When it comes to job interviews, there is no one profession that has the corner on the market. While attorneys are trained in negotiation, litigation, and legal argument, these skills don't automatically transfer over to their job interviews. This is why we have put together a comprehensive list of articles about law firm job interviews. This list features articles about general preparation, dress, interview questions, turning interviews into offers, post-interview tips, law student interviewing, and many more areas. It even features a section with advice for law firms on how to properly conduct attorney interviews.
We hope you find this page to be a helpful resource throughout the interview process, and we will continue to update this page as new interview articles are added to our site.
Interview Tips for Your Law Firm Interview
- The Best Interview Tips for Your Law Firm Interview
- How Do You Prepare for a Law Firm Interview? Tips to Ace Your Law Firm Interview
- Doing Your Homework – Law Firm Websites
- Why an Attorney Needs to Think Like an Advocate in a Law Firm Interview
- Interviewing Tips: The Five Musts of Interviewing
- Key Resources to Learn About the Law Firm You Are Interviewing With as an Attorney
- Four Factors Attorneys Should Always Consider for Any Interview
- Traveling for Interviews – Who Should Pay?
- How to Talk about Other Interviews in Your Interviews
- Interviewing Tips
- Off-the-Record Interview Tips from Law Firm Interviewers
- Big Law Interview Tips and Law Firm Interview Preparation
- Top 23 Law Firm Interview Tips: How to Excel in Law Firm Interviews
- Special Attorney Interview Tips for Senior Associates
- Special Attorney Interview Tips for Junior Associates
- How to Stand Out in an Interview - Tips from a Harvard Business Review Editor
- The Top 10 Interview Tips for Law Students Interviewing With Law Firms
- Top 10 Interview Tips Law Students Need to Know
- How Attorneys Can Excel in Second Round Law Firm Interviews and Get More Job Offers: A Complete Guide
- Legal Job Search & Interview Tips
- Interview Skills 101: Focusing on the Positive
- What You Can Learn about Attorney Interviewing from a Story about the Swiss Army Watch
- Confidence
- Why Getting a Position With a Law Firm is Often a Crapshoot Because of the Uncertainty of the Interview Process
Law Firm Interview General Preparation
- Your Resume as a First Impression
- Your Resume Needs to Show a Trajectory
- The Importance of Interview Preparation - No Matter How Confident You Feel about Your Interviewing Skills
- Interview Preparation Techniques
- Acing Your Interview Starts with Assessing The Interviewer
- How to Choose Writing Samples for an Interview
- Your Interviewing Personality
- Interviewing and Dating: Some Parallel Principles
- The Best Way to Prepare for a Job Search and Interviews
- Researching Specific Law Firms
- Play To Your Audience
- The Human Tendency to Infer the Worst: Why the Absence of a Proper Cover Letter Can Severely Damage Your Candidacy
- How “Soft Skills” Can Save the Day in an Attorney Interview
- How Body Language and Presence Can Help You during Your Interview
- Important Questions Attorneys Need to Ask Themselves Before Searching for a New Law Firm Position
- What Knowing the Cost of Living Has to Do with Getting Hired as an Attorney
- Resume to Interview Ratio – Think Baseball!
- General Interview Resources for Attorneys
- Preparing For Your Law Firm Interview
- What Should an Attorney Say When Asked if they Are Interviewing With Other Employers in an Interview?
- Why You Should Always Be Prepared for the Unexpected in an Attorney Interview
- The Best Way for Attorneys to Prepare for a Job Search and Interviews
- Be Prepared For Every Interview: Practice Discussing Everything On Your Resume!
- Why You Should Visualize the Interview as an Attorney
- How Can I Raise My Game If I Was One of the Top Three Being Considered for a Position?
- Why You Should Practice Everything Out Loud Before an Interview as an Attorney
- Why Attorneys Should Brainstorm about Things They Like to Do Outside of Work
- Why an Attorney Should Find Out about the Law Firm’s Values
- Nine Rules of Thumb for Attorney Interviews
- How to Approach Your Application or Interview
- Dealing with the Interview Taboo
- THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF CONFIDENCE IN A LAW FIRM JOB INTERVIEW
- How Do You Order and Eat Oysters in a Law Firm Interview?
