Why this firm?

Jai C.

Esteemed Member
May 15, 2018
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I have have been having some difficulty pinning down a concrete answer as to why am I attracted to a particular firm.


How or rather why are candidates attracted to firms that open new offices? How does that make that firm an attractive place?

And secondly, some people say they are attracted towards a firm because of their PEP.

How? or why does this attract a candidate?


Any suggestions or specific examples as to what attracted you about a particular firm - This would be most helpful.
 
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Jaysen

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    Good question. You're definitely thinking along the right lines and it's good you're asking the why question.

    Let's take your first question, why might you be interested in a law firm with new offices?

    I can think of a few (generic) reasons:
    • Opportunity to do new secondments (good for your training, network and life experience)
    • Exposure to new international work (you may have an interest in a particular jurisdiction or you like the additional challenge/innovation that comes with global work)
    • Suggests the law firm is healthy and growing (you want to work at a firm that has a sustainable future)
    • Suggests the law firm will gain a competitive edge in a particular area/market (e.g. Linklaters investment in China could open up doors to exciting work on first-of-a-kind deals in emerging economies)
    • Opportunity to learn from new lawyers (benefits from a more diverse culture)
    To answer your second question, I don't think using PEP as a reason is sufficient, but you can certainly talk about the advantages of a profitable law firm:
    • It's likely to be in a better position to attract interesting work and big clients
    • It may attract a lot of talent including star partners from other law firms
    • It may have the money to invest in new technology/AI systems
    • It may have the money to invest in its employees
    • It's more likely around in the long term
    You can also talk about the growth in PEP - just also be aware of the problems with this metric.
     

    piedpiper

    Active Member
    Feb 27, 2018
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    11
    I have have been having some difficulty pinning down a concrete answer as to why am I attracted to a particular firm.


    How or rather why are candidates attracted to firms that open new offices? How does that make that firm an attractive place?

    And secondly, some people say they are attracted towards a firm because of their PEP.

    How? or why does this attract a candidate?


    Any suggestions or specific examples as to what attracted you about a particular firm - This would be most helpful.

    I recently applied to Eversheds so I give an answer from that perspective. I did mention one of the reasons I was applying was because of its international growth including its new offices. In my application I said that appealed to me because it shows a commitment to client service by moving to jurisdictions where it can better serve its clients. That was attractive because I said I want to work at a law firm that isn't afraid to enter difficult markets (I was referring to Russia) and is willing to go above and beyond for both its clients and employees.
     

    Jai C.

    Esteemed Member
    May 15, 2018
    76
    65
    Thank you very much for your answers. Could you guys check my example out and see if I am on the right track. This is a very wishy-washy answer I just wrote it now - But I just wanted you to take a look if I am possibly one step on the right track

    Addleshaw Goddard's strong corporate practice (M/A) as evident from their Band 1 ranking in the NW as well being involved in advising high profile acquisitions such as advising JD Sports on their takeover of the retailer giant the Finish Line, has strongly captured my interest. My desire to work at a firm with strong corporate practice stems from my success in the modules of Company and Competition Law. These modules have equipped me with a solid foundation of the nuances surrounding the area, and my upcoming masters in corporate law should further solidify my understanding. Thus, Addleshaw's regular involvement in attracting new M/A deals will enable me as a trainee to become directly involved in attaining first-hand experience in this field, and even my involvement in the due diligence aspect will allow me to put my knowledge into practice. Thus, this kind of exposure will stand me in good stead as a trainee who is looking to qualify in the corporate area.
     
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    Jaysen

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  • Feb 17, 2018
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    Thank you very much for your answers. Could you guys check my example out and see if I am on the right track. This is a very wishy-washy answer I just wrote it now - But I just wanted you to take a look if I am possibly one step on the right track

    Addleshaw Goddard's strong corporate practice (M/A) as evident from their Band 1 ranking in the NW as well being involved in advising high profile acquisitions such as advising JD Sports on their takeover of the retailer giant the Finish Line, has strongly captured my interest. My desire to work at a firm with strong corporate practice stems from my success in the modules of Company and Competition Law. These modules have equipped me with a solid foundation of the nuances surrounding the area, and my upcoming masters in corporate law should further solidify my understanding. Thus, Addleshaw's regular involvement in attracting new M/A deals will enable me as a trainee to become directly involved in attaining first-hand experience in this field, and even my involvement in the due diligence aspect will allow me to put my knowledge into practice. Thus, this kind of exposure will stand me in good stead as a trainee who is looking to qualify in the corporate area.

