Hi!
Great question - these two prompts do overlap a bit, but you can use them to highlight different things!
For the "Why a legal career at ___?" question
I'd focus on the firm itself - what genuinely attracts you to them. This could include:
1. Practice areas, sector focus, or recent deals / cases you are interested in
2. The culture, training style, responsibility, international work
3. How their values or approach to clients align with your career goals
This is where you can show that you have done your research on the firm, and discuss how you picture yourself at the firm long-term.
For "Why should we offer you a place on the vacation scheme"?
Shift the focus onto you and what you'd bring to the scheme. This can be along the lines of:
1. Relevant skills (i.e. teamwork, communication, commercial awareness, and organisation)
2. Experiences that demonstrate those skills - it's important to back up the above by providing one or two examples
3. Your motivation to learn and contribute during the scheme (perhaps discussing any particular things you'd like to learn by the end of the scheme)
4. What you hope to gain from the experience, and how you will make the most of it
Essentially, the first question is "why them", and the second question is "why you + why this opportunity".
I'd try to make the two answers complement each other without repeating too much information - one is about your fit with the firm, and the other is about your strengths and potential contribution.
I hope that helps - best of luck with your application!
