What is it like to be interviewed by a partner?

Jul 27, 2022

Written By Natasha Jones

For many budding lawyers, the most intimidating part of the training contract application process is the thought of being interviewed by a partner. We’re here to shed some light on what you should expect from a partner interview.

When might you be interviewed by a partner?

If you’re applying for a training contract, there’s a high likelihood you’ll be interviewed by a partner at some point during the process. This could be during an assessment centre, at the end of a vacation scheme, or as the final stage in a direct training contract application.

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What should you expect?

The first thing to note is that the format of the partner interview can differ from firm to firm. For example, at assessment centres some firms conduct ‘speed interviews’ with partners and senior associates.

In speed interviews, an assessor will ask you one initial question and you’ll have around 5 minutes to answer before moving onto the next assessor. A

nother common format for a partner interview is where you’re asked to discuss an article about a topical news item. You’ll often be given around 15 minutes to read and annotate the article, before spending the rest of the interview discussing your observations with one or more partners. This kind of interview is designed to test your commercial awareness, your ability to form an argument, and how you respond when challenged.

Instead of an article, it may be that you’re given a case study and asked to present your findings to partners. An example could be a case study of a potential acquisition, whereby one company is seeking to acquire another, and you must weigh up the pros and cons of doing so. The partners will then question you on your thoughts and recommendations.

Again, this type of interview is designed to test whether you can think commercially about the kinds of issues clients face.

Alternatively, you may be asked to undertake a standard competency or skills-based interview with a partner, or an interview specifically tailored to the firm and a career in law.

Tips for success

You should prepare for an interview with a partner in the same way you would for any other law firm interview.

First, think about the different styles of interview above. Start by preparing strong answers to common questions about your motivations for a career in law, for example “why law?” and “why this firm?”. Identify the competencies important to the firm to which you’re applying (such as teamwork and client care) and practice articulating examples of when you have demonstrated these.

STAR analysis is often helpful here – Situation, Task, Action, Result. Finish off your answer by showing how what you did links to the firm’s values and why that makes you a good fit for the firm.

When it comes to interviews that test commercial awareness, the key thing to note is that commercial awareness cannot be built in a day. It’s something you should work on developing over a sustained period of time by following developments and issues in the realms of law and business.

For interviews where you’re asked to analyse articles, practice doing so at home. Subscribe to receive updates from sites such as Lexology – just one example of a source sharing legal updates and analysis.

You should locate an article or insight piece of interest to you and conduct a SWOT analysis of the topic spoken about. Can you identify any strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats discussed in the article? Can you draw links between this article and any others you’ve read?

Partners may also wish to test how you respond to being challenged and may play the role of devil’s advocate by countering your thoughts with alternative viewpoints. It might therefore be a good idea to try discussing the content of these articles with your family, to practice engaging in healthy debate.

The more articles you analyse in this manner, the more prepared you’ll feel for a partner interview in this style.

The key takeaway here is to be prepared for a variety of interview formats. If you come to a partner interview having made an effort to improve your commercial awareness, having thoroughly researched the firm, and with a bank of strong answers prepared to common interview questions – we think you’ll excel.

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