This is the second of a three-part interview with United States District Judge Mark Bennett. According to the first part, we talked about some of the events and actions that led Bennett to issue one of the most famous discovery sanctions in recent memory.
Here, we break down what he means by “trial lawyers” and “litigators,” talk about what the courts do to settle discovery disputes, and remember the early days of personal computers. Some people might think Judge Bennett’s philosophy is too idealistic, but it gives us a much-needed view from someone who was successful in the field before it became stale, inefficient, and violent. At least some members of the judiciary have pretty harsh things to say about the state of modern discovery.
What do you think the huge rise in data volume has done to access to justice? It seems like, and I think you’ve laid it out, on the one hand, there are smaller parties who can’t afford to deal with discovery that the other side throws at them. On the other hand, big companies are more likely to settle claims that aren’t true because it wouldn’t be worth the money to keep, gather, search, and show all this information. Is that a fair assessment?.
Hon. Mark Bennett: Yes, thats an excellent assessment and one I agree with. And it works both ways. This isnt a defense-plaintiff issue. Both sides are guilty of abuse of discovery practices.
Bennett: Well, it results in less access to justice because people with good claims have a harder time getting their cases to trial because of how we’ve changed from a trial lawyer approach, where lawyers get to the heart of the matter, don’t take a lot of unnecessary depositions or discovery, and either settle or go to trial. No one can afford to go to trial after discovery, though, with the way things are set up now.
Logikcull: Alright, judge, let me read again from your opinion [in Security National Bank of Sioux City v. Abbott Laboratories], this time quoting from Judge Paul Grimm and David Yellen.
The truth is that lawyers and clients don’t work with their opponent during discovery, even though it’s clearly in their best interest to do so, for a number of weak and unconvincing reasons. They don’t want to work together because they want to make the discovery process as painful and expensive for their opponent as possible. This way, they can settle to save money instead of having the case decided on its own merits. “.
So, let me ask: if discovery can be used as a weapon to wear down the other side and force a settlement (which, to your point, it does happen all the time), then why would a lawyer want to work with the other side?
Because it’s in the best interest of the lawyer to settle the case as cheaply and fairly as possible for their client I don’t want to use myself as an example, but I had open files when I was in private practice. I would tell the other lawyer, “Before you do your formal discovery, I’m going to do this.” Ive already taken testimony from all the key witnesses that I was ethically allowed to take statements from. Thats attorney-client work product. Im going to give you those statements. I dont have to. But I’m going to give them to you right away to show you how strong my case is.
I also have some key documents. Im going to give you those. You can look through my file and see everything in it except my notes for cross-examination and documents that are protected by attorney-client privilege. But I’ll probably be happy to waive privilege at some point so you can also see those. But Im not gonna do it until I know I can trust you. So I very seldom engaged in formal discovery.
And if lawyers today had that kind of approach — said “Here are the key documents. This is what we need to be talking about. Here are our defenses. Heres why we think we can support them. — if they talked to each other and freely shared information, the cost of litigation would drop by more than 95% And so its in your clients best interest to do that.
When he spoke up, he asked, “Why do lawyers always hide behind attorney work product?” It would be best for the client if they gave up the work product privilege and shared the information with the other side. If I had taken statements from witnesses that completely disproved the other side’s claims or defenses, why wouldn’t I want to give that to them at the start of the case to show them where the truth lies? Why would you want to hide the ball? It’s beyond my comprehension! Just because you can, it’s in your client’s best interest to hide the ball? I don’t think so!
Judge Logikcull, I have a question for you because you talk about it again in the Abbott Laboratories opinion. It has to do with how the courts should handle discovery disputes. What do you think judges should do to make sure that discovery is “just, quick, and cheap,” as Rule 1 says?
Bennett: Well, we play an important role because its obvious that todays. Im distinguishing here between trial lawyers and litigators because they approach things very differently. It’s rare for discovery disputes to happen between lawyers who are about the same and who actually go to court. And if they do, there are very few of them, and they’re typically very focused on just one or two document requests. But if you have litigators, theyre fighting about everything. And particularly if theyre being paid by the hour, theyre encouraged to fight about everything.
So judges need to be careful to try to stop that before it starts and settle disagreements as quickly and cheaply as possible.
