You’ve made it past the psych test, wrestled with CV formatting, and convinced someone that your passion for law started before Suits Season 1.
Now comes the real test.
The interview.
We’ve done countless interviews across Australia’s leading law firms and made it out the other side. Now we’re ready to help you nail it.
If we had to do it all again, here’s what we’d do.
Let’s cut to the chase.
Interviews can feel intense, unpredictable, and sometimes awkward.
Not everyone’s a natural on day one. But you will improve each time you show up.
So if you have multiple interviews lined up (well done), don’t schedule your dream firm first. Book the firms you care about most after you’ve warmed up on a couple of back‑ups.
OK, it’s interview time.
1. Be ready to pitch
Most interviews start with a flavour of “Why us?” or the classic “Tell me about yourself”.
Have a polished pitch locked and loaded. Remember, you’re not reciting your autobiography.
Keep it punchy, but keep it human.
We used this simple framework:
Present: Start with your current role, responsibilities, and perhaps a recent accomplishment.
Past: Segue to a previous experience relevant to why you’re applying for the law firm.
Future: Then, touch on what’s motivating your next steps and why you’re in the interview chair.
2. Lead by example
You’ll be asked different types of questions – behavioural, motivational, situational and the like.
You don’t need 50 memorised answers for every imaginable question. Just have 5 or 6 solid scenarios ready to go – the kind you can draw on for various questions.
The key is for your examples to showcase how you interact with people at all levels.
You as a leader: motivating a team or steering a project.
You as a junior: taking feedback, managing up, and owning mistakes.
You with peers: teamwork, conflict resolution, pulling together under pressure.
You with clients: customer service, building trust, delivering on promises.
These examples are your Swiss army knife. Pull the right blade for the question. But remember, no need to script it word-for-word. It’s a conversation, not a TED Talk.
And don’t force an answer if it’s not what they’re really asking. It will come across, well, forced.
3. Generic is forgettable
Everyone says they’re a “hard‑working team player”. Yawn.
The best way to stand out? Be genuine.
Interviewers remember candidates who sound like people – not cover letters.
Skip the clichés. Speak like yourself.2
4. Know your application
Our friend Gary is mid-interview, and the interviewer asks: “Your application says you’re interested in the Engineers case, tell me what sparked that interest”.