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Interviewing
There are many online resources available to help you improve your interviewing skills so we will keep it brief here.
Lawyers may be great at practicing law but are not necessarily the best interviewers having had little formal
training in the area, if at all. Often, lawyers are pressed for time and interviewing becomes a necessary evil. If you
are the interviewee, it becomes even more important to make a good impression in a short/condensed amount of
time. If you are the interviewer, it is important that you are prepared so that the limited time you have to interview
is well-spent and yields results. Here are our top ten pointers for interviewers and interviewees:

For Interviewers:

Know what you can and cannot legally ask. You would
be surprised at how many times we have heard
feedback from interviewees where lawyers asked
them inappropriate or illegal questions. Keep clear of
questions related to age, national origin, citizenship,
address, family status, religion, health and physical
condition.
Create a list of 5 or 6 questions reflecting what you
consider to be important to your practice, including as
suggested topics, questions covering skills,
experience, achievements and problem solving. Use
the same questions as your basic scorecard so that
you can compare candidates' answers. Allow 2 to 3
questions to be spontaneous based upon the course
of the interview.
Don't talk the entire time; allow the interviewee to
respond and ask questions. If they don't, that is a
reflection of their preparedness, or lack thereof. Their
ability to communicate with you is an important
indicator of their ability to communicate with your
clients and colleagues. Give them ample time to relax
and show you their true self.
READ THE RESUME BEFORE THE INTERVIEW.
Wasting precious time on reading their resume during
the interview rarely allows you to focus on their
answers or on your questioning. Besides, it puts you
at a disadvantage and then you waste time while the
candidate "tells you a little about him/herself" which
gives them the advantage.
Check references or make sure someone checks
references.
Take the time to determine whether you really want
to work with this person under pressure, such as at
the printers all-night or on a 5 hour flight to visit a client
or in a litigation war room the night before trial. If your
personalities do not appear to match now, they will
certainly not improve under pressurized conditions.
Patience does bring rewards. Keep interviewing until
you find the right person. Hiring the first person that
walks through the door may work out or it may cost
you a lot of time and energy better spent on billable or
marketing activities. Devote enough time to
interviewing so that it can yield a decent pool of
candidates to choose from.
Try using temps. It gives you an opportunity to test
someone out before hiring them permanently.
Be gracious. Making a good impression is just as
important to attract the right candidate as asking the
right questions.
Be honest about the environment, hours and
expectations. End the interview by letting the
candidate know what comes next and when and from
whom they can expect to be contacted.

For Interviewees:

Be honest in the resume and in your interview
about your experience but do present your
experience in its best light. You are there to sell
yourself so show some enthusiasm for the
practice of law and make sure you distinguish
yourself in some way.
Avoid saying anything negative about a former
job, employer, colleague or client.
Research the firm and the interviewer. It is
completely appropriate to ask who you will be
meeting in your upcoming interview. It is also
common to be asked what you know about the
firm or company and why you want to work there.
Have a list of 2 to 3 questions of your own
ready to ask about the firm, the practice or the
position. (Some topics include
Practice your answers in writing and then
verbally in front of a mirror - no kidding - it works.
Dress the part. Business casual may be
appropriate once you have the position but not
for the interview.
Force yourself to answer only the question
asked and not to diverge too much from the topic
or reveal too much personal information. There
are exceptions to this when you see an
opportunity to disclose your strengths.
Make sure you have a brief but complete
answer to the question "Tell me a little about
yourself", "Why do you want to work here" or
"Why do you want to leave your present job".
Try and avoid salary discussions on the first
round. You want the initial decision to be based
on your skills and not your salary requirements.
Make the interview count for you. You should be
interviewing the prospective employer while
they are interviewing you. If you don't get a
good vibe, it is probably for a good reason. End
the interview by thanking the interviewer for her
or his time and reaffirm your interest in working
there.