28 Kingsley Napley Interview Questions & Answers
1. To be successful here at Kingsley Napley, we want to ensure that you are motivated each and every day on the job with our clients. What drew you to working with patent and trademark law?
How to Answer
At the heart of this question, your interviewer will be looking to hear what your personal motivation was to pursue a legal career working with patents, trademarks, copyrights and/or trade dress. Whether your drive stemmed from a background and passion in science or the firm belief in artists/inventors/creators owning their own work, be sure to speak passionately about your pursuit of work in this field and leave your interviewer convinced that you are ready to come to work everyday at Kingsley Napley to best represent their clients.
1st Answer Example
"While I always knew that law school was in my future from the start of high school, I always had a passion for the sciences like chemistry and physics. This naturally led to a legal career in intellectual property. Out of law school, I had the chance to represent one of the large electronics manufacturers here in the United States and helped them patent many great technologies that have shaped the future of entertainment as we know it today. I would look forward to bringing this same skill and motivation to your clients here at Kingsley Napley."
2nd Answer Example
"I am a firm believer that a person needs to be invested in their work and passionate about their work and I know I have found that in working in intellectual property law. Growing up, my parents were artists and since I've been working in the small boutique firm setting, I've been able to work closely with artists, musicians and filmmakers in their pursuit of copyrights and trademarks. As I look to move on to a place like Kingsley Napley, I've developed and honed my skills to take on bigger clients in their pursuits and am ready for the challenge here."
2. Talk about a time your ethics were challenged on the job. How do you react to those situations in the legal profession?
How to Answer
The legal field in general unfortunately will always provide ethical challenges for those that work in the field and life is no different at Kingsley Napley. Your interviewer will be looking to hear that you are able to separate your own personal ethical standards from business matters by having you cite an example where you had to do this. In your answer, talk about the situation and even feel free to talk about why you were challenged ethically in that situation. In the end, make sure that your interviewer sees that you have the ability to separate personal feelings from your job.
1st Answer Example
"During my career, there have been a few times where the attorney-client privilege has certainly tested my personal beliefs and opinions but I always keep level headed and focused on the rights of my client. In this business, the client is priority number one and this was most tested when I had a client that was being held on a string of charges, the worst in my mind being child neglect. During our initial conversation in the jail, she admitted to going on long drug binges and failing to feed her children and bathing them properly. Being a parent and a caring person, these accounts were extremely hard to hear first hand from someone. Hearing her rationalize her actions towards her children was making me extremely mad on the inside, but I had to and did remain focused on gathering the facts from her and proceeding forward."
2nd Answer Example
"Last year, our firm was handling the defendant's case of a very high profile case in our city. While I have known that this would one day happen with the sudden prominence of social media, I noticed many family, friends and community members were posting incorrect facts about the case and the rumor mill was certainly starting to spread around town. Being a part of the discovery of the case, I knew that most of the rumors just weren't true. As much as I wanted to correct people, I had to maintain strict confidentiality and wait for the facts to play out at trial."
3. What are some of the key components that you would advise clients here at Kingsley Napley to include in their employee handbook?
How to Answer
Employment law requires some working knowledge of the ins and outs of a functional employee handbook and your potential role at Kingsley Napley may find you advising clients on edits to their handbook or creating a new one. For your answer, speak to the legal aspects of what should to be included in an employee handbook to help protect employers from legal action against their employees.
1st Answer Example
"While federal law doesn't require employers to have a formalized handbook for their employees, I will always advise clients to create a handbook for existing staff and new hires that is available in both hard copy and electronic versions for easy access. The first key area I will focus on is a section for local, state and federal fair labor laws and this section of the handbook also includes collective bargaining agreements, when applicable. The next sections, often the most important to protect against legal action down the road, include things like at-will employment clause, FMLA, EEO, drug free workplace policy and time and attendance policies. Throughout my career, I've helped many employers create new and highly functional handbooks and consider myself a great resource in this area."
2nd Answer Example
"While the standard legal issues surrounding attendance, leaves of absence and benefits are fairly standard in today's age, my inspection of existing handbooks really tries to nail down overly broad statements that can cause legal issues for organizations. A great example of this was with a client a couple of years ago that had a policy prohibiting photos or videos being taken by employees during their work hours. Their broadly painted policy in the handbook didn't get to the root cause of the issue: no cameras or video recording devices were allowed on premise. I helped them rewrite the policy to include this language and also added additional language on prohibited phone usage during work."
4. Talk about the most difficult work situation you have found yourself in and explain how you used sound judgement to find a great outcome?
