26 Pinsent Masons Interview Questions & Answers
1. Here at Pinsent Masons, 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."
2. 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."
3. 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 Pinsent Masons 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."
4. Here at Pinsent Masons, 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 Pinsent Masons 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 Pinsent Masons, 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."
5. Some of our business here at Pinsent Masons is representing companies in collective bargaining agreements. What experience in the collective bargaining process would you bring to the team here?
How to Answer
Unionization throughout many industries in Europe and the UK has brought forth the need for employment attorneys to assist in representing organization's at the bargaining table. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to hear what experience you have in this realm so be prepared to talk in detail about the important and necessary aspects for helping the organization you are representing to meet all of their business objectives during the negotiation. Talk about the importance of communication and fact finding in your answer to demonstrate that you will bring those qualities to the organizations that you will represent.
1st Answer Example
"During my years of practice out in London, I have represented employers at the negotiating table with large unions like the British Medical Association and the GMB. Through any negotiation, my first order of business with my clients was to sit down with management to discuss goals and then to draft proposals to the union that met all of the goals of the organization. Ahead of negotiation, we made a plan for prioritizing the goals in the case any concessions were necessary to gain ground elsewhere. Having this plan always helped in coming to a winning deal for the organization that the union was also happy with. During bargaining, you'll find that I am a forthright and demonstrative communicator with business leaders and clients that I would be representing."
2nd Answer Example
"Choosing to specialize in the realm of employment law came because of my passion for the collective bargaining process, to help find win-win situations for both employers and employees. As we've discussed, I have experience representing both the union side and company side of negotiations and this has provided me a very well-rounded experience. In particular, I am a unique fit for this job because of the work that I've done with a large union group like the United Automobile Workers. Seeing the perspective and tactics of a large group like them has positioned me to better suit employers moving forward and I would look forward to that opportunity here at Pinsent Masons."
6. 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 Pinsent Masons 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."
7. Talk about a creative way that you helped ease the tax burden for a business during your career. How did you help put this process into place?
How to Answer
Modern corporate tax law allows organizations a lot of personal freedom to change the ways they do business to help lessen their taxes on a year to year basis. Your role with Pinsent Masons could potentially entail you working with clients to find creative solutions to their tax issues and to get a better sense of how you would do this, your interviewer is looking to judge off of a prior example from your career. If you are new to the field or young in your career, it is okay to speak from the hypothetical 'what you would do' scenario.
1st Answer Example
"As you can see from my time working in private practice, a majority of my clients were running and operating small businesses and this client base was very vulnerable to heavy tax burdens. But fortunately, they were also open to the most lenient ways to be creative with their finances and process to help ease their tax burden. With a client a couple of years ago, I helped evaluate their situation of hiring seasonal employees and employees full-time that were laid off at certain times of the year. In the evaluation, it proved to be extremely more cost-effective to hire most employees as contractors to help lessen costs like Social Security and Medicare taxes while also making sense from their business perspective as well. I helped this client set up all necessary paperwork and processes for hiring contracted help moving forward in the future."
2nd Answer Example
"With a large corporate client last year, I helped lead the educational side of training their finance staff to find deductions for depreciation of their equipment. Being a large manufacturer with a great deal of investment in capital equipment, they were missing out on this key loophole to corporate tax law and my education and insight helped them see a huge tax savings for that year."
8. When we look for diligent and effective people to join our real estate law team here at Pinsent Masons, 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 ar
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 Pinsent Masons, 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 Pinsent Masons. 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."
9. 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."
10. What in particular about our firm here at Pinsent Masons interests you both personally and professionally?
How to Answer
Pinsent Masons 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 Pinsent Masons 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 Pinsent Masons 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 Pinsent Masons 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."
11. 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 Pinsent Masons, 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."
12. If hired here at Pinsent Masons, how would you best build trusting relationships with our clients?
How to Answer
The law firm/client relationship is built upon trust and your interviewer at Pinsent Masons knows how important building trusting relationships is to the success of both the firm and the client. For you, it is important to understand and demonstrate that a trusting relationship helps open lines of communication and increases cooperation of the client in helping build cases. Talk about your own personal attributes and how they help foster and build trust with the clients you would be working with and reiterate to your interviewer why you believe trust is such an important factor in the relationships you will have with clients.
1st Answer Example
"For clients that I personally work with, a trustful relationship is the number one priority for me to show my clients that I care about them and that I am invested in the best possible outcome for them. To help build trust from the start, communication is key. I actively listen to them and show respect for their thoughts and opinions. If I disagree with them on anything, I do so professionally and tactfully while educating them on my thoughts. From there, I am quick with my decision making and setting of goals with clients and this greatly helps them trust me and us moving forward as a team."
2nd Answer Example
"Having worked as a Paralegal in a large firm, I've always tried to put a personal touch on my work with clients by showing them they are a top priority for me. I keep very detailed files on clients and have the ability to talk to them about their personal cases. As well, I stay in continuous communication with my clients and help set expectations for them regarding what they can anticipate from me and their attorney. All of these things are vital to my clients placing their trust in me and my firm and I'd look to bring these qualities to the team here at Pinsent Masons."
