research a law firm

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5 things to get right when researching law firms

There's no point joining a firm just for its prestige if you're not going to be happy or productive there. In fact, if the firm is a bad match with your personality and aspirations, you’re unlikely to even get a job there. Every associate we interview tells us why they think they were successful: most often it’s down to finding the right match.

“It is important to do your homework on a potential employer and determine whether it seems like a fit.” Leslie Ripley, chief recruiting officer, Gibson Dunn

1. The Work

Are you entrepreneurial and go-getting or do you prefer to work through tasks you're given every day? Would a free market or allocated work system suit you best? Do you like to juggle multiple tasks at once or work on one big long-term project? Do you get a buzz from thinking globally or feel more at home operating in a region you know well? Are you more comfortable working as part of a big or a small team? Will you be ready to focus on one area of law as a first-year associate or would you prefer to sample several areas for a few years before deciding? Do you relish the prospect of cultivating clients personally or want to keep them at arms' length as much as possible?

“It really shows when someone is speaking from the heart about what they want to do. ” Carrie Wagner, director of attorney recruiting, Cooley

2. Culture and Offices

Big city or small town? Do you want to be one of many associates working for few partners or few associates working for many partners? Are you a stickler for tradition or do you like to shake things up? How important is technology to you? Or flexible working options? Dress code? Would working with 'world famous' lawyers excite or intimidate you? Do you love or loathe firms that market themselves as quirky or fun(ny)? How about those that barely feel the need to invest in marketing because their reputations speak for themselves? Would you adore the whiff of polished mahogany in your own office or prefer open-plan, steel and glass?

“We've never had any self-proclaimed hotshots bossing everyone else around, even when famous names like Mary Jo White were here. ” Associate, Debevoise

3. Hours & Compensation

Is money your be-all and end-all? Would you sacrifice some pay check for better work/life balance? Do you favor lockstep or a more merit-based system? Or eat-what-you-kill (or bill) versus more predictable salary and bonuses? Would you rather be given an annual billing target or trusted to deliver what you think you can manage (and is appropriate)? How important is the possibility of alternative schedules (eg. reduced hours) to you? How about the firm's attitude to taking vacation? Or working all-nighters and weekends? Are you wedded to the billable hour model or excited by alternative billing methods?

“If one doesn’t put time and care into the billing process, sorting out the resulting issues can be frustrating and time-consuming.” Jonathan Blake, former chair, Covington & Burling

4. Pro Bono and Diversity

Would you be happier at a firm that incentivizes pro bono, or at one that doesn’t let it get in the way of your billing work? What type of pro bono work interests you and does the firm do it? If not, might it allow you to? How important is it to you that a firm can demonstrate its commitment to diversity through tangible programs and initiatives? Is there a diversity committee and head of diversity? Do you care?

“Nice guys can, in fact, finish first (or at least near the front of the pack), while still caring about collegiality, pro bono and diversity.” Keith Wetmore , former chair of MoFo

5. Strategy

Do you want to join a firm that's constantly growing through mergers and acquisitions, or one that will only ever grow conservatively and organically? Is global domination high on your check list, or operating unflashily in a proven niche? Do you want to work for a firm that only promotes from within or regularly hires in big-hitting lateral partners to build practices? Is future national or international expansion important to you? Do you have language skills or experience that would be an asset to a firm as it grows? Do you plan to be with the firm in five years? Ten?

“You must ask yourself the magic question: "What do I want?" Be ruthlessly honest in your answer. This is the crystallizing question.” Jeff Cohen , cofounder, Cohen Gardner LLP (who once played 'Chunk' in The Goonies )

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How To Research Legal Employers: Resources for Researching Law Firms

• Resources for Researching Law Firms
• OCP Resources
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• State and International Resources
• Advanced Analytics
• Federal Clerkship Postings
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Researching Law Firms

Are you preparing to interview with a law firm? Don't go in cold. Learn the ins and outs of hundreds of firms using the resources below. 

What Are You Looking For?

With the variety of resources to use, it can be difficult to know which one to explore.

Law Firm Rankings and Surveys

• ALM Intelligence Legal Compass. ALM's rankings and surveys are highly regarded by anyone doing research on the legal profession. This data is synthesized with external intelligence from government and firm websites and social media to create an unparalleled suite of interactive charts, maps and data visualization tools.
• Vault.  Vault surveys thousands of full-time professionals and interns every year. From the results of these surveys, Vault ranks the top employers and internship programs in various industries in prestige, diversity, quality of life, and overall best companies to work for.

Law Firm Information

• NALP Directory.  The freely accessible NALP Directory provides specific information on law firms, government agencies, public interest organizations, and corporations, including lawyer demographics, practice areas, compensation and benefits, diversity and inclusion practices, and other valuable information about legal employers.
• Martindale.com. This site contains listings for more than one million lawyers and law firms. Go beyond Big Law to find attorneys and firms by practice area and location.
• Leadership Connect.  This guide is the best for locating organizations and persons associated with federal and state government, including law and lobbying firms, nonprofits, and news media.

Attorney Records and Rankings

• Chambers and Partners.  Search Chambers and Partners to find the top lawyers and law firms according to practice area and location.
• The Legal 500. The Legal 500 also ranks lawyers and firms by practice area and location, taking its information from client surveys.
• Lexis+ Litigation Profile Suite.  This database connects attorneys to actual cases, briefs, and news associated with their careers. Use this Suite for real-world data on how much of an attorney's practice is focused on various practice areas.

Student-Focused Guidance

• Vault. This site is designed to help law students and new attorneys navigate the legal profession. The Career Advice section includes help  with resumes, interviews, networking, and more. Explore Vault Guides for information on breaking into particular fields.
• Chambers Associate.   "The Student's Guide to Law Firms in America," this site has guides to help students evaluate law firms based on their personal preferences and interests.

News and Public Image

• Lexis+ Law360.  Law360 provides high quality legal news. It is a great place to find out if a firm or attorney is currently involved in particular litigation or has otherwise made the papers.

ALM Intelligence Legal Compass

• Chambers & Partners

Leadership Connect

The Legal 500

Martindale.com

ALM's Surveys, Lists & Rankings include the AmLaw100, the AmLaw Summer Associates Survey, the NLJ 250, and the A-List, which tracks factors such as pro bono, associate satisfaction, and diversity. ALM's Law Firm Reports provide historical financial and demographic data for individual law firms, reaching back 10 years. Access to ALM is provided to members of the MLaw community.

Vault is a subscription-based website that includes full-text access to guides covering national and regional law firms, non-legal careers, and the job search process, information on over 500 law firms and their hiring practices, information on the work environment at 3000 companies, and access to a nation-wide message board where information about law firms and employers can be shared.

Accessing Vault

The first time you visit the Vault site you will need to create an account. Registration will be free for University of Michigan Law students. Use your umich.edu email address to register.

Note: The guides are designed for viewing within your browser, but they can be downloaded as ePUB files. For help using these files, please see this how-to article . 

NALP Directory

NALP Directory includes many filters to help users zero in on available law firm options. This database provides specific information on law firms, government agencies, public interest organizations, and corporations, including lawyer demographics, practice areas, compensation and benefits, diversity and inclusion practices, and other valuable information about legal employers.

Chambers Associate

Chambers Associate bills itself as "The Student's Guide to Law Firms in America." This site is designed to help law students effectively research new employers. In addition to law firm rankings by geography, practice area, associate satisfaction, diversity, and other facets, this site has guides for how students can evaluate law firms based on their personal preferences and interests.

Learn what it is really like to practice with guides to 57 different practice areas. Read up on how to differentiate among Wall Street, global, and other types of firms. Use the comparison tool to visualize the differences among various actual firms.

Chambers and Partners

Chambers USA ranks the top lawyers and law firms across the country. Use this database to evaluate over 18,000 different lawyers and 2,300 different firms.

Lexis+ is home to a number of useful databases. Use the "product switcher" in the top left of any page to select a different database.

Litigation Profile Suite

Dig deep into individual attorneys using the Litigation Profile Suite in Lexis+. Find briefs, opinions, and news involving an attorney, as well as visualized data assessing their practice history.

Law360, a trusted source of legal news and analysis, also provides law firm rankings, data, and analysis. Members of the MLaw community can access Law360 through their Lexis+ accounts or through the link below.

Need to know who to contact within an organization? Leadership Connect is perfect for creating a list of contacts. This tool allows searching and browsing within individual directories or across 14 different federal directories using single or multiple criteria, such as name, job title, industry, and geographical location.

