What to Ask a Lawyer in a Career Conversation: A Guide for Law Students

A short conversation with a practising lawyer can help you understand what a legal career involves before committing to a practice area. The questions matter. “Is arbitration a good field?” invites a broad opinion. “What work did a junior in your team handle last week?” can reveal the tasks, skills and working conditions you need to assess.

For Indian law students and fresh graduates, especially those without lawyers in the family, a focused career conversation can provide information that job titles and recruitment announcements leave unexplained.

Start with one decision you need to make

An informational interview is a conversation you initiate to learn about someone’s work and career experience. Preparing a clear purpose, researching the person beforehand and respecting the agreed time are established approaches recommended by university career services.

Choose one decision to explore:

• Should I seek exposure to commercial litigation or transactional work?
• Would policy research suit the kind of work I enjoy?
• What should I learn before applying to an in-house legal team?
• Can I realistically begin this career in my present city?

Write your question before arranging the conversation. It will help you choose whom to approach and prevent the discussion from becoming a request for general life advice.

Speak to someone who can explain the work you would actually do

Consider the person’s responsibilities and experience alongside their designation.

If you want to understand a junior associate’s working week, an associate may offer more directly relevant detail than someone discussing the practice from a leadership perspective. A senior practitioner can provide a different view of client relationships, business development and longer-term progression.

You can approach someone through a college introduction, a public professional profile or an event where they have invited questions. An alumni connection is useful, but it need not be your only starting point.

Sample request:

Dear Ms Rao,
I am a third-year law student exploring employment law. I would appreciate a 15-minute conversation about the work junior lawyers undertake in this area and how to prepare for it. I am available by phone or video at a time convenient to you. Thank you for considering my request.

Personalise the reason for approaching that particular person.

Ask about recent tasks and actual work products

Begin with questions that produce concrete descriptions:

“Without discussing confidential matters, what kinds of assignments occupied most of your time last week?”

Follow the answer with a question about the work product:

“What would the junior lawyer usually prepare for that assignment?”

This might lead to a discussion about a research note, draft agreement, hearing brief, filing or internal advisory email. You can then ask:

“What distinguishes a useful first draft from one that needs substantial revision?”

That sequence connects the practice area to something you can learn or practise.

Also ask which tasks recur. A memorable hearing or transaction may be interesting, while routine assignments tell you more about the work you would encounter regularly.

If the person describes several responsibilities, ask how their time is divided between them.

Also Read: How to Choose Your First Litigation Chamber After LL.B.

Explore working conditions through specific situations

Questions about working hours, travel, supervision and remuneration are relevant to career planning. Frame them around the role and recognise the limits of one person’s experience.

For example:

“When several matters become urgent together, how does your team allocate work and review junior drafts?”

This can help you understand supervision and workload management.

Other useful questions include:

• “How much of a junior’s work involves court visits, client meetings or travel?”
• “How are assignments explained when someone is learning a new task?”
• “Which expenses should a new entrant clarify before joining?”
• “How does the working week change during a hearing or transaction deadline?”

For remuneration, ask about the structure and what to verify in an offer. A conversation may identify useful questions about fixed pay, reimbursements or review periods. Treat any figures shared as context tied to a particular role, place and time.

Separate personal experience from formal requirements

A lawyer may describe the route they followed into a field. Ask whether that route reflects a formal requirement, a particular employer’s criteria or their own circumstances.

For example:

“Was that qualification required for your position, or did you choose it to develop your knowledge?”

Similarly, if someone recommends a course, ask which task it would help you perform and whether you can first test your interest through a smaller exercise.

Verify examination eligibility, professional registration and other formal requirements through the relevant official institution. Career conversations are particularly useful for understanding how work feels in practice; official sources establish the applicable requirements.

You can also ask what has changed since the person entered the profession. Advice based on an earlier recruitment process may need updating.

Use a simple plan for a 15-minute conversation

Prepare four or five priority questions and leave room for follow-ups. The following agenda is a practical suggestion you can adapt.

Time	Focus	Purpose
First minute	Introduce yourself and the decision you are exploring	Give the conversation direction
Next five minutes	Discuss recurring tasks and work products	Understand the work
Next four minutes	Explore supervision and working conditions	Assess practical fit
Next three minutes	Ask about preparation and entry requirements	Identify useful next steps
Final two minutes	Check your understanding and thank them	Close within the agreed time

Listen to the answers instead of reading every prepared question. If a useful point emerges, explore it.

Near the end, say: “We are approaching the time I requested. May I ask one final question?” Let the person decide whether to continue.

Use follow-up questions to unpack broad advice

Hypothetical example: A student is considering a career in policy research.

Practitioner: “Strong writing skills are important.”

Student: “What kind of writing would someone at entry level usually produce?”

Practitioner: “A short note comparing the legal position with a proposed policy change.”

Student: “What would you expect that note to contain?”

Practitioner: “The current framework, the proposed change, likely implementation difficulties and a clear explanation of the sources.”

The student now has a specific exercise to attempt. A general recommendation to “improve writing” has become a description of a useful work product.

Use the same approach when someone mentions commercial awareness, research ability or attention to detail. Ask what that skill looks like in an actual assignment and how the work is reviewed.

Also Read: How to Handle Conflicting Deadlines During a Legal Internship

Record what you learned before making a decision

After the conversation, make a brief note under four headings:

Work: Which recurring tasks and documents did the person describe?

Conditions: What did you learn about supervision, location, travel, expenses or workload?

Uncertainty: Which points need another perspective or official verification?

Action: What will you do next?

Send a short thank-you message that identifies something useful from the discussion. Following up after acting on advice can also provide a natural reason to reconnect.

Sample thank-you message:

Thank you for speaking with me today. Your explanation of how junior researchers prepare comparison notes helped me understand the role. I will attempt a short note on a public policy proposal and use that exercise to assess my interest further.

Before making a significant choice, compare accounts from people in different organisations or settings. Look for recurring features, differences and unanswered questions. Use those findings to choose your next practical step: observe the work, attempt a relevant exercise or investigate a particular role more closely.