Guide to Clerkship and Graduate Interviews
Dear [your name]
Thank you for your application for the 2023/24 Seasonal Clerkship Program at [firm name]. Congratulations, we are delighted to invite you to a first round interview.
If you are one of the very few law students who have received or will receive an email to this effect, congratulations! Given how competitive it is for clerkship applications (think 1000+ applications for perhaps 100-150 first round interviews and ultimately 30-50 clerkship positions at the larger firms in Sydney), you should be proud of getting at least a first round interview. The firm has actually been "impressed" by your application (unlike those who were unfortunately rejected).
However, the clerkship process is not over yet and you may or may not end up with clerkship offer(s) at the end of the process.
Didn't receive any clerkship interviews (despite firms politely saying that they were "impressed" with your application)? Check out my post on What happens if I don’t get a summer clerkship or internship?
As someone who has done a few law firm interviews for clerkships, graduate programs and experienced hire positions in their time, here are my comprehensive tips on how to conquer those first and second round clerkship interviews.
Interview Basics
In any law firm interview, your goal should be to create a good impression with your interviewers - whether that be law firm partners, senior associates or a HR representative. You want your interviewers to ultimately form the view that "I would put this candidate in front of a client". To do this comes down to two things: (1) what you say and (2) perhaps more importantly, how you say it. Being a nervous wreck on the interview day is one way to ruin your chances of getting to the next round. For more on the latter, check out our post on Creating a favourable impression at clerkship, internship or graduate interviews.
In addition to "what you say", you should do non-verbal things that give off a good first impression. This means that, for example, you should dress and look the part, smile throughout the interview and make eye contact with your interviewers.
In terms of "what you say", the best way to prepare for interviews is to think about your possible responses to commonly asked questions. However, this preparation does not mean that you should be coming off as "robotic", "scripted" or "rehearsed" during interviews.
Typically, for clerkship interviews, questions tend to fall in the following buckets (which will be explored further below):
- Introductory questions
- Motivational and personal questions
- Behavioural and situational questions
- Conversational questions
- Do you have any questions for us?
Types of interviews
Broadly speaking, the types of questions you will be asked will depend on the nature of the interview. For example:
- If there is a HR representative at a first round interview, it is likely that there will be "set questions" (which will often include certain motivational questions and various behavioural questions).
- Some interviews (especially second round interviews) may be very conversational and simply centred around random questions about your personal motivations, interests and hobbies and the content of your resume.
In all interviews, you should expect to be asked about your motivations in applying for that law firm and/or pursuing a commercial law career.
It is uncommon for law firms to ask any technical questions at a clerkship interview (as law firms tend to make assumptions about your technical ability from your academic transcript).
Types of interview questions
1. Introductory questions
The opening question in most, if not all, interviews is "tell us about yourself". It is important that you can rattle off your answer with confidence because it is expected that you would have an answer to this universal question.
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.
2. Motivational and personal questions
- Why do you want to work at this firm? / Why have you applied for a clerkship at this firm?
- Why did you choose to study law? / Why have you chosen to pursue a career in commercial law? / Why do you want to be a lawyer?
- What areas of law are you interested in?
- What was/is your favourite subject at university?
- Where do you see yourself in 5/10 years?
- What is your greatest strength / greatest weakness / greatest achievement / greatest failure?
- What has been the most difficult obstacle which you have overcome?
- Do you prefer working alone or in a team?
3. Behavioural and situational questions
Behavioural questions require you to answer using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action and Result) structure. Remember to always state the "Result" for the situation which you have referred to (as this is often forgotten by candidates). There are plenty of resources out there on the STAR approach and answering behavioural questions. You should be prepared with a variety of situations from your academic, work and extracurricular experiences (with a bigger focus on the latter two) that demonstrate your ability to work in a team, deal with conflict in a team, lead a team, problem solve, juggle conflicting deadlines, etc.
Examples of behavioural questions include:
- Tell me about a time when you worked in a team.
- Tell me about a time when you dealt with conflict.
- Tell me about a time when you had conflicting deadlines.
- Tell me about a time when you had to demonstrate leadership.
- Tell me about a time when you had to take a risk.
- Tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult decision.
- Tell me about a time when you received criticism.
4. Conversational questions
In some interviews, the interviewers are simply interested in "getting to know you" and will not be guided by any set questions. Examples of conversational questions include:
- What do you do outside of study and work? / What do you do in your spare time?
- Who are your role models and why?
- How would your friends describe you?
- Can you tell me more about (insert experience) on your resume?
5. Do you have any questions for us?
This final part of the interview is where you have full control of the interview. If you are informed of the identities of your interviewers prior to the interview, you should read their firm profiles and tailor some of your questions to the professional background of your interviewers.
This is an opportunity to impress your interviewers by (1) tailoring your questions to that specific firm and the interviewers and (2) demonstrating that you have done your research and that you have some commercial awareness/understanding of the legal industry.
You should prepare at least 5-6 questions for your interviewers. There is also a chance that your interviewers may have covered some questions during the interview so you should not ask any questions that have, in effect, already been answered.
Examples of "generic" questions that you could ask include:
- What qualities and traits make for a successful clerk/graduate at your firm?
- What would a typical day look like for a clerk/graduate in your practice group?
- What do you see as the firm's overall direction and strategy in the next 5 years?
- How does the firm support the learning and development of its junior lawyers?
- What is your most favourite aspect of working at this firm?
- What do you enjoy most about your practice area and what motivated you to pursue it when you were a junior lawyer?
- Do you have any advice for someone like me who is aspiring to work in commercial law?
- In the current economic climate, what do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges for the firm in the next 5 years?