This searchable database includes biographical information about federal government employees, companies, and organizations by type, industry, job function, geographic location, size, or keyword. Leadership Connect is ideal for searching NGOs, government agencies, board memberships, and not-for-profit organizations. Access to this database is provided to current members of the MLaw community.

This website uses client feedback to assess the strengths of law firms in over 150 jurisdictions. They claim "highlight the practice area teams who are providing the most cutting edge and innovative advice to corporate counsel."

In each practice area, top firms and power players are ranked by tier. Firm profiles include lists of key attorneys and clients within each practice area. 

If you are looking beyond Big Law, Martindale.com is a directory of lawyers and law firms of all sizes. 

  Call us at 734-764-9324

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  Consult with us.  Schedule an appointment  to meet with a Reference Librarian.

  Visit us at the Information Desk on Sub-1 for immediate in-person assistance. Open 8 am - midnight, Sunday-Thursday, and 8am - 10pm, Friday-Saturday*

The chat service is available to all of our patrons but is designed to meet the legal research needs of U-M students, staff, and faculty.

Chat is monitored from 1-6 pm Monday-Wednesday and 1-5 pm Thursday-Friday on days when class is in session.

* Excluding University holidays and semester breaks--check  library hours  for more information. The Building and library are available to law school community ONLY after 6 pm, and are closed to all but law school community on home football Saturdays.

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How to Conduct Legal Research

September 21, 2021

Conducting legal research can challenge even the most skilled law practitioners.

As laws evolve across jurisdictions, it can be a difficult to keep pace with every legal development. Equally daunting is the ability to track and glean insights into stakeholder strategies and legal responses. Without quick and easy access to the right tools, the legal research upon which case strategy hinges may face cost, personnel, and litigation outcome challenges.

Bloomberg Law’s artificial intelligence-driven tools drastically reduce the time to perform legal research. Whether you seek quick answers to legal research definitions, or general guidance on the legal research process, Bloomberg Law’s Core Litigation Skills Toolkit has you covered.

What is legal research?

Legal research is the process of uncovering and understanding all of the legal precedents, laws, regulations, and other legal authorities that apply in a case and inform an attorney’s course of action.

Legal research often involves case law research, which is the practice of identifying and interpreting the most relevant cases concerning the topic at issue. Legal research can also involve a deep dive into a judge’s past rulings or opposing counsel’s record of success.

Research is not a process that has a finite start and end, but remains ongoing throughout every phase of a legal matter. It is a cornerstone of a litigator’s skills.

[Learn how our integrated, time-saving litigation research tools allow litigators to streamline their work and get answers quickly.]

Where do I begin my legal research?

Beginning your legal research will look different for each assignment. At the outset, ensure that you understand your goal by asking questions and taking careful notes. Ask about background case information, logistical issues such as filing deadlines, the client/matter number, and billing instructions.

It’s also important to consider how your legal research will be used. Is the research to be used for a pending motion? If you are helping with a motion for summary judgment, for example, your goal is to find cases that are in the same procedural posture as yours and come out favorably for your side (i.e., if your client is the one filing the motion, try to find cases where a motion for summary judgment was granted, not denied). Keep in mind the burden of proof for different kinds of motions.

Finally, but no less important, assess the key facts of the case. Who are the relevant parties? Where is the jurisdiction? Who is the judge? Note all case details that come to mind.

What if I’m new to the practice area or specific legal issue?

While conducting legal research, it is easy to go down rabbit holes. Resist the urge to start by reviewing individual cases, which may prove irrelevant. Start instead with secondary sources, which often provide a prevailing statement of the law for a specific topic. These sources will save time and orient you to the area of the law and key issues.

Litigation Practical Guidance provides the essentials including step-by-step guidance, expert legal analysis, and a preview of next steps. Source citations are included in all Practical Guidance, and you can filter Points of Law, Smart Code®, and court opinions searches to get the jurisdiction-specific cases or statutes you need.

Searching across Points of Law will help to get your bearings on an issue before diving into reading the cases in full. Points of Law uses machine learning to identify key legal principles expressed in court opinions, which are easily searchable by keyword and jurisdiction. This tool helps you quickly find other cases that have expressed the same Point of Law, and directs you to related Points of Law that might be relevant to your research. It is automatically updated with the most recent opinions, saving you time and helping you quickly drill down to the relevant cases.

How do I respond to the opposing side’s brief?

Whether a brief is yours or that of the opposing party, Bloomberg Law’s Brief Analyzer is an essential component in the legal research process. It reduces the time spent analyzing a brief, identifying relevant authorities, and preparing a solid response.

To start, navigate to Brief Analyzer available from the Bloomberg Law homepage, within the Litigation Intelligence Center , or from Docket Key search results for briefs.

Simply upload the opposing side’s brief into the tool, and Brief Analyzer will generate a report of the cited authorities and arguments contained in the brief.

You can easily view a comparison with the brief and analysis side by side. It will also point you directly to relevant cases, Points of Law, and Practical Guidance to jump start your research.

[ How to Write a Legal Brief – Learn how to shorten the legal research cycle and give your legal brief a competitive advantage.]

How to optimize your search.

Crafting searches is a critical skill when it comes to legal research. Although many legal research platforms, including Bloomberg Law, offer natural language searching, terms and connectors (also called Boolean) searching is still a vital legal research skill and should be used when searching across court opinions, dockets, Points of Law, and other primary and secondary sources.

When you conduct a natural language search, the search engine applies algorithms to rank your results. Why a certain case is ranked as it is may not be obvious. This makes it harder to interpret whether the search is giving you everything you need. It is also harder to efficiently and effectively manipulate your search terms to zero in on the results you want. Using Boolean searching gives you better control over your search and greater confidence in your results.

The good news? Bloomberg Law does not charge by the search for court opinion searches. If your initial search was much too broad or much too narrow, you do not have to worry about immediately running a new and improved search.

Follow these tips when beginning a search to ensure that you do not miss relevant materials:

• Make sure you do not have typos in your search string.
• Search the appropriate source or section of the research platform. It is possible to search only within a practice area, jurisdiction, secondary resource, or other grouping of materials.
• Make sure you know which terms and connectors are utilized by the platform you are working on and what they mean – there is no uniform standard set of terms of connectors utilized by all platforms.
• Include in your search all possible terms the court might use, or alternate ways the court may address an issue. It is best to group the alternatives together within a parenthetical, connected by OR between each term.
• Consider including single and multiple character wildcards when relevant. Using a single character wildcard (an asterisk) and/or a multiple character wildcard (an exclamation point) helps you capture all word variations – even those you might not have envisioned.
• Try using a tool that helps you find additional relevant case law. When you find relevant authority, use BCITE on Bloomberg Law to find all other cases and/or sources that cite back to that case. When in BCITE, click on the Citing Documents tab, and search by keyword to narrow the results. Alternatively, you can use the court’s language or ruling to search Points of Law and find other cases that addressed the same issue or reached the same ruling.

[Bloomberg Law subscribers can access a complete checklist of search term best practices . Not a subscriber? Request a Demo .]

How can legal research help with drafting or strategy?

Before drafting a motion or brief, search for examples of what firm lawyers filed with the court in similar cases. You can likely find recent examples in your firm’s internal document system or search Bloomberg Law’s dockets. If possible, look for things filed before the same judge so you can get a quick check on rules/procedures to be followed (and by the same partner when possible so you can get an idea of their style preferences).

Careful docket search provides a wealth of information about relevant cases, jurisdictions, judges, and opposing counsel. On Bloomberg Law, type “Dockets Search” in the Go bar or find the dockets search box in the Litigation Intelligence Center .

If you do not know the specific docket number and/or court, use the docket search functionality Docket Key . Select from any of 20 categories, including motions, briefs, and orders, across all 94 federal district courts, to pinpoint the exact filing of choice.

Dockets can also help you access lots of information to guide your case strategy. For example, if you are considering filing a particular type of motion, such as a sanctions motion, you can use dockets to help determine how frequently your judge grants sanctions motions. You can also use dockets to see how similar cases before your judge proceeded through discovery.

If you are researching expert witnesses, you can use dockets to help determine if the expert has been recently excluded from a case, or whether their opinion has been limited. If so, this will help you determine whether the expert is a good fit for your case.

Dockets are a powerful research tool that allow you to search across filings to support your argument. Stay apprised of docket updates with the “Create Alert” option on Bloomberg Law.

Dive deeper into competitive research.

