The interview process was very positive. My first interview was with the Hiring Partner and the Partner I would be working for. The second interview was with 4 partners. Everyone was super nice.

It was more like a background check than an interview. Being grilled on every line of my resume, even college extracurriculars, is just strange when you’re interviewing a 10-year attorney. They asked me questions that made me uncomfortable, like the year I graduated college and whether I went to college straight from high school — a thinly veiled attempt to deduce my high school graduation year and, thus, my age. They also asked about billing requirements at my current and former firm, who are both direct competitors in the insurance defense space — a thinly veiled attempt at opposition research. They were aggressive in seeking this information, and I had to deflect several times. They also directly asked my current salary — a question that is illegal in many states, albeit not this one. When I advised them instead of the salary range I was seeking, they shot back with “Do you think that’s a fair salary ask?” And when I responded I did, “sounds like [lowest number in range] is your bottom,” expecting me to confirm whether that is the lowest I would accept. I withdrew my application after this interview.