The nature of a BigLaw lateral associate interview is conversational in style and tone. Typically, the interviewer, whether a partner, associate or internal recruiter, will ask you straightforward questions to learn about your experience, your interest in the firm/position and your career goals. Your answers will provoke new questions and the resulting interview should feel more like a talk than an inquisition.

However, some questions that you receive in a lateral associate interview may surprise you. Maybe you have never received them before or did not think they would come up. In the moment, you might be concerned about how to answer properly and completely.

In my experience as a BigLaw career advisor and recruiter, there are some common-enough unexpected questions. Here are some strategies for answering them successfully:

How did you pick your practice / specialty? When you lateral as an associate, you may have been in your practice so long that it might not be easy for you to recall the answer this question. But it's important to be prepared to answer it - employers frequently want to know what connects you to the work and what keeps you motivated in the practice. Ahead of any interview, think back to when you made your practice area choice. Maybe you knew before you went to law school, motivated by a prior work experience or undergraduate class. Or maybe you discovered it later as a summer associate, drawn to the culture and dynamics of a particular working group. Maybe it was something different altogether. In any event, be prepare to answer what motivates you to do the work that you do.

Tell me something about yourself that isn't on your resume. This is really just a "getting to know you" type of question, but when asked, it can feel like it is completely out of left-field. There is no perfect way to answer this question, but you can go in a couple directions. Consider an answer that explains a little about your professional personality - something honest about your soft skills with examples that prove it. Others talk about something outside of work that they are passionate about. Either way, once you have answered, don't be afraid to ask whether this satisfies the interviewer's question or whether they were looking for something else.

Tell me about your most challenging legal project / case / deal. In any lateral associate interview, you can expect that the bulk of questions will be about your legal experience. With this specific question, employers are trying to get at how you personally handle difficult work assignments as a lawyer. Be prepared with a real and specific example of your most challenging project as a lawyer so far. Write up some bullet points summarizing the project. Include specifically what made the project so challenging. Then write up more bullets on how you and your team addressed these challenges, as well as what you learned from the project and how it better prepares you to address similar challenges in the future.

I've heard from my colleagues so much about you already, so I don't have many questions for you; instead, what can I answer for you about the firm? Especially if you have already had a lot of individual interviews with a potential firm employer, this type of question can come up from time to time. You may be caught of guard because you have 30 minutes with this person and it will be up to you to use the time. This is why it is so important to go into interviews prepared with questions for the interviewer that will provoke conversation - How did you decide on this firm? How did you get into this practice? What do you think makes for a successful associate in your group? I saw you work primarily with clients in [X] industry; how did you develop this industry specialty? It's always good to ask questions of your interviewer that will get them talking about their work. These are questions that are easy for them to answer and you will be actively showing them your interest and engagement in the practice in real time.

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These are just a few of the "unexpected" questions you may get in a lateral associate interview. Your recruiter should work with you to prepare for the unexpected. Additionally, always de-brief with your recruiter after your interviews, especially if you get unexpected questions. There may be steps you can take through your recruiter or with their advice to address them with the potential employer after the interview.

Over the last couple of years, I have spoken with lots of associates who don't want to leave their jobs and make a move because they are waiting to find the perfect next job. For some of these cases, it makes sense to wait. They like their current position and they aren't curious about a move. Fair enough.

But for others, associates will articulate what they don't like about their current firm and current practice, yet they still decide to wait.

I call this state of mind "application paralysis."

Lawyers and law students are trained to deduce and draw conclusions. They apply this to their own lives and choices. They try to game out every possible outcome that may come from a job application. If 1 or more of these anticipated outcomes is negative, they don't move forward.

But here's something important to keep in mind that is both simple and easy to forget:

You won't know for sure if you want to work somewhere new until you interview and meet the people that work there.

A good recruiter will provide a lot of insight and information regarding a possible position; The skills required; The types of candidates that the firm likes to hire; The opportunities for growth and advancement at the new firm or employer.

But the only way to fully understand an opportunity and need is for a candidate to directly meet with the attorneys hiring for the position.

Here are some tips on using the interview to evaluate your options (while also selling yourself to the potential employer!)

