Skadden 2028 screening and callback guide

For
2028 summer associates
Sources
14 cited

Got a Skadden screening interview or callback for the 2028 summer associate program? Here is the format, who you meet, the questions to expect and what happens before an offer.

A law student in a suit talking over coffee with two junior associates at a small table in a law firm lounge, daylight from tall windows.
Skadden callbacks mix interviews with partners, counsel and associates with informal time with junior lawyers, such as lunch or coffee.

Key facts

  • Before interviews: A brief online Suited assessment, required for US offices, sent after you apply.2,3
  • Screening: A virtual screening interview with one or two attorneys about your experiences, interests and goals.1,4
  • Screening length: Law firm screeners are short, usually 10 to 30 minutes, so lead with a clear story of where you have been and why this firm.6,7
  • Full round: Full-round interviews with partners, counsel and associates from the practices that match your interests, plus informal time with junior lawyers over lunch or coffee.1,4
  • Who decides: Each office has its own hiring committee, which meets regularly to evaluate candidates and decide.1
  • When: Interviews run on a rolling basis with flexible times around exams. Offers follow your official fall 2026 transcript.2,3
  • What they look for: People who want to learn as much as possible, communicate well and can work with clients, and who can talk about their experience and what they took from it.4,5
  • Callback to offer: Across firms, 47% of callback interviews led to offers in the 2025 cycle (summer 2026).8

Skadden invites you to send questions or topics before or during your interviews so it can tailor the meetings. If you get an offer, you can book follow-up conversations with more attorneys.1

What the Skadden interview looks like

  1. Before the first interview

    You apply with a resume and undergraduate transcript, and US applicants then take a brief Suited assessment, sent after you submit. Law school guidance puts these assessments at about 20 to 30 minutes, with no right answers to study.2,3,13

  2. The virtual screener

    Skadden's process usually begins with a virtual screening interview with one or two attorneys, about your experiences, interests and goals. It is short, so have a clear story of where you have been, where you want to go and why Skadden fits. School programs for summer 2028 jobs also run on video in early January 2027.1,4,7,12

  3. The full round

    If you go through, you meet partners, counsel and associates from the practices that match your interests. You also get to know junior lawyers informally, over lunch or coffee, and you can talk to former summer associates about the program.1,4

  4. What interviewers listen for

    Skadden interviewers want to see that you can talk about your experience intelligently and say what you learned from it, and that you are enthusiastic and prepared. The firm values people who want to keep learning and who communicate well with clients, and says there is no one type of Skadden lawyer.5,4

  5. After the interviews

    Each office's hiring committee meets regularly to decide, and offers follow your official fall 2026 transcript. If you get one, you can set up more conversations with attorneys before you decide.1,2

From application to offer, step by step

Suited assessment About 20 to 30 min
Required for US offices, sent after you apply. No right answers to study; take it somewhere quiet.
Screening interview About 10 to 30 min
Virtual, with one or two attorneys, on your experiences, interests and goals.
Full-round interviews Several, about 20 to 30 min each
Partners, counsel and associates from the practices you named.
Lunch or coffee Informal
Time with junior lawyers. It is still part of how the firm gets to know you.
Hiring committee Rolling
Each office's committee meets regularly. Offers follow your fall 2026 transcript.

The steps come from Skadden's pages and Chambers Associate. The assessment and interview lengths are Intervyo's reading of law school guidance.1,2,4,6,13

Before your Skadden interviews

  • Finish the Suited assessment soon after you apply, in a quiet slot.
  • For the virtual screener: camera at eye level, light in front, a plain background.
  • Know one recent Skadden matter in the practice you name, and what made it hard.
  • Know every line of your resume and what you learned from it.
  • Send Skadden any topics you want to cover before the interview.
  • Bring spare copies of your resume, transcript and writing sample to the full round.
  • Treat lunch or coffee with associates as part of the day.
  • Send a separate thank-you email to each interviewer within 24 hours.

The questions

Expect conversation. The questions fall into a few groups: why Skadden, your resume and what you learned, how you work with others under pressure, and which practices you want to try.1,4,5

  • Motivation: Why Skadden, why the office, and why the practice areas you named.
  • Resume: Any line on your resume, and what you took from it.
  • Behavioral: Teamwork, pressure, feedback and how you communicate.
  • Practice area: What you want to try in the summer and which matters interest you.
  • Writing sample: What you wrote and why you argued it that way, if you bring one.

