Application Process & Interviews at Herbert Smith Freehills

Throughout the hiring process there was a consistent culture and really good engagement from all levels of the firm. The interview process was communicated clearly.

The interview process was friendly and focussed on getting to know me rather than testing me. It was very much a two way conversation to ensure the firm was the right fit for me, as much as I was the right fit for the firm.

2 interviews with 1 partner at a time.

Best process out of all the top tier firms. Simple but effective.

As with most other law firms, the main recruitment stage is at clerkships (typically applied in penultimate year) and rarely directly for the graduate program. For a clerkship, if an applicant is progressed there are two rounds of interviews, each designed to be conversational and one-on-one with a partner of the firm. Each candidate is given a buddy to be a touch point during the process, and I don't recall that there were any "assessments" in my application.

Clerkship process - written application, interview, 4-week clerkship and offer.

Very personable interviews, enjoyable.

I think the hiring process is as good as it can be. Obviously in large firms it can be difficult to maintain a consistent approach when hiring (eg different interviewers may adopt different styles and prefer different attributes). However, from what I have seen, I think that these barriers are well-managed. Also, the firm is very good at taking some of the formality out of the recruitment process so that applicants generally feel more at ease.

I found the interview itself to be very conversational and friendly which allowed me to bring my best self to the process. The clerkship process and assessment day are challenging but are realistic with what's expected in the day-to-day of the profession and allowed me to really develop my professional skillset in a short amount of time.

Great.

CV and Cover Letter; information night; 2 rounds of interviews (1-1 with the partner); cocktail evening!

Involves an interview and cocktail evening. Pretty standard process.

It was tough but fair

We were asked a series of questions to respond to and had to submit a CV with it. No cover letter, per se, and no psychometric tests. Only one interview which was with one partner.

Respectful, transparent and very well invested in us, even as clerks and graduates.

I went through the formal graduate program - I found HSF's approach to be far more welcoming, relaxed and down to earth than the process experienced elsewhere. There was a written application, followed by an in person (virtual - COVID) interview, and a few networking evenings.

Relaxed and supportive because you are allocated a graduate or lawyer during the interview process to answer any questions you may have or provide extra context to the whole process.

Great! There is a very dedicated team of HR people and those involved in interviews are very engaged.

Standard top tier graduate recruitment program. Online application, interview, clerkship, application for graduate employment, graduate offer.

I went through the clerkship application process. HSF was by far the best firm at running this process. Their buddy system for applicants is very effective. The firm's communication is excellent, and the one-on-one interactions with interviewing partners is valuable also.

Why did I choose to apply to this firm, my background, and what I am looking to achieve long-term.

How I manage stress. My hobbies outside of work.

Why I wanted to work at the company; Why I wanted to work in commercial law; What my favourite subjects were at law school/why/how they would be useful in commercial law; Hobbies and interests generally; Key contributions I would make in a team.

Less question-based, more conversational.

I was exclusively asked about matters on my CV and cover letter (ie, my past experiences). The conversation then flowed from those questions. I was not asked any technical questions during my interview.

Most of the questions in my interview flowed directly from what was included in my CV and revolved me having to reflect upon (at a high level) what those experiences taught me.

My interviews were more like a conversation. Did not feel like HR questions whatsoever.

Pretty standard questions, a mix between personality questions and behaviour questions.

It was all very personal, about the things I was interested in, why I wanted to work at the firm. No trick questions, it was really just about me getting to know the firm and vice versa.

A balance of questions about my personal pursuits and interests (the things that 'make' me who I am) as well as my legal interests - with a commercial focus.

Quite notably a lot of non-legal questions - about my life experiences, CV, interests and reasons for having chosen my career path more generally. It felt more like a free-flowing conversation than a structured interview.

50/50 split between experience questions and questions aimed at seeing if my personality is the right fit for the firm.

I can't remember

5 behavioural questions and after that it is really your personal style and hobbies.

A few questions about my abilities, but a lot to do with my hobbies and personal experiences.

The interviews were very conversational. I was not asked anything out of the ordinary. I was asked a little bit about how I saw my previous work experience applying in a commercial law context.

I can't remember. This was a while ago.

Can't recall. It was very conversational and relaxed, one-on-one with a partner (I think that changed recently).

Be yourself. HSF is a really diverse firm; everyone has pride in their work and accomplishes some pretty great things as a result of their hard work, but they also have pride in who they are and are openly themselves every day. HSF really understands the value add of having unique perspectives, and it shows in the high quality of our work and commerciality.

Be aware of the types of work the firm does and be prepared to explain your motivations and interests for doing that type of work.

Make genuine connections and don't be afraid to reach out to someone you are genuinely interested in.

Be yourself.

Best preparation is to (1) Get to know the people at HSF and (2) Get to know yourself. I think the best way to learn about the firm (and whether it is the right place for you) is to get to know its people from a variety of teams and backgrounds, and get a vibe of the workplace to see if you can see yourself there. You spend a lot of time at work, so it is important that you feel comfortable with its people and, if you do apply, be able to speak to why you like the firm. Equally important is to get to know yourself and who you are, where you want to be more fundamentally. It is noticed at any point in an application when a candidate can show themselves to be someone with great strength in character (or when they're being disingenuous).

Confidence in yourself.

Biggest piece of advice is to remember to be a culture add rather than a culture fit. We want to work with real people, with all their quirks.

Be yourself. You don't have to know the answer to every question. It's more important to demonstrate that you genuinely want to learn.

I would advise candidates to have an open mind as to the variety of areas we specialise in. We want people with a genuine interest in what we do across the board and who are willing to try their hand at whatever the team may need assistance in.

Talk to as many people from HSF as you can, as you can really get an ideas of different practice groups styles and the general culture. To best prepare, make sure you tailor your application to why specifically you would like to be at HSF, and don't be afraid to show your personality!

Try to understand what the firm is about and think about if you genuinely see yourself doing the work. If that is you, just be yourself.

Be a genuine nice person - everyone can be taught legal skills, you can't be taught how to be a nice person.

Think a bit about why you want to work at HSF specifically, it can be hard to distinguish between the top firms in Melbourne, but it shows you've really considered things and done your research if you can point of distinctions which appeal to you. Other than that, just be familiar with your CV and be ready to talk about it.

Have a good understanding about the work that the firm does (not just the deals from a high level, but on a finer detail how it suits your interests - e.g. research, drafting, negotiation) - and why commercial law interests you.

Lean in to what makes you stand out in your cover letter.

be yourself and be confident in your ability to manage relationships. I am originally from the Pilbara region of WA so I am a country kid. I knew my upbringing is different to many of my peers so I used my life experiences to become my strength.

Be yourself. There is no point convincing the firm to hire someone you are not, because you are not that person. Prepare by practicing talking about yourself and be willing to explore your resume. Also, don't worry about not knowing anything, we didn't know much either.

Just to be their authentic self during the interview.

Research your interviewing partner. It helps stimulate conversation and it shows that you care. Prepare your applications thoroughly and early. They take longer than you think.