O'Melveny & Myers Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process involved an initial screener followed by a callback. I withdrew my application after the callback because the office felt too large and impersonal. The interviews were standard, with no unexpected questions. The lawyers were approachable, professional, and communicated promptly. Overall, the communication throughout the process was good.

HR first reached out to arrange a screening interview, but then didn't respond after I replied with my availability. I followed up, and we scheduled a call that they ended up no-showing. After another nudge, we finally had the call. The subsequent interviews with people in the research department were friendly and efficient. Then HR went silent again. Despite sending two polite requests for an update over the following 6 weeks, I only found out I wasn't selected when the person who got the job posted about it on LinkedIn. The whole experience was so stressful that I questioned if it was some kind of screening tactic, though it's more probable that the HR recruiters handling these roles are either incompetent or seriously understaffed. I'd probably avoid applying for other positions there; it was too much trouble and uncertainty.

I applied online and got an email about coming to the SF office for prescreening and testing. A few weeks later, the hiring manager called and said I was one of three people picked from the prescreening to interview in person. I had to interview with the attorneys I'd be working with. The hiring manager didn't say much about the process, but mentioned I'd meet several associate attorneys and partners. On interview day, I got there early and was led to a small conference room. The whole thing took about four hours, meeting six people in total (2 partners, 4 associates). It was tough but interesting. The associates asked casual questions, but the partners were direct and asked 'why should we hire you?' type questions. The associates' questions were about a 3/10 difficulty, while the partners' were about an 8/10. Overall, it was a great experience, except for the lack of follow-up. I was told I'd hear back for sure, but never did. I emailed and called the hiring manager and even left a voicemail for the interview assistant who did my pre-testing, but got no response. I'm still in the dark about the position status.

The interview was relaxed and informal, with only a few direct inquiries about my previous work history. It seemed like the interviewers didn't have a set list of questions they had to ask. I spoke with people at all different levels, from partners to new associates. Setting up the interview was a bit disorganized because my list of interviewers wasn't finalized until right before, which made it hard for me to research them.