#AfterOCI - The Callback: Know Your Audience, Know Your Story, Make a Connection

This article follows my prior post on OCI advice, and is needed because law firm callback interviews differ from on-campus “screeners” in several notable ways. Many of the existing articles on this subject (see infra Further Reading) offer tip after tip, without presenting an overarching strategy to help prepare students for their callbacks. Below I describe the key differences and provide a three-step outline for achieving callback success and ultimately landing a coveted offer from a top firm. I begin with a short overview of why firms devote time and money flying in students from across the country to spend half a day (or longer) meeting with their (often very busy) attorneys.   

This article features an in-depth approach to preparing for callbacks and maximizing your chances of getting an offer.   

For anyone wanting to skip straight to the bottom line, I believe the key to callback success is (1) doing background research on the firm (generally) and office/interviewers (specifically); (2) proactively incorporating this information into a cohesive narrative about why you are interested in that particular firm/office, and (3) making a connection with everyone you meet with during the course of your callback.   

See “Step 1” below for a downloadable one-page template I created to help structure the research process.

Overview: Why Do Callbacks?

Being invited to a callback generally means you are seen as qualified and capable of joining the firm as a first-year associate. But that’s not enough for getting an offer. Because the on-campus interview process is so truncated, firms use callbacks to spend more time attempting to determine if you are a good fit for that particular office (the whole process is highly inefficient, but that’s a story for another day).

At the most basic level, your callback interviewers are trying to figure out the following two things: (1) whether or not you will be interested in the type of work/clients that generally keep associates in that office busy (hence making it more likely that you will stick around for an appreciable period of time rather than jumping ship at the earliest possible opportunity); and (2) whether or not you will be a good “cultural” fit for the office (this includes everything from whether they like you on a personal level, to whether they think you can handle the workload/stress, to your perceived ability to interact professionally with clients/co-workers/support staff, etc). Be sure to keep both of these points in mind as you prepare for your callback.

Quick Point! You would be surprised by the lack of time and effort that many firms spend training their attorneys on how to conduct effective interviews. As a result, most callback candidates are faced with unstructured interviews that are inherently subjective. There is a great deal of research indicating that these types of interviews are not very good predictors of success and introduce the potential for a great deal of bias (see, e.g., here and here). Nevertheless, they don’t seem to be going away any time soon. This means that you will be faced with—and need to be prepared for—a wide range of different interview styles, and should make an effort to effectively manage impressions formed by your interviewers.

The Differences: Structural & Philosophical   

There are two main types of differences that typically distinguish callback interviews from on-campus interviews: one type is structural while the other is philosophical. Understanding these differences will help you better prepare for them.   

“Structural” differences include an extra 10 minutes for each interview at the law firm (30 minutes vs 20 minutes for the typical on-campus interview); 4-5 interviews without a break (the typical OCI schedule has breaks in between your interviews with different firms); and a social outing (lunch, dinner, etc). This gives you more time to make a connection with your interviewers (which is a good thing – see “Step 3” below), and also means that you will need to spend more time thinking of potential questions in case you need to carry the conversation.

“Philosophical” differences refer to the fact that for a callback interview someone (usually a committee) at the firm has already determined that your competence and qualifications exceed a specific threshold needed to potentially be hired. Your on-campus interviewer(s) have vouched for you, and said they think it is worth the time and expense of having others at the firm meet you. This should give you confidence going into your callback.

Quick Point! Don’t forget that a callback is also your opportunity to evaluate the firm as a potential employer. It is important to use that opportunity to ask specific questions about the type of work you are interested in, and to learn more about the people (potentially your future colleagues) who work in that office.

The Strategy

In an effort to once again go “beyond the basics” of Interviewing 101, here are three strategies I think law students should focus on when preparing for a callback interview: Know Your Audience; Know Your Story; Make a Connection.

Quick Point! You should certainly not ignore the “Interviewing 101” advice like getting a good night's sleep before your callback, arriving early, being polite, etc. I am treating all of those points as a given, and focusing on the things I believe can give you an edge compared to other similarly-situated candidates.   

