From my experience, partner interviews are way less “scripted” and much more conversational. You can therefore expect much more follow-up questions. One advice would therefore be to know your answers fully; not just by memory but also by substance. I.e., if upon being asked why the firm you mention their expertise in x practice, also know why you want to be at a firm strong in x practice.Had my first ever partner interview today and I can’t help but feel it went badly (even though it seemed fun and conversational at times). Despite rehearsing my answers and doing some mock interviews over the last several weeks, I was somewhat thrown off by the way certain questions were phrased. Also, my nerves got the better of me at certain points.
Does interviewing ever get easier? Is it just a matter of doing more ACs and getting used to the partner-style of questioning?
Sorry for all the questions - just feeling kinda low and not knowing what I should do to be prepared in the future.
It does definitely get better down the road - mainly because you know what they want to know and you realise that at the end of the day the questions stem, not from them wanting to take you aback, but rather from them genuinely wanting to know more about you.
As a side-note, it does help knowing your answers by memory, but try not to sound too rehearsed as well - for example, if you are namedropping someone you’ve talked to at the firm, then maybe slide in something along the lines “you might actually know him/her - he/she sits in …”. Put simply, do show your interpersonal skills as well (not only is it one of the key skills a lawyer but it also shows that, over and above you being good at what you do, you’ll also be a great colleague.).
Hope that helps and good-luck for upcoming interviews!