Hiya
@OliverTwist
Completely agree with
@Jessica Booker here, and this is basically the approach I adopted when applying to
Orrick. I tried to use the cover letter to discuss/address “why me” and use examples/points that didn't fit neatly into my "why
Orrick"/ "why commercial law" answers. As Jess mentioned, the cover letter is a great place to highlight what interests you about
Orrick’s culture or any experiences you might have had meeting people at the firm.
To avoid overlapping with the “why
Orrick” question, I tried to focus my answer to that question on the firm's practice area strengths and sectoral expertise.
Orrick's quite unusual combination of not only tech expertise, but also energy and finance expertise made it stand out to me compared to other firms that I'd applied to, including
Cooley and
Vinson & Elkins. They'd also worked on really interesting EC/VC matters that allowed me to distinguish them from the other US-headquartered firms in London whose client bases typically encompass key private equity firms and their portfolio companies.
By dedicating the cover letter to address why you and what it is about the culture/training at the firm that interests you, I think you can avoid repetition when answering the "why
Orrick" question. You'll also be using the “why
Orrick” question to focus directly on specific areas where the firm excels, like their strengths in technology, energy, or venture capital, etc.
Hope this helps and good luck with the application!