Step 1: Know Your Audience

Anyone who has played competitive sports knows that your strategy often varies depending on who you are up against. Your likelihood of success is often dependent upon your ability to adapt your play to the unique characteristics of a given opponent. This requires doing your homework to learn more about them, which in turns allows you to change your approach and maximize your probability of success.

While obviously not a perfect analogy, it is important to realize that the questions you ask and points you emphasize during your callback should similarly be tailored to the person sitting across the table from you. For that reason, you should think strategically about the different types of lawyers that you are likely to encounter at your next callback.

Recruiting departments usually try and include a mix of seniority levels on your callback schedule—namely: Partners; Mid-to-Senior Associates; and Junior Associates. Each of these groups has a different perspective based on their current role at the firm, their practice group, work experience, etc. Here are some points to keep in mind, which may be of particular value for anyone who has not had prior experience with how large law firms are typically structured.

Quick Point! It goes without saying that the recruiting and support staff are a vital part of each firm. Everyone you encounter during the course of your day should always be treated with the utmost respect and professionalism. You should assume that their feedback will be taken into account by the recruiting committee, and any reports of candidates being disrespectful to anyone at the firm will almost certainly result in a “no offer” situation.

Partners: Partners have the most “skin in the game” of anyone on your callback schedule. They have been at the firm the longest, and (if they are an equity partner) literally own part of the company. They have often spent significant amounts of time and money developing client relationships, and the associates they hire will reflect not just on the firm generally, but on them personally. They are also the furthest removed from law school, and may have forgotten what it’s like to be in your shoes trying to make career decisions after just one year of law school.

I recommend focusing your questions for partners on “bigger picture” questions, like what skills helped them become partners, traits of the most successful associates, how the firm/office has changed over time, questions about different practice groups, and the extent to which associates are involved in business development. In other words, make an effort to demonstrate an interest in a long-term future at the firm. You should also pay special attention to whether a partner on your schedule is the head of the office, an important firm committee, etc. That attention to detail (demonstrated by asking questions about their leadership role) can go a long way in differentiating you from other candidates who didn’t bother looking up or asking about that information.

Partners have the most “skin in the game” of anyone on your callback schedule . . . They are also the furthest removed from law school, and may have forgotten what it’s like to be in your shoes trying to make career decisions after just one year of law school.

Mid-to-Senior Associates: These more senior associates often have to help run cases or deals for the partners they work for. While some may be on the “partnership track” others may not. Their primary concern is often whether you can handle the workload and work well with others on a team. You may want to focus on asking them questions about how cases are staffed, how assignments are given, and opportunities for junior associates. Providing concrete examples of situations where you have been able to work long hours and/or under pressure for extended periods of time would likely resonate with these associates. Given that they have spent 5+ years at the firm, these associates may also be well-positioned to share their perspective on work/life balance with you.

These more senior associates often have to help run cases or deals for the partners . . . You may want to focus on asking them questions about how cases are staffed, how assignments are given, and opportunities for junior associates.

Junior Associates: These lawyers are the most recent additions to the firm and the people you would most likely go with on a coffee run if you end up working at the firm. They are still learning the ropes, figuring out how things work, and cultivating relationships with more senior lawyers. Your conversations with junior associates can be less formal (junior associates often go on the lunch interviews), and are often the most helpful for understanding the types of cases and work that you would be given as a first-year associate. They still submit reviews, so don’t let your guard down too much!

These lawyers . . . are still learning the ropes, figuring out how things work, and cultivating relationships with more senior lawyers.

Know the Firm and Office: Another very important aspect of knowing your audience is researching the firm generally, as well as specifics about the office and everyone on your callback schedule. While this falls into the more “traditional” advice for callbacks, it is absolutely critical (see, e.g., comments from a Kirkland & Ellis partner). If you are serious about getting an offer, then you must spend time on the Internet doing research on Google, LinkedIn, NALP, as well as the firm’s own website. While most large law firms represent large corporate clients, they each have cases, clients, and matters unique to the firm (and office). It is your job to find matters they have handled that you think would be interesting to work on and relate that back to your background/interests (more on that in the following section). Don’t forget to ask for help from 3Ls at your school, alumni, or anyone else with a connection to someone who currently works at the firm. Any insight you can get will help you prepare and stand out from the crowd.