For even more competitive research insights, dive into Bloomberg Law’s Litigation Analytics – this is available in the Litigation tab on the homepage. Data here helps attorneys develop litigation strategy, predict possible outcomes, and better advise clients.

To start, under Litigation Analytics , leverage the Attorney tab to view case history and preview legal strategies the opposition may practice against you. Also, within Litigation Analytics, use the Court tab to get aggregate motion and appeal outcome rates across all federal courts, with the option to run comparisons across jurisdictions, and filter by company, law firm, and attorney.

Use the Judge tab to glean insights from cited opinions, and past and current decisions by motion and appeal outcomes. Also view litigation analytics in the right rail of court opinions.

Docket search can also offer intel on your opponent. Has your opponent filed similar lawsuits or made similar arguments before? How did those cases pan out? You can learn a lot about an opponent from past appearances in court.

How do I validate case law citations?

Checking the status of case law is essential in legal research. Rely on Bloomberg Law’s proprietary citator, BCITE. This time-saving tool lets you know if a case is still good law.

Under each court opinion, simply look to the right rail. There, you will see a thumbnail icon for “BCITE Analysis.” Click on the icon, and you will be provided quick links to direct history (opinions that affect or are affected by the outcome of the case at issue); case analysis (citing cases, with filter and search options), table of authorities, and citing documents.

How should I use technology to improve my legal research?

A significant benefit of digital research platforms and analytics is increased efficiency. Modern legal research technology helps attorneys sift through thousands of cases quickly and comprehensively. These products can also help aggregate or summarize data in a way that is more useful and make associations instantaneously.

For example, before litigation analytics were common, a partner may have asked a junior associate to find all summary judgment motions ruled on by a specific judge to determine how often that judge grants or denies them. The attorney could have done so by manually searching over PACER and/or by searching through court opinions, but that would take a long time. Now, Litigation Analytics can aggregate that data and provide an answer in seconds. Understanding that such products exist can be a game changer. Automating parts of the research process frees up time and effort for other activities that benefit the client and makes legal research and writing more efficient.

[Read our article: Six ways legal technology aids your litigation workflow .]

Tools like  Points of Law ,  dockets  and  Brief Analyzer  can also increase efficiency, especially when narrowing your research to confirm that you found everything on point. In the past, attorneys had to spend many hours (and lots of money) running multiple court opinion searches to ensure they did not miss a case on point. Now, there are tools that can dramatically speed up that process. For example, running a search over Points of Law can immediately direct you to other cases that discuss that same legal principle.

However, it’s important to remember that digital research and analytical tools should be seen as enhancing the legal research experience, not displacing the review, analysis, and judgment of an attorney. An attorney uses his or her knowledge of their client, the facts, the precedent, expert opinions, and his or her own experiences to predict the likely result in a given matter. Digital research products enhance this process by providing more data on a wider array of variables so that an attorney can take even more information into consideration.

[Get all your questions answered, request a Bloomberg Law demo , and more.]

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How To Research Law Firms

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Where to Start…

To start your research off I put together a research document on my laptop for each firm I intend to research, but a notebook dedicated to each firm would work just as nicely! In order to establish what you want to know about the firm it is a good idea to make a list of questions you want to research such as basic details such as age of firm, location, practice areas and deadlines for applications.

To take your research further, you can have a look into recent cases and deals and why these are important for the firm and maybe think about why these intrigued you. It is good to also have wider knowledge of the firm such as who their competitors are, who the main clients are what they strive to be, any recent developments in the firm and much more! It is also a good idea to get an idea of the graduate information such as how many trainees they take on, the retention rates and specifically what attracts you to the firm. The best place to start is always the firm’s website. Here you can find out about the firm’s sectors, services, locations, values and much more. This is always a good foundation for your research to get an understanding of the firm generally and whether they include sectors you are interested in. The website also includes some interesting information on what awards they have won, and most firms include their gender and ethnicity reports which can be interesting to look at to analyse the diversity and inclusion within the firm. Within the website you can sometimes find information on graduate recruitment whereas some have a separate website. The graduate recruitment section tells you about the recruitment process, what they look for in trainees and key dates for applying.

Chamber Student, Legal 500, Lex 100 and more

These are all great websites to take your research further and find information on the firm that may be more detailed and specific to the office you are applying for. Chamber Student allows you to find out the Firm’s Rankings in each department and gives you firsthand feedback from colleagues at the firm about various things such as the seats in the firm, some of the clients and what trainee life is life. Legal 500 is a great way to get contacts from each firm and get an understanding of what practice they work in and what key clients the firm has.

Lex 100 gives you the opportunity to look at trainee feedback for firms giving a breakdown from client contact, social life to inclusiveness. Other useful sites which provide similar information and insight is LawCareers.net and Legal Cheek. Legal Cheek is particularly helpful as it provides information on the average arrival and leaving time, chances of secondments, diversity statistics and the breakdown of what universities current trainees attend.

Social Media

Many firms now have Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn accounts and they are a great way to keep up to date with events and trainee life. Many firms allow members of the firm to do takeovers on their platforms which is a great opportunity to get specific questions answered that you cannot find on websites. Also, their social media accounts allow you to stay up to date on the key dates of the application process and any events they have going on such as Insight or Open Days.

LinkedIn is also fantastic for research and can also be used as a tool to network with specific individuals from the specific office or area you are interested in.

Attend Events

By attending events by the firm, you are able gain further information on the firm on the general culture and feel of the office and employees. It is also a great way to network and put yourself out there if you know that you are going to later apply for the firm. Other organisation such as Queer Lawyers of Tomorrow, The Corporate Law Academy and even your university law societies and careers teams hold events with different firms which are well worth attending!

Google Alerts and News

The best way to keep up to date with what the firm is doing and to stay commercially aware is through setting up Google Alert and keep an eye on the news. You can also keep an eye out on the firm’s website for any articles or podcasts they produce as they can give great insight into big deals they have done or or developments in specific areas of law. You can set up Google Alerts by:

• Go to Google Alerts
• In the box at the top, enter a topic you want to follow.
• To change your settings, click Show options. You can change: How often you get notifications. The types of sites you’ll see.
• Click Create Alert. You’ll get emails whenever we find matching search results.

Remember when researching a firm try and get an all-encompassing knowledge but always have in the back of your mind why this interests you and why it is important to you because this can be helpful later if you get an application or interview question on why you want to work for the firm!

Oluwabunmi Adaramola

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Law With Sophie

Law With Sophie is a blog offering advice and support to aspiring solicitors

Law firm research guide – a template

· Resources · 9

We all know that the best applications to law firms are well-researched ones. But there’s an overwhelming amount of information out there on each firm, so when figuring out how to research a law firm, it can be tricky to know where to start!

To help, I’ve put together a template you can use as a guide.

This template is intended to be a handy guide for you to print out and fill in with your initial research – as I know you guys (like me) like to keep little folders for your fave firms! It’s perfect for vacation scheme/training contract applications, as well as for general legal roles.

It will help you get a feel for:

• The key aspects of the firm; and
• The types of factors you should be considering in evaluating whether it’s the right firm for you.

Please do read the notes to filling out the guide for hints and tips, as well as sources of information which I think are crucial to research a law firm!

Download the law firm research guide

You can download the guide here . I hope you find it useful!

You may also find these detailed articles useful in supplementing your initial research:

• Chambers Student’s guide to researching a law firm; and
• LawCareers.Net’s checklist of information.

If you’ve any questions on the guide, or have any feedback on how it can be improved, feel free to email or DM me!

@lawwithsophie

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How to do legal research in 3 steps

Knowing where to start a difficult legal research project can be a challenge. But if you already understand the basics of legal research, the process can be significantly easier — not to mention quicker.

Solid research skills are crucial to crafting a winning argument. So, whether you are a law school student or a seasoned attorney with years of experience, knowing how to perform legal research is important — including where to start and the steps to follow.

What is legal research, and where do I start? 

Black's Law Dictionary defines legal research as “[t]he finding and assembling of authorities that bear on a question of law." But what does that actually mean? It means that legal research is the process you use to identify and find the laws — including statutes, regulations, and court opinions — that apply to the facts of your case.

In most instances, the purpose of legal research is to find support for a specific legal issue or decision. For example, attorneys must conduct legal research if they need court opinions — that is, case law — to back up a legal argument they are making in a motion or brief filed with the court.

Alternatively, lawyers may need legal research to provide clients with accurate legal guidance . In the case of law students, they often use legal research to complete memos and briefs for class. But these are just a few situations in which legal research is necessary.

Why is legal research hard?

