Interviewing

Core Characteristics

When I used to interview junior associates it was always a bit tricky because there are very few technical questions to ask and they usually have very little (if any) legal experience. As a result, I’d end up asking questions to help me determine whether I’d want the interviewee to be the junior associate staffed on one of the matters (or projects) I was currently working on.

So what are the characteristics of a strong junior associate that make a more senior attorney want to work with them? Below are the top four traits I recommend highlighting during your interview (more on how to do this effectively later). We can call them Core Characteristics.

Excellent attention to detail.

Part of your job as a junior associate is to make sure that every piece of work that leaves your desk is free of typos, properly formatted, and incorporates all of the feedback received from partners, senior associates, and clients. When a document goes out with mistakes—both substantive and non-substantive—it reflects poorly on the attorneys behind it and, consequently, the firm. Put simply, a junior associate that does not pay close attention to detail cannot be trusted and, thus, creates more work for the attorneys above them. 

Incredibly organized.

Almost every legal matter you work on at a law firm will involve many documents and multiple parties (both internal and external). You’ll be expected to keep track of what documents are finalized, who has provided comments, and whether any necessary information or input is missing. At times this can become overwhelming, especially around key moments in a matter’s life cycle (such as signing an M&A agreement or filing a brief). If you are not organized, deadlines end up being missed and critical mistakes get made, reflecting poorly on you, your team, and your firm. I would go as far as to say that fifty percent of a junior associate’s job is being organized.

Seeks answers independently but has the courage to ask questions when needed.

Nobody expects you to understand everything day one as a junior associate. Legal work is often complex and it takes years of experience to develop an intuition for what’s right and what’s wrong. What you are expected to do as a junior associate is try to find answers on your own, but have the courage to ask questions when necessary (and to internalize those answers for the future).

Communicative and responsive.

When junior associates are non-responsive or fail to properly communicate their status (especially when things are not on pace) it makes it difficult for senior attorneys to manage their own time and properly estimate their team’s capacity. I can tell you from experience that there were few things more frustrating than a junior associate who suddenly disappears without a word at a pivotal moment in a matter. It is, therefore, important to demonstrate that you have strong communication skills and are able to deliver both good and bad news whenever necessary.

Exercise

In the Crafting Your Stories section, we will begin to develop stories that highlight each of the Core Characteristics along with other traits that make you an attractive candidate for a junior associate position. For now, take a moment to reflect on each of the Core Characteristics and try to think of specific times in your life that you exhibit each of them. Feel free to take some notes on your thoughts and ideas. This thought exercise, along with any notes you take, will come in hand when you are crafting your stories.