.
The truth is, first year lawyers, no matter how smart they are or what grades and accolades they received in academia, are now the low man on the totem pole. They need to be humble and ready to learn from everyone—more senior attorneys, paralegals, secretaries, everyone. If I get the impression they are spoiled rich kids unwilling to work hard—or worse, that they will cause an administrative problem for me—then the rest of their resume doesn’t matter. They will not get hired.
Andrew Struve, Partner, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP (Los Angeles):
The worst thing I’ve seen on an interview? Admit to sexism. That was the worst thing. I had a male candidate who called food service a job for females. That was really bad, and it ended his chances right there. But it made my life easy; I had a clear ‘no.’
Anonymous Partner, AmLaw 75 (Los Angeles):
At UCLA Law I remember a woman telling me a joke, and then telling me the same joke ten minutes later. Clearly she was on speed dial, and I guess that was her thing for every interview. She just forgot that she had already shared that joke with me. I didn’t call her on it, but I did laugh on the inside.
What’s a common mistake law students make on interviews that really grates on you?
Andrew Struve, Partner, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP (Los Angeles):
Overconfidence. Confidence is good, but overconfidence isn’t helpful. A quality lawyer always has a touch of humility, so I don’t like to see overconfidence. That just doesn’t work for me at all.
Anonymous Partner, AmLaw 150 (New York):
A common mistake is for a candidate to reference something that our firm does, but it’s a practice group that’s not in my office, which is the office their interviewing for. [Firm name] is famous for a lot of things, but in New York, we’re pretty much about M&A, so talking to me about those things that we’re indirectly famous for really isn’t all that helpful. In fact, it kind of hurts you because you look like you didn’t do any research. You’ve got to be true to yourself, and you’ve got to know what you want. It’s about getting a job in the right place. Not every firm is for everyone and vice versa.
From the Hiring Partners Tell All Series
- OCI Hiring Partners Tell All. Catching an applicant in a lie, favorite interview questions, and what you wish you knew then that you only know now.
- OCI Hiring Partners Tell All: Part 2. Hiring partners’ worst interviews, including dealing with cocky name-droppers, admitting to sexism in an interview, and what to do if you bomb the interview in the first five minutes.
- OCI Hiring Partners Tell All: Part 3. Manners and looks. As in, do good looks actually matter? And is the handwritten thank-you note a relic of the 1990’s?