Each step — from defining research questions to synthesizing findings — demands critical thinking and rigorous analysis.

1. Identifying the legal issue is not so straightforward. Legal research involves interpreting many legal precedents and theories to justify your questions. Finding the right issue takes time and patience.

2. There's too much to research. Attorneys now face a great deal of case law and statutory material. The sheer volume forces the researcher to be efficient by following a methodology based on a solid foundation of legal knowledge and principles.

3. The law is a fluid doctrine. It changes with time, and staying updated with the latest legal codes, precedents, and statutes means the most resourceful lawyer needs to assess the relevance and importance of new decisions.

Legal research can pose quite a challenge, but professionals can improve it at every stage of the process . 

Step 1: Key questions to ask yourself when starting legal research

Before you begin looking for laws and court opinions, you first need to define the scope of your legal research project. There are several key questions you can use to help do this.

What are the facts?

Always gather the essential facts so you know the “who, what, why, when, where, and how” of your case. Take the time to write everything down, especially since you will likely need to include a statement of facts in an eventual filing or brief anyway. Even if you don't think a fact may be relevant now, write it down because it may be relevant later. These facts will also be helpful when identifying your legal issue.

What is the actual legal issue?

You will never know what to research if you don't know what your legal issue is. Does your client need help collecting money from an insurance company following a car accident involving a negligent driver? How about a criminal case involving excluding evidence found during an alleged illegal stop?

No matter the legal research project, you must identify the relevant legal problem and the outcome or relief sought. This information will guide your research so you can stay focused and on topic.

What is the relevant jurisdiction?

Don't cast your net too wide regarding legal research; you should focus on the relevant jurisdiction. For example, does your case deal with federal or state law? If it is state law, which state? You may find a case in California state court that is precisely on point, but it won't be beneficial if your legal project involves New York law.

Where to start legal research: The library, online, or even AI?

In years past, future attorneys were trained in law school to perform research in the library. But now, you can find almost everything from the library — and more — online. While you can certainly still use the library if you want, you will probably be costing yourself valuable time if you do.

When it comes to online research, some people start with free legal research options , including search engines like Google or Bing. But to ensure your legal research is comprehensive, you will want to use an online research service designed specifically for the law, such as Westlaw . Not only do online solutions like Westlaw have all the legal sources you need, but they also include artificial intelligence research features that help make quick work of your research

Step 2: How to find relevant case law and other primary sources of law

Now that you have gathered the facts and know your legal issue, the next step is knowing what to look for. After all, you will need the law to support your legal argument, whether providing guidance to a client or writing an internal memo, brief, or some other legal document.

But what type of law do you need? The answer: primary sources of law. Some of the more important types of primary law include:

• Case law, which are court opinions or decisions issued by federal or state courts
• Statutes, including legislation passed by both the U.S. Congress and state lawmakers
• Regulations, including those issued by either federal or state agencies
• Constitutions, both federal and state

Searching for primary sources of law

So, if it's primary law you want, it makes sense to begin searching there first, right? Not so fast. While you will need primary sources of law to support your case, in many instances, it is much easier — and a more efficient use of your time — to begin your search with secondary sources such as practice guides, treatises, and legal articles.

Why? Because secondary sources provide a thorough overview of legal topics, meaning you don't have to start your research from scratch. After secondary sources, you can move on to primary sources of law.

For example, while no two legal research projects are the same, the order in which you will want to search different types of sources may look something like this:

• Secondary sources . If you are researching a new legal principle or an unfamiliar area of the law, the best place to start is secondary sources, including law journals, practice guides , legal encyclopedias, and treatises. They are a good jumping-off point for legal research since they've already done the work for you. As an added bonus, they can save you additional time since they often identify and cite important statutes and seminal cases.
• Case law . If you have already found some case law in secondary sources, great, you have something to work with. But if not, don't fret. You can still search for relevant case law in a variety of ways, including running a search in a case law research tool.

Once you find a helpful case, you can use it to find others. For example, in Westlaw, most cases contain headnotes that summarize each of the case's important legal issues. These headnotes are also assigned a Key Number based on the topic associated with that legal issue. So, once you find a good case, you can use the headnotes and Key Numbers within it to quickly find more relevant case law.

• Statutes and regulations . In many instances, secondary sources and case law list the statutes and regulations relevant to your legal issue. But if you haven't found anything yet, you can still search for statutes and regs online like you do with cases.

Once you know which statute or reg is pertinent to your case, pull up the annotated version on Westlaw. Why the annotated version? Because the annotations will include vital information, such as a list of important cases that cite your statute or reg. Sometimes, these cases are even organized by topic — just one more way to find the case law you need to support your legal argument.

Keep in mind, though, that legal research isn't always a linear process. You may start out going from source to source as outlined above and then find yourself needing to go back to secondary sources once you have a better grasp of the legal issue. In other instances, you may even find the answer you are looking for in a source not listed above, like a sample brief filed with the court by another attorney. Ultimately, you need to go where the information takes you.

Step 3: Make sure you are using ‘good’ law

One of the most important steps with every legal research project is to verify that you are using “good" law — meaning a court hasn't invalidated it or struck it down in some way. After all, it probably won't look good to a judge if you cite a case that has been overruled or use a statute deemed unconstitutional. It doesn't necessarily mean you can never cite these sources; you just need to take a closer look before you do.

The simplest way to find out if something is still good law is to use a legal tool known as a citator, which will show you subsequent cases that have cited your source as well as any negative history, including if it has been overruled, reversed, questioned, or merely differentiated.

For instance, if a case, statute, or regulation has any negative history — and therefore may no longer be good law — KeyCite, the citator on Westlaw, will warn you. Specifically, KeyCite will show a flag or icon at the top of the document, along with a little blurb about the negative history. This alert system allows you to quickly know if there may be anything you need to worry about.

Some examples of these flags and icons include:

• A red flag on a case warns you it is no longer good for at least one point of law, meaning it may have been overruled or reversed on appeal.
• A yellow flag on a case warns that it has some negative history but is not expressly overruled or reversed, meaning another court may have criticized it or pointed out the holding was limited to a specific fact pattern.
• A blue-striped flag on a case warns you that it has been appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court or the U.S. Court of Appeals.
• The KeyCite Overruling Risk icon on a case warns you that the case may be implicitly undermined because it relies on another case that has been overruled.

Another bonus of using a citator like KeyCite is that it also provides a list of other cases that merely cite your source — it can lead to additional sources you previously didn't know about.

Perseverance is vital when it comes to legal research

Given that legal research is a complex process, it will likely come as no surprise that this guide cannot provide everything you need to know.

There is a reason why there are entire law school courses and countless books focused solely on legal research methodology. In fact, many attorneys will spend their entire careers honing their research skills — and even then, they may not have perfected the process.

So, if you are just beginning, don't get discouraged if you find legal research difficult — almost everyone does at first. With enough time, patience, and dedication, you can master the art of legal research.

Thomson Reuters originally published this article on November 10, 2020.

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How do I research a law firm and when should I start?

The training contract application process can be quite long winded. Before you commit yourself to it, you will need to be confident that this is a career path you want to pursue. So when should you start your research and how can you  find out which law firm might be the best fit for you?

Early doors

It’s never too early to start researching.

Many firms run open days or insight schemes for prospective trainees. Often there are targeted events for first-year students, regardless of degree subject, so you really can start to learn about a firm as early as you want.

If you’re thinking about a career in law or want to show your dedication to becoming a lawyer, sign up for an open day. It’s the perfect opportunity to learn about the firm and the legal industry more widely. It also shows the firm in question that you’re keen!

A law firm’s website is a good place to start your research. You can also consult guides such as Future Lawyers and The Legal 500 to find out what a firm’s specialisms, strengths (and weaknesses!) are.

Law/careers fairs

Most universities will have a law or careers fair, usually in the autumn term. Attending one of these fairs is a good way to start your research as there will be many firms exhibiting in the same place at the same time.

Law firms will usually send a variety of people to represent them at the fair. This could be a mix of trainee solicitors, graduate recruitment managers and sometimes NQs.

Have a look at the attendees ahead of time and start narrowing down which firms you might like to speak to. Once you have made a list of which firms you want to approach, jot down a few questions you might like to ask them.

When it comes to filling out an application form, you could mention that you met representatives from the firm at the law fair, so be sure to get their names!

Vacation schemes

If you’re a second-year law student or a final year student in another subject, you can start applying for vacation schemes. A vacation scheme is normally one to two weeks long and is essentially a period of work experience but where you are assessed throughout. There will probably be an interview at the end of the scheme too.

