A number of law-bloggers have put up helpful posts, advising prospective law-teachers about the hiring conference, etc. On a related note, I’d like to hear from folks who either have recently gone through the conference, or who are planning on participating in this year’s, what questions they would like to hear, or would have liked to hear, from interviewers. What are some questions that, in your mind, give candidates the chance to put their best foot forward, in terms of the things that communities of legal scholars should care about? What are questions that, you think, suggest a faculty community of which you might like to be a part?
Posted by Rick Garnett on August 13, 2007 at 01:46 PM
Comments
I second the comment praising questions that indicate the person has read (or at least thoroughly skimmed) some of your work. I’m realize that this is a tough thing to do with so many applicants, at the same time, it indicates (a) that the school is a communal place (if they read your work as an applicant, they’ll be likely to read your work as colleague) and (b) that the committee is really attentive to and concerned with judging the quality of the work for themselves (rather than by proxy through law review placement). I had one interview last year where a committee person had closely read my most recent article and it left me with a very positive impression about the school.
Posted by: Anon | Aug 15, 2007 5:54:21 AM
The best and most flattering question is one that suggests somebody has actually read your work, and has something constructive, critical or supportive, to say about it, and does it in an engaging way. It seems to me a well-prepared candidate would use this as an opening for just about anything she or he wanted to say that was important.
The worst is the “ice breaker” question that picks some trivial element of your resume (“so how did you end up as the cartoonist of The Michigan Daily?”) and puts it front and center. (Nothing wrong with the activity or question – just not the way to encourage putting one’s best foot forward.)
Posted by: Jeff Lipshaw | Aug 14, 2007 4:03:50 AM
The former Dean at St. John’s asked me what I thought was a great question at the start of an AALS FAR interview. He said, “Why don’t you spend five minutes telling us about yourself and what you think our Committee should know about you.” I felt that was a great way for the Dean to show that the Committee wanted to learn about what was important to me as a teacher, scholar, and person.
Posted by: Greg Duhl | Aug 13, 2007 2:43:18 PM