Government Interviewing
GENERAL
The type of interview to expect for a government position will vary depending on the office, agency and position. Similar to other employers, many government agencies will conduct the first round of interviews by phone. In-person interviews could be either one-on-one, in pairs or as panel interviews. Some agencies will even ask interviewees to stand up and give a presentation or speak about their candidacy. When arranging the interview, you should ask about the number of people you will meet and what format the interview will take. Some agencies will have one round, while others will require you to go through several rounds of interviews.
As with any interview, do your homework before your meeting(s). Research the agency and office, and conduct Internet and LinkedIn searches to find out any available information about your interviewers. Make sure you know the mission of the particular agency and office. Sometimes it can be challenging to prepare for a government interview, as there might not be much in the public record, but do your best with the information available to you.
As part of your preparation, consider the particular job for which you are interviewing. If you are interviewing for an AUSA position in the Criminal Division, the format of the interview may well be different from an interview for a job as an AUSA in the Civil Division, and it will be even more different from an interview for a job as an attorney advisor in the Department of Education. If at all possible, speak with others who work at, or who have interviewed with, your specific target government employer beforehand so you know what to expect.
INTERVIEW STYLES
Because each agency or office conducts its hiring so independently, it is impossible to provide a comprehensive list of universal government interview questions, although some common sample questions are listed below. It is also hard to say specifically what kind of interview you can expect; however, it is likely that you will encounter a fair number of behavioral and case study/hypothetical questions.
Interviewers for some higher-conflict jobs (e.g., prosecutor, public defender and litigator/enforcement positions) also often do something called “stress interviewing,” the purpose of which is to see how well you think on your feet, problem-solve and handle yourself in a stressful environment. Here are some examples of “stress interviewing” questions:
Questions that sound downright antagonistic...
“For a lawyer at your level, why do you have no trial experience?”
“Why should we hire you?”
“Why would you bother to apply for a job when you lack ABC experience?”
Questions about your job-related philosophies and your ability to “stomach” the work...
“How could you represent a client whom you know is guilty?”
“How could you prosecute a poor homeless man who stole those items only because he was hungry?”
“Do you think these two telecom companies should be allowed to merge?”
“Do you believe hedge funds should be subject to the same requirements as other financial instruments?”
Irrelevant questions that come seemingly out of nowhere, just to see how you respond...
“Why are the bottoms of sneakers usually a different color from the tops of sneakers?”
Finally, an issue that will almost certainly come up is compensation, and your interviewer will need to determine whether you are truly ready to accept the substantial pay cut that comes from leaving private practice. Even more so than in-house salaries, government salaries can be substantially lower than even first-year associate compensation at a firm. Look at the Grade Scale for the position, and be prepared to convince your interviewer that you’re comfortable with that salary.
To get a sense of what questions may arise at a government interview, consult the document below.
In terms of what you should be asking, in general, your questions to interviewers should concern their personal experiences, their observations about the differences between law firm life and life working in the government, as well as a general perspective on their agency/office. It's helpful to consult the Government page of this site where many ideas for such questions are listed in the Sample Questions handout contained in that page's resources.