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K&L Gates

4.4
  • 1,000 - 50,000 employees

Application Process & Interviews at K&L Gates

8.5
8.5 rating for Recruitment, based on 29 reviews
Please describe the interview process and assessments.
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.
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
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.
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
What questions were you asked in your interviews?
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 was asked questions about myself, my experience and how I would approach certain situations.
Normal questions about my interests, overcoming challenges, dealing with competing interests etc.
Why K&L Gates as opposed to other firms
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
The interview style was quite informal and oriented towards understanding me as a person.
How I aligned to the firm in terms of both personality and ability to do the work
Law and behavior questions
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
I was asked about my previous experience, including non-law experience.
Do you have any specific tips and advice for candidates applying to your company? How would you recommend they best prepare?
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.
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.
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.
Ensure you have plenty of volunteering and co-curricular experience. Prepare to answer plenty of situation based interview questions.
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.
Understand the company very well. It is large and small at the same time - work that out.
You need to be comfortable with speaking about your achievements and not short-selling yourself.
I would say be yourself and be prepared to talk to what you like about the firm (be as specific as possible)
Prepare by thinking about your accomplishments and challanges you have faced.
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
Just be yourself
Research behavioral questions and be prepared for a round including a group interview (look up what skills you should demonstrate there)
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
Put a lot of effort into writing responses to the questions in the application stage.
Be yourself and research the firm. Know who we are and what we offer in each office.