Hey!Hey guys, I have a partner interview coming up, and it's my first one, and Idk how to prepare well for it. Should I prepare for it the same way as I prepare for an HR Interview but focus more on technical questions?
Congratulations on the interview invite!
I would say that a partner interview tends to be a hybrid type that emphasises your overall judgment and fit to the firm.
A few pointers that might help (from my experience with partner interviews):
- Technical questions, if any, will typically be quite high-level (e.g. spotting issues, weighing up risks, or explaining how you would approach a problem), rather than detailed law. It might help to practice strengths-based questions or scenario questions (i.e. "What would you do if..."), as these are likely to come up.
- There is usually much more emphasis on your motivations and commercial awareness, rather than competency questions (though there may still be a few of the latter) - e.g. why this firm, why law, and why you.
- They are often interested in how you think and communicate, rather than whether you know the "correct" answer. As long as you can explain your thought process in a clear way, you should be able to tackle any question (even if it is slightly unexpected!).
- I'd generally expect a more conversational style - the partners could probe your answers (which is completely normal, and doesn't mean you are wrong!), ask questions about your legal career / education so far, and discuss their own work at the firm.
I hope that assists, and best of luck with the interview!!