Lawyer interview questions and answers

I start with the commercial terms, not the template. I ask the client who the parties are, what is being supplied, price and payment, timelines, and what worries them most. Then I build the structure: definitions, scope, consideration, term and termination, representations, indemnities, limitation of liability, confidentiality, dispute resolution and boilerplate. For a recent software services agreement I kept a term sheet beside the draft and ticked off each point. I use defined terms consistently, avoid vague words like “reasonable efforts” unless we mean them, and finish with a read-through purely for cross-references and numbering.

I cover corporate records first: incorporation documents, share capital history, board and shareholder resolutions, and statutory filings. Then material contracts, especially change of control, exclusivity and termination clauses. After that I look at title to property, intellectual property ownership, employment and labour compliance, licences and approvals, pending litigation, and tax notices. On my last deal, a mid-size logistics company, I found that two key customer contracts could be terminated on change of control. We flagged it as a red item and the buyer asked for customer consents as a condition precedent. My report uses a red, amber, green table so the client sees priorities in one page.

I treat everything a client tells me in the course of the matter as confidential, and communications for legal advice as privileged. In practice that means small habits. I double-check email recipients before sending, especially when autocomplete suggests a similar name. I password-protect drafts sent outside the firm, never discuss matters in lifts or cabs, and keep files only on the firm’s system, not personal drives. When a client once asked me to copy their outside accountant on advice, I checked with the partner first, because sharing privileged advice with a third party can weaken privilege. If I am unsure, I ask before I share.

A representation is a statement of fact made to induce someone to enter the contract. If it is false, the remedy can include rescission along with damages for misrepresentation. A warranty is a contractual promise that a fact is true; breach gives a claim for damages, and the buyer usually has to show loss. An indemnity is a promise to make good a specific loss, often rupee for rupee, without the same need to prove the loss was foreseeable. In share purchase deals I usually push for specific indemnities for known risks, like a pending tax notice, because a warranty claim for a disclosed issue would normally fail.

I start by framing the exact question in one line, because vague questions give vague research. Then I read the relevant statute and rules first, followed by a standard commentary to get the landscape. Next I search case law databases for leading judgments, and I always check whether a judgment has been overruled or distinguished later. During my internship I researched whether an arbitration clause in an unstamped agreement could be acted on. I found the key Supreme Court rulings, noted how the position had changed over time, and gave the associate a two-page memo with the answer first and citations after.

A civil suit is filed in a civil court under the Code of Civil Procedure to enforce private rights, like recovery of money or a property dispute. It goes through pleadings, framing of issues, evidence with witnesses, and a decree. A writ petition is filed in a High Court under Article 226 or in the Supreme Court under Article 32 of the Constitution. It is generally against the State or a public authority, to enforce fundamental rights or legal rights, and is usually decided on affidavits rather than a full trial. Courts also expect you to show why an alternative remedy is not adequate before entertaining a writ.

I would first collect the invoice, purchase order, delivery proof, emails acknowledging the debt and the ledger statement. The notice goes on the firm’s letterhead, addressed to the correct legal entity and registered address. I set out the facts in numbered paragraphs: the relationship, the goods or services supplied, the invoice number, amount and due date, and any reminders already sent. Then I demand payment of the principal plus interest as per the contract within a clear period, say 15 days, and state that the client will take legal action otherwise. I keep the tone firm, avoid emotional language, and send it by a trackable mode.

A conflict check makes sure we are not acting against an existing client, a former client on a related matter, or where the firm’s own interest clashes with the client’s. I run it before we take any substantive information from a new client, and again when a new party joins a matter, like an intervenor or a new counterparty. At my current firm we search the matter database for all parties and their group companies. Once a search showed that a sister company of the opposing side was a client in another department. We raised it with the partner, and the firm declined the brief.

I build the application around the three tests courts apply: a prima facie case, balance of convenience in our favour, and irreparable harm that money cannot fix. For a trademark matter last year, I prepared a comparison chart of the marks, invoices proving our client’s prior use, and screenshots of the defendant’s listings with dates. The affidavit explained why damages would not be enough, since customers were being confused every day. I also addressed delay directly, because unexplained delay can defeat urgency. If we sought an ex parte order, I made sure we disclosed every material fact, since suppression can cost the client the order.