Although this may seem daunting, spending a week or two at a law firm is a great way to get to know the business. It’s also a chance for you to experience life as a solicitor and to decide whether you can see yourself doing it long term.

Some law firms run autumn or winter vacation schemes. The applications for these will usually close in September or October.

Most firms run summer vacation schemes and you will normally need to apply for these by the end of January.

Check our vacation scheme deadline table for exact dates.

Find out as much as you can from other people. Do you know anyone who works in the legal industry? If so, ask them to meet up for a coffee or a chat.

Of course, not everyone has contacts in the legal industry so you might have to think outside the box.

A friend of a friend, a classmate’s sibling, or one of your neighbours could all be of help. You could also ask your university’s careers service.

Slowly does it

You need to leave enough time to do your research before you start filling out application forms.

And if you don’t get a vacation scheme in your first year of trying, don’t give up! You can continue applying in subsequent years and once you have graduated.

Just remember that every application form or interview is good practice.

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Research is a vital part of just about any legal profession. Whether you’re still in law school or working at your very own practice, legal research plays an essential role in helping you make informed decisions, craft compelling arguments, and enhance your working knowledge. However, there’s no denying that research can be a daunting prospect for even the most seasoned professionals.

In years past, legal research meant navigating dusty old libraries and sifting through gargantuan law books. Now, however, the advent of technology and research-focused software has revolutionized the research process. More than ever before, it is critical to have a solid grasp of the best practices of results-driven research to make the most of every tool available.

Streamline your next case by following these tips for the most effective legal research.

Identify a clear focus for your research

Just like delivering an argument in court, successful research requires careful planning and preparation ahead of time. When you start researching a new case, be sure to decide on a single goal or objective that you hope to achieve with your research. Doing so will enable you to ensure that your study yields beneficial results.

Don’t get caught up in researching every little nuance and minor detail when you’ve just started researching. Instead, keep your main goal in mind and let it guide you as you begin analyzing and annotating cases, articles, and other materials. It may be helpful to write down a one-sentence mission statement for your research to help you keep your intentions in mind.

After you’ve clarified your objective, begin committing your case to heart. Memorize all the vital information in the case, determine its jurisdiction, and develop a firm understanding of the circumstances surrounding the memo. Understanding all this core information while maintaining a core focus can set you up for success later in the research process.

Organize your research

Once you have thoroughly acquainted yourself with your case and ironed out your goals, take steps to ensure your research process is orderly and organized. 

Logging your research is among the most critical things you can do to optimize your studies. By keeping track of the sources you find and your methodology for referencing them, it will be easy for you to find the sources you need when you start writing and explain your research strategy. 

You have multiple options available for logging your work. While you can manually write down your thoughts on paper, you can also take advantage of a CRM or document management system to keep track of your work in one place, digitally. Regardless of the method you use, the best research logging practices typically include recording the date, keywords, process, and required follow-ups for each source you find.

Use the right search terms

If you plan to use an online database or search engines in your research, draw on the details and goals you identified in your initial analysis to develop a handful of precise search terms and key phrases. For example, let’s say you have questions about Texas copyright law. In that case, your search query might consist of a few keywords like “copyright infringement” and “Texas law.” Using specific terms in your searches will make it easier to discover the most relevant results. 

Additionally, you can narrow down your queries by using  Boolean search terms . For example, if your search includes the keywords “copyright infringement” and “Texas law,” then search engines will return any results that feature  either   “copyright infringement”  or   “Texas law.” However, if you only want sources that include both keywords, then use a Boolean like AND between them to tell the search engine to return results that contain the specified keywords. Using Booleans in this way can help you quickly find the sources you’re looking for without having to wade through potentially unnecessary results.

Draw from diverse sources

When you’re conducting legal research, it’s a good rule of thumb to try and draw from many different kinds of sources. Consider referencing a blend of primary sources, such as the original case and witness testimonies, as well as secondary sources like commentaries, dictionaries, and journals as you conduct your study. In the process, you’ll assemble more comprehensive information supported by a varied assortment of authorities.

Even cases that lack the outcome you desire can provide helpful insights for your purposes. For example, a case that ended in a guilty verdict can still offer valuable examples and precedents to consider as you’re building a defense closing argument.

Additionally, finding one relevant source can naturally lead you toward many others. Let’s say you find one law review that’s filled with helpful information. The chances are that this article will provide a treasure trove of references to other similarly valuable resources. Legal databases can make this process even more accessible, as many platforms have built-in functionality that can direct users to related articles, headnotes, and other sources. 

It may be tempting to limit yourself to only the most recent sources for your research. However, that should not always be your tactic. Even decades-old cases can contain crucial details or set important precedents that affect your current project – provided that they haven’t been overruled or the law hasn’t changed in the meantime, of course. 

Pace yourself where you can

One unfortunate reality that every lawyer must face in their career is that legal research rarely leads to the correct answer on the first try. Research can be inherently time-consuming, and it can be easy to get sucked into an endless loop of churning through databases searching for the perfect statute, article, or case. 

However, the best researchers know when to stop. As you research, remember to take a step back every so often to evaluate your progress. If you find yourself encountering the same sources time and again, or if you’ve made all the headway you can realistically accomplish given your project’s timeframe, then it may be time to take a break or move onto writing.

There’s no denying that legal research can be an overwhelming process. However, taking steps like these to boost your efficiency and manage your time can empower you to overcome even the most challenging research-related tasks.

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Competition for training contracts is fierce and it is therefore critical that you are able to demonstrate an extensive understanding of the firm that you are applying to and its business.

Here are some key ways that you can ensure that you research the firm effectively…

Want to increase your chance of getting a training contract? Check out our training contract guide.

Law Firm Research: The Firm’s Size and Identity

You need to get to know the firm that you are applying to, beginning with the very basics. Look into the way in which the firm has developed in recent years, its current office locations and future plans for expansion.

This will help you to gain an understanding of the nature of the firm and provide you with concrete examples when you are inevitably asked what you like about the firm in your training contract application and interview.

It will also enable you to see how current business events will effect the firm’s business. You may well be asked in interview a question on this very topic.

Law Firm Research: The Firm’s Specialisms and Recent Cases

While many of the larger firms consider themselves to be full-service law firms, they can still have particular specialisms and areas which they are trying to break in to.

A firm’s website can give you a good idea of these leanings and there are lots of helpful legal websites which provide invaluable insider information – including TLP! Just take a look at our Law Firm Insights page.

Also, make sure you know some of the firm’s top clients – you can usually see these on the firm’s website or news page.

If there is a practice area within a firm that particularly interests you and that you have mentioned in your initial application, it is important to look into recent cases that the firm has been working on. Ensure that you have a good understanding of the case itself, the point of law and any broader implications that it might have. Keep in mind that this is also an extremely common interview question.

>> Want more insight into the different areas of law? Take a look at our Areas of Legal Practice page!

Law Firm Research: The Firm’s Values and Trainee Specifications

Although there are general qualities that most law firms look for in future trainees, different firms will have a different ethos and this influences the character traits that they particularly look for.

By researching a firm’s values and its trainee specification, you can quickly identify the qualities that a law firm is looking for. This will ultimately help you ensure that you pitch your application correctly for the firm that you are applying to.

>> Find out more about the top qualities firms want in candidates with our 5 Key Qualities Law Firms Look For in Applications blog.

Law Firm Research: The Firm’s Competitors

Law firms are in direct competition with each other in terms of attracting new business and retaining current clients. Firms are consequently looking for trainees who understand their business and that of their competitors.

Once you have identified the size, identity and specialisms of the firm, it will be easy to see who their competitors in the legal market are. Make sure that you look into those competitors, with a particular focus on the way in which they are marketing themselves, their business strategy and their key clients. Consider the ways in which this matches and differs from the firm that you are applying to.

Keep in mind that law firms receive hundreds of applications each year for only a limited number of places. Do not make the mistake of using generic information in your application as firms are looking for candidates who show an in-depth understanding of the firm, its identity and values.

Take the time to thoroughly research the firm you are applying to and demonstrate this knowledge in your application.

Published: 21/02/18     Author: Hannah Capstick

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How to research law firms.

Who are Next CIty Lawyer?

We are a team of qualified lawyers from US, Magic Circle and Silver Circle law firms law firms.  We publish articles like this one every fortnight to give you the inside scoop on how to secure your training contract.

With years of experience analysing and reviewing documents for some of the world's most sophisticated clients, we've channeled the same level of care and attention into curating our database of successful applications to world's best commercial law firms.

