What questions might you be asked?

Firms may want to see evidence of your interest in and understanding of current affairs and the industry you are looking to work in. In this context, you might be asked to discuss a recent commercial news story or comment more generally on the industry trends that affect the firm and its clients. 

Q. What have you read about in the news recently?

Q. How does this particular news article relate to the firm and its clients?

Q. What are the major challenges facing the industry that you intend to work in?

Q. What is your opinion on [topical news story]?

Q. If you could make one change in the law, what would it be?

Q. In the next 12 to 18 months, which industry developments do you feel will have the greatest impact?

Q. If you received £1 million, how would you invest it?

News stories

In the majority of my interviews, I was - at least to some extent - able to lead the direction of the interview when discussing current affairs. Rather than facing unexpected questions about random events, I was usually asked to talk about something that I had recently read in the news or something relating to another statement I had made. For example, if you mention one of the firm’s previous deals or discuss a current topical story in your application, this may well come up during your interview. 

However, if there is a particular topic that is consistently discussed on the front pages prior to your interview (for instance, regulation, tax avoidance, a pandemic, political instability, elections, disasters, emerging markets etc.), then try to gain some insight into the topic before the interview, just in case the interviewer brings it up. 

Also be sure to check the front page of the Financial Times on the morning of your interview, just in case something major has happened. I would have been caught out had I not checked the Financial Times on the morning of my very first interview, as a major change had been announced relating to the main topic that I had prepared to discuss in the interview. The interviewer of course brought up this change as soon as discussions relating to that topic began, and had I not known what the interviewer was talking about, who knows whether I would have been offered an internship. It may well have come across as though I had only a superficial interest in current affairs.

Industry trends and challenges

Many prospective employers also ask about the industry trends and challenges that they (and their clients) are negotiating, so try to research these and consider what actions the firm could take to capitalise on any opportunities or mitigate any threats. On that note, it might be worth reading about developments relating to legal technology, as this has been a fairly hot topic in interviews in recent times. You might even be asked what you would do if you took over the firm, in which case you could propose certain courses of action or highlight potential opportunities for expansion. Remember, different firms will experience different challenges depending on their size, sector-focus and specialisms, so do not prepare generic answers to use across the board.