T3 · Trunk
Legal interviewing
The questions you can ask, the questions you can't, and the structured-interview habit that makes the difference invisible.
Key takeaways
- Same questions, same order, every candidate
- Off-limits topics are off-limits even if the candidate raises them
- Score against the rubric, not against the other candidates
- Take notes during, not after
The single highest-leverage habit in hiring is the structured interview: the same questions, in the same order, scored against a rubric you wrote before you met any candidate. It feels formal at first; it produces better hires and bulletproof documentation.
This chapter walks through the off-limits topics (age, marital status, plans for children, etc.), the STAR framework for behavioral questions, and how to bring a search committee onto the same page.