Introduction

As we enter the summer months, students begin to consider vacation scheme and training contract applications. However, as most candidates know, sending in an application form is easier said than done. Candidates first need to ask themselves:

• Which law firms should I apply to?
• What should I research about each firm?
• How do I research each firm?

This blog article will answer all three of those questions.

Which Law Firms Should I Apply to?

Know yourself.

Before you can dig into researching one firm in particular, you first have to research what types of law firms you want to apply to. At a certain level, this is a numbers game. We recommend that candidates submit as many high-quality applications as they can. However, if you have a particular interest or are set on a certain kind of work, you will need to ensure you apply to the correct firms.

You must ask yourself:

• What kind of work would I like?
• What kind of work would I be good at?
• Do I want to train at a regional or international firm?

These initial questions are essential and you should not sweep them aside. For example, if you want to be involved with personal injury or private client work, the Magic Circle or Elite US firms (as defined below) are not the best choices for YOU. However, if you want to be involved with private equity or structured finance, they definitely will be the best picks for you!

Nevertheless, it is critical not to limit your options. You may decide that you really want to do international arbitration. However, this severely limits your choices and may cause you to join a firm that, after your training contract, you decide you no longer want to work at. Many newly qualified solicitors will tell you that they ended up qualifying into a department they never expected to join – they began a training contract at the firm intending to qualify into ‘Department A’ but ultimately found they would be happier in ‘Department B’.

In general, if you are considering traditional ‘Big Law’ firms, you should be thinking of applying to:

• The Magic Circle firms (e.g. Clifford Chance and Linklaters)
• Elite US firms (e.g. Latham & Watkins and Kirkland & Ellis)
• Anglo-American firms (e.g. Hogan Lovells and Norton Rose Fulbright)
• Other high-ranking firms (e.g. Herbert Smith Freehills)

As a start, this should give you at least 15-20 firms to apply to.

Bonus tip: keep track of all your applications in a spreadsheet. Keep track of the firm's name, the application window dates, whether you have applied or not (and its status) and any additional notes.

We also go into further detail on how you should target firms based on your own unique profile in our last blog post: ‘ Stop Undervaluing Yourself! ’.  If the financial draw of elite US firms stands out to you, read our article on whether to follow the money when applying for training contracts .

What Should I Research About A Law Firm?

Candidates often struggle to know what exactly to research when preparing for vacation scheme and training contract applications. Should I research certain deals? Do I need to know who the managing partner is? And – of course – how do I find out all of the necessary information?

We recommend dividing your research into three distinct areas:

• Culture (and miscellaneous)

These areas cover most of what you need to know about the firm in question, and they also aid in assessing the most important (and the least important) bits of information: research about the “work” is of the highest priority, whilst “culture” is of the least.

How Do I Research A Law Firm?

When you are researching a firm’s work ahead of applying for a vacation scheme or training contract, you should be trying to answer for yourselves:

• What practice areas does the firm specialise in?
• What is unique about the kind of work that the firm does in the above areas?
• What are some good deals or examples of that type of work?
• What is my opinion on those deals or examples – why do I find them interesting or appealing?

With this in mind, you can now begin identifying where to uncover the answers to these questions.

First, you should check the firm’s main website and their graduate recruitment website (if they have one). This should give you some ideas of what the firm specialises in. If it does not, or you want some more information, look at the Legal 500 or Chambers practice area rankings. Some top firms will rank highly in many areas, so use this information judiciously and read beyond just the headings. The Legal 500 or Chambers guides will typically have a little blurb about the firm, which will give you a better insight into what the firm itself proclaims to specialise in. Of particular note is the Chambers Student ‘ True Picture ’ series: this gives an insight into not only the work that the firm does but also its training and culture, which, as we will discuss, is also vital!

Next, you will have to employ your judgement. Within the areas that you have identified as the firm’s specialist practice areas, you must now try to determine what the law firm’s unique angle is. For example, if a firm specialises in leveraged finance, try to determine whether they predominantly work on the sponsor (i.e. borrower) side or the lender side. If, for example, they primarily work on the lender side, what exactly is it about that work that interests you? Why do you want to work for a bank concerning these specific deals?    

As part of this, you should think about the firm’s business model and strategy. Why does this firm specialise in “Practice Area A” and specifically take on “Type of Work B” in that sector? For example, some Elite US firms limit their number of international offices and only take on work that has the highest profit margins for the firm. A great example is private equity – many Elite US firms specialise in that practice area because most private equity activity (historically) is in the US and Europe, which means they do not need to expend more resources on hiring big teams in APAC. Do not forget to consider your own opinions – do you think this is a good strategy? What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats involved with the firm’s strategy and business model? How do you fit into all this?

To uncover some of this information, you will need to refer to your research in ascertaining those specialist practice areas. You should look at what the Legal 500 says – do they mention any particular angles the firm specialises in within the practice area itself? Alternatively, you could look at the IFLR 1000 to see their deal history and see whether you can notice any trends.

Once you’ve narrowed down the firm’s specific prowess within a particular practice area, you can then move on to finding some concrete examples. These should generally take the form of some major deals that the firm has completed (preferably recent ones!).

Researching deals should not be a scary task. First, start with the firm’s website. Most large commercial law firms (and small ones too!) put out short summaries of deals they have recently completed (similar to press releases). If you cannot find much information on the firm’s site (or you have found a deal that you want to research in more detail), look at Lexology, The Lawyer, Law360, Law.com , Legal Week, Reuters.com , and Legal Business. Some publishers lock this information behind a subscription service, so do not be afraid to Google a deal (for example, “CD&R’s purchase of Morrison’s”) to see if you can find any information about it for free.

Once you have that information – it is now up to you! Why is the deal interesting to you? What impact does it have on the firm, the market, or both? If you are struggling to articulate the reasons why, you should continue to read around the deal. Some legal or financial commentators may have written some articles on the deal that will give you an insight into their thoughts, which can, naturally, inspire your own opinions.

Ultimately, you are applying to a firm for a training contract. Although you may technically be applying for a vacation scheme, the vacation scheme is only there to serve as a pathway to getting that highly-coveted training contract. As you probably know, these are now more competitive than ever . Therefore, you should expect to show off your research concerning a firm’s training programme. After all, you want to be trained by the firm, and the firm would like to know why!

When you are researching a firm’s training contract, ask yourself the following questions:

• What is the seat structure? How many seats are there? Is it a rotational or non-rotational structure?
• Are there any mandatory seats?
• Are there any unique seat choices?
• Is a secondment mandatory? If not, what are the chances of getting a secondment?
• What additional training opportunities does the firm offer outside of the traditional programme?

The best way to begin to research the answers to these questions is to refer to the firm’s website or graduate recruitment website (if they have one). Almost all firms will make the essential information regarding their training contracts public. For example, on Freshfields’ graduate recruitment website, they tell you the number of seats involved (eight - which is unusual) and what the mandatory seats are (one in dispute resolution and two in “global transactions”). There is also some more information on the kind of support you would receive during your Freshfields training contract.

You should expect to go beyond the firm’s website and marketing materials. Once you have scoured those sources and amassed all the information possible, consider reaching out to trainees from the firm you are researching on LinkedIn. There is no better way to understand what additional opportunities trainees have at that firm than asking them yourself! However, please be aware that trainees face an overwhelming number of messages on LinkedIn. Hence, you may have to send multiple messages to multiple trainees – and keep those messages short. Be polite but direct. Here is one example of what a good LinkedIn message might look like to a trainee:

Hi [Trainee],

Thank you for connecting with me.

I am currently applying to [Firm X] and would like to learn more about the training and development opportunities offered by the firm. It’s my dream firm and I would hugely appreciate any time you could spare.

Would you be free for a 10-minute call at any time over the next two weeks?

Thank you very much!

[Candidate]

If no trainees are available to speak with you (be aware that some trainees will prefer to message you rather than talk over the phone!), try to attend firm-specific graduate recruitment events. For example, some firms run online “insight days”, and others do “Meet the Firm”-style online presentations. Remember, the best way to learn about the firm is if you can secure an in-person open day – if you get this opportunity do as much research about the firm before you go. Then you will be best placed to ask the most pertinent questions on the open day itself and make full use of the experience.

If you have exhausted all of those options or cannot secure the opportunities mentioned above, do not forget Chambers Student. Although this is not a fantastic substitute for the other sources we have discussed, it will provide at least some information on the firm’s training contract – so, at the very least, you do not leave this stage of research empty-handed. However, you must remember that everyone has access to this information. Therefore, you should employ your own analysis when using such generic research to stand out!