Which division question you get

Corporate (M&A, capital markets)
Expect to talk about the deals or matters that drew you to corporate work. In New York, incoming corporate associates rotate through two departments for 8 months each.4,10
Litigation
Summer litigators get exposure to depositions and court proceedings, so expect questions on your writing and a legal issue you have worked on. Bring your writing sample.1,5,11,6
Chicago office
Chicago summer associates work only in their assigned practice group, so be ready to name and defend a practice area at interview.10
TaxBest guess
Expect questions on why tax, and on any finance or accounting background on your resume.

The Tax line is our best guess from the pattern in the other practices: why the practice, plus your own background in it.

Example questions and how to answer them

Motivation"Why Skadden?"4,5,1
  1. 1Start with the practice and one recent Skadden matter you can explain in two sentences.
  2. 2Give one reason specific to Skadden: the breadth of its practices, the summer program or how it trains.
  3. 3Link it to your own story: a class, a job or a project that brought you here.
  4. 4Close on the office and what you want to learn in the summer.

Tip: Skadden's interviewers look for preparation and enthusiasm. Be specific, and be yourself rather than what you think the firm wants.

Example answer, written by Intervyo (not a real candidate)

Intervyo example.

I want to do public M&A, and Skadden is one of the firms clients call for the largest deals. Its role advising Union Pacific on its $85 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern is the kind of matter I want to learn on: it combines the deal itself with heavy regulatory review.

Before law school I worked on transactions from the banking side and liked the problem solving more than the modeling. I also like that Skadden's summer has no formal rotation, so I can try M&A and antitrust before I narrow down. And I want to build my career in New York.

Resume"Tell me about an experience on your resume and what you took from it."5,6
  1. 1Pick an entry with a real challenge in it.
  2. 2Say what you did, in a few sentences.
  3. 3Name the result.
  4. 4Spend the most time on what you learned and how you use it now.

Tip: A great resume does not help if you cannot talk about it, or if you come across as arrogant.

Behavioral"Tell me about a time you worked on a team under pressure."4,6
  1. 1Set the scene: the team, the deadline and what was at stake.
  2. 2Say what you did yourself, especially how you kept others informed.
  3. 3Give the result.
  4. 4End on what you would repeat or change.

Tip: Skadden values strong communication and the ability to work with clients. Show both: who you updated, how, and when.

Practice area"Which practice areas do you want to try this summer?"4,10,7
  1. 1Name one or two areas and the reason, from a class or a job.
  2. 2Show you are open to trying more: there is no formal rotation outside Chicago.
  3. 3Ask the interviewer how they chose their own practice.

Tip: Skadden suggests narrowing your focus around the midpoint of the summer, so the first weeks are for trying things. Saying you want to explore is a fine answer if you name where you would start.

Writing sample"Walk me through your writing sample."11,6
  1. 1Say what the document is and the question it answers.
  2. 2Give your conclusion first, then the steps of reasoning.
  3. 3Name the strongest counterargument and how you handled it.
  4. 4Say what you would change now.

Tip: Bring spare copies to the full round in a folder, along with your resume and transcript.

More Skadden interview questions

Motivation

  • “Why are you interested in our firm?”7

  • “Why Skadden?”4,5

    Wording ours; interviewers judge how prepared you are on the firm

  • “Why this office?”7

    Best guess

    Firms want to know you are serious about the office

Resume

  • “Can you talk about your experience and what you learned from it?”5

  • “What challenges did you face in that role?”6

Interests and goals

  • “What are your experiences, interests and goals?”1

    Wording ours; the screener covers these

  • “What area of the law are you most interested in?”7

Behavioral

  • “Tell me about a challenging experience in law school or another job.”5

    A common opener across firms, from another firm's interviewer

  • “Tell me about a time you took constructive criticism.”5

    Wording ours, from another firm's interviewer

  • “How do you communicate with a client or a senior lawyer under time pressure?”4

    Best guess

    Skadden names communication and client skills

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How long to hear back after the interview

Skadden interviews on a rolling basis and fits interview times around exams. Each office's hiring committee meets regularly, and offers wait for your official fall 2026 transcript.1,2

  1. 2025 (summer 2026)

    All firms, NALP survey

    47% of callback interviews led to offers. May 2025 was the busiest offer month, and 85% of offers went out before July.8

  2. 2025 (summer 2025 class)

    Skadden summer program

    177 of 178 2L summer associates received full-time offers.9

  3. Nov 2, 2026 (summer 2028)

    Skadden, all offices

    The 2028 postings went up, with interviews on a rolling basis from then.14,2

  4. Jan 8 to 13, 2027 (summer 2028)

    Harvard Early Interview Program

    Virtual screeners for private sector employers, for the Class of 2029's 2L summer jobs.12

Response times vary by firm more than by candidate. If two weeks pass after your full round with no word and no timeline, a short follow-up email is reasonable.6

Best guessWith applications opening in early November 2026, expect screeners from late November to February and offers once fall grades are in, from January 2027.

