List of Law Firm Interview Questions

The following is a list of interview questions that are commonly asked of candidates attending interviews at law firms, in particular interviews for training contracts.

Commercial Awareness Questions

• Is the current 28-day limit for detention without charge in terrorism cases sufficiently long?
• Should defendants in criminal cases have the right to know the identity of witnesses giving evidence against them?
• Do sporting boycotts have any effect on governments’ human rights policies?

Technical Questions

• How is a merger/acquisition structured?
• Give an example of a recent commercial deal that captured your attention: which party/side in this deal would you like to work for if you were a lawyer and why?
• How would you sell on services to a client? - for solicitors in commercial practice only
• You are alone in the office and a client phones demanding instant advice, what do you do?
• You are alone in the office and a very important client phones demanding you shred various documents of theirs. What do you do?
• What would you do if three partners all came to you with work they wanted you to do by 5pm that day?
• If you were Lord Chancellor for the day what would you do?
• If you had a completely free choice, which law would you like to change and why?
• Give me an example of a recent legal decision that you have disagreed with and explain why.
• What do you see as the main challenges facing the legal profession in the next few years?
• How would you demonstrate to a client that you were commercially aware of their business and their needs?
• Why would you want to do legal aid work?
• What do you know about the impact of the Human Rights Act on law in this country?
• What sort of advocacy experience do you have?
• Tell me about a time when you advocated (or performed) poorly?
  • Why do you think this was?
• What are the key skills and qualities for a successful solicitor/barrister?
• If you were senior partner in this firm and the BNP came to you for representation what would you do?
• If a Client wanted to pay £750,000 for a house in CASH what would you do?
• What advice would you give to a friend who wants to set up a restaurant?
• How would you explain "the caution" to a client with learning difficulties who is extremely agitated at having just been arrested?
• Explain the difference between contract and tort in layman’s terms.

Questions about the Firm

• Why do you want to work for our firm?
• Why do you want to work in London?
• Which seats do you want to complete?
• How is this firm different from its competitors?

Questions about a Career in Law

• Why do you want to study law?
• What do you think of law?
• Why do you want to be a solicitor?
• Where do see yourself in 5/10 years time?
• What experiences most influenced your career choice?
• What do you really want to do in life?
• Would your social life or interests outside of work infringe on your work commitment?
• Have you applied to anyone else?
• What are you looking for in the firms you have applied to?
• Are you hoping for specialisation in a particular field, if so why?
• What motivates you

Questions about your Education

• Why did you select your A level subjects?
• Why did you choose your university?
• Why did you choose your course?
• What have you gained from your course?
• Did the course live up to your expectations?
• What aspects of your course did you find the most challenging?
• Have you been required to re-sit any examinations?
  • Why do you think this was?
• Are you satisfied with your academic achievements to date?
• What do you see as the principal benefits of university life apart from obtaining a degree?
• Non-law graduates: What benefit, if any, do you consider your degree subject has to a career in law?

Competency Based Questions

• Give an example of when and how you have worked in a team?
• Give an example of a time when you were not in agreement with the rest of the team. How did you react?
• What achievements in your life are you most proud of?
• What are your strengths?
• What is your greatest weakness?
• Can you give me evidence that you set yourself high personal standards?
• Would you say that you usually achieve what you set out to do?
• How do you go about motivating yourself when the pressure is off?
• How do you go about organising your time and assessing priorities?
• Why, among all the candidates, should we choose you?
• Describe a situation where you acted on your own initiative?
• What is the worst mistake you have ever made and what did you learn from it
• How do you react to pressure?
• How do you react to failure?
• How do you respond to change?
• How do you go about handling difficult people?
• If a decision goes against you how do you take it?
• How would your friends describe you?
• How would your enemies describe you?
• Tell me about a situation when you have had to meet a tight deadline?
• Give me an example of a time when you had to negotiate to achieve a desired outcome?