How to Answer
During your training and through your career up to this point, you have certainly faced some difficult situations that you could easily discuss with your interviewer. But your interviewer isn't so much interested in the situation here as they are in your ability to think on your feet and use your best personal judgement to make the situation better. In the example you give, be sure to prepare for a time where you can exemplify this ability with success.
1st Answer Example
"Early in my career as a litigator for a large firm that handled criminal defense cases, I was slammed with a very large caseload almost always. In the months leading up to the Christmas period, I had three high profile trials that were all progressing to dates that would fall very near each other. After motioning to have some of the cases moved around with no leniency from the court, I had to think fast and work ahead as much as possible to ensure that all three cases were handled to the best of my ability. When crunch time came, I approached a colleague and their paralegal for all of the help I could get and they willingly obliged. With all three cases heading to trial without a hitch, I was very thankful for my resourcefulness and made sure to pay the favor back to my colleague the next time he needed it!"
2nd Answer Example
"During my time arbitrating employment disputes for the state of California and mostly handling unemployment cases, I encountered one particularly difficult situation where things got physical in the conference room of the county workforce resource center. My cases mostly involved disputes when companies would fight the payment of unemployment benefits based on malfeasance of the employee. During one particular case, a tow truck company was disputing a claim by a terminated employee and during arbitration, the supervisor from the company accused the terminated employee of harassing other employees and creating a fearful work environment. With that said, the terminated employee reached over the table and grabbed the supervisor by the collar of his shirt and started swinging. Being a female that is small in stature, my first instinct was to run and grab a member of the building's security team and they reacted quickly. When matters had settled, I immediately postponed the hearing and warned both parties that security would be present in a week when we met again. A final warning to the terminated employee was to let him know that charges would be pressed if any outbursts should occur the next time."
5. What do you feel is the most important skill that you possess that makes you effective in the litigation/arbitration process?
How to Answer
This is a twofold question where your interviewer is allowing you to talk about what you feel your best skills is as a litigator and/or arbitrator as well as letting you talk about what you feel is the most important quality of someone who is successful at trial or arbitration. Speak to your top strength and prove that it is vital to your success by using a specific example of a time that you've put it to use on the job.
1st Answer Example
"Really my number one reason for pursuing a career in law has turned out to be what has made me the most successful I could be in my career and that is my verbal communication skills. In the courtroom setting, my persuasive skills come from a concise and logical place and this sits well with judges and juries alike. My communications skills extend to an innate ability to listen attentively and be witty enough to ask great follow up questions during cross examination."
2nd Answer Example
"If I am lucky enough to be hired here at Kingsley Napley, you'll quickly find that my attention to detail makes me stand out from any other paralegal you have had on staff here. During the pre-trial process, I spend the extra time to dig for information that can help my firm win their case and any of the attorneys that I've worked alongside during my career would be willing to tell you that as well. Last year, I was researching a case and my close inspection of police reports noticed a blatant error made by officers during the arrest of a client. This was enough to have all charges dropped and put a big win on the books for our firm."
6. Employment law often involves deep human emotion when bonds are supposedly broken between employee and employer. How do you separate your personal feelings and emotions when involved with a case?
How to Answer
This question gets to the root of your ability to keep your own personal feelings and biases out of your work while working to the letter of the law in what is best for your clients. In the practice of employment law, you have been involved with cases that have involved potential injustice to the rights of workers and/or employers and you need to stress your ability to keep your own thoughts and feelings separate from your work. The best way to do so is through an example or two of a case that you worked on.
1st Answer Example
"Recently, I was consulting a large employer that was moving forward with a mass layoff and part of my role was to ensure that the organization was selecting the right employees to layoff based on performance records. I spent many days reviewing performance reviews, improvement plans and disciplinary actions and my own personal thought was that the employer was really an organization filled with high performing people. While in my heart I felt for the employees that would soon be out of work, my duty to the organization was to help them take the best action legally and I did just that through a thorough and well documented process. If hired here at Kingsley Napley, I will bring the ability to remain focused on the best interest of your clients at all times."
2nd Answer Example
"As part of my pursuit of my law degree, I received great advice to train in emotional intelligence and the training I received has both helped me be able to relate to and recognize the emotions of other and also to recognize and control my own emotions in the legal setting. A couple of years ago, I was representing an employer that was facing a wrongful termination lawsuit. During the discovery period, quite an extensive list of emails that included discriminatory remarks and harassment toward the terminated employee surfaced. I knew that the emails were certainly wrong and made me personally feel horrible for the employee, I was still able to focus on my representation of the organization and proceeding through the case ethically and professionally."
