A single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. Had she been alive today, and bizarrely interested in the market for legal talents, Ms. Austen might have paraphrased herself: an open position at a good law firm must be in want of a candidate with interview skills.
A successful job hunt in the legal profession is a match between a candidate’s degree, experience, and interests, and a firm’s standards and requirements, all of which means, if you have the grades and experience, you have a chance. It is the interview, however, that counts.
Resume Screening
(for assessing
the basic competencies)
Senior Interview
or HR Interview
（usually 10-30 mins）
Written Test
(depends on each firm)
Partner Interview
（usually > 30 mins）
Basically, preparing for an interview conducted in English is no difference from doing that in any other language. It starts with your resume and ends with the final interview. For candidates working in English as a second language, the main difficulty, if it exists, will probably lie in how comfortable you are when speaking English. Because the first interview will probably only last 15-20 minutes, a good grasp of spoken English is a prerequisite.
Having armed yourself with an impressively good resume and the ability to talk fluently and logically in English, you can start to think about how navigate the three basic components of the interview.
Self-introduction
第一部分 自我介紹
The first step is to come up with a way to introduce yourself in one minute.
Your introduction should not be a simple repetition of your resume. For instance, a very talented student might introduce herself this way:
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「My name is…I graduated from XX university…I worked at XX law firm as a legal trainee in 2014 and worked at XX people’s court as a judge assistance in 2015…」
This is important information but it’s also right there on your resume. It doesn’t do anything to highlight your unique abilities. The interviewer wants to get to know you, not have your resume read to them.
Instead, tell the interviewer something that can’t be communicated through your resume. Try to present your own skills and experience in as short a time as possible.
An effective self-introduction can be a story framed by experience. If you aren’t sure what to talk about, start figuring it out by practicing the story of why you became a lawyer and why you are perfect for this job. The key point of your story is to provide examples of your dedication to becoming part of the profession and the hard work you did to get to this interview.
For example, a candidate shared how she became interested in law and technology and why she decided to be an IT lawyer in an interview:
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「…In that European summer program, I attended many invaluable lectures taught by distinguished professors. The most impressive subject discussed was about the liabilities of Internet service providers for false and defamatory statements. The professor used influential cases, such as Cubby Inc. v. CompuServe and Stratton Oakmont, Inc. v. Prodigy Services Co., as examples.
The complexity of the content aroused my curiosity, and I began to think about the relationship between law and technology. So, I decided to further explore this field in Berkeley and pursue of becoming an IT lawyer after my graduation.」
This tells her story but it’s also full of useful information: her interest in the field of law, her experience in foreign summer school, her degree from U.C.-Berkeley, her reasons for becoming a lawyer, and most importantly, her ability to study legal issues independently. The information is also well organized so that the interviewer might ask some questions related to her statement. This starts the conversation in a natural way.
But do not recite your story like it’s a grade school English exam and the teacher is just counting the words you get right. If you want to use your English skills at work, you have to get comfortable using them naturally. More importantly, reciting answers comes off as insincere. You appear to be saying what you think the interviewer wants to hear.
And that’s the most important part. Your self-introduction must be true. Any overstatement or false information may damage your credibility and influence your future career. Believe it or not, legal circles are quite small. Therefore, be careful.
Personal Questions
第二部分 互相了解
Many insiders at well-known international firms described their interviews as 「chatting with the partners」. This is the secret: the partners just want to find someone they can work with. They aren’t there to be critical of your performance. So, treat the interview as a true conversation, be honest and don’t be so nervous.
The best cure for feeling nervous in the interview is knowing you’re well prepared. You can't predict each question but you will usually have enough information to be able to identify the competencies being assessed in the interview.
For example, many law firms set out a list of desirable and essential capabilities in their recruitment ads. It will be likely that the bulk of the interview will be focused on assessing these competencies:
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● You will be a skillful and tactful communicator.
● You will be a responsible member willing to work at a high intensity.
We've compiled the most frequently asked questions. They are designed to get to know the candidate in five categories:
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Interest in the Law and the Law firm
How did you become interested in X practice area or subject matter?
Why did you choose this firm over others?
What do you like most about this firm or practice group?
How did you improve your understanding of the relevant issues in this field?
Educational background and relevant experience
What academic activities did you take part in while studying in university? What were the results and what role did you play?
Tell me about a memorable case, deal, or issue you worked on while working.
Tell me more details of your experience in the summer school you attended.
What evaluation or feedback did you receive while working?
Preference and Characteristics
Can you give me an example of when you』ve had to deal with a difficult person?
