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Be prepared for a lot more hypos, specific to the role (might be general product issue spotting, privacy, IP, etc). Read up on the company as much as possible, including core mission/values, recent news, products, etc. Show your reasoning as you work through hypos and don’t be afraid to ask follow up questions / talk through assumptions. Also be prepared to speak to “tell me about a time when” behavioral questions — have a few good anecdotes in the can where you showed flexibility, encountered different opinions or pushback, handled pressure, etc.
Coming from a firm, most departments will want to see that you’re flexible and reasonable. You’ll want to come off like a normal, collegial person, and you’ll want to show that you can understand the business and help them get to “yes” — not just spit out black letter law.
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Be normal. Show you aren’t a risk robot and want to be a business partner. Describe yourself as prioritizing action and solutions, and always giving clear answers.
I went in house as a 6th year and got the first big tech job I interviewed for (it was 12 interviews and a writing exercise that involved marking up an agreement in realtime).
Definitely have a lot anecdotes/stories that can apply to different behavioral questions. I studied for (but ultimately withdrew from) the Amazon interview process and I actually found their interview prep materials super helpful in preparing for other in house interviews. You should really emphasize not just your legal experience but your experience working closely with cross functional stakeholders and the business (and if you have non-law business experience, discuss it). A huge part of the role will be managing the business rather than the complex legal analysis you're used to at a firm.
Show me you understand what you’re signing up to do and your role within a business. A law firm and an in-house legal department are fundamentally different animals. Most of the training you received working in private practice is just inapplicable (if not the opposite) of what will help you succeed in house.
How did you get an in-house interview/foot in the door? I’m 16+ real estate litigation and transactions and lender representation. Recruiters contacting me for law firms only. AI said my resume is a “law firm resume” and need to change it to an “in-house counsel resume”. I’d appreciate some human input before I revise my entire resume. Thank you
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Bring some energy and personality to the interview.
I would read up and be prepared for behavioral interview questions. When I went through this transition, the issue spotting and substantive practice of law was a piece of cake, but the stories I needed the most polish on were the "tell me a time when you..." I would use a GenAI platform to (1) generate common corporate behavioral interview questions for in house lawyers to practice and (2) to do basic intel about the organization - their mission, value, any notable developments to prepare yourself for thoughtful questions to show interest in the company.
I did the full loop at 4 different companies (recruiter, hiring manager, panel, sometimes a final interviewer) before I got my first offer. Amazon was the most rigorous process, but the work I did for it prepared me for my other interviews.