- What Should I Do If the Legal Recruiter Working with Is Not Following Up with Firms They Have Submitted Me To?
- What Should I Do if My Legal Recruiter Sent My Resume to a Law Firm Without My Consent?
Law Firm Interview Dress Tips
- What is Appropriate Dress for an Interview?
- What to Wear to a Lunch Interview?
- How to Conduct Yourself During a Lunch Interview
- How to Dress for the Interview as an Attorney
- What Should I Wear to a Law Firm Interview Known for Casual Dress?
- How Should Attorneys and Law Students Dress for Law Firm Interviews?
- The Lowdown on Pantsuits and Pumps as an Attorney (for Women)
- The Best Bet When It Comes to the Color of Your Suit as an Attorney (for Men)
- What Attorneys and Law Students Should Wear to Lunch Interviews
Law Firm Interview Questions
- Open-Ended Interview Questions
- What Questions Should I Ask During an Interview?
- Top Ten Interview Questions
- 100+ of the Toughest Interview Questions Law Firm Ask Attorneys and Law Students and How to Answer Them
- What Questions Should a Law Firm Associate or Law Student Ask in a Law Firm Interview?
- Questions You May Be Asked during Your Interview at the Firm
- Top 26 Questions Law Firms Typically Ask Attorneys and Law Students in Interviews
- 40 Questions Attorneys and Law Students Should Ask in Law Firm Interviews and Questions You Can Ask the Law Firm Interviewer as Well
- Why is Too Much Experience Held Against an Attorney When they are Looking for a New Job?
- What is the Best Way for Attorneys and Law Students to Handle Difficult, Inappropriate and Awkward Questions in a Law Firm Interview?
- What is the most important question a candidate will need to be prepared to answer in a law firm interview?
- Important Questions an Attorney and Law Student Should Ask in a Law Firm Interview and Why it is Important to Listen During Law Firm Interviews
- How Do I Get a Job in a City Where I Have No Local Connections?
- The Most Important Six Questions Attorneys and Law Students Should Ask Themselves Before Interviewing With Law Firms
- How Attorneys and Law Students Should Answer Illegal Interview Questions Without Blowing the Interview
- How Attorneys and Law Students Should Respond to Oddball Questions in Law Firm Interviews
- How Law Firms Choose to Interview and Hire Attorneys and Law Students: The Only Three Questions Law Firms Evaluate Applicants By
- 10 Important Interview Questions Law Firms Ask Associates and Law Students
- How Attorneys and Law Students Should Answer the Most Important Questions in Law Firm Interviews
- A Complete List of Open-Ended Questions Law Firms Ask Attorneys and Law Students in Interviews: A List of Potential Responses
How to address Salary related questions during a law firm interview
- How Should I Answer Questions about Salary Expectations from a Law Firm?
- Why You Should Never Bring Up Salary During the Interview as an Attorney
- Do I Have to Reveal My Current Salary to a Firm with Whom I am Interviewing?
- When Asked about "Salary Expectations" in an Interview How Should I Respond?
- Do I Have to Tell the Firm with Whom I am Interviewing My Current Salary?
- What Are Your Salary Requirements?
- What Are Your Salary Requirements?
- Can I Ask About Salary During a Job Interview?
- When Asked about "Salary Expectations" in an Interview How Should I Respond?
- Do I Have to Tell the Firm with Whom I am Interviewing My Current Salary?
Turning Interviews into Offers
- The Art of Interviewing: Tips for Converting Interviews into Offers
- The #1 Thing You Need to Say in Legal Job Interviews to Get a Job
- Interviewing a Law Firm: Distinctions that Make the Difference
- The Benefits of Taking a Proactive Role in Job Interviews
- The Importance of Interest, Energy and Enthusiasm in a Law Firm Interview
- How to Ace the Interview
- How to Repackage Yourself as an Attorney to Get the Job
- What Are Some of the Best Ways to Impress a Law Firm in an Interview?
