How to Answer 'Why This Firm?'

Why This Question Matters

"Why this firm?" is the single most predictable question in OCI. Every interviewer asks some version of it. And yet, the majority of candidates give essentially the same answer: "You're a great firm with great people and great work."

That answer tells the interviewer nothing. Worse, it tells them you didn't bother to prepare.

A good "why this firm" answer is the fastest way to separate yourself from the pack.

The Formula

Your answer needs three ingredients:

1. Something specific about the firm. Not "you're a top firm." Something only true about this firm. A practice area they're known for. A recent deal or case. A unique training program. An office culture element that distinguishes them.

2. A connection to you. Why does that specific thing matter to you? Tie it to your experience, interests, or goals. "Your distressed debt practice interests me because I spent two years in restructuring consulting before law school" is a thousand times better than "I'm interested in corporate law."

3. Evidence you did research. Drop a specific data point or detail. Mention a deal from their website. Reference something you read about their mentorship model. Cite a practice area strength you found on their Big Law Bear profile.

Examples That Work

Weak: "I'm really interested in your corporate practice. I've heard great things about the culture."

Strong: "I'm drawn to your private equity practice, I noticed your team advised on three of the largest PE deals last year, and that depth is exactly the kind of experience I'm looking for. I also spoke with a summer associate who mentioned the deal staffing model gives juniors real responsibility early."

Weak: "I want to be at a firm where I can do meaningful work."

Strong: "I'm interested in your restructuring group specifically because of the work you did on [specific matter]. I studied distressed credit markets in my finance elective, and being able to work on those kinds of complex, multi-party situations is why I chose law over banking."

Where to Find Material

• Big Law Bear's firm directory. Practice area breakdowns, firm size, office locations, and key details. Start here.
• The firm's website. Recent news, deal announcements, attorney bios.
• Firm presentations and info sessions. If you attended one, reference it.
• Conversations with attorneys or summer associates. Name-dropping a conversation (naturally) shows real effort.

Use Gold Stars to bookmark firms as you research so you can easily pull up your notes before each interview.

Common Mistakes

• Being too generic. If your answer could apply to any firm in the Am Law 100, it's not specific enough.
• Faking a connection. Don't claim an interest you can't back up with a follow-up question. If you say you love IP litigation, you'd better be able to discuss it.
• Going too long. Keep it to 45-60 seconds. Specific and concise beats detailed and rambling.
• Mentioning only prestige or rankings. "You're a V5 firm" is not a reason. Firms know their ranking, tell them something they don't hear from every candidate.

The Prep Work

Before each interview day, write out your "why this firm" answer for every firm on your schedule. Not a script, bullet points. Three specific reasons per firm. Practice saying them out loud once or twice.

This takes maybe 15 minutes per firm. That's a small investment for the question you're most likely to be asked.

For more on interview prep, check out the full list of common OCI questions.