Thinking about what to ask the attorneys you hire on a legal marketplace? We share some example questions
Anyone with experience interviewing job candidates knows that doing so effectively is key to finding the right person for a role. As good as someone may seem on paper, having a discussion with a candidate will tell you more about whether you want to create a working relationship with the person in question. This is certainly true for lawyer interviews, and one of the most common questions we get about engaging with an attorney through a legal marketplace is how to conduct an effective interview.
While the exact questions that you want to ask during a lawyer interview will often differ depending on your organization’s goals for a particular project, there are some general areas you’ll want to cover and questions that work well for any situation. Here are some considerations and topics to think about before your next interview, as well as a “cheat sheet” that you can use to get a quick start on your next interview.
Structured or Unstructured Interview?
Lawyer interviews, and job interviews in general, can be broadly sorted into two buckets: structured and unstructured. A structured interview is the more traditional, formal job interview format where a set of standard questions is asked in a specific order to focus on understanding behavioral outcomes and determining whether a candidate has specific skills. The questions are usually less open-ended, such as “Can you tell me about a time it was crucial for you to make a good impression on a client? What did you do to achieve this? What was the outcome?”
By contrast, an unstructured interview is a more informal, conversational approach. Rather than moving through a list of predetermined questions, the interview is more like a casual conversation. While the questions asked during this type of interview are generally more open-ended, they should still get at the candidate’s past experiences and skill set. An example is: “Tell me about your most recent role.”
Depending on the project or role, an ideal interview style may lie somewhere between these two options. You can come to the interview with prepared questions that will give you the information you need regarding the candidate’s specific skills, but also approach it in a more freeform way that flows like a casual conversation. As with anything, the more experience you have, the better you’ll understand what works well for you.
Questions to Ask in a Lawyer Interview
You may be wondering: What kinds of questions should I be asking an attorney I might engage with on a legal marketplace? While the situation is similar to any job interview, there are certainly specific topics you’ll want to cover that are unique to hiring an attorney through a legal marketplace such as Priori. Here are some sample questions you can ask. This list isn’t meant to be exhaustive and some of these questions overlap or can be adapted and asked in different ways. Use these as a starting point to build your ideal interview.
Behavioral questions
These types of questions generally present a situation to the candidate and ask how they responded. You’re looking to understand how they approach problems by learning about specific examples from their past. Here are a few example questions:
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Where do you bring the greatest value for your clients?
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Tell me about a time when you have had to say “no” to a business stakeholder and what was the outcome?
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What do you do when you are asked a question that you don't know the answer to?
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What is your methodology for prioritizing tasks?
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Tell me about the innovative technologies you are using in your practice.
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How would you describe your leadership skills and style?
Experience questions
As is clear from the name, these questions are meant to better understand the candidate’s experience levels. They get at the lawyer’s specific experience with the subject matter of the project you’re engaging them for, as well as their general experience as an attorney solving problems. Questions you might want to ask can include:
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What kind of working environment do you thrive in?
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Our environment is [dynamic, close-knit, etc.]. How do you perform in that sort of environment?
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How do you feel about working with a company at our stage (i.e., a startup, small business, etc.)?
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Tell me about your experience with our industry. (This could be more high-level, such as B2B or B2C, or more specific, such as retail or software development.)
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What resources do you rely on or expect to have when starting with a new client?
Opinion questions
These questions are usually open-ended and are meant to present ideas or situations that the lawyer can then analyze and provide an off-the-cuff answer to. They might be more casual and simple, or present an unexpected hypothetical. Here are some questions to consider:
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Tell me what you can accomplish for our team in 30, 60 and 90 days.
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Do you have any reservations about our legal team’s geographic location (e.g., in a different time zone, across multiple states/countries, or fully remote)?
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Why are you interested in this project?
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What about working with our company is most interesting to you?
Lawyer Interview Cheat Sheet
If you need a quick list of the questions categorized above, look no further. Here is a list of questions you can take and personalize for your next lawyer interview. You may want to add some of your own (and you’ll likely want to tweak these to fit your project), but you’ll be off to a great start with this list:
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Why are you interested in this project?
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Tell me about a time when you have had to say “no” to the business and what was the outcome?
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What is your methodology for prioritizing tasks?
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Where do you bring the greatest value for your clients?
-
What kind of working environment do you thrive in?
-
Our environment is [dynamic, close-knit, etc.]. How do you perform in that sort of environment?
-
How do you feel about working with a company at our stage (i.e., a startup, small business, etc.)?
-
Tell me about the innovative technologies you are using in your practice.
-
What do you do when you are asked a question that you don't know the answer to?
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Tell me what you can accomplish for our team in 30, 60 and 90 days.
-
What resources do you rely on or expect to have when starting with a new client?
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Tell me about your experience with our industry.
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Do you have any reservations about our legal team’s geographic location (e.g., in a different time zone, across multiple states/countries, or fully remote)?
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How would you describe your leadership skills and style?
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What about working with our company is most interesting to you?
Looking for an attorney for a project? Priori Marketplace uses data and technology to rapidly connect legal departments of any size with the right outside counsel for projects globally, saving them time and money. Start an RFP and find an attorney today.