Because a strong case can be lost only on time. Under the Limitation Act, a suit filed after the prescribed period is liable to be dismissed even if the defence never raises it. So on any new file I note the cause of action date, find the correct article in the schedule, and work out the last date. I also check whether anything extends it, like a written acknowledgement of debt signed before the period expires, or a part payment. In my internship I found an acknowledgement email that restarted the period for a recovery matter, which kept the client’s claim alive.

The seat is the legal home of the arbitration. It decides the procedural law and which courts have supervisory jurisdiction, for example over challenges to the award. The venue is only the physical place where hearings happen, and it can change for convenience without changing the seat. Problems come from sloppy clauses that say “venue” when the parties meant seat, which leads to litigation over jurisdiction. When I draft, I write “The seat of arbitration shall be Mumbai” explicitly, and state the number of arbitrators, the appointment process, the language and the governing law of the contract separately.

In my first year I drafted a lease deed where I carried over the lock-in period from an earlier template, three years instead of the agreed one year. The partner caught it before it went to the client. I apologised, corrected it within the hour, and re-checked every commercial term against the email trail, where I found one more small mismatch in the security deposit. After that I made myself a checklist: every draft gets a separate pass only for the commercial terms against the term sheet. The partner later gave me the next two leases to run without a second review.

A client in a property dispute wanted me to backdate a board resolution so it matched the date of a transaction. I explained calmly that I could not do that, and that a backdated document could expose the directors to fraud allegations and destroy their credibility in court. Then I offered a lawful route: a ratification resolution passed now, recording that the board approves the earlier transaction. The client was annoyed for a day but agreed. The ratification later held up in cross-examination, and the client has since given us two more matters.

On a distribution agreement, opposing counsel insisted on unlimited liability for our client and would not move over three calls. Before the fourth call I asked our client to rank their priorities. Exclusivity in two states mattered most; the liability cap was important but flexible. I proposed a cap at twelve months of fees, with carve-outs for fraud and confidentiality breaches, and in return asked for exclusivity. I kept it about risk, not personalities, and sent a clean markup within the hour. We signed within the week, and our client kept exclusivity.

Last March I had a written statement due, two hearings, and a client wanting a contract review before a board meeting. On Monday I listed every task with its hard deadline and the time it needed. The written statement could not be extended, so I blocked two mornings for it. I briefed a junior on one hearing with a one-page note and the file flagged. For the contract, I told the client I would send key risk points by Wednesday and the full markup by Friday, and they agreed. Everything was filed on time.

We lost an interim application in a recovery suit, and the client had been confident. I called the same afternoon instead of waiting for the written order. I told them plainly what the court decided and why: the judge felt the debt was disputed on quality grounds. Then I gave three options with rough costs and timelines: appeal the order, push for early trial, or explore mediation. I sent a short email summary the same evening. They chose mediation and recovered most of the amount within four months.

The sales team at a client company wanted to know if they could use customer data collected at an event for a new marketing campaign. My first memo was four pages and nobody read it. So I rewrote it as a one-page note: a yes, no or conditional answer at the top, then three rules in plain language: use it only for the purpose customers agreed to, give an easy opt-out, and delete it on request. I added a simple flowchart. The team followed it, and the business head asked me to use the same format for later advice.

I have spent three years in general corporate work, and the matters I enjoyed most were the two acquisitions where I ran due diligence. Your firm’s M&A team handles mid-market deals where associates get real responsibility early, which is what I want next. I also liked that your associates publish short updates on deal practice; I read the one on earn-out disputes. I want to deepen transactional skills, draft share purchase agreements end to end, and work directly with clients, and this team gives that exposure.

I am currently at ₹9 lakh a year as a second-year associate. Based on what firms of your size pay in Mumbai for my year of call, I am looking for ₹12 to 13 lakh fixed. I am flexible on how it is structured, and I would also like to understand your bonus and billable-hours expectations, since those affect the full picture. If the role gives me direct client work in M&A, I am open to discussing the number.

Yes. In my internships I saw that filing deadlines and urgent hearings do not follow office hours, and I worked till late on two urgent listings without any issue. I am also fine travelling to district courts or tribunals in other cities when a matter needs it. What helps me sustain it is planning: I prepare case files and notes early, so late nights are for real emergencies, not avoidable rush. I would only ask for advance notice on outstation travel where possible.