How to Talk Through Your Experience in a
US Law Firm Interview

A lot of lawyers prepare for interviews by researching the firm, reading partner profiles and thinking about why they want the role.

But one of the most important parts of a US law firm interview is often much simpler:

Can you explain what you’ve actually done clearly?

For lateral lawyers, particularly within transactional practices, interviewers will often want to understand much more than the matters listed on your CV or deal sheet.

They want to know where you fitted into the team, what you personally handled, how much responsibility you had and how your experience translates to the work their team does.

Know your matters properly

Before the interview, go back through the matters you’ve included on your CV and deal sheet.

For each one, be ready to explain:
What was the transaction or matter?
Who was the client?
What was your role?
Which elements did you personally handle?
Who did you work with?
What level of responsibility did you have?
Was there anything particularly complex or unusual about it?

Choose your examples before the interview

You don’t need to memorise every matter you’ve ever worked on.
Pick a handful of strong examples that demonstrate different parts of your experience.
You might choose one where you took significant ownership, another involving a particularly complex issue and another that closely resembles the work being done by the team you’re interviewing with.
That gives you examples ready when the conversation naturally moves towards your experience.

Be clear about your level of responsibility

US firms are often particularly interested in understanding how independently you work.

Did you draft the first version?
Were you running part of the transaction?
Did you deal directly with the client?
Were you managing junior lawyers?
Were you coordinating with other practice groups?
There’s a big difference between being part of a matter and being responsible for a significant part of it, so don’t undersell what you actually did.

Connect your experience to their practice

The strongest answers don’t simply explain your background.

They help the interviewer understand why that background would be useful to their team.

If you’re interviewing with an Energy & Infrastructure group, for example, think about which of your matters demonstrate experience across project development, financing, M&A, power or digital infrastructure.

If you’re interviewing with a Corporate team, choose examples that reflect the transactions, clients and sectors they actually work with.

Don’t turn it into a script

Preparation should help you speak more naturally, not make you sound rehearsed.
Know your examples, know your experience and understand the team you’re meeting.
Then have the conversation.

Considering a move in the US legal market?

Our US Lateral Guide covers interview preparation in more detail, including common interview questions, preparing your CV and deal sheet, researching firms and partners, and the questions you should be asking throughout the process.

Message Pippa McCaw to request a copy or discuss current opportunities across the US market.