We recently interviewed a few candidates for a backfill, the one that the panel likes is actually the least experienced on paper but has a great sense of humor, I am so curious how much does “soft skills” actually outweigh legal expertise in hiring decisions today? And what are candidates most often missing when they think they’re strong on this front?

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When I was in Biglaw, I figured most who got past the screeners were pretty comparable in paper, so what mattered most to me is whether I’d want to be stuck in a conference room with them at 2am.

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Thanks

I know my experience, but definitely following for the insider take

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Yes

It’s called the “Takeout Test.” How would you feel ordering food with this person at 11:30pm when you’re both still grinding? Will you dread having to make small talk with them while divvying up Chinese food containers? Or will they make it easier to put in the hours because they’re good to talk to?

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True

As a “soft skills” person, I think they matter a lot (although im certainly biased). Working in M&A in big law, I frequently got a lot of positive feedback that having a good attitude (sense of humor, levity, etc) goes a long way when grinding it out on a transaction. You still need the experience and skills, but once you’re able to reach that bar (which imo is relatively low) the soft skills go a long way. It especially gets more important the more senior you get, since the job becomes more about communication and relationships rather than strictly doing the work.

That said, it’s no substitute for good work, but it’s way easier to teach the work than the soft skills.

True

Dance monkey dance

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