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Hey [USER=17355]@TCinpipeline[/USER],

I can totally relate to your situation. When I was applying last year I felt like it would have been very difficult to actually and genuinely express why I was interested in commercial law, especially as a non-law student. Some tips that I would give you based on your concern:

• It is totally fine to mention whatever you find interesting about the profession and what drives you towards the profession compared to any other. You can definitely link the fact that you like researching and drafting and explain how you have developed these skills through your past internships. I would then link these to how you can be a successful lawyer developing these skills at the firm you are applying to.
• I personally would keep my why law answer/section broad mentioning the true reasons why you feel like you want to become a commercial lawyer without necessarily going into the specifics of practice areas. This is something you can do and mention for the why this firm section/question of the application as a reason why you are drawn to the firm. This is how I personally approached my applications last year.
• You can leverage your past experiences to explain why law and then mention your interest in disputes and litigation once you have to mention the reasons you are attracted to a specific firm.
• Attending an open day is really great but it is not the make or break of your application. I obtained vacation scheme offers as a non law student from firms I had never been at before and I personally did not even know before I applied. Many more candidates during my vacation scheme were on my same boat too. It really is not as necessary as you might think so I personally would not worry too much about them. They are important for you as they make you understand that you want to pursue law now but they are not the most important thing about your application.
• The reasons you find for a specific firms are personal to you but I would say that you can always mention a practice area, pro bono work, international opportunities. Realistically speaking there is so much you can mention that other candidates are not mentioning. What will distinguish you from other candidates is WHY these factors of the firm interest you specifically. This is the link that will make you stand out. For example, in one of my applications which was successful last year I mentioned how I was interested in litigation too thanks to my background in debating and researching the most compelling reasons to support my arguments and how I enjoyed that aspect of the debating competitions I attended. This was something that was picked up during my interview and the partners were very impressed. It was not necessarily that I mentioned that I was interested in litigation that they liked (which is something that the firm is known for and everyone who applies mention) but it was the personal link to that reason that interested them.

I hope this is helpful and good luck with your journey!