Where is your hometown? Why do you want to work in this city?
Do you think you are an aggressive or a nice person?
Why do you prefer litigation?
What sort of books do you usually read?
What sports do you play?
Expectation of Legal Work
What is your expected salary?
Do you mind travelling frequently for work projects?
What do you expect from your supervisor and your team members?
What is your career goal and plan for the next five years?
Other Questions that the Interviews are Interested in
What are the current significant issues affecting law firms?
What do you think of the development of XX and how it might affect law firms?
When answering these questions, remember to be as concise as possible but include all the essential details. Be specific.
"I had some work experiencein a couple of law firms."
Compare this to:
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"I got the opportunity to work at an international law firm after competing with more than 200 candidates in the summer vacation of 2015; and a work placement in a firm specialized in labor law with a staff of forty people after my graduation. I was mainly responsible for…in the firm and l learned…by…"
The second example gives a much clearer picture.
In this stage, you should customize the questions to fit the target firm and the position you are applying for. Your answers should reflect your own speaking style.
At the end of the interview, if you are given the chance to ask questions concerning the firm, ask important questions. For instance, how will my work be evaluated? What kind of feedback can I expect to receive? How will the firm grow in the next five years? Asking intelligent questions demonstrate that you have a genuine interest in the firm and the position.
Technical Questions
第三部分 專業能力
You made need to demonstrate you have the necessary skills and knowledge to be a successful lawyer. Some 「technical questions」 might be asked at both international law firms and domestic firms. Sometimes these competencies are assessed through written tests (including case analysis, legal translation, contract drafting, etc.), instead of interviews.
To perform well in this stage, you need to know the answers to the questions but you also need to be familiar with English legal terms. Before the interview, read the official English translations of the Contract Law, the Company Law, the Trademark Law of the People’s Republic of China or other laws in English relevant to the position. However, we all know that to truly have a good grasp of legal English, requires studying hard for a long period time.
Finally, research your interviewer. You should know the well-known cases they have tried and the books or articles they have published. And know the hot topics in the relevant field. You should be ready to talk generally about recent changes in the law or famous cases.
If you are prepared for these three components of the interview, then you should do well. Good luck to every reader on every coming interview.
律所面試需要注意什麼呢？好的工作必定是標準和條件都與應試者自己的學歷、經歷、興趣等條件相匹配的。具備了相應的條件，還需要有相應的面試技巧。化用簡·奧斯汀的名言，凡有好職位的好律所，都需要懂面試技巧的應試者。
所以，本文介紹了在常見的律所面試過程中包括的三大基本部分，提示了應當注意的點，並對應舉出了一些具體例子。當然，進行律所英文面試的前提是，應試者已經具備用英文進行「舒服溝通」的技能。因為面試的時間往往有限，準確、有邏輯地傳達有效信息十分重要。
律所面試往往分為三個環節：
自我介紹切入通常一分鐘，即便沒有時間限制，也不宜說太長。它是自由展示時間，最好能夠快速展現自己獨特的能力、技能、經歷。自我介紹部分的關鍵點：
● 精煉，不要簡單重複簡歷
● 結構化，講嵌入經歷的故事
● 自然，不要背誦
● 真誠，不要說謊或過度美化
律所合伙人面試的目的是找可以與自己合作的人，並不是為難面試者。通過對話可以短時間內促進雙方的彼此理解，即便是大牌外所的面試也可以像「閒聊」。所以，不必對這個環節過度緊張，但需要必要準備。溝通部分的關鍵點：
● 根據招聘或崗位需求預測問題
● 熟悉常見問題並定製個人答案
● 對不熟悉的問題做好心理準備
● 提供足夠的細節和例子
● 把握提問機會問重要問題
律所是需要硬實力的部分，往往這部分才決定了面試的成敗。法律英語能力不是一朝一夕煉成的。這部分雖然也有技巧，不過如果缺乏內容，任何技巧都顯得有些蒼白無力了。 小技巧有：
● 練習英文案例分析、翻譯、合同要素
● 通讀官方版本的英文法條（尤其是合同法、公司法）
● 對面試官進行背景搜索（深入了解其案例、著作等）
● 關注相關領域的熱點話題並形成自己的見解
律所英文面試就簡單介紹到這裡，祝願大家在面試中有優異表現，順利拿到讓自己滿意的offer。
林佩：曾實習於某Vault 100排名Top 30美資律所。英語專業八級，託福寫作29分，法律翻譯作品字數超過10萬字。
歡迎在留言區用英文秀一段自我介紹。
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編輯 | Eleven