STAR Method for Law Firm Interviews: How to Structure Competency Answers

Competency questions such as "tell me about a time when you..." appear in almost every law firm interview, video assessment, and assessment centre. Most candidates answer them in roughly the right way. Few answer them in a way that is specific enough, action-focused enough, or concise enough to stand out.

The STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is the standard framework for structuring these answers. This resource explains how to use it correctly, not just what the letters stand for.

Inside you will find:

• A breakdown of each STAR element — what to include, what to leave out, and how long each element should take in a two-minute answer
• The most common STAR mistakes — why most candidates spend too long on S and T and not long enough on A, and how to fix it
• A full worked example — a complete STAR answer to a common law firm competency question, annotated to show what each section is doing
• How to choose the right examples — the criteria for selecting experiences that demonstrate the quality being assessed, not just experiences that technically answer the question
• 15 practice questions covering the most common competency topics in law firm interviews: teamwork, leadership, resilience, communication, problem-solving, and working under pressure

Use this resource to build and practise your five to seven core STAR examples before your next interview or assessment centre.