IP Law Firm Gives Job Applicants Personality Quizzes

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Summary: A law firm has a unique way of screening its potential job applicants. 

Finding a new lawyer who is a perfect fit for a law firm isn’t an easy task. Hiring managers can recruit law students directly from schools, put out online listings, or employ a recruiter to poach the best of the best. But one IP trial law firm has its own unique approach–quizzes!

  

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Fisch Sigler LLP, which has offices in New York, Silicon Valley, and Washington DC, has a flair for creative writing; and in their latest job posting, they said they were looking for more than just your usual ho-hum robot lawyer. They wanted a writing wizard to join their “special firm.”

“We are looking for a literary artisan,” Fisch Sigler’s job posting stated (*the bolding was added by us.) “We are looking for someone versed in the classics. We are looking for a lawyer who savors persuasive writing as the best part of the job. Is this you? If so, we offer a welcoming home for your talents. We are a special firm. And what we seek in our teammates is special. For that reason, to demonstrate your expositional prowess, please submit three legal writing samples. You are also invited to provide an optional three paragraphs supporting your thesis as to whether Saul Bellow deserved his Nobel Prize (if you are unfamiliar with Saul Bellow, this position may not be right for you).

But the listing went on to surprise its potential applicants by asking them to first take and pass a quiz before even being allowed to send in those writing samples.

“Do you have what it takes to join this special team? The first step toward that answer is found in a quiz. Come to our website and take our quiz. If you pass, you will be provided with instructions about the next step of the application process. The quiz is found at: https://www.fischllp.com/careers/. Good luck,” the ad read.

Alan Fisch from Fisch Sigler said that the firm created the quizzes because resumes only reflected a small part of a candidate’s actual personality, which is something that the firm values.

“One’s resume is only a part of the whole person—often a small part,” Fisch said to JD Journal. “Our recruiting is specifically designed to identify superstars with the right IQ and EQ fit for our organization.  We acknowledge that our approach is uncommon, but so are the people we are seeking.  We also value the candidate self-selection that results from our different approach.”

Fisch told JD Journal that throughout their history, the firm has hosted four quizzes: Superstar 3Ls, Superstar Judicial Law Clerks, Superstar Experienced Lawyers, and Superstar Patent Examiners.

So how tough are these quizzes? One click of the mentioned quiz in the ad sends you to the following screen:

Both tests consist of five simple questions, which basically suss out whether or not you actually grasp the concept of wanting to work hard for an employer. For example, here is one of the questions for a law school applicant. 

When asked “I am proud of my writing” by a law firm that clearly values good writing, it seems obvious to answer “agree” instead of “disagree.” For the smart applicants who answer “agree” on Fisch Sigler’s quizzes, they are rewarded with the following instructions.

But for any idiot who admitted to hating writing and hating being a good employee, they were given the boot and also told to go to a competitor.

Well played, Fisch Sigler. Well played.

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What do you think of the firm’s unconventional hiring practice? Let us know in the comments below.