Panel Interviews

Each law student participates in a panel interview with three or four Schiff Hardin lawyers, in addition to one-on-one interviews and a lunch interview with associates. During the panel interview, Schiff Hardin lawyers take turns asking questions designed to gather more information about each student’s experiences, including work, academic and other life experiences. Our format helps us to get to know candidates better and allows for substantive and unhurried discussions. The atmosphere of the panel interview is like any other Schiff Hardin interview — courteous, welcoming and collegial.

Brian Spangler

"During the fall interviewing season, you sit through countless 20-30 minute interviews and recite the same rehearsed answers to essentially the same questions. Schiff Hardin really hooked me with the panel interview process. It was great to speak with a group of partners and really get to know them. It also spoke volumes that they were all willing to take an entire hour out of their afternoons just to sit and talk. I think the panel interview embodies what it's like to work at Schiff Hardin — people are willing to go out of their way to get to know you and to help you succeed."

Brian Spangler
University of Wisconsin Law School (2012 Summer Associate)
Emily Gesmundo

"Don't be intimidated by Schiff Hardin's callback. The callback interview was one of the main reasons I chose to work at Schiff Hardin over the summer. The different aspects of the callback interview gave me an opportunity to discuss and showcase many different areas of my life that I did not have the chance to speak about in other interviews. The entire process made me feel like the attorneys at Schiff Hardin truly cared who I was and whether I would fit in at the firm."

Emily Gesmundo
University of Michigan Law School (2012 Summer Associate)
Shane O'Connell

"The Schiff Hardin callback interview is actually pretty great. At first, hearing that I would be interviewed by a group of attorneys simultaneous was a bit nerve-wracking. The interview, however, was really just a pleasant conversation with a group of attorneys who were interested in the experiences that led me to law school. While a lot of the typical interview questions were asked, it was interesting to see how different attorneys reacted to the same answer. At the end, I actually felt like I got to know the attorneys better than I would have in a standard thirty-minute one-on-one interview."

Shane O'Connell
Seton Hall Law School (2012 Summer Associate)
Allison Nichols

"I worried that the panel interview would be intimidating, but it was actually much more comfortable than many of my one-on-one interviews at other firms. The group format and longer timeframe make it easier to have a more natural conversation."

Allison Nichols
University of Michigan Law School (2012 Summer Associate)