How to Prepare for a Lateral Interview
September 30, 2026
Moving to a new firm or legal department is a different kind of interview from the ones you did as a law student. The people across the table already know you can do the work. What they want to learn is whether you will fit, and whether you will build a practice or a book of business that helps them. Here is how to get ready.
1. Know your own story first
Be ready to explain, in two or three minutes, where you have been, what you do best and why you are looking now. Keep the reason for leaving positive and forward-looking. Interviewers listen for what you want, not for what you dislike about your current firm.
2. Be able to talk about your work in detail
Choose three to five matters or deals that show your range. For each, be ready to explain your role, the key decisions, the result and what you would do differently. Expect follow-up questions, and know the details well enough to answer them without notes.
3. Protect your clients and your current employer
Never share confidential client information, and don’t reveal anything privileged. Describe matters in general terms unless the information is already public. Interviewers notice how carefully you handle this, and it tells them how you would handle their own clients’ information.
4. Research the firm and the people
Read the firm’s website, recent news and its attorneys’ profiles. Learn about the group you would join, its leaders, and the kind of work it does. Think about where you fit and where you could add something new. For partners, this includes thinking about how your clients could work with the firm.
5. Prepare your business case if you are a partner or senior attorney
Be ready to talk about your relationships, the work you originate and where you see growth. Be honest about what you can and cannot bring. A realistic plan is better than an optimistic number you can’t support.
6. Ask good questions
Ask about how work is assigned, how associates are mentored, how success is measured and what the next few years look like for your practice. Good questions show that you are choosing the firm as carefully as it is choosing you.
7. Handle the practical details
Check your employment agreement for notice periods, restrictions and obligations to clients before you begin talking to other firms. Keep your search private: don’t use your current firm’s email, computer or phone for it. Dress as you would for a client meeting, and send a short thank-you note to each person you meet.
8. Work with a recruiter you trust
A recruiter can tell you how a firm is really doing, what the interview is likely to cover, and how your background will be seen. They can also help you with timing and negotiation. At DMA, every conversation starts confidentially. Contact us when you are ready to talk.
This is general advice and not legal advice. Check your own agreements and professional obligations before you act.