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What do they ask in interviews for law clerks? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter mitsui
- Start date
Why do you want to work for this company?
Tell me about yourself. (for the love of everything holy, be able to answer this. I have worded the question exactly, and most of the 'conversational' interview will flow from it.)
Where do you see yourself in five years?
What were your favourite subjects?
In what area do you see yourself working?
What are your weaknesses? (I will paypal you $10 if you answer 'kryptonite')
And so on. I highly recommend searching for interview tips on Google, as there are many guides that cover these questions and give you excellent interview tips in general.
Tell me about yourself. (for the love of everything holy, be able to answer this. I have worded the question exactly, and most of the 'conversational' interview will flow from it.)
Where do you see yourself in five years?
What were your favourite subjects?
In what area do you see yourself working?
What are your weaknesses? (I will paypal you $10 if you answer 'kryptonite')
And so on. I highly recommend searching for interview tips on Google, as there are many guides that cover these questions and give you excellent interview tips in general.
T
thegovernator
Guest
there's a funny thing on youtube about law clerkship interviews
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=WP0e26xNQGM
it;s worth a giggle.
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=WP0e26xNQGM
it;s worth a giggle.
melsc
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What your interests are?
What your fav subjects are?
How much are you expecting to be paid?
What kind of work are you interested in doing?
What are you thinking of doing when you finish uni?
What do you hope to get out of this job?
What your fav subjects are?
How much are you expecting to be paid?
What kind of work are you interested in doing?
What are you thinking of doing when you finish uni?
What do you hope to get out of this job?
T
thegovernator
Guest
How important is it to have a clear vision about what you want to do (ie a particular field within law)?
MichaelJackson2
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T
thegovernator
Guest
Just say you land a position with one of the big firms, but in the meantime your grades drop. Provided you work well for them, would your position be more insecure due to sliding grades?
melsc
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Yesterday I got asked (only including the things not here):
*What annoys me most?
*What pay I am expecting?
*Am I organised?
*Do I mind swearing?
*Do I smoke?
*How many sick days have i had at last job?
*How often do I get sick?
*Would I mind doing any of the tasks required for the job?
*Why do I want to leave my current job?
To answer two mock calls from clients (one agreeable, one high maintence)
To do a prioritising task
To do a proof reading task
*What annoys me most?
*What pay I am expecting?
*Am I organised?
*Do I mind swearing?
*Do I smoke?
*How many sick days have i had at last job?
*How often do I get sick?
*Would I mind doing any of the tasks required for the job?
*Why do I want to leave my current job?
To answer two mock calls from clients (one agreeable, one high maintence)
To do a prioritising task
To do a proof reading task
subdued123
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hello.
There was another summer clerk thing down below in the topics - search the posts i've done if you can't find it.
If you're talking about law clerk as in paralegal, then everything that has been mentioned above is relevant. But can i stress the "being yourself" element - it is important.
Don't spew out overly polished, pretty answers - they're looking for someone they can work with. That's the bottom line.
And finally, don't panic. They're just people too. And if they are pricks to you - you really need to ask, do I really want to work here?
There was another summer clerk thing down below in the topics - search the posts i've done if you can't find it.
If you're talking about law clerk as in paralegal, then everything that has been mentioned above is relevant. But can i stress the "being yourself" element - it is important.
Don't spew out overly polished, pretty answers - they're looking for someone they can work with. That's the bottom line.
And finally, don't panic. They're just people too. And if they are pricks to you - you really need to ask, do I really want to work here?
RogueAcademic
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What's the difference between a law clerk and a paralegal? I've asked this question before but no one seems to know.
subdued123
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what is the difference?
Ok.
Law Clerk
A law clerk is often at the bottom rung. You will run to court and file. You will tabulate folders and maybe even answer phones. You might be asked to do some legal stuff like researching. You might be asked to do deliveries - basically, an office allrounder who might do some legal work.
Some people also use "clerk" when referring to summer clerks - these are the people who are normally 4th yr law students who spend a summer working at a larger law firm, gaining experience. This is how most law firms recruit grads.
Paralegal
Some law firms refer to the students who work there as paralegals - hence the confusion. The roles are often the same.
However - one important distinction is that some people are career paralegals. That means that they are not qualified lawyers - they can be people who started as secretaries or have done some legal subjects/courses at a college or TAFE - but have gained enough expertise with that field of law to actually do some of the paperwork involved in a matter.
So a conveyancing paralegal will work under a lawyer - but will do more than just take calls and read NW. They will order searches, converse with other lawyers, get instructions from clients, and so on - the nitty gritty.
So in a nutshell - law clerks - young students; paralegals can refer to older, more experienced people who do quite law-focused work (don't call them law clerks - it's be disprespectful)
Ok.
Law Clerk
A law clerk is often at the bottom rung. You will run to court and file. You will tabulate folders and maybe even answer phones. You might be asked to do some legal stuff like researching. You might be asked to do deliveries - basically, an office allrounder who might do some legal work.
Some people also use "clerk" when referring to summer clerks - these are the people who are normally 4th yr law students who spend a summer working at a larger law firm, gaining experience. This is how most law firms recruit grads.
Paralegal
Some law firms refer to the students who work there as paralegals - hence the confusion. The roles are often the same.
However - one important distinction is that some people are career paralegals. That means that they are not qualified lawyers - they can be people who started as secretaries or have done some legal subjects/courses at a college or TAFE - but have gained enough expertise with that field of law to actually do some of the paperwork involved in a matter.
So a conveyancing paralegal will work under a lawyer - but will do more than just take calls and read NW. They will order searches, converse with other lawyers, get instructions from clients, and so on - the nitty gritty.
So in a nutshell - law clerks - young students; paralegals can refer to older, more experienced people who do quite law-focused work (don't call them law clerks - it's be disprespectful)
RogueAcademic
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In that case what's the distinction between a law secretary and law clerk? The job description of a law sec I've seen somewhere before looks like your description of law clerk above.
I'm not talking about a lawyer's PA whose job description appears to be more secretarial in the traditional sense.
While we're on the topic, the job description of a Judge's Associate sounds like a combination of law clerk and paralegal.
I'm not talking about a lawyer's PA whose job description appears to be more secretarial in the traditional sense.
While we're on the topic, the job description of a Judge's Associate sounds like a combination of law clerk and paralegal.
Last edited:
subdued123
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A law secretary can be a paralegal. But if the word "secretary" is included, it will often denote a person who makes calls, fills in diaries, books things, etc - a "traditional secretary".
The thing to note in today's marketplace, no one just makes coffees and answers calls - job descriptions can be quite fluid.
One final thing - clerk is often used to denote a younger person, so that can also be a point of difference. It would be unusual of a lawyer to refer to their 30 year old assistant as a "clerk".
And a tipstaff/associate to a judge usually does mainly legal research and proofreading. But they can also be PAs.
No hard and fast definitions set in stone.
The thing to note in today's marketplace, no one just makes coffees and answers calls - job descriptions can be quite fluid.
One final thing - clerk is often used to denote a younger person, so that can also be a point of difference. It would be unusual of a lawyer to refer to their 30 year old assistant as a "clerk".
And a tipstaff/associate to a judge usually does mainly legal research and proofreading. But they can also be PAs.
No hard and fast definitions set in stone.