7. What do you feel are the key qualities that a great attorney should have?
How to Answer
For this question, your interviewer is really giving you the chance to highlight your own qualities that you feel you could bring to the success of the team at Kingsley Napley. They know that many qualities make a great attorney and are looking to hear what you feel your best attributes are. Speak passionately about the qualities that you will bring to the team at Kingsley Napley and explain why they are important to success.
1st Answer Example
"To me, the key qualities of a great attorney are research skills, analytical skills and people skills and I bring these attributes every day to my work. The passion for this career really stemmed from my ability to be analytical and a passion for law and further research into our changing world has helped build my success to this point. In now looking to focus my practice more in the corporate world with Kingsley Napley, my research and analytical skills would help to build your practice to new heights and I'd greatly look forward to the opportunity to showcase the qualities here."
2nd Answer Example
"Throughout my career, I've been fortunate to have worked with an array of very talented and inspirational attorneys. As I've analyzed their work, I've found that a common thread between the best attorneys has been their creativity and their sound judgement skills under pressure. Creativity to find new solutions for clients and think outside the box when necessary comes naturally to me in my work and I'd look forward to bringing this quality to the clients here at Kingsley Napley."
8. Here at Kingsley Napley, we often have to work with very difficult clients. What would be your steps toward effectively working with a difficult client?
How to Answer
Clients going through the legal process can often be at their worst and for this question, your interviewer is looking to see how you specifically deal with clients that are difficult. Rather than focusing your answer on the details of the client in your example, highlight your techniques and qualities that make you effective in working with and handling difficult clients. Stress the importance of putting clients in this situation at ease to be able to move forward in a seamless working relationship.
1st Answer Example
"Throughout my career to this point, I've worked with many clients that were experiencing a very difficult time and this has often translated into them being angry or sad. In these times, my ability to keep a level head and to be able to empathize with them is key to helping them get more centered in the moment. I hear them out and reflect back their feelings to show them that I care about their situation and understand what they are going through. When this sinks in with them, they are able to move forward from their feelings and start talking about the fine details of their situation."
2nd Answer Example
"With clients that are feeling stressed and angry about their situation, it is important for me to be as respectful and educational as possible and my tactic for doing this is to keep them focused on the future and moving forward rather than reflecting on their unfortunate situation the brings them to me. I always focus on their options moving forward and how I will work with them to achieve the best results possible and this always helps shift their focus to moving forward. This is vital to resetting their focus and changing their attitude towards hope rather than anger."
9. What drew you to an interest in pursuing a career in real estate law? What excites you each day to be successful in this area?
How to Answer
For this question, your interviewer is really looking for your own personal motivation to be successful in your career choice. Be sure to hit on the skills and abilities that you possess that make you successful in real estate law while also reiterating that you are easily motivated each and every day on the job. Both Kingsley Napley and their clients will depend on your ability to do so.
1st Answer Example
"Going to law school as really an open book and looking to find my niche, real estate law was very easy for me to gravitate to because of my ability to be detailed in contracts and agreements while upholding the letter of the law. I also really loved the opportunity to work with very high profile clients on helping their businesses succeed through new land purchases. Still being pretty young in my career, my main motivator are my clients that I represent and they are truly the only need I have to be motivated for success in my work."
2nd Answer Example
"Growing up, I watched my mother thrive as a real estate agent in my hometown and she motivated me to pursue a license to sell property while attending school for my undergraduate degree. As I sold some homes and realized my knack in the field, may passion for large scale transactions was really my main motivator to pursue a law degree and eventually practice in real estate law. To this day, nothing excites me more than working with a client on a successful transaction."
10. One common legal aspect that we work closely on with clients here at Kingsley Napley is zoning for large scale construction and/or purchases. What experience do you have in working with local zoning laws?
How to Answer
Whether you've worked with large organizations or private individuals throughout your career, knowing and consulting on local zoning laws is an important aspect of real estate law and your interviewer will be looking to hear that you are knowledgeable and experienced in this area of the law. Talk in detail about the experience you have working in zoning and don't hesitate to bring up a success story you may have in advising a client on zoning laws.
1st Answer Example
"Being well versed in Illinois zoning laws and those in particular around the suburbs of Chicago, I worked with a very large manufacturing company a couple of years ago on applying for a change in zoning for them to build a large distribution center in a development that was originally zoned for residential housing. Being that it had been years since the first two houses built had been sold, our argument of adding significant jobs to the area and the potential to bring more business to the area was a real no-brainer for the city. During the meeting to review, I was very pleased when all of our hard work had paid off and the city rezoned the area and ground was broken just months later for the company."