    I've attached some thoughts to give you an idea of the questions I'd have. Screenshot_72.png
     

    Ibtisam Arif

    New Member
    Apr 18, 2018
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    Hi Jaysen,

    I was just reading Lewis's 6 vacation scheme article, and he stated that he had a tactic of explaining what interested him in a firm.

    He mentioned that for some firms there were specific departments that stood out to him.

    My question is let us use the above example Addleshaw Goodard's corporate department that stood out to jay, perhaps due to the clients it holds or the deals it does etc. How can a candidate link this with the question - HOW WILL THIS DEPARTMENT HELP HIM?

    I understand that due to clients or deals it does it stands out to an applicant - but how does this help the trainee solicitor? why does this make him want to be a part of it?

    It is unlikely that a trainee will suddenly be involved in those high profile deals so an applicant saying their strong department which attracts clients means the opportunities to be involved in such deals sounds very superficial.


    Disclaimer - The above response is very waffly but I hope you kind of get the gist of what I am trying to say.
     

    Jaysen

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  • Feb 17, 2018
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    Hi Jaysen,

    I was just reading Lewis's 6 vacation scheme article, and he stated that he had a tactic of explaining what interested him in a firm.

    He mentioned that for some firms there were specific departments that stood out to him.

    My question is let us use the above example Addleshaw Goodard's corporate department that stood out to jay, perhaps due to the clients it holds or the deals it does etc. How can a candidate link this with the question - HOW WILL THIS DEPARTMENT HELP HIM?

    I understand that due to clients or deals it does it stands out to an applicant - but how does this help the trainee solicitor? why does this make him want to be a part of it?

    It is unlikely that a trainee will suddenly be involved in those high profile deals so an applicant saying their strong department which attracts clients means the opportunities to be involved in such deals sounds very superficial.


    Disclaimer - The above response is very waffly but I hope you kind of get the gist of what I am trying to say.

    You're right, there's often a mismatch between what applicants say they like about a law firm and their explanation of why it interests them.

    To be clear, that's not to say it's bad to answer the "Why are you applying to this law firm?" question by using a specific department. To the contrary, it can be a very effective way to differentiate a law firm. You just need to think about how you are using that reason.

    The key is to approach the point in reverse. Instead of asking how a department will help you, it's better to start with why you are interested in a particular department (if you are). You don't need to list all those reasons in your application form, but it will help you get to a genuine answer.

    For example, when it came round to vacation scheme applications in my third year of university, I knew I was interested in private equity.

    To give you an idea - I still have my mock interview answers from then, which go something like this:
    1. I felt that it would be better for my training to work with demanding clients who didn't need hand-holding through an M&A deal. It meant as a trainee, I would need to learn fast because they would be the expert on many aspects of a deal.
    2. PE meant I would be exposed to more M&A and a greater variety of deals because of the faster pace of their investments. I knew after a scheme I liked M&A.
    3. Working out what makes a company tick was one of the reasons I became interested in business and that's what PE firms do - they identify underperforming companies and turn them around.
    Now looking back, I can see some of these are quite naive. But at the time, what mattered was I had identified specific reasons for a particular practice area. So, for this step, Jay should work out why he is interested in corporate law, and that reason should be personal and specific. For example, he could tease out exactly what he likes about company law.

    After you've done this, it's easier to answer this question in a convincing way. If you are interested in a particular practice area/sector, it follows that you are going to want to apply to a law firm that excels in that space. For example, if AG has a good corporate department, it may be involved in interesting cross-border deals or attract talented lawyers, which then affects you the quality of your work and the people you learn from. It's at this point that you can use evidence (clients/experience/awards/lateral hires) to back up your point.

