Twenty questions to ask in a summer job interview

So you got the interview for your dream summer position.

Congrats! We’re sure you have spent hours preparing your answers to questions your interviewer may ask, but don’t forget that asking your interviewer good questions not only demonstrates your initiative and preparedness but gives you more insight into whether you would be a good fit for the organization. Not sure what you don’t know? Here are 20 possible questions to ask:

1. What makes someone successful in this role?
2. What does performance feedback look like? In other words, how will I know how I am doing?
3. Tell me about the firm/practice group/organization culture.
4. Will this position give me the opportunity to build a writing sample?
5. If your organization is interested, when should I expect to hear back?
6. Could you tell me more about the areas of specialization?
7. Would I work in one practice area or rotate through different practice areas?
8. Does this organization allow for split summer employment?
9. How do you enjoy your work overall?
10. Does your summer program have a mentorship system?
11. What kinds of clients and cases does this organization see?
12. How does this organization interact with other organizations that support similar clients or do similar work? (Particularly for Public Interest orgs.)
13. How does the current political/social/economic climate impact the organization’s work?
14. What does a typical workday/ workweek look like for summer interns?
15. What is the organization’s history of hiring summer interns into permanent positions?
16. Can you share about women and minorities in the firm’s leadership structure?
17. Do you see any changes on the horizon for the organization?
18. How much client contact do summer interns typically have?
19. What made you interested in this practice area?
20. Do you have a business card I could take? (So you can follow up with a thank you note)

Make sure you have thoroughly researched the organization before you decide which questions to ask. You wouldn’t want to ask a boutique firm that only deals with immigration if you would have the opportunity to rotate through different practice areas.

Learn more here about legal internships and Happy Interviewing!