Nail Your Law Job Interview: The Essential Guide to Firm, Clerkship, Government, In-House, and Lateral Interviews
“Nail Your Law Job Interview is well written and wonderfully comprehensive. It provides specific examples, directions, and instructions in every aspect of finding a law job. Although it’s written for the new grad, experienced lawyers will benefit from it too.”
–Judi Perkins, the Renegade Job Coach
“Nail Your Law Job Interview comprehensively explains the nuances of interviewing in the law sector. Mini-case studies and the authors’ own experiences enhance their advice…and provide excellent and little-known information. No aspiring attorney should be without this book.”
–Katharine Hansen, PhD, creative director of Quintessential Careers, and author of Top Notch Executive Resumes
Law students, laterals, government lawyers, and even senior in-house attorneys often make costly mistakes during interviews. Nail Your Law Job Interview provides tips, examples, and substantive advice on different kinds of job interviews. It is the only comprehensive interview book for lawyers.
Through real-life examples and tips from hundreds of prominent legal professionals, this book reveals successful interview strategies, insider perspectives, and bold moves.
Topics include:
* Unique challenges facing foreign and “involuntary” job applicants.
* Questions not to ask and answers to avoid.
* Body language, gap-fillers, and effective interview questions.
* What to wear, what to bring, and how to do your homework.
* Lunch interview etiquette.
* Dealing with inappropriate questions and arrogant interviewers.
* Tips for working with a headhunter and negotiating an offer.
Nail Your Law Job Interview is a must-have for every candidate who hopes to obtain a legal position in today’s legal market!
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Great guide to interviewing in the legal field!
The book is a well-researched, detailed, and engaging interviewing resource for J.D. and LL.M. candidates, attorneys, as well as foreign lawyers planning to practice in the U.S. The authors address the intricacies and pitfalls of not only firm interviews, but also in-house, clerkship, government, and lateral interviews. As a result, the book is an invaluable comprehensive interviewing guide for law students and attorneys pursuing various career paths within the legal profession.
5 Stars Make this book your personal interview bible!
As someone who interviews and hires people on a regular basis, I can’t praise this book enough. It offers balanced advice from a perspective of a generation of young lawyers who must meet the expectations of a more formal generation. Call me old-fashioned, but I would NOT hire a woman wearing a pantsuit to her interview, unless she was truly exceptional. Just like I wouldn’t hire a man who was anything less than formal during his interview. I am looking for people who will follow my guidance when they work for me. In short, if you want an offer from a hiring partner who is 20+ years your senior, you better act and dress in a way that partner expects. I like this book because it shows that the author obviously spent a great deal of time finding out what the employers want and expect. It tells you exactly what your interviewers expect from you - not what your competition erroneously thinks they expect.
5 Stars I wish I had this book sooner- it would have saved my interview!!!!
I read this book in one sitting. It was very enjoyable and had great important advice for any law student or lawyer. The advice in this book made sense and is invaluable! Unfortunately for me, I read this book after my interview and I know had I read this book first, I would have been more prepared to handle the pressure and I would have taken steps to prevent any foolish mishaps from occurring at the interview. This book is great and I will recommend it to any lawyers I know who are facing a job interview or even looking.
2 Stars There are better books…
As an attorney who has worn both hats as an interviewer and an interviewee I didn’t think this book was very helpful. It covers some of the basic stuff, but I thought most of it was obvious. Dress conservatively, don’t wear too much jewelery, don’t talk about embarassing or awkard things, don’t talk about your weaknessnes unprompted. It doesn’t emphasize enough the game that a lot of interviewers play by asking you to talk about how you have worked well in a team, how you have solved a legal problem creatively, etc. You need to have specific answers ready for each of these questions. I agree with the other reviewer who thought Guerrilla Tactics for Getting the Legal Job of your Dreams was a much better book. It goes more into how to specifically sell yourself…which is 90% of the interview in my opinion.
5 Stars Amazing book
This is an incredible book and a must-read for all law students going through interviews. I used it for my clerkship interviews. The authors have a wide variety of experiences and know exactly what they are talking about. To succeed in your interviews, you must have this book!
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