See if your recruiter can first set up a "coffee" introduction (virtual or otherwise). Candidates often think that interviewing is an extremely formal process for open positions at BigLaw firms. In fact, there is always a strong conversational element in the hiring process for a BigLaw associate position. Firms and hiring attorneys want to get to know you and make sure that the position and the firm fit within your goals and that your personality is right for the group. To that end, hiring attorneys are sometimes open to short 15-20min "coffees" that are structured more like an informational interview than a standard interview. It will be important for you to pitch your relevant skills and experience, but it is also an opportunity to ask more probing questions about the need and how you might fit.

Interview to learn about the position, and then do the following research. If only a formal interview is possible, there is almost always time allotted for you to ask questions to the interviewer (see advice here on good questions). After the interview, ask you recruiter clarifying questions about the position and the firm and then also doing your own research. A great resource, of course, is LinkedIn. Spend some time searching attorneys whose past company is listed as the target employer. Where are these people now? Did working at the firm lead to possible paths of interest such as in-house, government or working at a boutique? Is there time to reach out to these people through a message on LinkedIn to get their insights on their experiences at the firm?

Talk to your mentors post-interview. Now that you are armed with information about the possible position, you can go to your mentors, family members and other trusted advisors in your circle. "I just interviewed for a position at a new firm and this is what I know about it. Based on what you know about my career goals and personality, what do you think about the opportunity?" It's always better to ask the closest people in your life for advice when you can provide as much information as possible (and for a new job, that likely means interviewing to learn more).

Don't be afraid to be honest with your recruiter and ask for advice. Last, make sure to bring your recruiter into your thinking and ask questions. Yes, it is true that recruiters have an interest in you accepting a position because the target employer is paying their fee. However, they also have an interest in you going to a position where you will enjoy it and stay. (*Candidates do not always know this, but most fee agreements between recruiters and firms include a provision that a fee is returned if a hired attorney leaves before a certain date).

For more of my thoughts on this topic, take a look at my article Should I stay or should I go? on the Chambers Associate website.

When it comes time to ask the interviewer questions in your lateral associate interview with a law firm, there are lots of directions that you can go. However, there is one question that should always be part of the Q&A:

"Can you tell me about a recent case or deal that you and your team are working on?"

This question may sound simple, but it's essential for a few reasons. Strategically, it provides a myriad of opportunities for you to stand out in a way that will secure that next round interview or offer:

1. It shows you are genuinely interested in the work and the position. When you use this go-to question in an interview, you are automatically showing your interviewer that you are interested in the work that they do. This is a great tone to set for the interview. It reveals that other factors may be part of your decision to leave your current firm (e.g., money, advancement, team dynamics, location, etc.). But ultimately, you are someone who cares and prioritizes the work and the practice. This question is a great way to demonstrate that focus and enthusaism.

2. It makes it possible to "continue the conversation." Law firm interviews are almost always conversational in nature. The questions you are asked are based on your responses, but also vice versa. When you ask this type of question, you are making it possible to continue a very natural conversation about the interviewer's work and practice. There are lots of different follow-up questions you can ask about the case or deal regarding the roles of different lawyers, the nature of the clients involved and the successes and pitfalls that were presented.

3. It's a good way to demonstrate soft skills. There is so much focus with interview preparation on demonstrating hard skills, but it's also as important to show your soft skills as a lawyer. Your ability to reason analytically "on the fly." Your ability to present with confidence for your clients. When you ask this question, you show your interviewer that you know what it means to be a good lawyer. You are someone that will listen to your client and ask thoughtful questions that are on topic.

4. It makes the interview process straightforward and easy for your interviewer. If you are meeting with a busy associate or partner for your interview, they may not have spent a lot of time preparing. The request to interview may have been last minute as a fill-in. Or they may just be having a very very busy day, week or month. By asking conversations about work, you are making the interview easier on your interviewer. It will be easy for them to answer question as well as your follow-ups. Topics such as the firm's mentoring system, management news or the recruiting timeline for the opening may not known to this particular interviewer. However, the person's workload is always on the mind.

5. It provides the opportunity to highlight your own skills and experience. When your interviewer starts talking about a recent case or deal, it may bring to mind a similar experience for you. Bring this up in response. Talk about your role on a similar project. Describe the depth of your experience in this area, particularly if it is significant. And then wrap it up with with another question to keep it going. You've just naturally tied your own specific experience to the work done by your prospective group.

