When I was a law student, I landed summer associate offers from five top (V10) law firms. It wasn’t luck — it was preparation. Here’s exactly what I did.
Step 1: Research Each Employer
For each callback interview, I spent 2–3 hours researching the firm. Most of that time went into carefully reading three parts of the firm’s website:
- Careers and professional development
- Overview and representative matters of the practice groups I was interested in
- Bios of the lawyers I was scheduled to meet
I also read the firm’s Vault profile and pulled feedback from former summer associates, available through my law school’s Career Services office.
Step 2: Build a Crib Sheet
Next, I condensed all that research into a single, one-page document for each firm. This crib sheet included:
- Name and address of the firm, date and time of the interview
- On-campus interview (OCI) stats from my school (interview-to-callback ratios, callback-to-offer ratios)
- Names and bios of my OCI and callback interviewers (title, practice area, law school, undergrad)
- Number of lawyers and summer associates (New York office and firmwide)
- Practice groups in New York
- Key highlights about the practices I cared about
- Details about the summer program (from the firm’s site and Vault guide)
- Notes from previous summer associates at my school
- Highlights from the Vault profile
Before each interview, I reviewed the notes — sometimes even in the cab on the way there.
Step 3: Translate Research into Specific, Thoughtful Responses
This preparation allowed me to give specific, tailored answers that showed I understood each firm’s work, culture, and values.
Instead of saying: “It seems like you have great training here,”
I could say: “I read about the summer associate workshops on legal writing, depositions, and negotiations.”
Instead of saying: “I’m interested in the Latin America practice,”
I could say: “I saw the LatAm group recently worked on an infrastructure project in Chile.”
Instead of saying: “It seems like the culture here is really positive,”
I could say: “I read feedback from previous summer associates at my school, and was impressed by what they said about how supportive the culture is.”
Why This Works
By doing this prep, I wasn’t just able to answer interview questions better — I could also ask more informed, relevant questions. And, I was able to evaluate which firms truly aligned with my interests and goals.
Employers want to know
- Have you done your homework?
- Do you understand what they do and how they’re different?
- Can you explain why you’re a good mutual fit?
Strong interview preparation isn’t about memorizing canned answers — it’s about doing the thoughtful, targeted work that allows you to show up informed, confident, and ready to connect. By investing time upfront to understand each employer, you not only strengthen your interview performance but also gain clarity on which opportunities are the right fit for you. Preparation creates both confidence and choice.
