Commercial Underwriting Counsel
Posted Sep 22, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026
Likely interview questions for this role
Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.
About your past
Tell me about a time you found a way to get a deal to close that others thought couldn't be insured.
What they are checking: Whether they solve problems creatively while still keeping the company's risk at an acceptable level.
Tell me about a time you explained a complex legal issue to a non-lawyer in a way they could act on.
What they are checking: Whether they can make underwriting guidance usable for agents, escrow staff, and customers.
How do you stay current on Illinois title law and changes to underwriting guidelines?
What they are checking: Whether they keep their knowledge current, since outdated guidance can create claims.
What would you do
An agent calls asking you to insure over an unreleased mortgage from fifteen years ago on a commercial property in Chicago. How do you think through it?
What they are checking: Whether they weigh real risk, documentation, and indemnity options instead of giving a reflexive yes or no.
A sales rep is pushing you to approve coverage quickly because a big client is waiting. You have concerns. How do you handle it?
What they are checking: Whether they can hold firm on underwriting standards under business pressure while staying a helpful partner.
You're juggling underwriting questions from five transactions closing the same day. How do you prioritize?
What they are checking: Whether they can triage by closing timing and risk without letting a dangerous issue slide.
About the work
How do you decide when a request falls within your delegated authority and when it needs to go up the chain?
What they are checking: Whether they respect underwriting authority limits, which protect the company from taking on risk nobody approved.
Walk me through the common endorsements you see on a commercial policy and when a lender will insist on them.
What they are checking: Whether they know commercial title coverage well enough to guide agents and customers with confidence.
How would you handle a survey that shows an encroachment onto a neighboring parcel?
What they are checking: Whether they can assess survey issues and choose sensible exceptions or coverage for a commercial deal.
Explain how a mechanics lien risk affects a commercial policy when construction just finished.
What they are checking: Whether they understand construction lien exposure, a common and costly commercial title risk.
Practice this interview out loud.
Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at First American from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.
Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by First American.