New York Bar Admittance Character and Fitness Interview

March 15, 2016 5:41 AM

I'm scheduled to have my character and fitness interview (second department) soon. I don't have any special character and fitness concerns, but I'm very curious about what these interviews are like: how long do they last, what sort of questions are typically asked, can the interviewee refer to notes, etc. A little googling around hasn't turned up much information.
posted by anonymous to Law & Government (15 answers total)

I did this 9 years ago. It was like four questions conducted by a lovely old retired lawyer. Don't even worry.
posted by slateyness at 6:26 AM on March 15, 2016

When I did character and fitness in Maryland it was very brief. He looked at my application for red flags found none and gave me a lecture about not stealing client money. It took maybe fifteen minutes? The person ahead of me had an non-American law license and his took over an hour, but without that kind of concern, I'd expect it to be brief and uneventful.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 6:37 AM on March 15, 2016

I was admitted in the first department also about 8 or 9 years ago, and I agree with slateyness that it is a non-event.

Mine took about 10-15 minutes and was totally friendly (even when asking me about the two items I had disclosed - an underaged alcohol possession citation and a speeding ticket). I didn't refer to notes (and don't know whether I could have brought some), but the attorney doing the interview had my entire file in front of him. Other than the softball questions about the disclosures, he asked how I liked my law school and how I liked my current job and not much else that I can recall.
posted by Caz721 at 6:57 AM on March 15, 2016

My nephew got past it. If he did, I imagine just about anyone can.
posted by Dolley at 7:17 AM on March 15, 2016 [7 favorites]

I did my interview for admission in the second department in 2013. The interview was completely perfunctory, lasted less than five minutes, and was primarily a conversation about various neighborhoods in Brooklyn.
posted by saladin at 7:30 AM on March 15, 2016

I don't even think I was asked any questions. I think they just said something like everything was in order and then I was sent to be sworn in.

I think it was literally 1-2 minutes if even.
posted by whoaali at 8:17 AM on March 15, 2016

What everyone else said. The real work is on the paper application, the interview itself is.....I don't even know why they bother, frankly.
posted by jpe at 9:46 AM on March 15, 2016

It's really really simple. My interview (in the 1st Dept., 7 yrs ago) was with a retired judge. All of us with interviews on that day sat in a waiting area until called. I went to a library-type room with a small desk and sat on one side with the judge on the other. He reviewed my application and we shared some general chattiness. I had a traffic ticket from 6 or 7 years before (failure to yield or something benign like that), so he asked me about it and joked that I "probably didn't think that would come back to haunt me." And then I panicked about whether this stupid ticket would tank my career, but realized that was an overreaction when he immediately moved on to something else. He asked about where I was working, what practice area, where I was from originally, how I liked the city, etc.

There is no need for notes or anything like that. It is just a chance for a real live person to read your paper application and clarify (in person, with all of the nuance that entails) any potential red or yellow flags that arise. Unless you have something in your record that implies you're bad with handling other people's money (fraud, embezzlement, etc.), or something that would reflect poorly on the profession (recent DWI) the interview should be a nonevent. I think the whole thing, not counting waiting time, took less than 10 minutes.

Good luck and congrats!
posted by melissasaurus at 9:54 AM on March 15, 2016 [2 favorites]

Yep, quick and pointless if you don't have anything major on your application. I think I had one library fine of like $20 that had gone to collections that I had to take two seconds of crap for.
posted by praemunire at 2:31 PM on March 15, 2016

Mine was about 7 years ago in the 3rd Department. It was basically a few minutes of small talk. The only thing specific I remember is that she asked about where in town I lived, and it turned out that she knew my landlord. The rest may have been basic questions about my job and/or law school, but again, I don't remember specifically. So based on my experience, there's no need for notes or any preparation if you "don't have any special character and fitness concerns."
posted by John Cohen at 2:57 PM on March 15, 2016

I can scarcely remember mine (~9 years ago, 1st Dept.), which is my way of nthing everyone else in this thread who said it's brief and it's no big deal. I'd avoid cracking jokes or being sarcastic in any way, though.
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 3:09 PM on March 15, 2016

My experience (1st department about 8 years ago) was similar to everyone else's. I was somewhat caught off guard that my interviewer had my law school essays, though. (It had been a while since I graduated law school - I practiced in California for 5 years prior to moving to NY - so I could barely remember what I'd written.)
posted by odin53 at 5:56 PM on March 15, 2016

Mine lasted approximately 2.4 minutes last fall. Wear a suit, act human, don't sweat it.
posted by laduper at 7:51 PM on March 15, 2016

Nthing that it is basically a formality unless you have some serious bad character issues. Mine was a pleasant chat with a kindly semi retired old lawyer who encouraged me to do some good in the world.
posted by banishedimmortal at 9:57 PM on March 15, 2016

Five minutes, tops. I think I was asked literally one question, and it was "why is your address the same as mine?" (I was working in an office building with lots of lawyers' offices in it at the time, was the answer.)

(Before I went in, though, I kept fantasizing about walking in and singing out (to the tune of Alice's Restaurant): "Counselor, I want to kill. I mean, I wanna, I wanna kill. Kill. I wanna, I wanna see, I wanna see blood and gore and guts and veins in my teeth. Eat dead burnt bodies. I mean kill, Kill, KILL, KILL!" I suspect I would've passed even if I hadn't resisted that urge.)
posted by 168 at 10:50 PM on March 19, 2016