Nail Your Law Job interview: The Essential Guide to Firm, Clerkship, Government, In-House, and Lateral Interviews [Paperback]

Natalie Prescott (Author), Oleg Cross (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 20, 2009

Winner, 2009 Career Book of the Year Award in ForeWord magazine (Gold Medal)Finalist, 2009 BOYTA Awards from Foreword Book Reviews
Finalist, 2010 Next Generation Indie Book Awards in career category

Nail Your Law Job Interview provides tips, examples, and substantive advice. This award-winning book is the only comprehensive interview guide for lawyers interviewing for any type of a legal job.

Through real-life examples, interviews, and tips from hundreds of prominent legal professionals, judges, recruiters, and firm partners, this book reveals successful interview strategies, insider perspectives, bold moves, and unique challenges facing candidates in a difficult economy. Some topics covered in this book include:

Questions to ask and what not to ask

Dangerous answers and risky interviewing techniques

Body language, gap-fillers, and sample list of effective questions

What to wear, what to bring, and how to do your homework before the interview

Lunch interview etiquette

Dealing with inappropriate questions and arrogant interviewers

Tips for working with a headhunter and negotiating an offer

Interviewing after getting laid-off

Specific advice for government, clerkship, foreign, and in-house job applicants

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book goes beyond the cookie-cutter guidance found in most other legal job-hunting publications. Its in-depth research and in-the-know, superb real world advice is particularly helpful to candidates interviewing in an increasingly competitive job market." --Alan Surchin, Esq., Executive Recruiter, Pittleman & Associates


"This book provides candidates with succinct advice, elucidating anecdotes, and inside tips that will allow them to take the guesswork out of the interview process and nail their interviews." --T.J. Duane, Principal, Lateral Link Group LLC

"Nail Your Law Job Interview is well written and wonderfully comprehensive. It provides specific examples, directions, and instructions in every aspect of finding a law job. Although it's written for the new grad, experienced lawyers will benefit from it as well." --Judi Perkins, the founder of Find the Perfect Job and frequent Vault contributor

About the Author

Natalie Prescott joined Latham & Watkins LLP in San Diego, California, following a federal clerkship. She holds a BA, summa cum laude, from the University of Southern Mississippi; an MA from Tulane University; and a JD, cum laude, from Duke University School of Law. In addition to numerous publications and speaking engagements, Prescott serves on Duke Alumni Admissions interviewing committee

Oleg Cross is an attorney with Cooley Godward Kronish LLP in San Diego, California. He holds a BA, magna cum laude, from Abilene Christian University, and a JD and LLM from Duke University School of Law. He frequently writes and speaks on various emerging legal issues. In 2007, the San Diego Daily Transcript named Cross one of the city's best lawyers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 223 pages
• Publisher: Career Press (March 20, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1601630530
• ISBN-13: 978-1601630537
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #212,514 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you want to get the job you want, read this book!, April 26, 2009

By 

T. Joksimovic - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nail Your Law Job interview: The Essential Guide to Firm, Clerkship, Government, In-House, and Lateral Interviews (Kindle Edition)

As a mid-level associate at a large international law firm, I strongly recommend this book to anyone trying to get the law firm job you want, whether you are a prospective or current law student or a recent graduate. I did not attend a top 10 law school, nor was I at the top of my class when interviewing for a summer associate position. As a result, my prospects of getting the big law job I wanted boiled down to my ability to truly nail my job interview. In the end, I was fortunate enough to succeed, but only after I learned the hard way from all the interviewing mistakes I had made along the way. If I had had this book when I interviewed, I know I would have received a lot more offers than I ended up getting. It is an excellent toolkit for selling and distinguishing yourself in the best way possible, which these days will prove more important than ever -- Ivy League or not.

14 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very bad, overly-formal, interview advice, July 6, 2009

By 

Little One (Exurban Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nail Your Law Job interview: The Essential Guide to Firm, Clerkship, Government, In-House, and Lateral Interviews (Paperback)

As the former hiring partner for a conservative AmLaw 100 firm, I found certain advice in this guide to be ridiculous. In 2009, women do not need to wear a skirt to an interview at the risk of not appearing professional in pants. Nor is it necessary for any interviewee to follow the overly-formal dress code and talking points included in this book. Guerrilla Tactics for Getting the Legal Job of Your Dreams is a MUCH better book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, Detailed, Insider Advice to Get the Job, July 30, 2010

By 

mjbrawner_lawschool - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nail Your Law Job interview: The Essential Guide to Firm, Clerkship, Government, In-House, and Lateral Interviews (Paperback)

Law job interviews ARE different from any other type of employment interview. I have been in the non-law work world for some time and have done plenty of successful interviews. Still, this book helped me tailor my style to match legal job interviewers expectations. The book has excellent and specific advice that your career services office may be too shy to tell you. The advice is practical; based on feedback from lawyers who regularly interview prospects from top law schools nationwide.

As a law student, I found two chapters most helpful: 1) How to Research your Interviewer. One of the hardest questions to nail in a law job interview is, "What do you want to know about our firm?" To answer well, you have to have done your homework. The book gives you great advice on how to research the firm so you can ask intelligent questions and get meaningful answers. 2)On-campus Interviews. Understanding the OCI process--and what the interviewers have to endure--is critical to creating your interviewing strategy. The book gives give a look a the OCI process from the interviewers perspective, and gives you tactics you can use to make an impression on a tired, possibly disinterested interviewer.

It is a quick read and well organized so you can easily find the specific info relevant to your situation. I highly recommend it to anyone with a law job interview in their future--regardless of experience.