6. It helps ensure that your interview won't end too early. When it comes to an interview, you want to do your best to keep the conversation going and run out the clock. Let your interviewer or recruiting contact keep things moving on time. Otherwise, you risk an awkward early exit and a possible gap in time. Even for a less-talkative interviewer, questions about work more often than not ensure that your interview time is filled. It's simply the easiest thing for your interviewer to talk about in a professional interview.

When developing questions to ask in an interview, always work with your recruiter. For this broad question, it makes sense to game out the type of follow-up questions you might ask depending on the interviewer's response. It's also a good idea to outline your most relevant work experiences so that you can highlight these in a specific way as part of the conversation around this question.

If you're in the middle of the interview process at a law firm at this particular moment, it is very likely that all or most of your interviewing is being conducted by phone and video. Interviewing by video conference is not new. When I was a first year associate 14 years ago, I interviewed by video while in NYC with attorneys in the London office concerning a possible relocation. It was more practical than being flown over. And it worked! They got a good understanding of me and my reasons for moving to London and I was able to ask questions and learn about their needs abroad.

Preparing for a videoconference law firm interview is generally the same as preparing for an in-person interview with a law firm. First and foremost, it is important to anticipate and prepare for typical questions. My interview preparation worksheet can be helpful for fully organizing your thoughts.

However, there are certainly some practical and substantive differences when it comes to videoconference interviews. Here are my tips and suggestions:

1. Keep things conversational by asking questions back to your interviewer. The most difficult part of conducting a video interview is the lag time and connection issues that often occur. At the same time, law firm interviews are known for being highly conversational in nature. You will want to anticipate the possible lag, knowing that awkward pauses on both sides of the line will happen. But once your interviewer has completed a line of questioning and/or you are comfortable with the cadence and flow, ask a question back to the interviewer. Don't wait until the end to be prompted. This will confirm to the interviewer that you are fully engaged and interested in the interviewer, the opportunity and the firm itself. (Here are my tips for asking questions in a law firm interview.)

2. Connect your computer directly to your WiFi router for the video call (if you are able). Typically, video interviews with law firms are hosted in offices on both ends. The interviewer is located in their office's conference room and you are setup to come into a local office's conference room. All the technical details are handled by the potential employer's staff. In the current situation, that is unlikely. Both the interviewer and the interviewee will be located at home. Your interview may be arranged by the firm's technical staff using a remote version of their high end videoconference software (e.g., Citrix Webpresence). But for the ease of everyone involved, it's more likely that the interview will be conducted over an off-the-shelf program that is built for one-to-one video chats like Zoom, GoToMeeting, Skype or Google Hangout. If this is the case, the best thing that you can do to help ensure a smooth technical interview is to directly connect your laptop or desktop to your WiFi router (or modem) by ethernet cord. This will ensure that your Internet signal is hard-wired to the incoming connection. You won't have to worry about competing devices that are on the WiFi network, so it will be less likely that your connection will drop. (Note: If your laptop is relatively new, it's unlikely it will have an ethernet cord connection; but you can buy a USB-to-ethernet adapter online.)

3. Get in a short version of your "pitch" before the interview ends. In a law firm interview, you may or may not get a chance to directly answer the question "Why should we hire you for this position?" For a videoconference interview, it is even more important to answer this question if you aren't prompted. Technical glitches, awkward pauses and cross-talk may take up a large chunk of your interview time. But if the interviewer leaves with nothing else, it should be a short 2-3 sentence explanation of why you are the right person for the position and how you will hit the ground running. Make sure to get this in before you disconnect the conference, even if it's quickly.

4. Make sure your videoconference program profile is professional. If your video interview is by Zoom, Skype, Google Hangout, etc., you will need to have an account and profile set up. For some of these, you may have an existing profile through Microsoft or Google. Make sure to go to your "account details" and ensure that you have a professional photo (or no photo) and that any other details are professional or removed. (For Google especially, it can be easy to forget about that funny photo and profile name that you attached to your Google+ account a few years ago.)