Click here to access a free one page worksheet I created to help law students organize their research on firms before callbacks

Step 2: Know Your Story

You will almost certainly encounter a range of interview styles during the OCI and callback interview process. Some interviewers are more freewheeling, while others methodically go through your resume bullet point by bullet point. But one commonality, whether stated or not, is that interviewers want to know if you actually want to work at their firm, in their specific office/city. As indicated above, at the callback stage you have already been vetted and deemed capable and intelligent by the firm that has called you back for office interviews. However, it’s safe to assume that each interviewer will still want to understand where you’re coming from and where you’re going (or at least what your best guess is at this point in time). This will often come up in the context of whether you are more interested in the firm’s corporate or litigation department.

So how do you prepare for this line of questioning? In my experience, the best thing to do is proactively develop a short, cohesive and genuine narrative tying together your background and interest in practicing law generally with your specific interest in working for this firm, in this particular office. That is why it is so important to do your homework, so you can help develop a story that demonstrates an authentic interest that is obvious to everyone on your interview schedule.

This is also a good opportunity to utilize talking points as suggested in my prior article on OCI advice – just be sure that you thoughtfully tailor these points based on your audience (see “Step 1” above). By doing this, you will come across as poised, confident, and someone who is ready to hit the ground running. It also helps eliminate questions when the recruiting committee meets about whether or not you are really interested in working there.

By doing this, you will come across as poised, confident, and someone who is ready to hit the ground running.

Step 3: Make a Connection

One of the best ways to stand out from the crowd is having a memorable conversation with your interviewer – in other words, making a connection. This usually happens when you are engaged in an active dialogue with your interviewer, asking them questions about their work, and what they like doing outside the office (hint: look for clues about favorite sports, teams, interests, etc as you walk into their office). This makes intuitive sense, is reflected in books like Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People (a great read for the flight to your next callback), and is validated by scientific research studies.

Given that callback interviews usually run 30+ minutes long, there is ample time (particularly at the beginning and end of the interview) for you to spend a few minutes (or more) building rapport with your interviewer. The more that you have bonded over some topic of conversation—whether academic, professional, or recreational—the more likely you will get a high score from the interviewer when they submit their evaluation to the recruiting department.

Quick Point! Make sure to be fully present, engaged and listening—even if it's your last interview at the end of a long day. At many firms, it only takes one unenthusiastic person to tank your chances of getting an offer.

The Bottom Line

After making it past the gauntlet of on-campus interviews, getting a callback is the final audition for a lucrative job as a first-year associate. Like any audition, your odds of landing the role are highly dependent on how much you prepare, and how well you execute your performance. While you can’t control every variable, you can do your homework on the firm, and think about how your interest in that specific office fits into a broader narrative about your own background/experience/etc. Finally, don’t forget to focus on finding common ground with each interviewer. The more allies advocating for you to get an offer at the weekly recruiting/hiring committee, the better. Good luck!  

Further Reading: There are a number of other articles with great tips for callbacks. Here are some of the best:

• Callbacks, continued by Rachel Gurvich
• The Secret to Callback Interview Success by Kara Reidy
• What You Should (and Shouldn’t) Do at Your Callbacks - 7 Tips by Vivia Chen
• How to Ace the Callback ... And Land That Big-Firm Job by Grover Cleveland

The author worked as an associate at a Vault Top 5 law firm in NYC and LA following his graduation from Northwestern Law in 2008. While in private practice, he gained a unique breadth and depth of experience working on high-stakes, high-profile legal matters, including his involvement in the multi-billion dollar sale of a professional sports franchise and litigation following a major financial company’s multi-billion dollar purchase of assets and certain liabilities stemming from the largest bank failure in U.S. history.

The views expressed in this article are his own and do not reflect the views of his prior firms, or current employer.