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Attorney interview questions and how to answer them

An attorney interview is a test of judgment dressed up as a conversation. The partners and general counsel across the table want to know whether they can hand you a file on Friday and stop worrying about it. Here's what they ask, why, and what a good answer sounds like.

12 questions8 minute read

Part 1

1.Walk me through a matter you handled from intake to close.

Why they ask

Résumés inflate. This question shows what you did yourself versus what the team did around you.

How to answer

  • Pick one matter you can describe without breaching confidentiality, and anonymize the client
  • Say where you came in and what you owned: the complaint, the discovery plan, the purchase agreement, the closing checklist
  • Name the hardest decision point and who made the call
  • Close with the outcome and one thing you'd do differently

2.Tell me about your writing sample. Why did you choose it?

Why they ask

They've read it. Now they want to see if you can defend its structure and whether a senior lawyer rewrote it.

How to answer

  • Be upfront about how much editing it got from a supervisor
  • Explain the core argument in a few plain sentences
  • Point to the counterargument you addressed and why you put it where you did
  • Mention what you'd tighten now

3.How do you run a conflicts check when a new matter comes in, and what do you do if something looks close?

Why they ask

Conflicts are where firms get disqualified and in-house teams get embarrassed. They want to hear that you slow down here.

How to answer

  • Describe the actual system you've used, such as a conflicts database or intake form, and who you loop in
  • Explain that related parties, affiliates and former clients all go into the search
  • Say you escalate close calls to the general counsel or the firm's ethics partner before any substantive work starts
  • Note that the professional conduct rules differ by state, so you check the rules where you're admitted
4.A partner hands you a research question at five in the afternoon and wants an answer by morning. What do you do?

Why they ask

This is the job most weeks. They're checking scoping, speed and honesty about gaps.

How to answer

  • Ask a couple of scoping questions before you leave the office: jurisdiction, how the answer will be used, preferred format
  • Start in Westlaw or Lexis with a secondary source to get the frame, then pull controlling authority
  • Shepardize or KeyCite everything you cite
  • Send a short email with the answer on top, the key cases, and what you didn't have time to confirm
5.Tell me about a time you made a mistake on a matter.

Why they ask

Everyone misses something. They want to know if you hide it or fix it fast.

How to answer

  • Pick a real error, like a missed defined term in a contract or a citation that turned out to be overruled
  • Say when and how you told your supervisor, and that you didn't wait
  • Describe the fix and whether the client needed to know
  • End with the habit you changed, like a second-read checklist or calendaring deadlines twice

Part 2

6.How do you manage deadlines across a heavy docket?

Why they ask

A blown filing deadline is a malpractice claim. They want a system, not good intentions.

How to answer

  • Name the docketing or matter management tool you've used, like Clio, Aderant or a firm calendar with docketing staff
  • Explain that you calendar court deadlines and internal draft deadlines separately
  • Describe your weekly review with your paralegal or assistant
  • Say what you do when two deadlines collide: raise it early and ask for help or an extension
7.Opposing counsel is being difficult and personal in emails. How do you handle it?

Why they ask

Clients pay for your temper, not theirs. They want to see restraint and a paper trail.

How to answer

  • Keep replies short, factual and about the issue
  • Move heated topics to a call, then confirm what was agreed in writing
  • Loop in the supervising attorney if it escalates
  • Use a meet-and-confer or the court's procedures when it affects discovery or scheduling
8.A business leader asks if they can do something, and the honest answer is "it depends." What do you tell them?

Why they ask

This one shows up in nearly every in-house interview. They need a lawyer who helps people act, not one who just lists risks.

How to answer

  • Lead with a recommendation, even a conditional one
  • Name the main risk in plain words and how likely it feels
  • Offer an option that gets them most of what they want with less exposure
  • Put the advice in a short email so the decision is recorded
9.How do you decide when to settle and when to push forward?

Why they ask

For litigators, this is the core judgment call. They want to hear that the client decides, with your honest assessment.

How to answer

  • Say the decision belongs to the client, and your job is a clear picture of the options
  • Walk through what you weigh: strength of the evidence, cost of discovery and trial, the judge, business goals
  • Mention early case assessment or mediation as a tool, not a sign of weakness
  • Give one example where your read changed as facts came in
10.What's your process for reviewing a contract the other side drafted?

Why they ask

Transactional and in-house roles live in redlines. They're checking whether you read for business risk or just fix grammar.

How to answer

  • Start by asking what the deal is and what the business cares about most
  • Go straight to the high-risk clauses: indemnity, limitation of liability, termination, IP, governing law
  • Compare against your team's playbook or fallback positions
  • Send a short issues list with the redline so the business can make trade-offs

Part 3

11.How do you supervise paralegals and junior associates?

Why they ask

Even mid-level attorneys delegate. Bad delegation burns out staff and creates errors you're still responsible for.

How to answer

  • Give the assignment with context, a format and a real deadline
  • Check in partway through rather than only at the end
  • Review the work yourself before it goes out under your name
  • Give feedback in person, and credit people when their work is good
12.Why this firm or this legal department, and why this practice area?

Why they ask

Lateral moves are expensive. They want to see you picked them for a reason and won't leave at the first better offer.

How to answer

  • Name the kind of matters or clients they handle that you want more of
  • Connect it to what you've already done, so it sounds like a next step
  • Mention something specific you learned from a conversation or their published work
  • Be honest about what you want to grow into

Questions to ask them

Ask at least two. It shows you're picking them too.

  • How is work assigned here, and who decides what I'd be staffed on?
  • What does a good first year look like for someone in this seat?
  • How do billable hours or other targets factor into reviews, and how are they tracked?
  • Who would I be working with most days, and how do they like drafts delivered?
  • What's the last matter where the team disagreed on strategy, and how did it get resolved?
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