2nd Answer Example
"I think a unique part of my career that makes me a great fit here at Kingsley Napley is my experience working with clients and local boards of zoning appeals. As you can see from my resume and experience, I have spent time practicing in California and I worked with several Temecula Valley wineries on obtaining proper zoning for their vineyards through the local boards of appeals. I put together facts and helped write new zoning for the wineries that met both the needs of my clients and the counties to promote true win-win situations for all."
11. What was your motivation for pursuing a career in the field of law/legal services?
How to Answer
As your experience and education were reviewed and desired by the hiring manager for the position you are interviewing for, this question is giving them the chance to really hear about your own personal motivators for your career in law. This is an opportunity for you to show what has driven you up to this point in your career and what will continue to drive you to help bring success to Kingsley Napley. Be open and honest with your interviewer as you give them insight into your own personal motivating factors.
1st Answer Example
"My venture into a career as a lawyer stemmed from my passion for helping people meeting with my desire to be intellectually challenged throughout my career. I love the fact that I've had to stay on my toes throughout my career to this point to learn and be up to date on changes in laws as they relate to my clients. I am a lifelong learner in this field and I always look forward to new educational opportunities for myself in this field. Along with this, I absolutely love working with clients and their legal rights. I am a client first advocate in the legal profession and my work is ultimately for them."
2nd Answer Example
"My passion for the field of law stemmed my pursuit of a degree as a Paralegal. My aunt is a very successful trial attorney and she was definitely a role model for me during my teenage years. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to shadow her for a two day period for a report my sophomore year of high school and the drive to be in this field was ingrained at that point. Having worked as a Paralegal for five years now, I have a desire to pursue a Juris Doctorate degree and am slowly preparing for the LSAT's now."
12. When we look for diligent and effective people to join our real estate law team here at Kingsley Napley, the ability to effectively research legal options and write contracts are vital to our success as a firm. Talk about your ability to excel in these a
How to Answer
With local and state laws being so unique in real estate, the need to effectively learn and research the laws couples with the need to be able to write effective deeds and contracts. To prove your worth to Kingsley Napley, talk about your experience in working in real estate law as it applies to both research and writing and be sure to talk about a specific example where you were able to customize/personalize a deed or contract based on your abilities.
1st Answer Example
"Having practiced in Oregon for the last eight years, I worked with many clients on the local Homestead laws and last year I worked with a family in a unique situation after the father had passed away. Facing some financial trouble from many avenues, I recommended that the family first focus on debts surrounding their property and mortgage as financing on the home and property were not a part of the Homestead exemption. I researched the best way for them to claim the exemption when creditors were coming for their home and the family was really held together in the end by their ability to keep their home and property."
2nd Answer Example
"Having worked as a Paralegal on the real estate side for a few years now, I have a wealth of experience in drafting purchase agreements, title documents and mortgage documents. In my current position, I have to work around a great deal of local and state laws and I fully realize that I would have a steep learning curve of local laws here at Kingsley Napley. If hired for this position, my first goal would be to learn local nuances to contracts and other documents so I could be up and running as part of the team as quick as possible."
13. What experience do you have in working with large scale construction companies on state and federal regulations? Would this be an area that would interest you?
How to Answer
Regulatory law firms are often called upon to represent large construction companies to ensure that all federal, state and local regulations are being met throughout a project. These companies can range from home building contractors to road construction companies. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to hear what type of experience you have in the broad area of working with construction outfits. If you don't have direct experience in this area, be sure to talk about some areas of construction regulations that you may have experience in. Example of this could be alternative dispute resolution, OSHA, building codes or insurance.
1st Answer Example
"With my current firm, we represent a couple of large construction companies and my role as a paralegal has me drafting payment agreements, contracts and completing applications for building permits and zoning. If hired for this position, I would be able to hit the ground running as I have familiarity with regulations in the state of New Jersey ."
2nd Answer Example
"This area definitely does interest me as I have had a lot of success in both settling cases both outside litigation and with litigation. Last year, I represented a commercial builder in a construction defect lawsuit that went to trial. The work of myself and my firm helped save the builder a large amount of money in a potential lawsuit based strictly on how the contract was written. Seeing it hold up at trial was very satisfying to me professionally."
14. Do you have any particular areas of wage and hour laws that particularly interest you?
How to Answer
A large firm like Kingsley Napley often prefers staff to sub-specialize to be of best use to clients as subject matter experts. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to gauge your familiarity with the different aspects of wage and hour laws and where you find your abilities are best suited. There are no right or wrong answers for this question as your interviewer will be looking to see what clients you will best be suited in representing if hired for the position.