After conducting all of your research about the firm’s training contract, you must remember to relate it to you. Why are YOU best suited for this kind of programme? How would YOU use the various development opportunities if you were a trainee?

“Culture” is a challenging term to define. Unfortunately, most candidates think that “culture” pertains to whether a firm is “friendly”. Such a response is vague and honestly irrelevant. Many firms dislike being called “friendly”, “nice” or “caring” by candidates that they interview – they do not want you to get the wrong impression that you would get an easy ride by working there or that they aren’t respected by clients and feared by opponents!

A better way to think about culture is to reflect on the firm’s mentality . For example, what is the firm’s stance on self-development? Would they encourage you to learn another language, gain ‘rights of audience’ or take the New York bar exam? A further example includes situations where you are looking to work in a highly technical area (for instance, you might want to work for Bird & Bird in their life sciences team). See if the firm would support you in taking an additional qualification or supplementary training course whilst you are a trainee there.

The reason for investigating these points is because it says something about the firm itself. You might be someone who is very invested in improving yourself and so be keen on a firm that aligns with your mindset. In a different vein, you might be very focused on sport, music or extracurriculars and look for a firm that would respect your work/life balance.

Believe it or not, many firms do not have all these opportunities, and some firms would encourage you to drop those hobbies to better focus on your work. So if you can demonstrate you have a particular passion (whether that be charitable volunteering, sport, music, languages, self-development, technology and so on), you should research whether the firm can support you with such interests and whether you can contribute to that same culture!

You may be sceptical about discussing these points. However, when candidates talk about culture concerning the firm’s work or training supervision, the answers are generic. All firms are hardworking, all firms provide you with a decent level of supervision and training, and all firms will proclaim to be friendly and open. Hence, you need to look beyond these generic points and research the more quirky or eccentric elements of the firm and see how you would fit in there.

Of course, researching these areas is easier said than done. Whilst the firm will publish some marketing material on its culture, the single best way to understand a firm’s culture is to talk to its lawyers. Much like researching a firm’s training contract, reach out to trainees and associates on LinkedIn as discussed above. Attend graduate recruitment events and presentations, and, if you can, go on an open/insight day. If you know you will have the opportunity to ask questions, do as much research as you can beforehand so you use your Q&A comment to its most significant effect.

Here is an example of a question (without the necessary pleasantries bookending it!) you could ask either at an event or on LinkedIn:

“ I have intermediate Python coding skills. Would this be useful for the firm? And if so, what opportunities does [Firm X] offer to encourage its trainees to use and develop their coding abilities? ”

This question hits two areas: it gives you a sense of the firm’s training and development opportunities and will provide you with an insight into the firm’s mentality concerning self-development and supporting its trainees’ interests!

It’s worth mentioning again that guides like Chambers Student and lawcareers.net may be helpful to supplement your research. Nevertheless, these online resources are not as good at providing usable information about a firm’s culture compared with its work and training. Culture is subjective, so there is no better evidence for it than first-hand experience (or talking directly with someone who has had that experience!). If you rely too heavily on published written material to evidence your research about a firm’s culture, your answers will sound superficial. Therefore, where you can, get some open days, attend in-person or online graduate recruitment events, and talk directly with trainees and associates!

Additionally, if you end up connecting well with someone at a law firm event, you could ask them whether they would be happy for you to reference your conversation with them in an application. Most people will agree to let you do so and those kinds of references make an application really stand out! Regardless, always remember to connect with people you talk to on LinkedIn – it takes no time at all and it gives you a connection you can draw on later.  

As a small aside, international students should also make sure any law firm they are applying to sponsors foreigners for training contracts before they waste time researching and writing an application. Check out our special guide for international applicants for more detail.

Over the course of this article, we have looked at what law firms you should apply to and how to research a firm’s work, training and culture. We have provided you with some guidance on what sources to use and what questions you should be asking yourself along the way to guide your research.

In summary:

• Submit as many high-quality vacation scheme or training contract applications as you can. Candidates often undervalue themselves and lose out on opportunities due to sending out too few applications.
• Focus on researching a firm’s work, training and culture. These are the core areas on which firms will question you during the application process.
• Begin your research with the firm’s website and graduate recruitment page (if they have one).
• Use sources like the Chambers Global and Student guides, Legal 500, Lexology, The Lawyer, Law360, Law.com , Legal Week, Reuters.com , and Legal Business to research a firm’s work.
• Contact trainees and associates on LinkedIn to learn about a firm’s training and culture.
• Try to attend open days and graduate recruitment presentations concerning researching a firm’s training and culture.

We hope you found this article useful – if you did, please share it with other candidates who might find it helpful!

So, what next?

If you are ready to move from research to action, you should look at our application database BEFORE you put pen to paper on your applications. You wouldn't walk into an exam hall without carefully reviewing past papers.  It's exactly the same with applications to law firms. If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail.

Most candidates read a few well-intentioned but obvious articles on how to apply to law firms.  Most candidates then spend a couple of hours writing an application before optimistically submitting it.  But most candidates don't even get an interview.  Every year, thousands of candidates are part of the 90% that are rejected at first round.

Join us as part of the successful 10% instead. Let us give you an unfair advantage: through our comprehensive analysis of successful applications to every major law firm, our qualified lawyers will break down the ingredients of a phenomenal application.  We will help you beat the odds, secure your interview and then avoid final-round failure at your assessment centre.

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Mastering the Law Firm Interview: Tips and Strategies for Success

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1. Research the Law Firm

• Start browsing the firm's website to learn about its practice areas, size, locations, and notable clients. Pay attention to their mission statement and any news or press releases, as these can give you valuable insight into the firm's culture and recent accomplishments. Remember to check their blog or publications section, as these can provide additional information about their legal expertise and interests.
• If possible, find out who will conduct your interview and look up their professional background on LinkedIn or the firm's website. Understanding their specialties, interests, and career paths can help you connect personally and leave a lasting impression. Knowing their accomplishments or recent publications can also be an excellent conversation starter.
• Check the firm's social media accounts to understand its values, culture, and current events. This information can be helpful when answering questions about why you want to work there or what makes the firm unique. Social media can also offer insights into the firm's community involvement or pro bono work, showcasing its commitment to social responsibility.

2. Prepare Your Answers to Common Interview Questions

• Expect questions that explore your past experiences and how you've handled certain situations, such as teamwork, problem-solving, and conflict resolution. Be prepared with specific examples and use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method to structure your response. Highlight your ability to work under pressure, manage deadlines, and communicate effectively with colleagues and clients.
• Demonstrate your legal expertise by preparing answers to questions about current legal trends, recent cases, or any laws relevant to the firm's practice areas. Stay up-to-date with legal news, read relevant journals, and attend industry events to impress your interviewers with your industry knowledge.
• Interviewers may ask about your career goals, work style, and reasons for choosing the firm. Be genuine and align your answers with the firm's values and culture. Share your passion for the law and explain how the firm's practice areas or culture align with your long-term goals.
• You may be asked to analyze a hypothetical legal scenario during your interview. Approach these questions with a systematic and logical thought process, demonstrating your analytical skills and legal knowledge. Be sure to ask clarifying questions and think out loud to showcase your thought process.

3. Dress to Impress

• Opt for a well-tailored suit in a neutral color, such as black, navy, or gray. Pair it with a white or light-colored dress shirt, a conservative tie, and polished dress shoes. Women should opt for a suit with a skirt or pants, a blouse, and closed-toe heels or flats.
• Ensure your hair is clean, neat, and styled professionally. Keep makeup and jewelry minimal, and avoid strong fragrances. Trim and clean your nails, and consider removing any visible piercings to maintain a conservative appearance.

4. Master Your Body Language

• Sit up straight and lean slightly forward to show engagement and interest. Avoid crossing your arms or slouching, which can signal defensiveness or disinterest.
• Maintain appropriate eye contact throughout the interview to demonstrate confidence and attentiveness. However, don't stare; remember to blink and look away occasionally to avoid making the interviewer uncomfortable.
• Use natural hand gestures to emphasize points but avoid fidgeting or touching your face. Keep your hands visible and relaxed on the table or in your lap.
• Smile genuinely and show enthusiasm for the position and the firm. Keep your expressions positive and engaged throughout the conversation. Nod occasionally indicates you're actively listening and understanding the interviewer's points.

