How do you research a law firm?
The best way to find out what makes a law firm different is to speak to lawyers at open days or firm events. Speak especially with associates and partners, because they can tell you about the nuances that distinguish their firm from a competitor.
Naturally, such direct information-gathering isn’t always possible, so the second-best strategy is online research.
Here are sources I have used:
Starting point
- Chambers Student Guide: In my view, the best starting resource. It provides a useful overview of the firm, any recent developments or achievements, and an insight into the firm’s most significant practice areas. You’ll also be provided an insight into the culture within the firm and into what the training is like, from current trainee solicitors.
- Roll on Friday: The firm profiles are a very useful – albeit informal – outline. You’ll gain a sense of the firm’s history, the work it does, and of how it sits in the market.
- Legal Cheek: The firm profiles are a good way of familiarising yourself with the firm’s culture. You can also search for the name of the firm to find recent news.
Digging deeper
- The Corporate Law Academy: Our law firm profiles are focused on what makes a firm different. We run through practice areas, innovation & tech, strategies and growth figures in the law firm insights page.
- The firm graduate page: This will give you a sense of what the firm is looking for in candidates. It may also discuss the training programme, secondments, the kind of work you’ll be doing, and reasons you may want to join the firm. Try to look for specific information: Do they have a non-rotational system? More seats than normal? A required seat in a certain practice area? A mentorship programme for new trainees?
For example, take a look at Allen & Overy’s graduate page:
https://www.aograduate.com/why-ao
The firm gives you specific reasons to choose Allen & Overy including its international work, innovative client services and investment in technology.
- The firm’s main website: Use this to find out about any awards, recent deals or new investments.
For example, I used to read Allen & Overy’s annual reviews, which are conveniently listed on their About page. They provide a subdomain for each annual review, so you can find out their key achievements, investments and strategies over the course of the year.
http://www.allenovery.com/about/Pages/Annual-Reports.aspx
- The Lawyer: Useful to learn about firm strategy, recent news and deals. Unfortunately, most of their content has been moved behind a paywall but it’s worth checking to see if there is any information available for your chosen firm.
- Legal Week: You should be able to obtain access to five free articles. Good information on deals, lateral moves, firm strategy, and international plans.
Practice areas
- Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners: Use these websites to determine the firm’s strongest practice areas (where they rank highly) and how they compare to their competitors.
