Questions to ask during interviews/firm tours/informational interviews for OCI's

[QueensDenning]

I thought it might be beneficial for applicants to get together a good list of questions to ask during these sorts of interactions with practicing lawyers. I think there was a thread along the lines of this topic in the old forum, can't really remember. For example: 

What drew you to Firm X?

Do people tend to specialize at Firm X or do most people have a more generalist practice?

How are files staffed? Do articling students work directly with partners?

[Dussy]

Some of the things I have been asking:

1) How would you describe the culture of the firm? What types of people succeed there?

2) How is work allocated to students and/or young associates?

3) How much responsibility do you get as a summer student/articling student/first year etc etc? On what basis is more responsibility allocated? (merit, experience, etc)

4) Do you find there is competition between associates for hours? Is there competition between partners for clients? (eat what you kill)

5) What is a 'typical' day like for you? (they all say there is no such thing, but it gets them talking about their practice which is great)

6) Why/how did you choose your practice area? 

7)* How does the bonus structure work at your firm? (*You have to be really careful with this one. Only ask if it comes up naturally and if you have developed a real connection with the lawyer you are talking to. Nonetheless, I have gotten a couple lawyers to share this information. Also, never ask this question to a partner).

All that said, in my experience, it is best to only have written questions as a back up. I found that my best conversations began with one prepared question and flowed naturally from there. In those conversations, almost all these questions were answered.

 

[Psychometronic]

28 minutes ago, Dussy said:

1) How would you describe the culture of the firm?

Incidentally, a former recruiter from a national firm hates this question, lol. He was the only recruiter to say so, so idk to what extent his pet peeve is shared amongst other recruiters. His issue was that the phrase "firm culture" is vague and his advice was to ask more specific questions. Basically, what do you really want to know when you're asking about the firm culture? Are you asking about hours, leisure activities, work allocation, etc? If so, ask about those things specifically.

In any event, I've had positive responses with these questions:

1) What distinguishes a "good" summer/articling student from a "great" one?

2) What is your advice for a young lawyer starting out?

3) What are some common mistakes students make that can be avoided early on?

4) [If you're interested in litigation] Do students get to go to court? If so, how often?

The recruitment process felt contrived to me but it's a game you need to play anyways. Lawyers/recruiters will hear all of the above questions ad nauseam. If you're looking to make a genuine connection, just have an organic conversation with them. Listen to what they say and respond accordingly. Tell light-hearted (but appropriate) stories and try to relax. Your non-law experience will probably interest them more than you think so have something to say about them.

[historicaladvantage]

The question I felt always impressed was, "what qualities separate an excellent student from a merely adequate one?" 

I also liked, "Is there anything in my application profile I can provide further clarity on?" 

Basically, any question that gives you an opportunity to provide a thoughtful response based on your skills/experiences/attributes to whatever the recruiter's answer is. If she/he says X quality is important in a student, you can provide an experience that demonstrates X quality in yourself. 

Edited June 22, 2021 by historicaladvantage

[BlockedQuebecois]

7 minutes ago, historicaladvantage said:

The question I felt always impressed was, "what qualities separate an excellent student from a merely adequate one?" 

I also liked, "Is there anything in my application profile I can provide further clarity on?" 

Basically, any question that gives you an opportunity to provide a thoughtful response based on your skills/experiences/attributes to whatever the recruiter's answer is. If she/he says X quality is important in a student, you can provide an experience that demonstrates X quality in yourself. 

I think these are terrible questions. If you’re going to ask questions, you should be using the time to figure out where the hell you want to work, not trying to roundabout pitch yourself.

If someone asked me those questions I would, at the very best, think they’re just wasting time. At worst, I’d assume they’re an insufferable keener that I don’t want to work with (that might be the best assumption if they went with the second question).

The real trick to conversational interviews is having a back and forth that doesn’t leave time for you to ask questions while still allowing you to gather information about the firms you’re interviewing at. That’s the ideal. 

[historicaladvantage]

25 minutes ago, BlockedQuebecois said:

I think these are terrible questions. If you’re going to ask questions, you should be using the time to figure out where the hell you want to work, not trying to roundabout pitch yourself.

If someone asked me those questions I would, at the very best, think they’re just wasting time. At worst, I’d assume they’re an insufferable keener that I don’t want to work with (that might be the best assumption if they went with the second question).

The real trick to conversational interviews is having a back and forth that doesn’t leave time for you to ask questions while still allowing you to gather information about the firms you’re interviewing at. That’s the ideal. 

(1) I don't disagree with some of what you've said--in particular, asking questions about the interviewer's legal backgrounds and experiences working at the firm in question (e.g., asking them about specific cases/deals they've worked on and with whom, as well as what keeps them at the firm) are also important things that I typically ask during interviews. I typically come prepared with an understanding of the interviewer(s) practice areas and some recent deals or cases they've worked on, as well as information on other lawyers at the firm whose practices interest me. Asking questions that are more informational like this can be helpful insofar as they give you a picture of where you want to work. I agree with you on this. 

(2) I've never had issues asking about what separates a good student from a bad student. I also don't think there's anything inherently wrong with asking if there's anything on my resume I can clarify, but I take your point that it may come off as somewhat insecure/keen to some recruiters. 

With that being said, there's no "perfect" question. Any question you ask has the potential to come across negatively, whether you appear insecure, overconfident, overly keen, placating, or under-researched. 

In my experience, asking what separates a good student from a bad student can tell you a lot about whether you want to work at the firm based on what they think makes a student "good" or "bad." If you get a sense of their expectations of students, that's a strong window into the tenor of their student program and firm culture. Maybe you feel their stated expectations are unreasonable. Maybe you feel they are too detached from students or are disorganized. The point is you get a sense of the student program by asking this question while also giving yourself an opportunity to concretely show your merits with evidence ready to go. 