Logikcull: Lets turn to the issue of legal technology. Youve been an innovator in that area for a long time. You helped design, develop and test case management software early in your judicial career. Your help was also important in remodeling the main court room in Sioux City, which is where you are now talking to us. It now has a state-of-the-art package for presenting evidence. Its now possible in your courtroom to take real-time witness testimony from around the world. And I believe your courtroom has become a model for many others around the country.
Bennett: Well it came from my early experience starting my own law firm. As a small law firm, I thought that having cutting-edge technology might help us make the most of it. When my two partners and I first started our law firm, we bought desktop computers from an IBM commercial for $50,000. That was a lot of money for new lawyers in 1976. We were the first law firm in Iowa to have desktop computers because they hadn’t even been built yet. And it allowed us to have a relatively high volume practice efficiently. So Ive always been into using technology in the law.
The jurors can see all the exhibits electronically in our high-tech courtroom. We are also one of the few courts with high-tech jury deliberation rooms where the jurors can see all the exhibits and data that has been admitted into evidence, even audiotapes or videotapes. It’s so easy to use that any juror who knows how to turn on a computer can do it.
We can try a case that would normally take three weeks in five to seven days because I don’t allow paper in the courtroom. Its all done electronically.
Landing a job at a leading legal tech company like Logikcull is an exciting opportunity, But you’ll need to ace the interview to stand out from the competition,
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover the top Logikcull interview questions with detailed examples and tips to help you craft winning responses. Whether you’re interviewing for a software engineering, product management, sales, or other role, these insights will give you an edge.
Overview of Logikcull and Its Hiring Process
Before diving into sample questions, let’s quickly cover Logikcull’s background and typical hiring process.
Logikcull, founded in 2010, is a pioneer in eDiscovery and cloud-based legal technology. Its user-friendly software empowers law firms and legal teams to manage document requests and litigation more efficiently.
The company is based in San Francisco and has over 150 employees. It has established itself as an innovator, winning industry awards and recognition from organizations like Deloitte and Aderant
Logikcull’s hiring process is described as thorough, taking 2-3 weeks on average. It involves:
- Initial phone screening with a recruiter
- Technical phone interview with a hiring manager
- Take-home coding assignment (for engineering roles)
- 4-5 hour onsite interview with the team
Throughout the process, Logikcull evaluates both technical ability and cultural fit. The final interview typically includes the CEO and CTO to assess alignment with company vision and values.
Common Interview Questions at Logikcull
Let’s look at some of the most frequently asked Logikcull interview questions and how to best approach them:
Technical Questions
Engineering and product candidates can expect plenty of technical questions focused on specific skills like:
Programming languages: Java, Python, JavaScript, Ruby, etc.
Frameworks: React, Angular, Django, Rails, etc.
Cloud platforms: AWS, GCP, Azure
Data stores: SQL, NoSQL, Redis, Elasticsearch
Methodologies: REST, microservices, agile, TDD
For example:
“Can you describe your experience with high-level programming languages and which projects you’ve applied them to?”
Suggested response: Share examples demonstrating depth of expertise in languages like Python and Java. Discuss specific projects where you used them to build complex, scalable systems. Highlight how you overcame challenges with optimization, multithreading, etc.
Emphasize capabilities like analyzing large datasets, developing APIs, implementing algorithms efficiently, and so on. Tailor examples to the role’s required skills.
“How would you go about troubleshooting a complex software bug that has stumped the engineering team?”
Suggested response: Convey a systematic, creative approach. Start by gathering information and reviewing prior debugging efforts. Suggest investigating from new angles, revisiting assumptions, and collaborating with the team. Reference times you’ve successfully diagnosed tricky issues through hypothesis testing, isolation, monitoring, and root cause analysis.
Emphasize persistence, curiosity, and leveraging internal and external resources like forums. Show you can resolve blockers while maintaining a positive team spirit.
“Explain how you would design a scalable cloud architecture for a high-volume web application.”
Suggested response: Outline considerations like performance, availability, security, and cost. Discuss pros/cons of microservices vs monolithic design. Propose horizontal scaling using load balancers and auto-scaling groups. Describe distributing stateless app tiers across zones for high availability. Explain strategies like caching, CDN, read replicas for DB, and queueing for background work. Reference specific services you would leverage on AWS or other platforms.
Behavioral Questions
Expect behavioral questions aimed at evaluating your soft skills and cultural fit, such as:
“Tell me about a time you had to explain a complex technical concept to a non-technical colleague. How did you ensure they understood it?”
