Describe a challenging legal issue you faced and how you resolved it
Theme: Problem-solving Role: Legal Analyst Function: Legal
Interview Question for Legal Analyst: See sample answers, motivations & red flags for this common interview question. About Legal Analyst: Analyzes legal issues, regulations, and policies to provide insights and recommendations to legal teams. This role falls within the Legal function of a firm. See other interview questions & further information for this role here
Sample Answer
Example response for question delving into Problem-solving with the key points that need to be covered in an effective response. Customize this to your own experience with concrete examples and evidence
- Legal Issue: Provide a brief overview of the challenging legal issue you faced
- Context: Explain the background or context in which the issue arose
- Challenges: Discuss the specific challenges or obstacles you encountered while dealing with the issue
- Resolution Strategy: Describe the approach or strategy you used to resolve the issue
- Actions Taken: Outline the specific actions you took to address the issue
- Outcome: Explain the final outcome or result of your efforts
- Lessons Learned: Reflect on the lessons you learned from this experience and how it has influenced your approach to similar issues in the future
Underlying Motivations
What the Interviewer is trying to find out about you and your experiences through this question
- Problem-solving skills: Ability to analyze and resolve complex legal issues
- Critical thinking: Capacity to evaluate different perspectives and develop effective solutions
- Adaptability: Capability to handle challenging situations and find innovative approaches
- Legal knowledge: Depth of understanding in legal principles and regulations
Potential Minefields
How to avoid some common minefields when answering this question in order to not raise any red flags
- Lack of specific details: Providing a vague or generic response without specific details about the legal issue and its resolution
- Blaming others: Shifting blame or responsibility onto others instead of taking ownership of the issue and demonstrating problem-solving skills
- Lack of complexity: Describing a legal issue that was too simple or straightforward, without demonstrating the ability to handle complex challenges
- Negative outcome: Discussing a legal issue that was not successfully resolved or had negative consequences, without highlighting any lessons learned or growth from the experience
- Ethical concerns: Describing a legal issue that involved ethical dilemmas or questionable actions without addressing them appropriately or demonstrating ethical decision-making skills