In-house Solicitor Interview Questions UK: 8 Real Questions and What Interviewers Want

Before your In-house Solicitor interview, it helps to see the questions from the interviewer's side. We have picked eight from our set of 16 and added the reason each one gets asked.

Eight In-house Solicitor interview questions, and what the interviewer is thinking

1. Why do you want to work in-house rather than in private practice, and what does a typical week as an in-house solicitor look like?

Why they ask: They want to check you understand the in-house role and are motivated for the right reasons.

2. What are the key clauses you would focus on when reviewing a supplier or customer contract, and how do you decide what matters most?

Why they ask: Contract review is the daily core of in-house work, and they want to see structured, commercial thinking.

3. Who can sign a contract on behalf of a company in England and Wales, and how is a deed executed?

Why they ask: Authority and execution formalities are basic points that can invalidate or weaken a deal if mishandled.

4. How do you decide who owns intellectual property when the business commissions software, designs or content from a third party?

Why they ask: Misunderstanding IP ownership is a common and costly in-house risk.

5. What are the formal requirements for a valid settlement agreement, and when would you advise HR to use one?

Why they ask: In-house solicitors regularly support HR on exits, and errors can invalidate waivers of claims.

6. What are the main changes to UK data protection law brought by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, and how might they affect our business?

Why they ask: They want to see you keep pace with current law that affects day-to-day commercial work.

7. The sales team tells you they began work for a major customer weeks ago and the contract is still unsigned. What do you do?

Why they ask: Work without contract is a frequent in-house problem, and they want to see pragmatic risk management.

8. Tell me about a time you had to say no to a business colleague, and how you handled it.

Why they ask: In-house lawyers must hold firm positions while staying approachable.

A sample answer to question 1

Why do you want to work in-house rather than in private practice, and what does a typical week as an in-house solicitor look like?

What attracts me to in-house work is being part of one business and seeing the consequences of my advice. In private practice I valued technical depth, but I missed the follow-through. In-house, a typical week mixes reviewing and negotiating commercial contracts, answering quick questions from sales, procurement, HR and product, attending team meetings, and handling a few longer projects, such as a policy review or a regulatory change. I would expect to prioritise constantly, using a triage system to separate urgent, important and routine requests, and to rely on templates and playbooks to keep routine work fast. I'd also instruct external firms on specialist matters, manage their budgets, and report on risks to my general counsel. I'm realistic that the work is varied and fast, that I'll be a generalist rather than a specialist, and that I'll need to be as comfortable discussing commercial outcomes as legal ones.

Common mistake to avoid: Criticising private practice; imagining in-house is a quieter option

Want the rest?

Full model answers, key points and common mistakes for all 16 questions are on the In-house Solicitor interview questions page. The first five are free, no sign-up needed.