Suggested response: Share a specific example. Highlight the complexity involved and the audience’s background. Explain how you broke down the details into easy analogies, visually represented concepts, actively confirmed understanding, encouraged questions, etc. Outline the success and impact of the exchange.
“Describe a time when you made a mistake at work. How did you handle it?”
Suggested response: Briefly explain the situation but don’t make excuses. Emphasize taking accountability immediately and being transparent with your manager. Discuss steps you took to understand the root cause, learn from it, and put preventative measures in place. Share any processes or documentation you created to avoid repeating the mistake. Convey maturity and focus on continuous improvement.
“Tell me about a challenging situation you faced on a team project. How did you handle it?”
Suggested response: Set the context and complexity of the challenge. Share how you approached team members constructively to understand all perspectives. Explain how you helped bridge differences, aligned on goals, and motivated everyone towards a collaborative solution. If obstacles persisted, describe how you took the initiative to keep things moving forward. Share the end result and impact on the team.
Leadership Questions
Those interviewing for senior roles may get leadership questions like:
“How have you contributed to the mentorship and development of engineers on your team?”
Suggested response: Provide examples of formal or informal mentorship initiatives. Discuss coaching colleagues through technical challenges, reviewing code, leading workshops, promoting best practices, etc. Share success stories of people you mentored learning new skills or advancing their careers based on your guidance. Convey your commitment to nurturing talent.
“Tell me about a time you influenced a key strategic decision at your company.”
Suggested response: Explain the situation and your role. Discuss how you analyzed data, considered different options, and developed compelling recommendations. Share who you engaged with, how you built consensus, and how your input shaped the final outcome. Emphasize business impact and results. Convey strategic thinking skills and ability to influence at senior levels.
“Describe your leadership style and provide an example of a time you successfully led a team or project.”
Suggested response: Share your philosophy on aspects like collaboration, accountability, transparency, and leading by example. Give a specific example demonstrating your approach and capabilities in action. Discuss aligning on vision, establishing clear roles, empowering the team, overcoming obstacles, and guiding the project to success. Reference any metrics or data that exhibit results.
Product Management Questions
Those interviewing for PM roles can expect questions like:
“How would you go about understanding the needs of Logikcull users and identify opportunities to improve the product?”
Suggested response: Discuss researching support tickets, feedback surveys, app reviews, sales leads, and usage metrics to spot trends. Explain interviewing power users, conducting user tests, and observing usage in real-time to gain insights. Share how you’d analyze data to prioritize by impact and effort. Convey user empathy, analytical thinking, and a data-driven approach. Provide examples of how you’ve uncovered and addressed user needs.
“Walk me through how you would design an onboarding experience for a complex SaaS product like Logikcull.”
Suggested response: Explain considerations such as simplifying initial workflows, explaining key value propositions, intuitive UI design, in-app messaging, and progressive disclosure of advanced features. Discuss analyzing usage data to identify drop-offs and friction points. Share examples of how you’ve designed and refined onboarding flows to improve conversion, engagement, and retention. Convey user empathy and commitment to the customer experience.
“How would you validate a new product idea and determine if it’s worth pursuing?”
Suggested response: Outline a systematic process such as identifying KPIs, assessing competitiveness, creating mockups, running surveys, interviewing target users, estimating market potential and cost projections. Share tools and metrics you would use to quantify findings and make data-driven recommendations on whether to proceed or pivot. Provide examples of how you’ve validated or invalidated concepts in past roles.
Sales and Business Development Questions
For sales roles, common questions include:
“Describe your approach to identifying, qualifying, and engaging sales prospects.”
Suggested response: Share a systematic process starting with ideal customer profile research, lead list building using tools like LinkedIn, Clearbit, and ZoomInfo. Discuss qualifying and scoring leads on criteria like budget, authority, need and timeline. Explain how you craft personalized outreach and follow up strategically. Convey that you target high probability accounts, customize messaging, and nurture leads for sales pipeline growth.
“Tell me about a time you overcame a sales objection and closed the deal. How did you do it?”
Suggested response: Briefly set the stage, explaining the product/service, customer, and objection faced. Share how you actively listened, then followed up with questions to fully understand concerns. Discuss how you matched benefits directly to the objection and customized your pitch to address anxieties. Explain how you leveraged case studies, testimon
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Logikcull Interview with Robert Hilson
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