- The Attribute Shared by Attorneys Who Most Consistently Land Jobs
- The One Key Goal You Must Focus on During the Attorney Interview Process
- The Five Things Employers Really Want to Know during a Law Firm Interview
- Why You Need to Keep It Simple in an Attorney Interview
- Ready for Your Next Attorney Interview? Learn Why Your Interviewer Hopes Things Go Well Too
Law Firm Interview Q & A
- Do I Have to Reveal My Current Salary to a Firm with Whom I am Interviewing?
- How to Interview in a Different City without Risking Your Current Job?
- How to Conduct ?
- What Should I Bring to a Job Interview?
- Is It Important to Have Ties to the Region?
- How Attorneys Should Talk About Other Law Firms they Are Interviewing With in Law Firm Interviews
- Is Voluntary Disclosure During an Interview a Good Idea?
- If I Want to Relocate, Can I Expect Reimbursement During the Interview Process?
- Are You a ''Me-Focused'' or a ''You-Focused'' Interviewee?
- INTERVIEW 101: When Did "Type A" Become "Too Much"?
- Is It Ever a Good Idea to Lie or Exaggerate about Your Qualifications on a Resume or in an Interview? (Part II)
- Recently Laid-off Associate Unsure How to Handle Job Status in Interviews
- Why You Need to Know What Projects the Firm Works on in an Attorney Interview
- What Law Firms Want to See in Your Cover Letter
- How Do I Create Conversation from Research during Interviews?
- How to Answer the “Do You Have Any Questions for Me?” Interview Question
Common Interview Mistakes and Issues
- The Proper Way to View The Interview Process
- The Easiest Way to Screw Up an Attorney Interview
- 21 Major Job Interview Mistakes to Avoid at All Costs
- How Not To Get the Job of Your Dreams
- What NOT To Do After You Receive an Offer at a Law Firm
- Why You Should Never “Wing It” in an Attorney Interview No Matter How Good You Are with People
- Knowing What to Ask and When to Ask It
- The Importance of Not Being Overly Earnest; Why Patience is A Virtue
- Do NOT Pass Up an Interview Just Because the Firm Is Not Footing the Bill
- What You Should Never Talk About During an Attorney Interview
- The Truth and Nothing but the Truth? But Not the Whole Truth
- How your social media presence affects the interviewing process
- How Can I Look for a Job without Burning Bridges with My Current Employer?
- I a Law Firm Asks Me to Interview, Does that Mean I Will Get an Offer from the Law Firm?
- Is It Ever a Good Idea to Lie or Exaggerate about Your Qualifications on a Resume or in an Interview? (Part II)
- Should Attorneys Talk About Other Law Firm Interviews in Law Firms Interviews?
- 35 Absurd Ways to Create an Awkward Moment in an Interview
- The Secret to Effectively Sharing Concerns about Your Current Employer without Committing the Most Common Interview Blunder
- The Interview Quandary
- Recently Laid-off Associate Unsure How to Handle Job Status in Interviews
- Associate about to Be Let Go Unsure How to Handle Reason for Leaving in Interviews
- How to Address Your Layoff in Cover Letters and Interviews
- Interview Uncertainty
- Shy 4th Year Associate Needs Help in Overcoming Interview Fear
- The Changing Interview Landscape
- Interviewing after a Long Time
- How To Discuss A Layoff
- How to explain "firm hopping" during your interview
- How Good Candidates Look Bad During an Interview: A Tale of Trust
- The Biggest Attorney Interview Mistakes
- Why You Should Never Say Anything Negative about Your Former Employer at an interview as an Attorney
- Why You Must Never Be Late to the Interview as an Attorney
- Why Wearing Perfume or Cologne at an Interview Is a Bad Idea as an Attorney
- Why Loser Attorney Candidates Lose the Opportunity
- The Information You Should Never Volunteer in an Interview as an Attorney
Remote Interview Tips
- A Guide to the Interview: Videoconference Interviews
- How to Ace a Phone Interview
- How Should I Handle a Skype Interview?
