The Course aux stages marathon is in full swing.
You’ve worked hard on your application and your efforts have paid off! You’ve landed yourself a first interview: Congratulations, you’re off to a great start! Now, you’ve got to keep up the effort until the end of the second interview, and most importantly make sure you’re well prepared.

The First Interview

This first interview lasts 15 to 20 minutes. You will meet with two attorneys who are usually members of our recruitment committee. For those of you who have chosen to do an in-person interview, you’ll also have the opportunity to meet the firm’s articling students and young attorneys before the interview.

Keep in mind that the purpose of the interview, from our perspective, is to get to know you over the course of an informal discussion. Be yourself, tell us about yourself and what your interests are. Also, make sure to be ready to answer in French and in English. Check out our students’ and articling students’ profiles as part of your preparation, you’ll find their testimonials reassuring.

1- If you have chosen the virtual interview, then try to familiarise yourself with the virtual world, in particular the Teams application. Make sure that your microphone and camera are properly working before your interview.

2- Getting ready for an interview means doing your homework. Who will be interviewing you? It’s important to get to know the firm, its values, its areas of practice and the members of the recruitment committee. Leave nothing to chance! This information is readily available online, and it will help you prepare and understand the firm’s philosophy:

Who’s behind the LRMM recruitment committee?

LRMM, a firm like no other

LRMM doesn’t live to work but works to live

Perhaps you’ve already taken part in a recruitment event with our firm (we certainly hope so)? Perhaps you’ve also had the opportunity to chat with our attorneys or articling students and ask them questions? You can use this knowledge during the interview to demonstrate your interest in our firm.

3- Listen closely to the questions and comments during the interview. We’re not there to trick or trap you, just to get to know you. Answer the questions honestly and be concise and clear. If needed, take time to reflect before answering.

4- Don’t forget about body language, both that of your interviewers and your own. Pay attention to your posture and your tone. Just like any job interview, first impressions are very important. While waiting in the virtual waiting room, take deep breaths and remember that smiling will decrease your stress. Observe your audience and do your best to capture their attention.

5- Reread your cover letter and be prepared to expand on key points that it refers to, because we will have reviewed your CV and cover letter: your strengths, weaknesses, things you are proud of, what you like about legal practice, what you’re looking for in a firm, what you can bring to the team, and so on.

The Second Interview

Among the candidates met during the first interviews, certain ones will be selected for a second interview in-person with four or six members of the recruitment committee. This interview should last approximately 30 minutes. It may appear intimidating at first to introduce yourself to such a large panel! Don’t worry, the atmosphere of this second interview should make you comfortable. This will be an opportunity for both yourself and the LRMM recruitment committee to further converse.

We’ll also take this opportunity to get to know you even more, further explore certain aspects and get an idea of what motivated you to choose LRMM for your articling. At this stage, you’re no longer introducing yourself but are rather explaining to us why you really want to complete your articling with the firm—and why we should choose you.

The second interview allows us not only to determine whether you have a true interest in our firm, but also helps us determine whether we are made for one another.

Some students that we meet in the second interview will be invited to another event where they will have the opportunity to meet many attorneys and articling students from the firm. This will be an opportunity for both parties to mingle in a more relaxed, less formal context!

Finally, on March 22nd, we will offer articling positions to the candidates who will have stood out and convinced us that they belong within the LRMM family.

Conclusion

Whether or not you’re offered an articling position, you should be proud of the journey you’ve taken during the Course aux stages process. This intense period is also a great opportunity to get to know yourself, your aspirations and different firms and their fields of practice.

Don’t get discouraged along the way! You’ll come out of the process stronger and more confident. The marathon isn’t over yet and we know you’ll put forth your best efforts to reach your goals.

We wish you all the best of luck during this Course aux stages!