Woods Entertainment / Dimension
One redditor who was nervous about impending interviews reached out for OCI horror stories to help "ease the tension." Here are the five of the best responses.
1.) From gillesthegreat:
Not my story but from someone I know.
He was interviewing with Dewey & Leboeuf and politely asked "how is the firm's name actually pronounced?" A legitimate question. The answer came back, slowly articulated and dripping with condescension ... "Jones Day." The guy had gotten his interview schedule confused.
2) From Achlies:
My legal name is not what I call myself and thus not something I ever put on my résumé. However, my transcripts and my résumé, with different names, obviously made the interviewer curious.
He simply asked, "Why do you go by [nickname]" in a very polite, honestly-just-curious way.
I was such an uncomfortable bundle of nerves, I said, "because it's pretty" as though it hasn't been my nickname all my life and tied deeply to my heritage. Like I had just named a pet and a friendly neighbor asked me why I chose that name.
We shook hands as the interview ended and I had to sneeze but — nerves killing me — instead of being a normal person and letting go before sneezing, I sneezed on our clasped hands.
Still got the job.
3) From jbiresq:
This was at a callback last year but a partner, who was really well known in his practice area, asked me to talk about a legal issue. I could have talked about 50 things I knew. Instead I decided to talk about the Paramount antitrust case and how it hurt the release of "Magic Mike." And I described "Magic Mike" to him. That was pretty stupid in hindsight.
4) From invaderpixel:
I had a contact act up right before one interview, even though I took the thing out before it started, I cried a continuous stream of tears out of one eye throughout the interview as I awkwardly explained and they offered me tissues. On the plus side, they were super nice. Didn't get a job/call back, but looking back I don't think I was going to get any jobs/callbacks anyways.
5) From etcerica:
I got an interview with a large-ish regional firm only because of a family connection. (Not a thing I am ever happy to take advantage of, I like to earn things on my own.) They threw me in the schedule at the last minute and I was the only 2L being interviewed, so I went in already embarrassed about the circumstances. Then in the middle of it I projectile spat all over the conference table in the middle of a sentence. Three interviewers. Sorry, family connection...
Got your own law firm interview horror story? Let us know in the comments.