1st Answer Example
"A majority of cases that I have represented during my career so far have revolved around exemption status laws under the FLSA. I have a great working knowledge of the salary basis tests and duties tests to advise clients to make proper decisions when considering statuses of their positions. With changes in law, like we just had recently regarding the minimum salary level for exemption, I am thoroughly versed in changes when they happen and can take swift action with clients to ensure compliance."
2nd Answer Example
"I've always had a particular interest in the child labor laws as I feel the United States is falling faster behind the world when it comes to preparing our future through our youth. I've been an advocate at the federal level for real changes in the surrounding this aspect, but I have also advised and represented organizations in their child labor practices in the food and hospitality industries. I think my experience and passion in this area would be a unique fit for the team here at Kingsley Napley."
15. What in particular about our firm here at Kingsley Napley interests you both personally and professionally?
How to Answer
Kingsley Napley and your interviewer are looking to find the perfect match for the position that you are interviewing for and to do this, they are looking to hear firsthand what truly interests you in the firm. Be sure to do your research on Kingsley Napley and be able to speak about an aspect or two that appeals to you both personally and professionally. Putting a personal touch on your answer will help your interviewer understand that you will be invested into your job and be more likely to stay for the long haul versus your competition for the position.
1st Answer Example
"As I've been searching for the right firm to join, the one aspect about Kingsley Napley that really appeals to me is your international exposure and client base. My background and strong Spanish speaking skills could be a great asset to your firm and my desire to practice in international tax and corporate law would fit very well with what you are looking for."
2nd Answer Example
"In all honesty, this position is the only one that would pull me away from my current practice and that drawing factor that you have here at Kingsley Napley is your reputation. The class, dignity and knowledge that are present among the staff here is world class and definitely a practice that I would take great pride in being a part of."
16. Strong time management is important at Kingsley Napley. How do you manage your time, even on the busiest days?
How to Answer
The interviewer would like to know more about the types of tools you use to stay on task and meet deadlines when faced with multiple clients under a large caseload. Discuss how you prioritize when everything demands your attention at once. Think about the ways you manage your projects and daily tasks and how those will help you to succeed in your role with Kingsley Napley. Don't hesitate to talk about how you use other resources, including people, to help ensure a job well done and satisfied clients.
1st Answer Example
"I manage my time by exercising the idea of 'time-blocking' and this approach means that I won't incessantly check my email. Instead, I will allow myself to return emails in 30-minute time blocks, four times per day. Doing this has really helped me maintain focus on specific cases without external distractions. Setting calendar alerts on both my phone and my Outlook calendar and personal deadlines for myself has also helped a lot to keep me organized and on track in my day to day work."
2nd Answer Example
"In all reality, this is a very delicate balance in the life of a paralegal and I feel like I've struck a great balance to managing my time through prioritization. This starts with getting to know the attorneys that I work under and their work preferences and cases. Once I have a firm grasp on those things, I'm able to prioritize my work to get the urgent matters taken care of first and then move on to the routine or down the road type of items. The clients and cases themselves must also be weighed into this equation."
17. Do you have any experience in working with tenancy and leasing laws?
How to Answer
Whether commercial or residential, many property owners look to Kingsley Napley to help draft lease agreements and your interviewer will be looking to hear firsthand about the experience you have in this realm of the law. Talk to your interviewer about the importance of factoring in local and state laws in all lease agreements and speak to your experience in representing clients in this area.
1st Answer Example
"During my time working for XYZ Law Firm in Dallas, I helped draft lease agreements for large scale property ownership groups that were leasing residential apartments and condos in the city. As the paralegal representing the real estate team, it was my job to know and include Texas' legal obligation of landlords to return security deposits within 30 days of lease termination. I also worked directly with clients on some of the fine details of the agreement that included due dates for rent, procedures for requesting maintenance and pet policies."
2nd Answer Example
"A significant part of my practice while in Colorado was working with commercial developers who were leasing both office and retail space in the heavily growing areas of the state. In drafting commercial lease agreements, I became very well versed in working with local zoning laws to include minute details in the agreements that obeyed local law to protect my clients. A great example of this was including details of number of parking spots designated under each lease and business hours permitted by local law."
18. Where do you feel you could use some improvement in the litigation/arbitration process at this point in your career?
How to Answer
While this may seem like the age old question of pointing out your biggest weakness, it is important for you to see this question as more of an opportunity to point out where you may have some inexperience or deficiencies. This gives you the ability to talk about personal growth in your career and what you have done or would like to do to grow professionally in this area.