13. Do you have any particular areas of wage and hour laws that particularly interest you?
How to Answer
A large firm like Pinsent Masons 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 Pinsent Masons."
14. To be successful here at Pinsent Masons, 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 Pinsent Masons 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 Pinsent Masons."
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 Pinsent Masons, I've developed and honed my skills to take on bigger clients in their pursuits and am ready for the challenge here."
15. Working with clients here at Pinsent Masons entails the need for strong finance and accounting principles. Why is this important and what will you bring to the team here in this realm if hired?
How to Answer
In the legal field surrounding tax law, attorneys work side by side with accounting and finance departments to ensure that laws and regulations are adhered to from the company's perspective. Because of this, representatives from Pinsent Masons must have working knowledge of finance and accounting departments and their principles to be as successful as possible. Talk about the importance of speaking knowledgeably about these principles and pull from your experience and education to explain why you'll be able to do this.
1st Answer Example
"As you can see from my resume, my pursuit of this profession involved a dual law degree and CPA education and this path has been vital to my success thus far in my career. The CPA side of my practice has been vital in helping clients develop new processes and techniques for changes in legal processes, making me a two headed ally for them as their legal representation in tax law."
2nd Answer Example
"My inspiration for pursuing a career in tax law really stemmed from my early days post-bachelor degree in the business world. There, I was exposed to the finance side of a large retail business where I learned many things. When the time came to apply and get accepted into law school, the solid job prospects and exciting work made this career a no-brainer for me. If fortunate enough to come work for Pinsent Masons, you will quickly find that my business experience and acumen will make me a key player on the team here."
16. 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 Pinsent Masons 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 Pinsent Masons 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."
17. 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 Pinsent Masons. 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."
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 Pinsent Masons, 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 Pinsent Masons. 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. 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 Pinsent Masons.
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."
20. Who is your hero/heroine?
How to Answer
This question is a simple way for your interviewer to gain insight into the values that you respect and aspire to achieve in others that you work with. Prior to your interview, put some thought into who you consider your hero/heroine to be and make sure to put emphasis on the why you see them in that light. If possible, be sure to point out qualities that would help make you successful in the role that you are interviewing for.
1st Answer Example
"From a very young age, my grandmother has always been my inspiration as a person who is driven to succeed both personally and professionally. Knowing that she raised a family of six children while working around the farm to help out my grandfather always put a smile on my face and motivated me to work hard during my life. When my uncle and aunt passed away in a tragic car accident, she took in their two children at the age of 65 and raised them all the way through high school and into college. Her open heart, will and determination were definitely passed on to me and I bring those attributes to work each and every day!"
2nd Answer Example
"For the last ten years, I've considered Dr. Anderson from the University I attended to be my hero. He was truly the inspiration for my pursuit of a career in law. He taught me about the knowledge and dedication necessary to be successful in this field and also how to be a caring and compassionate person when working with people from all age, race and social classes in this field."
21. 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 Pinsent Masons. 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."
22. Have you been involved in a corporate tax audit before? What did you learn from that experience?
How to Answer
Pinsent Masons is often called upon for their legal guidance when a business is facing a tax audit. For this question, your interviewer is looking to see if you have experience working under IRS audit conditions and to hear what vital information you could bring to the team if hired. If you have experience, talk in detail about the type of organization you represented and what the audit entailed. If you don't have direct experience working with an IRS audit, talk about your working knowledge of the audit process and what your role would be in that.
1st Answer Example
"Two years ago, I represented a small business that retained my firm after being notified of an audit. From the start, it was pretty easy to understand that the business owner had failed to report some pretty significant chunks of business income based on records that weren't reported. When it appeared like the IRS was poised to bring in their criminal investigation team, I worked with the client and the auditor to negotiate the standard settlement of interest on missed payment plus a 20% penalty. The client was extremely pleased to avoid potential stricter penalties and learned some important lessons moving forward with their business."
2nd Answer Example
"Two years ago, I was brought in to a very large, well known corporation that was receiving a tax audit from the IRS. While knowing that the accounting and finance procedures of the organization were spot on, my role was mainly to fully prepare them for the field audit that was happening in two weeks. Knowing the audit process well and reading the request from IRS, I was able to work with them on preparation for the field meeting in having all documentation prepared and being ready for any form of questions the auditors would bring. On the day of the audit, I was onsite representing the team and audit went very well."
23. To better help serve our diverse client base here at Pinsent Masons, 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 Pinsent Masons 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.
1st 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."
24. One common legal aspect that we work closely on with clients here at Pinsent Masons 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 Pinsent Masons 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."
25. Do you have any experience in working with tenancy and leasing laws?
How to Answer
Whether commercial or residential, many property owners look to Pinsent Masons 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."
26. 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 Pinsent Masons, 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."