    Finally, I do agree that mentioning a deal for the sake of it will just be irrelevant, but if you use it as evidence for why the firm is good at XYZ, then that's fine.

    If any of the above doesn't make sense, please ask!
     
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    Jai C.

    Esteemed Member
    May 15, 2018
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    Thank you so much Jaysen for this. It actually makes so much sense. But it's just that if I say I am into corporate departments and write about what really attracts me to corporate law ...my answer would be similar to the question why do you want to practice corporate law?

    Is this true that law firms do not really want to see repetitive answers in two of the main questions?
     

    Jaysen

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  • Feb 17, 2018
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    Thank you so much Jaysen for this. It actually makes so much sense. But it's just that if I say I am into corporate departments and write about what really attracts me to corporate law ...my answer would be similar to the question why do you want to practice corporate law?

    Is this true that law firms do not really want to see repetitive answers in two of the main questions?

    Yes it is, you don't want a repetitive answer.

    It should still be possible. Remember, you are talking specifically about your interest in corporate law here, as opposed to why you want to be a commercial lawyer, so see if you can describe it in a way that doesn't repeat your answer. It only needs to be one or two lines to tie in why you like the fact that Addleshaw Goddard has a strong corporate practice.

    But if there's too much crossover because of how you answered the other question, you may want to focus on other reasons you are applying to the firm.
     

    Keren

    Star Member
    Jul 21, 2020
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    Hi all, reviving this thread with the hope of gaining some clarity on the following (bit of a long one - apologies!).

    I am applying for a smaller regional firm and one of the questions is “why us”. Whilst it is easier to find key clients/cases etc to back up points on my applications for larger firms, this firm doesn’t have much published online apart from on their website/local news etc (I feel I have exhausted all resources).

    One of the points I want to talk about relates to the firm’s work with owner-managed and family owned businesses (for reasons I won’t bore you with). Aside from one case, the firm’s website and the confirmation of this on the Legal 500, I cannot find other cases/information about longstanding clients and case law to back up my point. I’m now wondering whether it would be a safer to talk about the firm’s expertise in PI as a reason to apply (PI, along with Dispute Resolution, are the area they are recognised for the most). I do, however, know that they offer trainees seats in the Commercial department.

    Would be grateful for an opinion on this, as I don’t want to make weak points.

    Thank you muchly :).
     

    aspiring_solicitor

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    Aug 16, 2021
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    I am for Bird & Bird open day and the question for the same is “Why are you applying for this opportunity and what do you hope to gain from it?”
    I am thinking of answering the question by talking about my experience with their forage virtual internship and the event I am going to attend bird & bird’s session on digital economy by legal cheek.
    should I add something more like the sector I am interested in or anything else?
     

    Kubed

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    I am for Bird & Bird open day and the question for the same is “Why are you applying for this opportunity and what do you hope to gain from it?”
    I am thinking of answering the question by talking about my experience with their forage virtual internship and the event I am going to attend bird & bird’s session on digital economy by legal cheek.
    should I add something more like the sector I am interested in or anything else?
    I think you need to focus specifically on the opportunity at hand (i.e. the open day) and what you hope to gain from that. The events you talk about have potentially prompted you to find out more about the firm by attending an open day but simply referring to them are not really answering the question directly.
     

    BeGrateful.101

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    I think you need to focus specifically on the opportunity at hand (i.e. the open day) and what you hope to gain from that. The events you talk about have potentially prompted you to find out more about the firm by attending an open day but simply referring to them are not really answering the question directly.
    Agreed. I think it’s a tricky one.
     

    aspiring_solicitor

    Star Member
    Aug 16, 2021
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    So how sh
    I think you need to focus specifically on the opportunity at hand (i.e. the open day) and what you hope to gain from that. The events you talk about have potentially prompted you to find out more about the firm by attending an open day but simply referring to them are not really answering the question directly.
    I think you need to focus specifically on the opportunity at hand (i.e. the open day) and what you hope to gain from that. The events you talk about have potentially prompted you to find out more about the firm by attending an open day but simply referring to them are not really answering the question directly.
    Thank you, I see it now. I will try to approach it in a different way then.
     

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