Application Process & Interviews at K&L Gates

The clerk interview process has 2 parts - individual and group. I think they allow different people to stand out and show their skills which is important in the hiring process.

It was fine. But I feel like a lot of what has been said re wellness policies and inclusive culture was a complete lie.

No problems

The standard procedure is assessment of the CV + Transcript + cover letter, then a series of interviews. Alternatively, there are some who have joined the firm through the open market and even through an internship unit at university (though these were a few years ago)

The hiring process was a smooth and easy transition. Management welcomed me and I never felt uncomfortable during the process.

The interview process was four stages: 1. submitted documentation (ie CV, a short covering letter); 2. attended intitial interview between HR & senior lawyer 3. attended group interview which encompassed a skills assessment and group task 4. final interview with HR & senior lawyer or Partner

The interview process was largely expected, except for the group interview. Initially, I was apprehensive as to its purpose, but looking back, I can now see how helpful it is for a law firm to see how candidates interact with others in a productive way. The final interview was actually quite informal and I really loved that as it put me at ease right away, allowing me to actually express who I am without being overcome by formalities.

Clerkship hiring process: 1. Online application (involving upload of CV, cover letter and transcript, and answering several targeted short-response questions) 2. First round interview with a Partner or Senior Lawyer and HR Representative - this is quite a casual (while still professional, of course) affair, with a real focus on getting to know you as the candidate. 3. Second round group interview - this is a problem based interview session, with groups of 4-8 on each table working under the guidance of a Partner or Senior Lawyer and/or HR Representative. 4. Verbal offers

I had started at the firm as a clerk and went through an online questionnaire and the standard documentation. This was followed by an interview with HR and a senior lawyer wherein questions were mostly related to my personality and trying to ascertain a culture fit with the firm. This was followed by a group workshop wherein legal issues was posed to teams of candidates and we were supervised by senior lawyers.

I was hired open-market and the interview process was long and the same as every other firm. However, I have noticed that this year (with the introduction of group networking events) that has changed.

2 rounds of interviews. Both interviews were non-threatening and conversational style.

I had an initial interview for the clerkship process and other than that only one casual coffee with HR before offers day.

There were no psychometric assessments or other tests, outside of the standard interview process. Two rounds of interviews were conducted - first round with a HR representative, and the second round with two Partners of the firm.

online application followed by two interviews with a partner and HR

Standard two interviews with mix of set questions and general discussion

Generally it is a 2 stage interview process with either a group interview followed by a panel interview or an interview with HR followed by an interview with 2 senior lawyers

Written application and application questions. First round interview and a group selection process based on a legal scenario.

Two stage interview for clerkship. After clerkship, an application process for the graduate program.

Lengthy and drawn out.

Hiring process consisted of a formal interview, a second meeting with junior staff, followed by a floor walk to meet people around the office. A final less formal interview over coffee with a partner.

To talk about my self/introduce myself, talk about experiences, about times I've experienced conflict, how many firms I was applying to, if I would pick KLG as my first preference, and what teams I am interested in.

I can't remember

Various range of questions

What my intentions were at the company, How I could bring value to the organisation and what my future plans were.

I was asked about my previous experience, including non-law experience.

situational questions - ie what would you do in this situation? Behavioural questions - when I have fostered diversity in work etc, why i want the role

Law and behavior questions

How I aligned to the firm in terms of both personality and ability to do the work

The interview style was quite informal and oriented towards understanding me as a person.

very different from typical interview questions - there were more focused on commercial awareness and how your experiences can relate to it a few behavioural questions as per usual but not many

Why K&L Gates as opposed to other firms

Normal questions about my interests, overcoming challenges, dealing with competing interests etc.

I was asked questions about myself, my experience and how I would approach certain situations.

The questions mostly were related to my interests, my academic experiences, my work experience and general personality traits. It was more to ascertain whether I was a correct fit for the company culture and was personable enough rather than rigorous questioning of my expertise.

I cannot recall what I was specifically asked during my interviews, but I do remember walking out of the interviews and being concerned I had talked too much or had become too relaxed and chatty during the interview.

I was asked to discuss my previous work experience, how I had handled various challenges and why I wanted to work for the company.

I was asked about time I had spent overseas, why I had gone there, why I came back, what I was interested in and what my most regular nightclub was.

Behavioural and experience questions. It was pretty standard, no surprises.

Various questions seeking to determine my ability to work in a team, and to gauge my understanding of and enthusiasm for various areas of law.

Questions about experience, interests, goals and why I want to work at the firm.

It is a pretty stressful process so I would recommend trying to take it all in their stride and learn from every interview whether they are successful or not. To best prepare I think people should know a bit about the firm and prominent work we have done, and also be ready to answer questions about yourself.

Show personality

Know the firm and apply because you genuinely like what you see. Have a look at our website, and know what you are talking about. People know when you are being genuine vs those who have looked up the home page of the K&L Gates website 5 minutes before applying for the role!

Don't be afraid to show your true colours, K&L is all about inclusivity and no matter who you are there will be a place for what you bring here.

Be yourself and research the firm. Know who we are and what we offer in each office.

Put a lot of effort into writing responses to the questions in the application stage.

On top of showcasing your intellectual and legal ability, be open-minded and think broadly.

Consider what you can bring to role - from everywhere - whether its your personal life experiences, work experience, commercial experience

Research behavioral questions and be prepared for a round including a group interview (look up what skills you should demonstrate there)

Just be yourself

Prepare by familiarising yourself with what the firm does. Be able to answer the question, why you are interested in commercial law, and why you think the firm would be a good fit? Also, be yourself, try to stay relaxed, and make the interview as conversational as possible.

really have a think about the practical and commercial side of legal work - and tie that to your own experience to demonstrate your understanding of not just the black letter law, but how it plays out in the commercial world

Prepare by thinking about your accomplishments and challanges you have faced.

I would say be yourself and be prepared to talk to what you like about the firm (be as specific as possible)

After filling in so many clerkship applications and re-writing the same boring cover letter. It was refreshing to see that the firm's cover letter was limited to a short 300 word reflection of me.

You need to be comfortable with speaking about your achievements and not short-selling yourself.

Ensure you have plenty of volunteering and co-curricular experience. Prepare to answer plenty of situation based interview questions.

Understand the company very well. It is large and small at the same time - work that out.

Just be you. It sounds cliché, but honestly, the people at the firm are real people and want to get to know the real you - being genuine is the best way to showcase your talents.

Be comfortable and reflect on yourself. By presenting your best (but still true) self to the interviewers they will be able to gain insight into how you work and operate as a human being beyond being a lawyer. A member of HR found that my answers to the questionnaire were more related to genuine expressions of my interests rather than attempts to pander to the firm.