Application Process
How to Answer “Why You?” in Law Firm Applications
How to identify what firms look for in trainees and turn your experience into credible evidence of fit.
EO Careers Team
If you want a broader understanding of how written applications and interviews fit together, you can explore our Application Process hub, which breaks down each stage of law firm recruitment in detail.
The question “Why you?” appears in many forms:
What skills or qualities would you bring to the role?
What makes you a strong candidate for this firm?
What attributes do you have that would make you a good trainee?
Describe the qualities of a successful commercial lawyer and how you demonstrate them
Although the wording changes, firms are asking the same underlying question:
Do you understand what we value in trainees and can you show, with evidence, that you meet that standard?
What firms are really assessing
“Why you?” is not about confidence or self-promotion.
Firms want to see whether you can:
identify the qualities they actually care about
select relevant experiences
explain how those experiences demonstrate the qualities in practice
Strong answers are not lists of achievements but arguments supported by evidence.
Step 1: Identify the firm’s trainee qualities
Before writing anything, you must identify what the firm values.
These are usually found in:
the trainee solicitor profile
graduate recruitment pages
firm values statements
assessment criteria for applications or interviews
Common qualities include:
commercial awareness
teamwork
communication
organisation
resilience
problem-solving
attention to detail
Do not try to cover everything. Most strong answers focus on two or three qualities explained well.
Step 2: Choose qualities you can genuinely evidence
The fastest way to weaken an answer is to claim qualities you cannot demonstrate.
Instead of asking "what sounds impressive", ask, "where have I actually shown this action?"
Evidence can come from:
academic work
part-time jobs
university projects
clinics or pro bono
entrepreneurial or initiative-led work
internships or placements
The experience matters less than how clearly you explain it.
Step 3: Show development, not just achievement
Firms are recruiting trainees, not finished lawyers.
That means they care about:
how you developed skills
how you handled responsibility
how you reflected on challenges
how you improved over time
An answer that shows growth is more persuasive than one that simply lists outcomes.
How to structure a strong “Why you?” answer
A clear structure might look like this:
Identify the quality or skill
Explain why it matters in a trainee solicitor
Show how you developed it, using a specific example
Briefly link it back to the firm or role
Repeat this for each quality you choose.
Example:
Communication is a core skill for trainee solicitors, particularly when working with clients across jurisdictions and practice areas. I developed this skill in practice during an internship where I acted as a point of contact between lawyers and clients from different jurisdictions, requiring me to explain legal concepts accurately and in plain language. This experience sharpened my ability to adapt my communication style to different audiences and levels of understanding. I strengthened this further through content-led work that involved translating complex business ideas into clear, engaging written material for a large readership. Together, these experiences reflect my ability to communicate with precision, clarity, and commercial awareness, qualities that are essential when advising clients in a commercial law firm.
Common mistakes to avoid
Listing achievements without explaining relevance
Repeating the CV in paragraph form
Claiming generic qualities with no evidence
Trying to cover too many skills at once
Writing confidently but vaguely
If a sentence could apply to any applicant, it is probably too weak.
Final thought
Strong “Why you?” answers are about showing judgment, self-awareness, and evidence-based reasoning. These are the same skills firms expect trainees to use with clients.
If you can identify what matters, explain how you meet that standard, and do so clearly, you are answering the question the way firms intend it to be answered.
You can find an example of how to answer "Why This Firm?" here.
