Hi all, just wanted to ask what kind of information do you guys asked when going to a law firm open days? I just want to know what kind of "insider scoop" that I can asked for to demonstrate my research and my motivation to apply for that particular firm. I would really appreciate any examples or things i could consider.
Hi
@Tangcy the questions I asked were always around the firm's selling points, so that I could hopefully integrate and quote an answer into a 'Why the firm' answer connected to that selling point. Thus, before the open day, I would advise you to research the firm a bit and identify what features distinguish them from most rivals and make them attractive from an applicant's perspective. Then, just think about how you can ask questions about that feature of the firm that only insiders know about - some examples of what I have seen work with almost all firm selling points are:
- Has this aspect of the firm been a focus in the firm's strategy?
- What motivated the firm to invest in developing these aspects, and how does this compare to what rivals are doing?
- Has this aspect of the firm influenced your life and work here, and if so, how?
Now, these questions are quite neutral in terms of what particular distinguishing feature of a firm you choose to connect your motivations to. However, in practice, a significant majority of convincing 'why the firm' reasons are tied to practice area/sector strengths. Thus, to the extent that your own research has not clarified this, you can ask questions such as:
- Is the firm developing the practice at a generalist level, or does it focus on more specific types of mandates? Are there any types of matters for which the firm is more of a market leader than in others?
- Who are the firm's biggest competitors in this practice? Who do you most often find yourselves pitching against?
- What are the firm's selling points of expertise for this practice area from a client perspective? Are there any major selling points that you think rivals have and you do not?
- How is the firm planning to develop the practice in the coming years? In particular, what is the firm's strategy around retaining and securing talent in a very competitive partner lateral hiring market?
- How does the firm go about business development in this area? Are most client relationships institutional (relationships of the firm itself) or personal relationships of partners?
- How much of the firm's revenue does the practice account for, and how comparatively profitable is it to other practices?
- Who are the biggest clients of the firm in this area?
- What is the most interesting matter you have worked on in this practice?
A lot of firms look for candidates with non legal work experience too as it helps gain different types of experiences! I had no legal work experience except two open days when I got my first legal placement. 
