Harrison Barnes' Legal Career Advice Podcast · Harrison Barnes

Part 3 - How to Answer the 'Do You Have Any Questions for Me' Interview Question: Harrison Barnes Legal Recruiter from BCG Attorney Search

·25 min

This episode of Harrison Barnes' Legal Career Advice Podcast focuses on strategies for answering the final interview question, "Do you have any questions for me?" Harrison Barnes, a legal recruiter and career coach, draws on his extensive experience to explain the question's hidden importance. He argues this segment is a critical opportunity to bond with interviewers and assess firm culture. Barnes recounts a specific story about an attorney in 2002 who noticed snowboarding photos in a partner's office at Morrison Foerster in Denver. He shares observations about firms that hire predominantly from specific Ivy League schools, certain religious backgrounds, or former college athletes. He mentions New York firms like Milbank and Sullivan & Cromwell historically preferring lateral hires from other New York firms when opening Los Angeles offices. Barnes emphasizes asking, "What do you like most about working here?" and recalls an associate at a New York firm who revealed he hadn't had a day off in four months. He also advises asking, "What are the characteristics of your most successful attorneys here?" A key insight is that interviewers subconsciously hire candidates they identify with, whether through shared hobbies, backgrounds, or educational pedigrees. The "what do you like most" question can reveal extreme workplace expectations, like the associate's lack of time off, or a positive, collaborative environment. Barnes states that asking "what are the next steps?" proactively frames the interviewer's mind toward hiring you and demonstrates serious interest. He warns that firms deeply dislike making offers to candidates who might decline, comparing it to a rejected marriage proposal. He extends the analogy to law school admissions, where safety schools may reject overqualified applicants who are unlikely to accept offers. Barnes advises never to make an interviewer feel badly by asking about negative press or their less prestigious alma mater. The core job in an interview, he concludes, is to make people feel good about themselves, their firm, and their background. The tone is conversational and instructional, blending personal anecdotes with direct career advice drawn from decades in legal recruitment. This episode is ideal for law students or attorneys preparing for firm interviews who want tactical, psychologically-aware strategies. Listeners seeking a highly structured, scripted presentation might find the anecdotal and digressive style less appealing.

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