An internship interview at a law firm is not like an interview for an associate position. Nobody asks how many matters you can handle on your own; they want to know whether you are curious, rigorous, quick to learn and pleasant to work alongside for several months in a team under pressure. The questions used to check this are fairly consistent from one firm to the next.
This article describes who interviews you, the families of questions that come up (background, law, motivation), the ones worth asking in return, and how to make your CV a genuine support for the conversation. It applies to a master’s internship as well as to a trainee lawyer’s placement.
Who interviews you and what they are looking for
In most firms, an intern’s first interview is with one or two associates from the team, sometimes joined by the person in charge of recruitment. The partner often comes in at a second stage, for a shorter conversation, or only in small firms.
This is not a detail. The associate who interviews you is the person who will give you research tasks, review your memos and correct your drafts. They ask themselves very practical questions:
- Can I give them a research task in the first week and trust the result?
- Do they write clearly? A poorly structured memo will cost me an hour of review.
- Can they say when they do not know? An intern who makes up an answer is more dangerous than one who asks a question.
- Will they keep up during busy periods without losing rigour?
The partner pays more attention to the consistency of your path, your interest in the practice area and how you would represent the firm in front of a client. Prepare the two conversations differently: more technical and practical with the associate, more focused on your plans with the partner. The questions specific to associate interviews, which are more demanding on autonomy, are covered in our article preparing for an associate interview at a law firm.
Questions about your background and grades
“Tell us about yourself in a few minutes”
This is an almost systematic opening question. It tests your ability to summarise. A good answer has three parts: your studies and what shaped your choices, your most relevant experience for this internship, and what you hope to gain at this firm. Two minutes are enough. Avoid reading your CV line by line: your interviewer has it in front of them.
“Why this master’s? Why this dissertation?”
The recruiter checks that your choices follow a logic. If your path changed direction (from public law to business law, for example), say what triggered the change: a course, an internship, a case.
“How do you explain this grade?”
Firms read transcripts, especially for M1 and M2 internships. A weak grade in a subject central to the role will often be raised. Do not over-justify it: acknowledge it, briefly explain the context if there is one, and show what you have done since (a seminar, an internship in the area, a dissertation).
“What did you take away from your previous internship?”
Answer with a concrete example: a piece of research that succeeded, a memo that was reviewed and corrected, a hearing you attended. Say what you learned, including from a mistake. It is a chance to show that you already respect confidentiality: describe the type of matter, never the client. Our article on matters and professional secrecy explains the method.
Legal questions and current affairs
Legal questions in an internship interview are not an exam. They are there to observe how you reason.
Applied course questions
“What is the difference between a penalty clause and a limitation of liability clause?”, “What is a warranty and indemnity package?”, “How is the time limit for appealing a judgment of the tribunal judiciaire calculated?”: the question almost always concerns the firm’s practice area. Revise the basic concepts of that area before the interview, with a textbook and one or two recent decisions.
If you do not know, say so, then reason out loud: where would you look for the answer, which texts would you check, what hypothesis would you make. Associates value this methodical honesty far more than an approximate answer.
Short case studies
Some firms set a case of a few lines: a client has just been served with a writ, a company wants to terminate a distribution agreement, an employee is challenging their dismissal. You are expected to give a legal characterisation, the questions to ask the client and the first lines of analysis. Not a full legal opinion.
Legal news
“Which recent decision struck you?” or “What do you think of the reform of…?” come up often. Prepare two or three topics in the firm’s practice area, read in a law journal or on a court’s website, and be ready to say how they change practice, not just what they say.
Motivation for this firm
“Why our firm?”
The worst answer is generic (“a well-known firm, interesting cases”). The right answer shows you have done your homework: practice areas, team sizes, type of clients, the balance between litigation and advisory work, a partner’s publication, a talk at a conference. Link that element to your plans.
“Why this practice area?”
Rely on what you have actually done: a course, a dissertation, an internship. If you are still hesitating between several areas, you can say so, provided you explain how this internship will help you decide.
“Where do you see yourself in a few years?”
The recruiter wants to know whether your plans fit what they can offer. For a master’s student, mentioning the CRFPA entrance exam and the wish to become an associate is natural. For a trainee lawyer, the final placement is often a door to a first associate position: say so simply if that is your wish. The article choosing your PPI and law firm placement helps you frame these plans.
Questions to ask at the end of the interview
“Do you have any questions?” is not a formality. It is your last chance to show interest and to check that the internship suits you. A few useful questions:
- How is an intern’s work divided between research, drafting and attending meetings or hearings?
- Who will I work with day to day, and how are reviews handled?
- Do interns take part in team meetings or internal training?
- What kinds of matters is the team handling at the moment, as far as you can say?
- What happens after the internship, particularly for trainee lawyers?
Avoid opening with the stipend or working hours. These points are legitimate, but they are better dealt with at the end of the process; the minimum internship stipend 🔗 is in any case set by law for internships of more than two months.
The CV as a support for the interview
Your CV will be on the table, often annotated. Every line can become a question. Three consequences follow.
Include nothing you cannot develop. A subject listed as a skill, a piece of software, a language: expect to be asked about it. “Fluent English” may trigger a question in English.
Make your experience easy to talk about. A precise bullet leads to a question you know how to answer. Compare:
- Before: “Internship at a law firm, legal research.”
- After: “Case-law research and draft memos in distribution law, preparation of lists of exhibits for two hearings before the commercial court.”
The second version steers the interview towards ground you know well.
Keep your CV consistent with your cover letter and online profile. Dates, titles and subjects must be identical everywhere.
The pre-filled trainee lawyer CV and the pre-filled legal assistant CV show experience written to be discussed. To prepare yours, the AvocatCV builder saves you hours of formatting: the layout follows law firm conventions and the PDF remains readable by the screening software some recruitment teams use.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an internship interview at a law firm last?
Often between thirty minutes and an hour for the first conversation with associates, then a shorter one with the partner. Some firms group everything into a single half-day.
Should I prepare specific legal questions?
Above all, prepare the basic concepts of the firm’s practice area and two or three current topics. You are expected to reason clearly, not to have encyclopaedic knowledge.
Can I bring notes?
Yes, a few notes on the firm and your questions are well received. Avoid reading your answers, however: the interview also tests how comfortable you are speaking.
Should I follow up after the interview?
A short thank-you message on the same day is appreciated. If no answer arrives within the announced time, a polite follow-up a week later is normal.