Creating a favourable impression at clerkship, internship or graduate interviews

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“First impressions last. You start behind the eight ball, you'll never get in front.” - Harvey Specter from Suits

Acing the "Tell me/us about yourself" question

As the opening question to most, if not all, interviews, this is arguably the most important question in any interview.  

Why?  Well, according to HireVue, it is estimated that 30% of interviewers make their decision about an interviewee within the first five minutes of the interview.  Within the first 7 seconds of meeting you, people will form an impression of who you are.

Your answer to this question will provide an interviewer (whether it is an HR representative or a law firm partner) with their first impression of you (and consequently, will set the tone for the rest of the interview).   

For that reason, it is important that you can rattle off your answer with confidence (and, to do so, generally requires most people to know exactly what they will say and to practise their answer).   

There are plenty of resources out there on what makes a good answer to this question. For a clerkship/graduate interview, your answer should probably provide a snapshot of:

  • your current role (ie a law student);
  • your employment/extracurricular history (whether present or past);
  • your professional interests (ie why you are interested in commercial law); and 
  • your future aspirations (and the reasons for those aspirations). 

Here is a sample answer which does just that:


I am a fourth-year Arts/Law student at the University of Sydney.

In the last two years, I have worked as a research assistant to John Smith SC assisting him with his practice which focuses on general commercial and insurance disputes.  In this role, I have performed legal research for issues such as [insert examples] and corresponded with the litigation teams of top-tier and mid-tier commercial law firms on behalf of Mr Smith.  Further, one of my favourite and best subjects at university was Corporations Law for which I scored a High Distinction. I have also participated in the UBS Investment Banking Development Challenge which gave me valuable insights into the world of deals and corporate transactions.

Through my experiences and studies, I have therefore developed an interest in commercial litigation and corporate M&A and I know that [insert firm name] is a Band/Tier 1 firm in these areas. However, I would like to, of course, remain open-minded in the early stages of my career and would like to try a few of the different practice groups at a commercial law firm.  

Looking forward, I would like to clerk at a top-tier law firm which will allow me to learn from market-leading lawyers. Having participated in [insert firm name pre-penultimate program/event/workshop] and spoken to lawyers at the firm, I believe [insert firm name] fits that bill and will provide me with a great foundation to launch my legal career.  


Confidence/delivery in interviews

Whether or not you proceed to the next interview round or get a seasonal clerkship/graduate offer is often dictated by a single question (one which reflects the fact that law firms are a professional services business).  Your interviewer(s) will consider the following question to themselves:  "Would I put this candidate in front of a client?".

The reality is that confidence breeds trust.  A confident lawyer is more likely than a nervous lawyer to earn the trust of partners, their colleagues and their clients.

This means that "how" you answer interview questions is just as important as, if not more important than, "what" your answers are.   

If you come off as confident (whether it is by your eye contact, your mannerisms or the pace of your speech), your law firm interviewer will be more likely to answer "yes" to the above question.

If you come off as a nervous wreck (whether it is due to the lack of eye contact, speaking too quickly or some other reason), it is less likely that you will be a successful candidate. (As someone who historically struggled with interviews, I had often received constructive feedback on my nerves during interviews.) 


So, in preparation for your next interview, ask yourself "Am I acting in a way that would make a partner confident enough to put me in front of a client?".

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