5. Be mindful of your appearance, clothes and video backdrop. Most people will be thoughtful about wearing professional clothes during a video conference, but it's also important to make sure you have brushed hair, trimmed facial hair, etc. When you are working from home, a video interview may be the only thing that you do all day where you need to look as professional as possible. Also, don't forget that when it comes to video interviews, all the interviewer will be looking at is your face and the backdrop. To that end, make sure there is no clutter, mess or anything you wouldn't want a future coworker to see in the background and throughout the room (anticipating that it may be necessary for you to move your laptop around.)

6. Test, test, test. Depending on the videoconference appointment and software, you may or may not be able to test the videoconference using the software that the potential employer is using. However, you should still test your computer's microphone and video screen for clarity. Your computer might have a way to do this built-in. If not, Skype is free and has an easy and free testing. The picture is as important as the sound, so if there is cloudiness in the picture, make sure to wipe your camera clean.

7. Keep your table clear of papers and notes. You want to be as engaged in a videoconference interview as you would be in an in-person interview. Although it might be tempting to have your resume or notes in front of you but off-camera, you risk looking distracted. Additionally, you don't want to be caught reading from something. You want to ensure that you are having a natural conversation and that you are staying present.

8. Most importantly, be patient! There will be noises. There will be dogs barking. There will be kids talking. There will be connection issues. Everyone understands this is going to happen in the current situation. Be understanding and graceful. Make sure to remember to smile and laugh along. How you handle stressful or unexpected situations is an important part of being a lawyer. So it's natural for your interviewer to make your response part of their evaluation.

I have written a few articles here about preparing for a law firm interview. I started with an article on “the essentials” and have added specific guidance notes on how to structure your storytelling, how to enter and exit and how to develop good questions.

Below I have created a fillable PDF worksheet that associates can use ahead of each individual interview in their process with a potential new law firm employer.

Reach out to me for a free call or appointment to discuss further.

Download a fillable PDF worksheet.

"What questions can I answer for you about the position or the firm?

It's often the last thing you hear from your interviewer in a law firm interview. It can be at the end of the interview. Or it could be halfway through. Or, occasionally, it can be the first thing an interviewer asks. When legal interviewers do this, what are they looking for? What is the right strategy for this? Here are 5 important tips to consider when asking questions in a conversation legal interview:

1. The interviewer is not trying to trick you here; they genuinely want to answer questions that you might have for them. This sounds basic, but it's something interviewees can forget. Because a typical law firm interview is a conversation between two lawyers, there can be the feeling that every question in an interview is some kind of "analytical reasoning test." This is not the point of the Q&A period in an interview. Remember, they were in the same position as you at some point. They may have wished they asked more questions when they interviewed with the firm themself.

2. Ask questions that naturally came out of the conversation that you just had. The best type of question for an interviewer is one that comes naturally from the conversation that you just had. Did your interviewer ask you lots of questions about a particular case or deal? Or maybe they were primarily focused on the reasons you want to make a lateral move? By sticking to themes that the interviewer has covered, you do a few things that make for a very successful interview. You show that you have been engaged and enjoyed the conversation. You help address any concerns or issues they may have highlighted. And, most importantly, you are making the interview easy. Just like a natural conversation.

3. Ask a question that will lead to good follow-up questions. If you don't have questions that naturally flow from your conversation so far, make sure that you ask questions that could lead to good follow-up questions from you. Questions like "Can you tell me about a project you are currently working on?" or "Can you tell me about a typical case/deal where you would want the associate in this position to be involved?" A pointed (but open-ended) question about work makes it easy for the interviewer to visualize you as their future colleague.

4. Do not read from a list of questions. If you prepared a list of questions to ask your interviewer ahead of time, do not pull this out and read from it. This will have the effect of stifling your conversation. It also signals to the interviewer that you may not have been fully engaged in your conversation thus far.

5. Ask questions about the firm that you think the interviewer will be able to answer. This may seem straightforward, but it's something interviewees forget about in the law firm setting. On their career websites, law firms advertise a lot of different benefits and amenities for attorneys. However, it is unlikely that every attorney knows anything and everything about what their own firm has to offer. So for example, unless a connection is clear in their online bio, don't be surprised if an attorney (even a partner) is not able to tell you about how their mentoring program is structured or the range of offerings for CLE programs. At the end of the day, every attorney can definitely answer questions about one common thing: their work. (see #3, above).

