'Why commercial law?' in interviews

[jamiecoombes8]

How would you recommend answering this question in an interview context with a partner. Some resources recommend a narrative structure, showing a journey to get to a place of applying for the firm. However, others recommend 2-3 reasons. My caution with the latter is I could see this coming across robotic and also jumping around in time a lot, but I can see the benefits in making my answer clear. Any help would be much appreciated - have a big interview on Tuesday for a vacation scheme!

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

How would you recommend answering this question in an interview context with a partner. Some resources recommend a narrative structure, showing a journey to get to a place of applying for the firm. However, others recommend 2-3 reasons. My caution with the latter is I could see this coming across robotic and also jumping around in time a lot, but I can see the benefits in making my answer clear. Any help would be much appreciated - have a big interview on Tuesday for a vacation scheme!

Hello!

I'd say that both approaches can work, but the most important thing is to sound personal, reflective, and structured rather than listing generic reasons.

A good middle ground is to start with a short narrative that leads naturally into 2-3 clear reasons (and this is how I often used to structure my answer for this question). For example:

1. Start with what first drew you toward commercial law - this could be a module, experience, conversation, etc. This shows your "journey" and gives the partner something human to connect with, and tells them a little about your background.
2. Then explain what you've learned since then that confirmed it is the right career path for you - e.g. enjoying intellectually complex work, the pace of business, the mix of law and business strategy, working with clients, etc. Just make sure back this up with evidence from your previous experiences - for example, I always used to discuss my time working in a legal advice clinic to demonstrate how I developed an interest in working with clients.
3. Finally, finish by briefly showing how the role itself would let you develop those interests and strengths in practice. You don't have to go into too much detail on "why this firm", particularly as they might ask that as a separate question, but it might help to conclude your answer in a clear way by making that brief link.

By mixing the two approaches, you still tell a story, but it's clear and structured rather than sounding like a bullet-point list. It often helps to practice it out loud to make sure that it flows like a natural explanation rather than a rehearsed answer.

I hope that helps, and best of luck with your interview on Tuesday!