talked with 2 different partners and a patent agent. the group i'm interviewing for is too small so they had to pull a partner from a different field. the patent agent knows nothing about being a lawyer and does not seem to ask clear questions

Three person round robin with several partners, followed by a lunch with a partner and several associates.The partner interviews were each short, low stress, and typical for a lateral hiring process. That said, it would of course depend on what group you're interviewing with.