1st Answer Example
"Having come out of law school and began in a high stress, high case load environment for the past six years, I haven't been able to really hone in on and craft my time management skills to the point I would like to. I most often relied on our paralegals and office secretary to keep me organized when things were busy. Coming to this role with Kingsley Napley, I would look to learn from others about their best methods for time management without relying on the assistance of others."
2nd Answer Example
"As you can see from my experience on my resume, a majority of my litigation experience has come in the area of labor laws, work comp and FMLA. Now, I am at a point in my career where I'd love to branch out and hone my skills in other areas that interest me and I believe that opportunity exists for me here at Kingsley Napley. In talking with some of your colleagues here, I'd love to take on and be a part of cases that involve the environment and energy."
19. With our diverse range of clients here at Kingsley Napley, are there any specific areas of intellectual property law that interest you the most?
How to Answer
For this question, be open and honest with your interviewer in talking about where your interests fall within your legal practice. This will better help them assess where and how you will fit with the team and best align you with the right clients if you are hired for the position. Do your research on Kingsley Napley to find out if there are any particular areas that they specialize in and be sure to read the position description in detail when you apply to pick up on any cues for what they may be looking for in this hire and use that knowledge to your advantage.
1st Answer Example
"While I have a broad range of skills as a paralegal in intellectual property, I have loved working with trademarks for some very high profile clients. Being a sports fan, I have helped in the registration process for two major sports teams in their trademarking of their logo."
2nd Answer Example
"Since I start practicing law during the advent of the internet age, I became very adept at representing and litigating cases involving illegal distribution of copyrighted materials. My experience has involved me working with musicians and authors on their material being used illegally. My experience in this realm would help me bring unique experiences and expertise to the team here at Kingsley Napley."
20. Talk about a time that you had to think on your feet on the job. What was the situation and what was your thought process for acting quickly?
How to Answer
Working in the legal field and potentially in the future with Kingsley Napley will require a natural ability to think and act quickly when face with adversity. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to hear about that you had to do just so. In your answer, paint a clear picture of the situation that you were faced with and describe what it took for you to think and act quickly. In the end, make sure that great results were achieved due to your ability to think on your feet and react in a positive manner.
1st Answer Example
"Last year, I was defending what I thought was a routine DUI case that we had prepared to help my client proceed to trial on. During the arrest, local law enforcement had failed to both read her Miranda Rights to her and also promptly test blood alcohol content. I felt we had a pretty slam dunk case to get the charges dropped. When in questioning though, my client began admitting her guilt and also confessing to being under the influence of other narcotics as well at the time. In a last ditch effort to protect my client, I immediately asked the judge for a delay in proceedings. It was allowed, but only after questioning had finished. At that point, my client read the writing on the wall that she was obviously saying too much and she quieted down from there during questioning. Coming back from break, I proceeded to break down the facts that the county had failed to show proof of intoxication at the time of arrest and the charges were later dropped."
2nd Answer Example
"Early in my career as a Paralegal, I had a very upset client come into our office demanding that he speak to his attorney immediately. Being the only person manning the front of the office that day and knowing that his attorney was out of office that day, I calmly asked the client to explain the need for meeting with his attorney and assured him that I would get any messages to the attorney. While the client continued with his questions and concerns in a very heated tone, I reflectively listened and empathized with what they were going through to the point where he eventually calmed down and asked great questions for advice. In the end, I was able to connect the two later that day and likely could've helped diffuse a potentially bad situation with my ability to stay calm and empathetic with the individual."
21. Talk about a recent time on the job you were working under pressure or stress. How did you cope with that situation and ensure everything was handled smoothly?
How to Answer
In the legal field, working under pressure should come naturally to you. Working with multiple clients on multiple cases under tight deadlines is something you've likely faced many time throughout your career to this point, so be sure to talk about a recent time that you handled with ease. Highlight the little things that you do that ensure each client and case is handled to the best of your ability and don't hesitate to point out to your interviewer that you will be able to handle situations like this when faced with them while working for Kingsley Napley.
1st Answer Example
"A couple of months ago, a colleague went out on maternity leave and we all had to work together at my firm to pick up the slack for our clients. While handling a full work load myself, the ability to handle everything with ease started with my ability to maintain self control and handle tasks one by one. Keeping a running to do list is important for me and I have the ability to prioritize and even delegate when needed and those abilities were key during this time. In the end when my colleague came back, I received some letters from clients that were very pleased with my service and a colleague that was extremely happy for the help provided."
2nd Answer Example
"Recently, my job had a huge influx of new clients when we added a new attorney to our practice. Without adding another body as a Paralegal, I took the extra work on with my head up and a smile on my face. The key for me was to keep a level head and remain as organized as possible to ensure that key tasks weren't missed. My organization starts with a running tasks list and updated calendar in Microsoft Outlook. This is a vital tool to help me during times of stress and certainly helped me during this time. Once the heavy work load fizzled, two of the partners at my firm surprised me with a lunch to thank me for my help."