As for asking about the resume, perhaps it could hurt in some circumstances to take an opportunity to showcase qualities you otherwise wouldn't have had the opportunity to showcase. But, in other circumstances, it could help. Like most interview questions, there is no perfect solution. Interviewing is hard. Recruiters can easily form a negative opinion of you based on their subjective experiences., even if a question is perfectly reasonable and well intentioned to most people.

I do know this based on personal experience: interviewers forget to ask things all the time, usually because they're interviewing multiple people in a day. Interviewing can be overwhelming. When interviewers go over applications later during the student committee meeting, and they come to your application, asking this kind of question of your resume allows you to minimize specific areas they can point to that would otherwise detract from your candidacy compared to other interviewees. It's worth considering for future interviewees, in my opinion. You may disagree and you're perfectly entitled to. 

(3) As for overall likeability--if you've demonstrated you are likeable for the majority of the interview, one slightly "keener" question at the end that may rub the odd person the wrong way I don't think is terrible or disastrous. You can't please everyone, especially in this profession. 

Edited June 22, 2021 by historicaladvantage

[123]

3 hours ago, QueensDenning said:

a good list of questions

To quote/paraquestion Uriel: do you like my bird?

[QueensDenning]

Thanks for the responses! Another related question: should I email my resume/transcript to the associate/articling student/partner I'm meeting with? I assume so, but is that just an expected/accepted thing to do for an informal sorta (virtual) coffee chat?

[historicaladvantage]

42 minutes ago, QueensDenning said:

Thanks for the responses! Another related question: should I email my resume/transcript to the associate/articling student/partner I'm meeting with? I assume so, but is that just an expected/accepted thing to do for an informal sorta (virtual) coffee chat?

I can't comment on virtual coffee chats as I went through this whole process back when we did "in person" meetings--you know, the kind where you wear pants. 

With that being said, I can't remember ever sending a resume to my interviewer via email. I would typically bring paper copies with me in my briefcase just to make sure I seemed prepared in the event that my interviewer didn't have a copy on them from the head of recruitment. This never actually happened, but I don't regret being prepared. I can't imagine it would come off as offensive to e-mail your resume to the interviewer in these times we are living in. And, if they do find it offensive--well, I probably wouldn't want to work at that kind of firm. 

Edited June 23, 2021 by historicaladvantage

[QueensDenning]

1 minute ago, historicaladvantage said:

I can't comment on virtual coffee chats as I went through this whole process back when we did "in person" meetings--you know, the kind where you wear pants. 

With that being said, I can't remember ever sending a resume to my interviewer via email. I would typically bring paper copies with me in my briefcase just to make sure I seemed prepared in the event that my interviewer didn't have a copy on them from the head of recruitment. This never actually happened, but I don't regret being prepared. I can't imagine it would come off as offensive to e-mail your resume to the interviewer in these times we are living in. And, if they do find it offensive--well, I probably wouldn't want to work at that kind of firm. 

Can’t remember the last time I’ve worn pants in a professional setting. 

[Psychometronic]

2 hours ago, QueensDenning said:

Thanks for the responses! Another related question: should I email my resume/transcript to the associate/articling student/partner I'm meeting with? I assume so, but is that just an expected/accepted thing to do for an informal sorta (virtual) coffee chat?

No.

For OCIs, submit your app the way you're instructed to and just do that. Personally, I'd be weirded out if a student sent me unsolicited app materials.

This might be okay if you're cold-applying but be careful as to how you do it or else it might come across as weird.

Edited June 23, 2021 by Psychometronic

[QueensDenning]

6 hours ago, Psychometronic said:

No.

For OCIs, submit your app the way you're instructed to and just do that. Personally, I'd be weirded out if a student sent me unsolicited app materials.

This might be okay if you're cold-applying but be careful as to how you do it or else it might come across as weird.

I’m referring more to networking chats, not official OCI interviews. 

[Abella Swan]

2 hours ago, QueensDenning said:

I’m referring more to networking chats, not official OCI interviews. 

Definitely don’t bring your resume. Even though people know it’s something on the checklist for getting your foot in the door, I still don’t use it as a sales pitch for myself. People are interested in seeing someone who is genuinely interested in learning more about the firm/lawyer and not someone who is trying to sell their own resume. 

[PePeHalpert]

Opinions may vary, but as a lawyer who participates in the student recruit, I personally would not like if a student asked about the bonus structure in an interview.  I'm having trouble pinpointing why I feel that way, but I guess it feels a little presumptuous?  I would be more open to the question if it was during an informal coffee chat. 

I like when students ask questions that show they are thinking about their career and their professional development in the long-term. Questions that go beyond their experience as a summer and articling student and ask about life as a junior, mid-level and senior associate and the path to partnership.  Questions about the firm's approach to feedback, performance review, skill development and mentorship.  Questions about the firm's approach to diversity and inclusion and its long-term plan for ensuring that it is retaining and fostering quality lawyers.  

 

[historicaladvantage]

Some of the best advice I've gotten on interviewing: this whole process is like dating. Some people just won't like you, regardless of what questions/tactics/preparation you do. But some people will. You want to focus on the people that like you (because you value yourself) and the people you like (because you don't want to work somewhere that sucks). 

Similarly, people have different "styles" of interviewing/dating. Some people are more conscientious or calculated (especially in the beginning), and others prefer to just be more natural and authentic and wait for the right firm/person to come to them. Like attracts like. I personally took the latter approach and it worked out really well for me. Was I perfect? No. Some firms didn't call me back. But it's the firm that did call me back that matters. 😉 

Edited June 23, 2021 by historicaladvantage