Going into an interview for a summer position as a 2L already felt nerve-wracking, and although I went in confident in my interview skills, the experience was humbling. The office was newly renovated and very impressive. I was first interviewed by an associate, who asked me several questions about my previous work as a paralegal. He then had a long list of questions focused on litigation procedure, such as what motions to file, when to file them, and how to respond if certain issues arose. When I said I was unsure or that I had not had experience with that level of detail because law school had not covered it extensively, he kept reassuring me, “We do not expect you to know everything.” Overall, the interview itself went well. The attorney was kind, personable, and told me he really liked me and would be in contact. He even gave me a tour of the office and introduced me to the employees.
Afterward, I sent a follow-up email and then another one later on, but I never heard from them again. They had conducted interviews on campus, and many other students had the same experience: the interviews felt positive, and the attorneys said they would follow up, but they never did. I understand that not every interview leads to an offer, but if a firm interviews that many people and tells them they will hear back, the least they can do is send a rejection email. A simple message saying they appreciated the time and had chosen to move forward with other candidates would be much more respectful than leaving people hanging.