22. What are your interests and hobbies outside of work?
How to Answer
While this question can be a pretty standard interview question, the motivation of the interviewer here is two-fold. First, law firms can often operate like a family and life at Kingsley Napley is no different. Your interviewer will be looking to see if you will be a cultural and personal fit with the team so be sure to be open and honest with what personally interests you. Second, having personal interests that tie into the organization is important so be sure to do your research on Kingsley Napley and the job and try to think of hobbies of your that directly relate to them.
1st Answer Example
"My biggest passion when I'm not advocating for clients is being outdoors. My family and I are avid hikers, kayakers and bikers and we spend all of the time we can in the great outdoors. For me personally, being outside really helps me re-energize and prepare for a new day ahead on the job. Other than being outside, another hobby of mine is reading and I've been very entranced lately in historical books about the drafting of the United States Constitution."
2nd Answer Example
"Outside of work, my loves in my life are my family and personal fitness. I avidly participate in running and biking events and have recently been training to run my first marathon this upcoming summer. Family interests include athletics for my two sons, who actively participate in baseball, cross country and basketball. We spend many evenings and weekends traveling around the state to watch them and cheer them on and I wouldn't trade those experiences for anything in the world."
23. How do you prevent burnout and remain highly motivated?
How to Answer
Working in the legal industry means a lot of hours and rarely turning your brain off due to a fast-pace and high expectations. Talk to the interviewer about your ability to remain motivated, even if you are asked to work a lot. Discuss how you make sure that you are not burning out on the job when a large caseload demands your time and effort on the job.
1st Answer Example
"I was taught early on in my career that planning a case clearly, from start to finish, is a great way to prevent burnout and keep motivation high and I use this technique to keep me going on the evenings and nights that require it. When expectations are set forth right away, this minimizes my stress and keeps me moving at a manageable pace. The other way I prevent burnout personally is by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly. If my body is in peak shape, my mind follows closely behind and I feel this is important in our field."
2nd Answer Example
"Preventing burnout during those tough, long weeks can be difficult at times and for me, it is important that I vary the tasks that I am doing some to avoid mental fatigue. Last year, my current firm had a huge influx of cases and I was the paralegal assigned to the litigation team and this involved almost an entire month of 12 plus hour days. On those evenings in the office, we made sure that we had fun as a team by ordering dinner, playing 'Name that Tune' on the radio and even practicing our karaoke skills. Doing so helped motivate us and crank out all of the work we possibly could while having fun."
24. At Kingsley Napley, employee satisfaction is very important. To ensure that you would be happy here, what brings you satisfaction in your day to day work?
How to Answer
With the varying landscape of the legal field and the variety of firms that are out there, your interviewer at Kingsley Napley will be looking to make sure that you are a good fit the position by having you talk about what brings you joy in your work. By doing your research on Kingsley Napley and the job you are interviewing for ahead of your interview, you should be able to be open and honest about what makes you happy in your work while ensuring that your satisfaction factors match what Kingsley Napley can offer with this job.
1st Answer Example
"I've read the studies and surveys about job satisfaction being the lowest among attorneys in the United States when compared to all other jobs and I'm a firm believer that many people in this field have chased the dream for wrong reasons like money and prestige. I pursued a career in law to help fight and advocate for clients where no one else can and that is what drives me to succeed and brings me here to this interview with Kingsley Napley. Employment law has developed into a passion and I greatly looking forward to focusing on that aspect here in the future."
2nd Answer Example
"In my five years working as a Paralegal, the litigation side of the business has definitely been the most intriguing and fun for me and that is the reason I applied for this position. I am very good at the investigative part of the pre-claim process and I have a lot of experience and success in interviewing witnesses and taking statements. This work is both gratifying and exciting for me and you'll find that I excel in these areas if you select me for this position."
25. To better help serve our diverse client base here at Kingsley Napley, do you have an area of sub-specialization that you would prefer to focus on if hired?
How to Answer
Administrative and regulatory law spans a wide spectrum of industries and focuses in the legal aspect and for this question, your interviewer will be looking to find out where your strengths are and what clients you would best be suited to represent. Prior to your interview, make sure you do your homework on Kingsley Napley to be able to highlight your skills and interests that best suit their needs. Don't be afraid to talk about your personal motivations for sub-specializing to really highlight your interests to your interviewer.
