LAUREN KOZAKTERRY EVANS

Mastering the Public Interest Interview

BEFOREDURING

AFTER

THE INTERVIEW

Before the Interview: RESEARCH

Research the organization! You should know the organization’s mission, areas of specialization, major accomplishments (will often put on their website), and current concerns.

Research your interviewers! Where did they go to school? How long have they been with the organization?

OrganizationOrganization InterviewerInterviewer

Check the organization’s website

Talk to people who have prior experience with the office or organization (classmates, alumni, professors, clinical faculty) Need to find someone who

has interviewed/worked with the organization in the past? Contact OCP.

Run name of organization in Legal News Database of Westlaw

Organization’s website? Google Type name of interviewer in

Attorney Profiler in Westlaw Run attorney’s name in Legal

news

Before the Interview: RESEARCH

Before the Interview: SELF-ASSESSMENT

Conduct a self-assessment. Compare how your skills, accomplishments, values and interests match the position and the organization.

Brainstorm four or five points to communicate during the interview that will illustrate why you are committed to the office’s mission and why you will be an asset to the office.

Consider the type of questions you’ll receive and ponder the experiences you will use to answer the questions

Before the Interview: PLAN

Bring extra copies of your resume, unofficial transcript, writing sample & references (even if they didn’t request them all)

Review directions and map for parking lot location and the Tyler Haynes Commons

Alternates Keep checking email this week. It is possible that you

will be moved up to an interview selection.

Want to practice your interview? Schedule a mock interview with OCP this week

DAY OF THE INTERVIEW

Allow 3 hours door to doorJ lot parking lot is for students – look for yellow signsIt is a LONG walk from parking lot to interview location

(wear comfortable shoes)Running late? Call 540-460-4839 (Terry’s cell) or 804-

287-6695 (registration table)Check-in at student registration table 30 minutes prior

to first interviewInformational tables are on third floorSnack Bar in the lounge areaIf you have back-to-back interviews, don’t worry. Just go

to the next interview as soon as you are done.

What the set-up is like

Interview will be in a large room with curtained booths

When it is your interview time, stand behind interviewee to let interviewer know time is up

BEFORE

DURINGAFTER

The Interview

The Interview: BODY LANGUAGE

Use your body language to convey personality, enthusiasm and self-confidence.

Greet the employer with a firm handshake. Maintain comfortable eye contact with the

interviewer, as well as good posture. Use hand gestures and facial expressions as

you normally would in a conversation with a friend, thus avoiding any nervous verbal and physical mannerisms that may distract the interviewer. But be professional—don’t slip into slang.

The Interview: MOTIVATION

For most public interest employers, you must convey your motivation for wanting to work there.

If you have past work experience in an area related to the job you are seeking, highlight that experience.

If you do not, you must prepare to explain what motivated you to apply for the specific job.

Show enthusiasm - let them know you are interested in what they do.

The Interview: WHY SHOULD I HIRE YOU?

Think about each question and why the employer is asking it. Every question is really, “Why should we hire you?”  So continue to answer that question in every question the employer asks.

Tell a Story: Draw from your accomplishments and experiences to speak enthusiastically. Every answer should highlight your skills and be backed up by a story.

The Interview: GENERAL TIPS

Keep your answers short: between 15-30 seconds each.

Listen carefully - take time to reflect before answering questions.

Be honest and not evasive in answering direct questions.

The best interview is like a conversation—don’t subdue your personality and ask questions during it.

Know your resume! Also, be familiar with your writing sample/law review note/moot court argument.

The Interview: SPECIFIC QUESTIONS

Questions designed to see whether you have :

motivation

passion

interest

Why our office/organization? Why did you go to law school? To what other offices have you applied? How committed are you to the cause of

the office? How much experience have you had with

public interest organizations? Why this city, town or area? What would the greatest drawback of this

job be for you? What two or three things are most

important to you in a job? What constitutes “success” to you? For public defenders: Is there any type of

crime you would have trouble defending, like child molestation or rape?

The Interview: SPECIFIC QUESTIONS

Questions designed to see whether you possess the necessary skills for the job

What can you bring to this organization? What community service project do you

believe allowed you to make the greatest impact and how?

Tell me about a difficult experience you had in clinic (or other work setting) and how you overcame it.

What would make you a good trial advocate?

How do you work under pressure? (give examples!)

How strong are your writing skills? What qualities do you think a good lawyer

should have?

The Interview: SPECIFIC QUESTIONS

Hypothetical or ethical questions—interviewers are often more interested in how you think through the problem you are presented rather than in obtaining the "right" answer.

What was your favorite client’s name? (Hint: do not reveal as doing so would violate confidentiality.)

How would you go about building a trusting relationship with a client?

How would you counsel a young client who had never before been arrested and is proclaiming his innocence in the face of a serious crime based completely on the testimony of several police officers. That client is facing a long jail sentence should he be convicted after a jury trial but is now being offered a plea-bargained sentence of probation. “What do you say to your client?”

The Interview: SPECIFIC QUESTIONS

Questions to get to know you. There is no right or wrong answer except no answer at all

What is the last book you read or movie you watched?

How do you spend your free time? Who is your hero/heroine? What five people would you invite to a

dinner party? If you were a tree what kind would you be?

Don’tDon’t DoDo

Don’t dwell on them if the employer doesn’t

Don’t blame the Professor Don’t say that grades don’t

mean anything—instead show the employer that you can do the work

Don’t pretend you don’t know what your grades are or give a vague response to the question of what are your grades

Address the question, but get to the positive quickly. You can admit that your grades are not what you had hoped, but continue with something positive, like work performance, awards, etc.

If your grades improved over time, point that out.

If your grades in relevant courses were high, mention those 

If you did work over your summer, use that experience as indicative of your legal ability.

Be comfortable with your grades, pull out the positives, and practice speaking with confidence about them.

The Interview: GRADES

Good QuestionsGood Questions Inappropriate QuestionsInappropriate Questions

Why did you choose this employer?

What do you wish you’d known before you got here?

When you go back to work/the office, what will you be working on?

What type of work will I be doing?

What qualities make someone successful in this office?

Salary Hours Asking vague or

imponderable questions (i.e., what is the office’s culture)

Asking questions that could be answered by basic research

The Interview: YOUR QUESTIONS

The Interview: THINGS TO AVOID

Speaking negatively of anyone (former employer, fellow students, law school)

Anything that suggests you are unfamiliar with the organization’s mission

Being too casual—watch “umms” “like” or curse/slang words

Volunteering your flaws

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

The Interview

Directly After the Interview

Write down notes from your interview (to help you remember)

Send the Thank You letter For this job fair, email is preferred– get business cards

if possible Terry will have the final interview list and emails at

end of day Thank them for their time. Personalize the note by mentioning a discussion you

had Reiterate your interest in the position

After the Interview: FOLLOW UP

Follow-up with Terry about the outcome of your participation 37 students attending this year Had many students get summer positions last year

from the job fair

After This Presentation

If you have not provided Terry with Cell phone, do so today

Terry Evans and Andrea Hilton will be the W&L representatives at the job fair

Pick up your student packet, which includes: Interview schedule/Memo/Map of University of

Richmond Campus/List of students attending to arrange carpools

Where to pick up your packet: Last Name Abbott--Hawkins Terry Last Name Huhn--Pliskin Lauren Last Name Pohn—Wieand Andrea