- Why Most Attorneys Fail Telephone-Screening Interviews
- How Lawyers Should Do Videoconference Interviews
Interviewing Tips for Lateral Attorneys
- How Should I Address ''Potential Portables'' in an Interview?
- Lateral Interviewing Techniques
- How to Effectively Interview Lateral Candidates: Pointers for Law Firms
- Why and How to Work with a Legal Recruiter for Your Lateral Move
- Your Narrative: Explaining Your Lateral Moves
- Lateral Interviewing Techniques
- Behavioral Interviewing Techniques to Help Your Law Firm Get Great Laterals
- How to Conduct an Interview for Lateral Hires
- How Long Does it Take to Make a Lateral Move?
- Third Year Litigation Associate Wants to Make a Lateral Move
- How to Conduct an Interview for Lateral Hires
- Behavioral Interviewing Techniques to Help Your Law Firm Get Great Laterals
- Interview Yourself First - Questions to Ask Before Starting Your Lateral Search
Summer Interviewing Tips
- The BCG Guide to Summer Interviewing
- Bikinis or Briefs ... What Lies Beneath the Perfect Summer Interview
- The #1 Thing Attorneys and Law Students Need to Say in Law Firm Interviews to Get Hired
- Top 12 Reasons Attorneys and Law Students Do Not Get Law Firm Interviews: Why Law Firms Are Not Interviewing You
- How Should I Respond When Law Firms Ask Why I Don't Want to Return to My Summer Firm?
- Interviewing in Law Firms in the Summer: A Guide for Attorneys Seeking New Positions in the Summer
Law Student Interview Tips
- The Law Student's Interview Cheat Sheet
- Top 10 Interview Tips for Law Students
- Top 10 Ways to Get Your First Job after Law School
- How Attorneys and Law Students Should Write a Legal Resume: Resume Examples, Suggestions and Resources
- When Law Firms Are Interested in Undergraduate Grades of Attorneys
- How Can I Change Practice Areas Early on in My Career as an Attorney?
- Even If You Can’t Change Your Grades as an Attorney, What You Have the Power to Change in the Interview
Post Interview Tips
- The Interview Post-Mortem: Don't Forget Your Thank You Notes!!
- Had a Great Interview but Have Got No Response to My Thank-you Emails
- What Does It Mean if I Haven't Heard Anything Back from an Application/Interview in a Couple Weeks?
- What Should I Do If I Don't Hear Back After a Good Interview?
- How Long Does it Take to Hear Back from a Law Firm After Interviewing as an Attorney?
- Thank You Notes: Are They Still Necessary?
- Post Law Firm Interview: Don't Forget Your Thank You Notes!
- Post-Interview Thank You Notes
- Should Attorneys and Law Students Send Thank You Letters After Law Firm Interviews? The Benefits and Risks of Thank You Letters
- Thank-you Notes - Handwritten or By Email?
- Do Firms Expect or Even Care About Thank You Notes?
- Don’t Torture Yourself Post-Interview
- How Attorneys Can Get Jobs Rapidly In Interviews and Even After Being Rejected by Law Firms
- What Does Silence Mean When a Law Firm Fails to Respond to Your Application, or Interviews You and Then Goes Dark?
- Handling References after a successful interview: A Basic Guideline
- How Attorneys Should Handle Reference Requests When Interviewing With Law Firms: A Guide for Law Firm Attorneys
- How to Handle a New Work Environment
- Should You Accept an Offer from a New Law Firm?
- Associate Learns Negative Gossip About Law Firm Making the Offer
- Play the Waiting Game as an Offer Slowly Winds Its Way Through the Proper Channels, It's Best to Keep Your Cool
- How Long is Too Long?
- If the opportunity is right, it is worth the wait
- Don’t Panic Over Law Firm Silence
- How Much Time Does It Take for a Firm to Reach a Hiring Decision?
- Factors to Consider when Evaluating a Job Offer
- Should You Accept an on the Spot Offer?
