What to Bring to the Interview

Whether or not you bring packets to your interviews, always have extra copies of your updated resume and transcripts on hand. Employers often ask for them at an interview, and you will look unprepared if you cannot produce them on the spot.

Some candidates also wonder whether they should spend extra money on fancy paper. Most interviewers agree that nice resume paper has no bearing on their decision to interview or hire a candidate. Instead of investing in designer paper, take the time to proofread your resume, correct errors, and organize it better. A well-written and well-organized resume will impress your interviewers much more than a poorly-edited resume on scented paper.

Judicial clerks, who sort through hundreds of resumes of “wannabe” clerks in the fall, will tell you that no matter how stellar your grades or how impeccable your credentials are, they will always trash an application with typos in it. Likewise, all legal employers frown on poorly written resumes.

One student did not receive a callback because he listed “pubic service” (instead of “public service") on his resume. Another student's application was on its way to the judge's chambers when the clerk discovered several typos on an otherwise strong resume. Upon discovering the typos, the clerk threw away this application—one of only 10 selected for interviews.