Interview Prep
How to Answer Why This Firm
A strong why-firm answer connects something specific about an office to something you genuinely want. It does not require pretending one firm has been your dream since childhood.
Updated August 8, 2026 · 5 min read
"Why this firm?" is difficult because students think the answer must prove a level of devotion nobody reasonably has.
You probably did not spend your childhood dreaming about one firm's leveraged-finance group. You may be interviewing with several firms that share clients, practices, salaries, and even former partners.
The interviewer knows that.
A good answer does not claim this is the only firm you could love. It explains why this office earned a place on your serious list.
The basic structure
Use two parts:
- Something about the work or structure.
- Something about your experience, interests, or conversations.
For example:
"I am interested in the New York office because the summer program would let me test both M&A and restructuring before choosing a group. I studied finance before law school, but my favorite 1L assignment involved a contested problem, so I am genuinely undecided between deal work and a practice with more disputes. I also spoke with an associate who described getting substantive drafting work in both rotations, which made the program feel like a good place to test that choice."
The answer is specific. It also admits uncertainty like a normal person.
Start with the office
National firm descriptions are often too broad. Your job and summer experience will happen in an office.
Research:
- the office's major practice groups;
- whether summers rotate or choose assignments;
- how large the office and summer class are;
- whether work is local or shared across offices;
- how juniors are staffed; and
- which groups are growing or hiring.
"The firm has a leading litigation practice" may be true nationally while the office interviewing you has three litigators. Use the firm directory and the firm's own lawyer biographies to check.
Four useful categories of reasons
The work
You may care about a practice, industry, client type, or kind of matter. Explain why it interests you in plain language.
Weak: "I am passionate about sophisticated transactions."
Better: "I liked working with financial statements before law school, and I want to see how lawyers turn a business agreement into documents that allocate risk."
The summer or staffing structure
Rotation systems, free-market staffing, centralized assignment, formal training, and practice placement can meaningfully change your experience.
Do not announce that one system is universally best. Explain why it fits what you need to learn.
The people
A conversation can be a strong reason when you say what you learned.
Weak: "Everyone I met was nice."
Better: "Two associates described receiving feedback directly from the partner after early assignments. That stood out because I learn best when I understand why an edit was made, not only what changed."
The market
Offices care whether you are likely to join and stay. Your reason can involve family, previous work, school, community, industry, or a thoughtful preference.
You do not need a dramatic lifelong tie. "My partner works in Houston, I previously lived there, and I want an energy practice" is plenty.