Conducting an Interview
- Top 7 Rules for Law Firms Conducting Call Back Interviews of Law Students
- What Every Firm Needs to Know When an Attorney Interviews with Them
- Keep It Simple Stupid: Confessions of a Bad Interviewer
- Summary of Law Firm Recruiting Process
About Harrison Barnes
No legal recruiter in the United States has placed more attorneys at top law firms across every practice area than Harrison Barnes. His unmatched expertise, industry connections, and proven placement strategies have made him the most influential legal career advisor for attorneys seeking success in Big Law, elite boutiques, mid-sized firms, small firms, firms in the largest and smallest markets, and in over 350 separate practice areas.
A Reach Unlike Any Other Legal Recruiter
Most legal recruiters focus only on placing attorneys in large markets or specific practice areas, but Harrison places attorneys at all levels, in all practice areas, and in all locations-from the most prestigious firms in New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., to small and mid-sized firms in rural markets. Every week, he successfully places attorneys not only in high-demand practice areas like corporate and litigation but also in niche and less commonly recruited areas such as:
- Immigration Law
- Workers Compensation
- Insurance
- Family Law
- Trust and Estate
- Municipal law
- And many more...
This breadth of placements is unheard of in the legal recruiting industry and is a testament to his extraordinary ability to connect attorneys with the right firms, regardless of market size or practice area.
Proven Success at All Levels
With over 25 years of experience, Harrison has successfully placed attorneys at over 1,000 law firms, including:
- Top Am Law 100 firms such including Sullivan and Cromwell, and almost every AmLaw 100 and AmLaw 200 law firm.
- Elite boutique firms with specialized practices
- Mid-sized firms looking to expand their practice areas
- Growing firms in small and rural markets
He has also placed hundreds of law firm partners and has worked on firm and practice area mergers, helping law firms strategically grow their teams.
Unmatched Commitment to Attorney Success - The Story of BCG Attorney Search
Harrison Barnes is not just the most effective legal recruiter in the country, he is also the founder of BCG Attorney Search, a recruiting powerhouse that has helped thousands of attorneys transform their careers. His vision for BCG goes beyond just job placement; it is built on a mission to provide attorneys with opportunities they would never have access to otherwise. Unlike traditional recruiting firms, BCG Attorney Search operates as a career partner, not just a placement service. The firm's unparalleled resources, including a team of over 150 employees, enable it to offer customized job searches, direct outreach to firms, and market intelligence that no other legal recruiting service provides. Attorneys working with Harrison and BCG gain access to hidden opportunities, real-time insights on firm hiring trends, and guidance from a team that truly understands the legal market. You can read more about how BCG Attorney Search revolutionizes legal recruiting here: The Story of BCG Attorney Search and What We Do for You.
The Most Trusted Career Advisor for Attorneys
Harrison's legal career insights are the most widely followed in the profession.
- His articles on BCG Search alone are read by over 150,000 attorneys per month, making his guidance the most sought-after in the legal field. Read his latest insights here.
- He has conducted hundreds of hours of career development webinars, available here: Harrison Barnes Webinar Replays.
- His placement success is unmatched-see examples here: Harrison Barnes' Attorney Placements.
- He has created numerous comprehensive career development courses, including BigLaw Breakthrough, designed to help attorneys land positions at elite law firms.
Submit Your Resume to Work with Harrison Barnes
If you are serious about advancing your legal career and want access to the most sought-after law firm opportunities, Harrison Barnes is the most powerful recruiter to have on your side.
Submit your resume today to start working with him: Submit Resume Here
With an unmatched track record of success, a vast team of over 150 dedicated employees, and a reach into every market and practice area, Harrison Barnes is the recruiter who makes career transformations happen and has the talent and resources behind him to make this happen.
A Relentless Commitment to Attorney Success
Unlike most recruiters who work with only a narrow subset of attorneys, Harrison Barnes works with lawyers at all stages of their careers, from junior associates to senior partners, in every practice area imaginable. His placements are not limited to only those with "elite" credentials-he has helped thousands of attorneys, including those who thought it was impossible to move firms, find their next great opportunity.