What happens after the interview

  1. Online application

    Resume and undergraduate transcript through Skadden's Flo Recruit portal, then your fall 2026 grades.2

  2. Suited assessment

    A brief online assessment for US offices, sent after you apply.2,3

  3. Screening, then full-round interviewsYou are here

    This page. A virtual screener, then full-round interviews with partners, counsel and associates.1,4

  4. Offer

    From the office's hiring committee once your fall transcript is in, with follow-up conversations on request.1,2

Screening interview vs full round

The screener checks your story and interest; the full round tests fit with the lawyers you would work with. Grades matter most at the first stage.

Format

Screening interview

Virtual.1,4

Full round (callback)

A set of interviews, plus informal time with junior lawyers.1,4

Who

Screening interview

One or two attorneys.4

Full round (callback)

Partners, counsel and associates from the practices you named.1,4

Length

Screening interview

About 10 to 30 minutes.6,7

Full round (callback)

Several interviews of 20 to 30 minutes, often half a day.6,7

Focus

Screening interview

Your experiences, interests and goals.1

Full round (callback)

Whether you fit Skadden's level of practice, your enthusiasm and preparation.4

Your questions

Screening interview

Send topics ahead if you like.1

Full round (callback)

Ask about each interviewer's own work and practice.6

2028 summer associate status

The summer runs ten weeks, with no formal rotation outside Chicago, a mentor, and workshops from litigation and trials training to writing. Summer associates are paid $4,326.92 a week, and students who accept a summer offer can get a $50,000 career launch bonus, on terms.1,10,3

FAQ

What is the Skadden screening interview like?

A virtual interview with one or two attorneys about your experiences, interests and goals. It is short, usually 10 to 30 minutes, so lead with a clear story and a specific reason for Skadden.1,4,6,7

What happens at a Skadden callback?

Full-round interviews with partners, counsel and associates from the practices that match your interests, plus informal time with junior lawyers over lunch or coffee. You can also talk with former summer associates.1,4

Do you take the Suited assessment before the Skadden interview?

It is part of the application for US offices, and the instructions arrive after you submit. Law school guidance says firms may consider the results alongside your resume, grades and interviews, so take it soon after applying.2,3,13

What kind of questions does Skadden ask?

Questions about your experience, what you learned from it and why Skadden. Be ready to talk through a legal issue you have worked on and your writing sample if you bring one.1,4,5,11

What does Skadden look for in interviews?

Enthusiasm and preparation, people who want to keep learning, strong communication and the ability to work with clients. Be yourself rather than who you think the firm wants.4,5

When will I hear back from Skadden?

Interviews run on a rolling basis, and each office's hiring committee meets regularly. Offers come after you submit your official fall 2026 transcript.1,2

Can I talk to more people at Skadden before accepting?

Yes. You can share questions before or during your interviews, and after an offer you can book follow-up conversations with more attorneys.1

Interview at other firms

Sources

Firm pages first, then dated candidate reports. Last checked Nov 4, 2026.

  1. 1Skadden: United States: Law Students and Graduates
  2. 2Skadden: Summer Associate Application Information
  3. 3Skadden (Flo Recruit): 2028 Summer Associate Program - New York
  4. 4Chambers Associate: Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom firm profile: Get Hired · prep site
  5. 5Chambers Associate: OCI advice from the interviewers · prep site
  6. 6University of Michigan Law School Office of Career Planning: Guide to Firm Callback Interviews · prep site
  7. 77Sage: What I Wish I Knew before BigLaw Recruiting 101 (Aug 2022) · prep site
  8. 8NALP: Law Student Recruiting Moves Earlier as Employer-Sponsored Hiring Expands (Jan 2026) · press
  9. 9Vault: Skadden: Summer Law Program · prep site
  10. 10Flo Recruit: Skadden firm profile (updated Jul 2026)
  11. 11Yale Law School Career Development Office: Writing Samples, References & Transcripts · prep site
  12. 12Harvard Law School Office of Career Services: Recruiting Programs for Employers · prep site
  13. 13Berkeley Law Career Development Office: CDO: EIW Law Firm Assessments (2021) · prep site
  14. 14Skadden (Flo Recruit): Job Openings at Skadden (Nov 4, 2026)

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