Answer Example
"After practicing in a pretty general matter as an Administrative Attorney for several years following law school, my passion has always steered towards working with businesses on environmental protection laws. As you can see from my experience, I have worked with many large manufacturing organizations along the west coast in the states of Oregon and Washington. My passion for this section of the trade really stems from my inner desire to do what is right for the earth. Being an advocate for the law and potential healthy changes to the law not only benefits my clients, but also future generations that will follow in our footsteps."
26. What would make you a great trial advocate if you were to join the team here at Kingsley Napley?
How to Answer
The decision to work for Kingsley Napley will put you in the middle of a team of very experienced and dedicated individuals who strive to succeed when cases go to trial. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to hear what your key qualities, traits and/or experiences are that will make you key player on their team for their clients. This question gives you the opportunity to talk yourself and your abilities up a bit, so be sure to prepare to speak about what sets you apart from your competition for this position.
1st Answer Example
"Looking back on my career up to this point, I can honestly say that a a great deal of my success in working with clients and winning cases has stemmed from my interpersonal skills. I have a charming and likable demeanor when I am speaking in front of people and this plays very well with jurors. I also have the ability to analyze the body language and tone of people when I am cross examining to be able to ask the right questions that pull as much information as possible. When in front of the judge and jury, I feel right at home and I won't hesitate to send you footage from some high profile cases that I have worked if you would like."
2nd Answer Example
"If hired to join the team here at Kingsley Napley, my experience preparing subpoenas and evaluating jurors would prove to be vital to your attorneys. I would bring superior organization skills and analytical skills to your cases going to trial and you can rest assured knowing that I can be tasked with any duties surrounding cases with little oversight."
27. Here at Kingsley Napley, carefully analyzing the cases of our clients is of utmost importance. What analytical skills would you bring to the team here?
How to Answer
To be successful in the field of law and helping to achieve the best outcomes for clients, an analytical and evaluative mind are extremely important. To cut right to the chase, your interviewer will be looking to hear about the skills and experiences you have in analyzing data to come to reasonable and logical conclusions for both Kingsley Napley and their clients. If possible, give a real world example or two where you put your analytical skills to good use.
1st Answer Example
"My analytical skills as a successful attorney start with my ability to see everything from a 10,000-foot perspective and then putting together all of the pieces of the puzzle to build the best case possible for my clients. A recent success story happened a couple of months ago with a client that was going through a very complicated workers compensation claim that was ultimately denied by the employer. By gathering all of the information I could from my client, medical records and from the employer, I was able to use my working knowledge of workers compensation laws in my home state to win the case for my client."
2nd Answer Example
"Having been a paralegal in a personal injury settlement firm for the last three years, my analytical skills have been vital in working with the Attorneys in the firm. I'm relied upon to identify and evaluate the key factors in each case that I work on. From there, my analytical skills come through with my working knowledge of the law in this state to pull the necessary information for our Attorneys and leave out the irrelevant information. In looking to make the move to Kingsley Napley, I understand there will be some learning curve to expand my knowledge outside of personal injury settlements and I would work hard to build that knowledge and let my analytical and logic skills take over."
28. What do you consider to be the most difficult case or project you have worked on during your career?
How to Answer
With this question, your interviewer is not just looking to hear what you felt was the most difficult case or project you have worked on during your career to this point. While you should do a good job of painting the picture of what the case entailed, spend as much time as possible in explaining your process for helping facilitate the best outcome possible and the steps you took to get there. Prepare an answer that keep the process as much in mind as the end goal for this question.
1st Answer Example
"Last year I worked on a patent infringement case where we were attempting to prove that the infringement was willful. After reviewing all of the case details with my client's executive, R&D and sales teams, I thought we had a case in that the infringing companies lead R&D Scientist had been formally employed by my client. I assembled a team from the client to help pull any communications and meeting notes that the competing scientist would have been a part of. The planning stage of the product in question had started almost eight years prior and the scientist had left employment six year prior, so there was a two year window that they would have been digging from. With my advice on when to dig and what to look for, the substantial record keeping of a couple of individuals helped prove our case of willful infringement and was a huge win for my client."
2nd Answer Example
"With the Supreme Court significantly narrowing the trade dress protections that companies have around their packaging and labeling, I had a difficult case last year with a statewide business that was claiming trademark infringement on their logo by a competing line of convenience stores. When the competitor rebranded their signage and logo in the same color and same font, my client felt they had a legit case for infringement. In court, the burden of proof was on us and I utilized branding experts and consumer feedback on the distinct similarities in the signage and logo. Quickly, a cease and desist was immediately issued to the competitor by the court. What made this case difficult was working within recent Supreme Court rulings that had further defined what could be considered an infringement."