Prepare enough context to make the conversation specific: who the manager is, their office or practice, your recruiting situation, and two or three questions you genuinely cannot answer from the website.

Good questions often explore how the work differs by level, what surprised them about the firm, how the office operates, or advice they would give someone entering the process.

Do not script twenty questions. Have a short list, listen closely, and use follow-ups so the conversation feels natural. If useful, this guide on consulting coffee-chat questions gives more detail.