Most law school graduates remember with anxiety (and now, on the other side, relief) their first On Campus Interview. A gaggle of well-dressed law students sitting in a jittery line, nervous looks flitting across their faces as they struggle to look confident, all the while eagerly devouring a printout of a law firm’s webpage or a list of questions they intend to ask the interviewer(s) and resisting the urge to walk out.
The On Campus Interview (OCI) is a dreadful rite of passage for almost anyone wanting to work in a large firm during and after law school. The tips contained within this article will not make the process less nerve wracking, but they might give you an edge over the competition and help you land your first firm job.
Know when & where
One fact is true (like death and taxes): If you don’t know when and where OCIs are taking place (and get signed up on time) you are not going to snag one of the few available jobs.
The first step in surviving the OCI gauntlet is to communicate with your school’s career planning staff, your academic advisor, your school’s career website and (if you have a particular firm in mind) firm websites to determine the date, time and location of the OCIs. Post-pandemic, many interviews are virtual, which adds yet another scheduling twist, as they may be less concentrated (and harder to keep track of).
Once you know when the OCIs or other job fairs are taking place, get that into your calendar with several reminders leading up to the event.
Also keep in mind that many firms are now hiring early outside of the standard OCI process — one more reason to review firm websites regularly. You may need to apply to the firms directly, rather than doing an interview through your school.
Time is of the essence
If you are still enjoying your summer and not thinking about OCIs, you’re already starting off on the wrong foot to crush the OCI. Summer is a critical time to start preparing for interviewing, because most first-round interviews will take place either in the summer or within the first few weeks of the fall semester.
Once classes begin and you are thrust back into the stress of classes, the Socratic method, case briefing and exam preparation, you will not be as focused on preparing for the interview season as you will need to be to be competitive. Summer is the perfect time to draft and polish cover letters, resumes, writing samples, etc. and start working on your interviewing skills. Put down the umbrella drink and get to work now.
Failure to plan is a plan to fail
While you are working feverishly to create application documents that are free of errors and will make you look like the type of candidate your chosen firm(s) cannot function without, it’s time to do your homework.
You cannot reasonably expect to impress any firm’s recruiter if you haven’t done at least some research before they talk to you. Your resume, grades and good looks can only take you so far (which is basically a foot in the door). To really blow your interviewers away you must know your stuff.
Where to begin?
The first place to look is your law school’s career advising center or your assigned career counselor. Knowing employers, employment trends and interviewing is their bread and butter. They will have countless resources to help you in your preparation for the recruiting season.
Next, check out the website of any firm that you know you are going to interview with. Review the firm’s mission statement, get familiar with its primary practice areas, and learn a little about the attorneys in the firm (how many, areas of practice, backgrounds, etc.).
It is also a great idea to look at publications, news articles and the social media presence for the firms with which you want to interview. You want to become well-versed and knowledgeable about the firm and your assigned interviewers if you’re given names in advance. They need to see that you put some work in and are passionate about working for this organization (versus some other random firm).
Once you’re armed with the tools from your career counselor and have become knowledgeable about the firms you’re going to interview with, it is time to hone your general interview skills.
The OCI can feel a bit like speed dating, as you have a finite amount of time to show them who you are and (more importantly) why you would be the asset to their firm that you know you can be.
There are countless sites on the Internet discussing common and more challenging questions that interviewers might ask. Make a list of the top 20 and give each a little thought. You don’t need to memorize your answers, but if you have at least given some consideration to a thoughtful response to each beforehand, you will be far more comfortable and confident during your interviews.
Now, you can also employ your very own AI career coach, using Claude or ChatGPT to ask you common law firm interview questions and suggest answers. It’s important not to sound too scripted, but figuring out ways to frame your unique story and respond to questions about weaknesses never hurts.
Are you confident?
It’s easy to be intimidated in these interviews. But keep your positives in mind. You are applying for these jobs as a successful law student. Hopefully, your 1L grades were solid, you’ve gotten a handle on how to be a law student, you’ve mastered the fundamentals of legal writing and analysis, and you have at least a basic understanding of various areas of substantive law.
You got into law school in the first place, which means you are competent and capable. Going into a hiring interview without some level of confidence will poison the interview from start.
Don’t be arrogant (no one likes that) but own that you have earned your place in the seat across from those interviewers (and at your law school) and be confident in the great qualities you have to offer the firm.
If you believe in yourself and believe that you would be an exceptional addition to the firm’s team, armed with your error-free documents and pre-interview research, you will have a much easier time convincing the interviewer of that fact.
Survival is possible
What if things go poorly? Try to think of a bad interview as a learning experience and move on from it. It’s no fun, but there are other jobs in the world, and you can still find the right one for you.
The OCI survival game is all about being prepared and confident and rolling with the inevitable punches. If you can start that process now, you will crush your OCIs this fall.
Alison Monahan is the founder of The Girl’s Guide to Law School®, which is a leading resource for women (and some men) embarking on a legal career. Alison is also a co-founder of the Law School Toolbox® and Bar Exam Toolbox® which provide one-on-one tutoring, two popular podcasts, and a variety of other courses and tools to help law students and bar exam takers achieve their goals with less stress and anxiety.