The most common questions in a legal interview usually start with the phrase "Tell me about...". Tell me about a deal you recently closed. Tell me about the hardest project you've ever worked on. Tell me about how the work you did on this case. This is all part of the typically conversational legal interview. But there is real strategy in asking these questions. Attorneys are looking for the following with "Tell me about..." questions:

• How do you organize your work and your time on a project?

• What does your analytical reasoning look like when you're working through a legal project?

• How do you work with peers, supervisors and more junior attorneys on your projects?

• How well do you "think on the fly"?

You've probably heard the advice that ahead of an interview "You should be prepared to talk about everything on your resume." This is true, but to be more practical and specific: "You should be prepared to tell clear and organized stories for everything on your resume."

So then what is the best way to prepare for resume-based "Tell me about" questions ahead of an interview? By outlining professional stories using the IRAC method.

What is IRAC?

IRAC, as you may recall from law school or a writing class, stands for:

• (I)ssue - the questions presented, or the problem being solved

• (R)ule - the framework that applies to the issue

• (A)nalysis - the application of the rule to the issue

• (C)onclusion - the final answer to the question or issue

Using IRAC to Create Resume-Based Story Outlines

You may feel confident that you know what you're talking about when it comes to your current job. But you've probably never had to tell the whole story of a project you worked on in a way that is both succinct and complete. The IRAC outline can serve as a great organizing tool when preparing to talk about your work experiences for an upcoming interview. With every relevant legal job, make sure you have 2-3 IRAC'd stories. For other elements of your resume (school activities, interests, etc.), have at least 1 IRAC'd story.

Here's how to write up your IRAC outlines for your resume-based stories:

• The story's "issue"

Describe the case or the deal in big picture terms in just a couple sentences. Identify the client and deal/settlement/award amount if that is public information; otherwise, just identify the client's industry and the goal of the project. Was it an IPO? An internal fraud investigation? A copyright infringement defense?

• The story's "rule"

Identify the specific types of legal work that needed to be done to complete the project for the client. Make sure to mention how many people were working on the project. Briefly identify all the big tasks that had to be done - in order, where possible. For a deal, this may have meant starting with several client calls, then managing the diligence process and finally negotiating relevant agreements. For a case, this may have meant starting with client calls (as well as multiple internal discussions), then managing the discovery process and finally filing a series of pleadings.

• The story's "analysis"

Dig deeper into your individual role in the project. This is the core part of your story (just as the "analysis" eleement is the core part of an IRAC). For example, if your primary role in the project was managing diligence or discovery, talk about it in some detail. Discuss how many people worked on it, how the work was divided, a little bit about what you were looking for and then how you delivered your diligence or discovery report.

• The story's "conclusion"

Stories need endings. If you're talking about a case or deal, the listener will want to know what happened to it. If it died due to a change in the pricing environment or the case settled not in your client's favor, that's OK. If you were taken off the project or it's still ongoing, state that. Just make sure you give the listener some kind of ending.

How Recruiters Can Help

Your legal recruiter can help you run through these outline stories. Ensure that the stories from your current job are especially strong as this is where interviewers will ask the most "Tell me about" questions. The outline should only be used as a rough guide and not be something you memorize like a speech. (You don't want to sound rehearsed.) At the same time, a mock interview exercise using your IRAC'd story outlines will help make sure you end up focused, organized and ready for anything in your interview.

In interviews, a decision on your candidacy can be made within minutes. That first impression is crucial. Likewise, how you exit the room is the last impression you provide and the most recent interaction on the interviewer's mind when they write up their recommendation. Add in the uniqueness of the law firm environment and all of this can lead to anxiety for a candidate. But there's no need to be worried. Just keep in mind these simple tips when you enter and exit each interview during your visit:

The Entrance

1. Say a full proper introduction/greeting. Whether you are introduced by someone else are not, take a sentence to give a full "Hello." Say that you're happy to be there, or that you are looking forward to asking the person some questions about their work, etc. Just make sure you say something. This forces you to make eye contact and shows you are ready to engage. If you stand there silently waiting to receive direction and your first question, you will not make a confident first impression.

