Tell me about a time when you had to provide legal advice to senior management
Theme: Communication Role: Legal Counsel Function: Legal
Interview Question for Legal Counsel: See sample answers, motivations & red flags for this common interview question. About Legal Counsel: Provides legal advice and guidance to organizations, ensuring compliance with laws and regulations. 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 Communication with the key points that need to be covered in an effective response. Customize this to your own experience with concrete examples and evidence
- Context: Provide a brief overview of the situation and the senior management involved
- Legal Issue: Explain the specific legal issue or challenge that required your advice
- Research & Analysis: Describe the steps you took to research and analyze the legal issue
- Legal Advice: Explain the advice you provided to senior management, including any alternative options considered
- Communication & Presentation: Discuss how you effectively communicated the legal advice to senior management
- Outcome: Share the outcome of your legal advice and any impact it had on the organization
Underlying Motivations
What the Interviewer is trying to find out about you and your experiences through this question
- Communication skills: Assessing your ability to effectively communicate complex legal concepts to senior management
- Problem-solving skills: Evaluating your capability to analyze legal issues and provide practical solutions to senior management
- Leadership skills: Determining your confidence and ability to assert your legal expertise and influence senior management decisions
- Collaboration skills: Exploring your experience in working closely with senior management to understand their needs and provide tailored legal advice
- Decision-making skills: Assessing your ability to make sound legal judgments and provide clear recommendations to senior management
Potential Minefields
How to avoid some common minefields when answering this question in order to not raise any red flags
- Lack of experience: If the candidate has never provided legal advice to senior management, it may raise concerns about their ability to handle high-level legal matters
- Poor communication skills: If the candidate struggles to clearly articulate their experience or fails to provide specific examples, it may indicate a lack of effective communication skills
- Inability to handle pressure: If the candidate describes a situation where they were unable to handle the pressure of providing legal advice to senior management, it may raise concerns about their ability to handle high-stakes situations
- Lack of understanding of business context: If the candidate fails to demonstrate an understanding of the business context in which they provided legal advice, it may indicate a lack of commercial awareness and ability to align legal advice with business objectives