Interim lawyer interview questions

By Maren Siegels and Christian Steinmetz

Short answer

Interim lawyer interview questions focus on one thing: can you take over a specific task quickly and independently? Prepare two or three project examples, your availability and workload, and your own questions about the goal, the contact person and system access. With Alpinum, you first have a conversation with the talent management team.

Short answer: Interim lawyer interview questions focus on one thing: can you take over a specific task quickly and independently? Prepare two or three project examples, your availability and workload, and your own questions about the goal, the contact person and system access. With Alpinum, you first have a conversation with the talent management team.

This guide is for lawyers and compliance professionals preparing for an interview for an interim assignment. It covers the process, typical questions with an answer strategy and the most common mistakes.

How a briefing interview differs from a job interview

A briefing interview for an interim assignment is about a specific task, not a long-term career. The future line manager wants to find out quickly whether you can cover the need and when you can start.

That changes how you prepare. Questions about where you see yourself in five years are rare. More often the conversation covers onboarding, working style, availability and your experience with similar tasks. It is often shorter and more direct than an interview for a permanent role.

How to prepare, step by step

Good preparation starts with your profile and ends with your own questions for the client.

Update your profile: keep your CV, practice areas, languages, availability, notice period and workload current in AlpinumHub.
Talk to talent management: this is where you clarify practice areas, experience, assignment preferences and the right engagement model. Expect technical questions about past mandates.
Understand the need: before the client interview you will learn the trigger, for example a vacancy, parental leave cover, a workload peak or a project. Work out what the manager will want to hear.
Prepare project examples: two or three examples with the starting point, your role, your approach and the result, ideally matching the trigger.
Settle the framework: decide your start date, workload, on-site presence and duration in advance so you can answer clearly.
Write down your own questions: the goal of the assignment, the contact person, access, priorities for the first weeks.
Follow up: tell Alpinum what you heard and whether the role is a fit.

Checklist: typical interim lawyer interview questions

Most questions test speed, independence and fit with the specific task. The table lists typical questions with an answer strategy.

Typical question	What they want to know	How to answer
How do you get up to speed in a new legal department?	Pace and structure in the first weeks	Describe a concrete approach: overview of open matters, key contacts, first priorities
What similar work have you done?	Experience with the trigger	Give one relevant project example with your role and the result, without confidential details
When can you start, and at what workload?	Availability	Name a specific date and workload, not "to be agreed"
How do you deal with unclear responsibilities?	Independence and alignment	Show when you decide yourself and when you escalate
How do you make sure the handover works at the end?	Reliability beyond the assignment	Describe documentation, a handover list and knowledge transfer
Why interim and not permanent?	Motivation and commitment	Answer honestly; joining the team permanently (temp-to-perm) is possible, with terms agreed in advance

Roles and capacity: what matters at each level

What counts in the interview depends on level and trigger. Experienced is the most common level for interim assignments.

Junior: show willingness to learn, a careful way of working and experience with documentation, research or reviews.
Experienced: demonstrate depth in the practice area and fast onboarding, for example with a comparable mandate.
Senior: explain how you lead, prioritise and work with management and law firms, and for a vacancy how you hand over to the permanent hire.

Workload and duration are part of the conversation. Assignments range from 20 to 100%, depending on the client's needs and your preferences. A review of whether tasks and workload fit usually follows after two to four weeks.

Switzerland and Germany: what differs

The interview itself is the same in both countries; the terms and contract forms you may be asked about differ.

Switzerland: in Personalverleih (Swiss staff leasing) you are employed by Alpinum Solutions AG; the client is the host company and gives the professional instructions.
Germany: in Arbeitnehmerüberlassung (German temporary agency work) you are employed by Alpinum Solutions GmbH; the client is the hirer.
Freelancing: in both countries you work self-employed and on your own responsibility within the agreed mandate; clarify in advance how goals and coordination are handled.

Limits and risks: common mistakes in the briefing interview

Most interviews fail not on expertise but on vague answers or a lack of discretion.

Disclosing confidential information: clients, parties and details of earlier mandates do not belong in the interview. Describe tasks and results anonymously.
Vague availability: unclear start dates or a shifting workload come across as unreliable.
Too broad a pitch: focus on the task at hand, not on every stage of your career.
No questions of your own: not asking about the goal, contact person and access looks unprepared.
Negotiating terms with the client: you settle the contract, rate and engagement model with Alpinum, not with the line manager.

FAQs on interviews for interim lawyer roles

How long does a briefing interview for an interim assignment take?

It depends on the company and the level. It is often shorter and more direct than an interview for a permanent role because it is about a specific task. For senior or leadership roles a second conversation may follow, for example with management. Allow enough time to present your examples and ask your questions without rushing.

Who takes part in the interview?

Usually your future line manager, such as the general counsel, head of legal or head of compliance. Sometimes a team member you will work with closely joins as well. Before that, you will already have spoken to Alpinum's talent management team, which selected your profile for the role.

What should I say about earlier mandates?

Explain what your task was, how you approached it and what the outcome was. Describe the type and scale of the work, for example contract review in a carve-out or KYC reviews in a task force. Leave out client names, parties and confidential details. Companies see this discretion as a sign of professionalism.

Do I need to talk about money in the interview?

No. You settle the contract, engagement model and terms with Alpinum, not in the interview with the client. The briefing interview is about the task, working style, availability and workload. If the manager asks about terms anyway, politely refer them to Alpinum.

How quickly will I hear back after the interview?

That depends on the company. Because interim needs are often urgent, decisions tend to come faster than for permanent roles. Clients usually receive two to four profiles per search and compare the interviews. Give Alpinum your feedback right after the interview so the response can follow quickly.

Next step

Alpinum Solutions is the leading provider of interim legal & compliance in Switzerland and Germany and prepares candidates for every briefing interview. Create your profile and keep your availability and workload up to date.

Last updated: 10 November 2026.

You can find more interesting articles on this topic here:

How a placement with Alpinum Solutions works: from your AlpinumHub profile to the assignment

CV and profile for interim assignments: what clients look for

Returning after parental leave or a career break: interim assignments as a bridge

The briefing interview for interim assignments: preparation and typical questions