Harrison's work is backed by a team of over 150 professionals who work around the clock to uncover hidden job opportunities at law firms across the country. His team:
- Finds and creates job openings that aren't publicly listed, giving attorneys access to exclusive opportunities.
- Works closely with candidates to ensure their resumes and applications stand out.
- Provides ongoing guidance and career coaching to help attorneys navigate interviews, negotiations, and transitions successfully.
This level of dedicated support is unmatched in the legal recruiting industry.
A Legal Recruiter Who Changes Lives
Harrison believes that every attorney-no matter their background, law school, or previous experience-has the potential to find success in the right law firm environment. Many attorneys come to him feeling stuck in their careers, underpaid, or unsure of their next steps. Through his unique ability to identify the right opportunities, he helps attorneys transform their careers in ways they never thought possible.
He has worked with:
- Attorneys making below-market salaries who went on to double or triple their earnings at new firms.
- Senior attorneys who believed they were "too experienced" to make a move and found better roles with firms eager for their expertise.
- Attorneys in small or remote markets who assumed they had no options-only to be placed at strong firms they never knew existed.
- Partners looking for a better platform or more autonomy who successfully transitioned to firms where they could grow their practice.
For attorneys who think their options are limited, Harrison Barnes has proven time and time again that opportunities exist-often in places they never expected.
Submit Your Resume Today - Start Your Career Transformation
If you want to explore new career opportunities, Harrison Barnes and BCG Attorney Search are your best resources. Whether you are looking for a BigLaw position, a boutique firm, or a move to a better work environment, Harrison's expertise will help you take control of your future.
Submit Your Resume Here to get started with Harrison Barnes today.
Harrison's reach, experience, and proven results make him the best legal recruiter in the industry. Don't settle for an average recruiter-work with the one who has changed the careers of thousands of attorneys and can do the same for you.
About BCG Attorney Search
BCG Attorney Search matches attorneys and law firms with unparalleled expertise and drive, while achieving results. Known globally for its success in locating and placing attorneys in law firms of all sizes, BCG Attorney Search has placed thousands of attorneys in law firms in thousands of different law firms around the country. Unlike other legal placement firms, BCG Attorney Search brings massive resources of over 150 employees to its placement efforts locating positions and opportunities its competitors simply cannot. Every legal recruiter at BCG Attorney Search is a former successful attorney who attended a top law school, worked in top law firms and brought massive drive and commitment to their work. BCG Attorney Search legal recruiters take your legal career seriously and understand attorneys. For more information, please visit www.BCGSearch.com.
Harrison Barnes does a weekly free webinar with live Q&A for attorneys and law students each Wednesday at 10:00 am PST. You can attend anonymously and ask questions about your career, this article, or any other legal career-related topics. You can sign up for the weekly webinar here: Register on Zoom
Harrison also does a weekly free webinar with live Q&A for law firms, companies, and others who hire attorneys each Wednesday at 10:00 am PST. You can sign up for the weekly webinar here: Register on Zoom
You can browse a list of past webinars here: Webinar Replays
You can also listen to Harrison Barnes Podcasts here: Attorney Career Advice Podcasts
You can also read Harrison Barnes' articles and books here: Harrison's Perspectives
Harrison Barnes is the legal profession's mentor and may be the only person in your legal career who will tell you why you are not reaching your full potential and what you really need to do to grow as an attorney--regardless of how much it hurts. If you prefer truth to stagnation, growth to comfort, and actionable ideas instead of fluffy concepts, you and Harrison will get along just fine. If, however, you want to stay where you are, talk about your past successes, and feel comfortable, Harrison is not for you.
Truly great mentors are like parents, doctors, therapists, spiritual figures, and others because in order to help you they need to expose you to pain and expose your weaknesses. But suppose you act on the advice and pain created by a mentor. In that case, you will become better: a better attorney, better employees, a better boss, know where you are going, and appreciate where you have been--you will hopefully also become a happier and better person. As you learn from Harrison, he hopes he will become your mentor.
To read more career and life advice articles visit Harrison's personal blog.