2. Don't get thrown off by delays, changes, interruptions, etc. When you meet with a lawyer for your interview, they may have been preparing to meet with you for days or they may have just learned they are interviewing you moments ago. As you know, lawyers are busy people - schedules change, calls run over, deadlines come up last minute, etc. So don't be upset or surprised if an interviewer changes or if an interview doesn't start on time. Instead, think about it from the other side: If you were scheduled to interview someone for a position that day and an urgent client deadline came up, which would you prioritize?

3. Have materials at the ready, but wait to be asked for them. You should have a professional portfolio with you that contains all the materials you were asked for by the firm - resume, cover letter, transcript, writing sample, etc. Have a packet ready for each interviewer. But keep your portfolio closed on the desk and only provide materials when asked. Don't worry if the interviewer doesn't already have a copy of your resume at the ready (see point #2 above :-).

The Exit

1. Run out the clock. It's not your responsibility to know when the interview should end. You should be doing everything you can to use all of the time that you have with your interviewer. There's always another question that can be asked about their work, how they use attorneys at your level, what they are looking for in a team member, etc. While you think you're being respectful of time when you end the interview on your own, your interviewer may perceive this as disinterest.

2. Take the time for a closing sentence or two. No matter what. When your interview ends or a recruiter comes in to take you to the next attorney, you may feel you need to rush out of the room ASAP. Don't. It takes less than a minute to reach out for a handshake, say thank you for their time and, ideally, to say something about why you are a good fit or want the job. This is crucial for ensuring the interviewer sees you as a confident, engaged candidate that really wants the job.

Your entrance and exit to a law firm interview matters as much as what you say in-between. Push through your nerves to remember these tips for each interview.

Law firm interviews are very conversational. You could talk about one deal you did for an entire interview. You could end up talking about your favorite sports team or hobby for awhile. You could have an interview where they just answer your questions the whole time. You could spend half the time on small talk about the weather and how you got to the interview that day. As a result, candidates often think they don't need to (or worse, shouldn't) prepare. "I can't expect what exact questions they will ask, so better to not prepare and seem natural and unreharsed, right?" Wrong.

There are ways to strategically prepare for a conversational interview while making sure you don't sound rehearsed.

Here are three essential tips:

1. Annotate your resume with brief outlines of your professional stories. Much of the conversation in a law firm interview requires that you speak articulately about the work that you have done. Even if someone asks you a behavioral question like "What's your biggest weakness?" or "What role do you take on group projects?," you should answer with an example of a professional story. By writing out your work as individually outlined professional stories, you help ensure that you will stay focused in an interview while not sounding like you are reading from a script. Each story outline should have three components: (i) the headline summary and objective of the project you were working on, (ii) the specific tasks that you completed in order to finish the project, and (iii) the ending/result of the project. Outline a bunch of stories underneath a variety of categories - a personal failure, a group failure, an entreprenuerial success, etc., as well as stories that match the qualifications saught in the job description.

2. Write a paragraph on why you want the job. This may sound unnecessary or duplicative of a previously submitted cover letter, but it is essential. Interviewers want to know why you want to work with them; they want to see your drive and passion for the job. Write down what draws you to the new opportunity as specifically as possible (and not what is pushing you away from your current job, as going negative rarely wins over an interviewer). If you don't get a question where you can convey this sentiment, find the time to do it. When your time is up and you have to leave, don't just say thank you and rush out - take a moment to say something like "Before I go, I want to say that I have been looking for an opportunity that offers frequent opporunities to appear in federal court. So this position is exactly what I am looking for, and I am confident I will be an asset to your team."

3. Think of one good work-oriented question for each interviewer. If an interviewer asks you if you have any questions, you should always have something prepared. But instead of going through a list of logistical questions about the search timeline, benefits package, etc., think of one good work-oriented question that will kick of a new conversation. Even something simple like "Can you tell me a little bit about the most recent deal you closed?" can be a great way to start. Listen to your interviewer's response and think of good follow-up questions to keep the conversation going. It's another way of showing that you are genuinely interested in the work and the job.

Of course, when it comes to conversational law firm interviews, there's no way to anticipate every question that can come your way. However, if you follow these prep essentials, you'll be ready to go into that interview with the most important interview essential: confidence.