Application Process & Interviews at Duncan Cotterill

Very good

Interview process was great. I felt comfortable and not intimidated

Firstly, we submitted our application online. Then the first stage was a teams interview. Then there was an in person interview and lunch.

There were two rounds of interviews. They were both pretty relaxed and more of a conversation than an interrogation. The other aspect was a meet and greet with some of the office staff ranging from partners to graduates. All in all, it was easy to navigate and communication was good.

Having returned as a graduate after completing the summer clerk program, I can speak specifically to that experience. The process itself was straightforward and efficient.

For me I came in as a summer clerk and then received a graduate offer after the clerkship. As a clerk there were two rounds of interviews after submitting my CV + Cover letter. The first interview was online, although that was at a time when Covid protocols were in play and I understand all interviews are in person now. Both of my interviews had a good mix of behavioural and personal questions. They were quite conversational but also touched on some more formal topics. The final interview involved a part where we got to sit down with a handful of junior lawyers and just have a yarn. Great way to settle the nerves, get comfortable, and get an idea of the type of people that work at DC.

Two stages of interviews plus a "speed-dating" component to get to know other employees.

Initial application was done online through a third party where I had to give short answers to questions via video recordings. After the initial stage there was a interview with HR and one partner. Getting past the first interview led to another interview with 'speed-dating' type meet and greets with some of the Auckland office. I was also asked to write a quick (20 min) response to a mock legal problem.

It was pretty organised for me, i had an interview initially, then a second interview at the firm. I had to sit a written test at my second interview but i wasn't required to do the networking.

I found the interview process quite smooth and was really happy that there wasn't any online video submissions or assessment centres.

When I was recruited I had to do a video CV and a written assessment, which was not an effective or efficient way of gathering information on candidates

I was interviewed for a summer clerkship several years ago. This involved a one-on-one interview and two networking events

The process was efficient and easy. I handed in my CV and then was contacted a bit later to go in for an interview. I have an interview which lasted about 1 hour. I then had a follow up phone call a few days later and then was offered the job after that.

The interview process was very smooth and not too intimidating. It involved a couple of interviews with the Partners and other staff members you are likely to be working with.

It was a two part interview process, with an initial VC interview with a member of HR, followed by an in person interview with two of the partners.

The interview process was very good. The process was robust yet very welcoming and warming. Following the interview, I underwent a 'networking' session with some select staff within the office, along with the other candidates. This process was a lot of fun, and provided us all with the opportunity to engage in conversation with some of the team and really assess the workplace culture.

Two interviews and a full-day of in-person interviewing etc with other candidates.

This has changed a lot since I joined the company however it was an online application with a face to face interview and networking event.

The hiring process at the graduate level does not provide realistic expectations to new lawyers and asks questions which new lawyers have no view or experience on

Two interviews + one writing quiz

Unfortunately I cant remember as it was a year and a half ago

I was asked about my strengths and weaknesses, my community involvement, my 5 year plan and various other questions.

What areas of Law I enjoyed most. What skills I bring to the job and others.

Why Law? Why DC? What are my interests? What have the greatest challenges I have faced?

I remember being asked about my favourite and least favourite subjects at law school, why I wanted to be a lawyer, what is it about DC that interests me. I also remember having some more relaxed conversations about the sports I played growing up and my hometown.

Why did i choose law, what experience do i have and how will it help me with the law, how do i deal with stress etc

I cant remember most- the one that stuck with me is "you mention that you did XXXXXXX, what is the most important thing you learnt from that?"

Why do you want to work here? Tell me a bit about yourself Strengths/weaknesses General educational questions Career interests

From what I remember, the questions were quite broad, talking about my interests (both in and out of law).

I was asked questions about my CV and to elaborate on certain situations/experiences. They asked why I studied law and why I want to work in the area I was applying for. They asked why I wanted to work at DC and also about my strengths and weaknesses.

General interview questions - why I chose to apply for the job, why I believe I would be an ideal candidate for the job, etc.

What areas of law I was interested, what I enjoyed doing in my personal time, future plans etc.

Why do you want to work here? What areas of the law are you interested? What was your least favourite subject at law school? What is your biggest weakness? How do you think [work experience] will benefit you in the office environment? What was your motivation for getting involved in [particular extra-curricular activity noted on my CV]?

Why did I study law, Why do I want to be a lawyer

General questions about experiences, study and outside interests.

Lots! One that I perhaps found the hardest to answer was, "What are some of your reflections on your time at university?".

What I'm interested in, why I liked law and why I wanted to work for the firm

About my previous role and my areas of experiences

I was asked a lot about my extra-curricular on my CV as well as how I managed to volunteer, studying and working at my part time jobs.

Why this firm? What are you interested in? What are your hobbies?

Do some practice with interview questions

To be yourself and to understand what makes you different and why you would like to work at a commercial firm. Do some research on the firm values and how they relate to you.

Look through the firm values and the types of work the firm does. Make sure they are a good fit for you. All the information you need is on their website.

I don't think there's any one way to prep for an interview - everyone does it differently. I remember setting aside a good chunk of time to think about why I wanted to do law and reflect on some formative experiences. Might be worthwhile to look up some generic behavioural questions and try to prepare answers for those, bearing in mind that it's best to answer a question genuinely rather than regurgitate something prepared.

Be the best (authentic) version of yourself. Don't try to say things that you think will impress the interviewers. Think about the ways you can add value to the firm not just workwise but culture wise as well. Show that you are humble and are keen to learn. Don't try to oversell your legal skills - working in a law firm is vastly different to going through law school.

Be themselves, over preparing doesn't actually help and will just make you more nervous. Be open minded, you might not be offered the team that you initially thought you wanted, but that can turn out to be a great thing.

Have at least some knowledge of the firm and its practice areas. Make sure you are familiar with yourself and can hold a conversation.

Be yourself, be confident and get to know the firm/the interviewers through using online resources.

I recommend trying to show your personality and trying to treat the interview more as a conversation than a formal question/ answer.

Know the values of the company and the and of work they do. While it is important to have good academic record, it is also very important that you are good fit for the team.

The main thing they want to see in the interview is that you will be a good fit with the team, so be yourself!

My two key tips would be: 1. Learn as much as you can about the company before you go for your interview. You can do this by visiting the company's website, politely asking current staff about their experiences, watching videos, etc. Any company is much more likely to engage with a candidate if they have already invested time into learning about the company and how they fit in. 2. Be yourself. It sounds straightforward, but if you focus on being genuine and honest with the interviewer, you will appear more confident and relatable. In addition, it allows you (as the prospective employee) to asses whether your personality really fits at the company.

Just be honest and frank about strengths, weaknesses and areas you want to improve - nobody is perfect at everything when they start!

Do you research into the firm. If you know anyone who works there, reach out to them for a coffee catch up to ask questions. If the culture is a stand out to you, make it known - they want to ensure you will fit into the office environment as much as you do.

Be honest, don't pretend you know what you want in a firm, be open and honest and eager to learn

Be prepared, but there is only so much preparation that you can do. It is good to know the company's values, know about their offices and staff, and in particular who will be interviewing you. But when it comes down to it you just need to be yourself, be honest, and don't rush to answer questions.

It is good to show an interest in what DC has to offer that sets it apart from other firms. Having a look at our website and key clients, partners practice areas and publications can show you are interested in the firm.

Read about the firm, the partners and their expertise. Don't over-sell yourself. Provide clear answers and ask questions that you genuinely want to know about.

Learn about the firm and why you want to work here, and think big picture about your interests and goals

Be yourself don't try and be someone who you think the firm is looking for.