5. Ask Thoughtful Questions

• Ask about the firm's core values, mentorship programs, or diversity initiatives to show your commitment to personal and professional growth within the organization. You may also ask about work-life balance or how the firm fosters a collaborative environment.
• If you are interested in a particular practice area, ask about the firm's approach to that area, its clients, or any recent cases. This will showcase your genuine enthusiasm and legal knowledge. Inquire about opportunities for professional development within that practice area, such as training or mentoring programs.
• Inquire about the firm's strategic vision or growth plans to demonstrate your interest in being a part of its long-term success. This can include questions about expanding practice areas, opening new offices, or exploring innovative legal services.

6. Navigate Tough Questions with Confidence

• If you need a moment to think about your answer, pausing briefly is okay. It's better to provide a well-thought-out response than to rush into an answer you might regret.
• If you don't know the answer to a question or lack experience in a specific area, be honest about it. Explain how you would approach learning the necessary information or skills, showcasing your adaptability and commitment to growth.
• If asked about a negative experience or failure, frame your answer to highlight what you learned from the situation and how it has made you a better professional. Emphasize your resilience and ability to learn from setbacks.

7. Follow Up with a Thank You Note

• Send your thank you note within 24 hours of the interview to show promptness and professionalism. Email is typically the most efficient and acceptable method, but a handwritten note can make a memorable impression if you have a strong rapport with the interviewer.
• Personalize each note by mentioning specific topics you discussed with the interviewer or any unique connections you made. This will help the interviewer remember you and reinforce your genuine interest in the firm. If multiple people interviewed you, send individual notes to each person, addressing specific topics discussed with them.
• Use the thank you note to briefly restate your enthusiasm for the position and your confidence in contributing to the firm's success. Highlight any unique skills or experiences that make you a strong fit for the firm.
• If you feel there was a weak point in your interview or a question that you could have answered better, use the thank you note as an opportunity to address it. Provide a concise explanation or clarification to show your proactive approach and commitment to the position.

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• How to research a firm... properly
• Chambers Student

'Why do you want to work for this firm?' is an almost guaranteed interview question, and law firms deserve a decent response to it. Here's how to tackle it.

Recruitment is in many ways like dating  – the business often uses woolly, unhelpful terms like 'clicking' and 'chemistry', and in the same way that y ou don't get very far on your first date if you're not attentive, a law firm also likes to feel wanted and special when they're interviewing you.  'Y ou were the only ones who offered me an interview' may be your most honest response to the 'Why this law firm?' question, but is definitely the wrong answer. Recruiters need to see that you've researched them  –  this may be where the parallels with dating should end: don't tell your date how much you've researched them.

What you the applicant needs to do is wow the recruiters with your insights. Research will show you understand the business, the environment in operates in, where it's going, and how your skills fit into that vivid picture you have. But how do you go about it? What is the proper way to research law firms?

Here at Chambers Studen t we make it our job to distinguish between firms and explain why you might want to pick one over another. We also spend almost all our time researching law firms, so in this feature we'll lay out the steps your research should take to uncover the answer to the question 'why do you want to work for this firm?

Step one: Use Chambers Student

You saw that one coming, didn’t you? The fact is, Chambers Student is an ideal starting point for your research. In the True Picture features on law firms we aim to tell you about...

• the work a firm does
• how well it’s doing and its strategy for the future
• its culture – what makes it tick
• the structure of the training contract and what work trainees can expect
• the social life

We know just how much importance firms place on commercial awareness, so wherever possible, the True Picture features aim to raise relevant commercial themes. Try and follow up with general web research on themes raised in your favoured firm’s feature (more on this later). For example you might want to look into the emerging importance of renewable energy or the effects of Brexit on the City. If you can show that you have some level of knowledge about these issues, it is quite likely to lead a recruiter to view you as a commercially aware candidate who understands the issues of most relevance to their firm.

The Chambers Student  True Picture  is also a great resource for comparing different aspects of a firm and the trainee experience: the hours, the culture, supervision, responsibility levels, the clients etc. What aspects of a firm matter most to you? Maybe it's one of these that attracts you to the employer. Don't just compare firms on obvious factors like the hours or training (though those are both good things to look into). Investigate more fundamental aspects of a firm: its strongest practice areas; new areas the firm's moving into; its strategy for the future; how the culture is changing.

If you're researching a US-headquartered firm consider using our US sister publication Chambers Associate . It basically does the same as Chambers Student but in the US. Each year we interview 100s of junior associates Stateside, just as we interview trainees here. We also talk to law firm managing partners about their future strategy – useful stuff if you want to impress interviewers. Do bear in mind that the UK offices of US firms are often quite different culturally from their headquarters. However, it’s good to get an idea of how a firm is perceived on the other side of the pond, and there may well be something in the culture that has crossed the Atlantic. For instance, Skadden has a pretty hard-nosed reputation while Covington & Burling is an academic, intellectual sort of place. These statements seem to apply on both sides of the pond. We’ve also produced a list of every single US firm with an office in the UK (there are over 100), and which ones offer training contracts.

Step two: Check out the main Chambers & Partners directories

Okay, this feature isn’t meant to be an extended plug for Chambers & Partners, but our main directories are an ideal second step for your research. They rank law firms and lawyers across the world. Want to know who the best business lawyer in Gibraltar is? Or the top firm in Angola? Or what’s going on in the world of Norfolk agricultural law? Respectively, Chambers Europe ,  Chambers Global and Chambers UK will tell you the answers. Chambers USA   can give you useful information about US-headquartered firms.

The Chambers main directories are powerful tools. Let's take a look at an individual firm by way of example: Pinsent Masons . Look at its Chambers UK rankings – there are a lot of them but don't get intimidated. The firm's website will tell you it has four English offices: London, Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham. Let's look at the key commercial areas of corporate, banking and litigation in those locations. In the Midlands (Birmingham), the North West (Manchester) and Yorkshire (Leeds) the firm is Band 1 for banking and (except in Birmingham) for corporate M&A; the firm is ranked in Band 2 for litigation in all three areas too and is ranked in around ten other areas too. That's pretty good going – the firm is clearly very highly regarded by businesses and other lawyers in these regions. What about London? Well, the firm wins a lot of rankings here too, but it's in Band 4 for banking, ranked in the mid-market for corporate M&A and not ranked at all for litigation. Its corporate practice ranks alongside well-regarded London firms like CMS , Dentons and Stephenson Harwood but doesn't square up to the biggest beasts in the City. What is the firm most highly regarded for? Well, it's ranked Band 1 for both construction and planning. These are clearly top areas for the firm: click on the construction ranking and you'll see the firm has nearly 100 construction lawyers – that's over twice as many lawyers as there are in the M&A team. It looks like construction is a particular strength of the firm, particularly in London.

So, from knowing nothing about  Pinsent Masons ten minutes ago, you have already started to paint a picture of its main strengths in different parts of the country. It’s still broad brushstrokes, but nuances are starting to emerge. Think how useful all this information could be when filling in an application form or answering that tough question about why you're interested in the firm at interview. Be aware that a top chambers ranking for a practice area may not mean that's a big area of work for the firm – it may just be that there are one or two lawyers in a firm of 100s who are particularly good at, say, sports law. In that case you'll look a dunce if you go on and on about how much you want to work in sports law in your application. In most cases Chambers UK will show you how big a department is if you click on the relevant ranking, which is really helpful.

As a final point, it's going to help you to know that many firms are seeking to develop their business by way of sector expertise. Popular sectors firms are focusing on right now include technology, energy, private wealth and financial services. Use the Chambers website in conjunction with what the organisations say about themselves to ascertain which client sectors they are targeting. Picking a firm for its target sectors is a good strategy, particularly if you already have something useful to offer in relation to one of its chosen sectors.

Step three: Look at a law firm's recruitment website and literature

If you've ever been to a law fair you will have been bombarded by different firms' graduate recruitment marketing, campaigns, images, freebies and slogans. 'Press Play', 'Be Different', 'Broaden your horizons' and 'Law worth talking about' are among the hazier straplines we came across in 2017. Mosey over to law firms' websites and you'll find that bigger firms have dedicated graduates careers web pages – often with brighter colours and bolder lettering than their more sober main websites. But what does it all mean? Well, it's all so murky that we've written a separate 12-point guide to law firm marketing  on the subject.

Here's a basic idea of what to look out for. You'll notice that almost all law firms say much the same thing about themselves (leading firm, client focused, etc) but they don’t all say it in the same way. This is important. Let’s compare the grad recruitment pages of a few firms.

Compare this to Stephens Scown, a regional firm based in Devon and Cornwall . 'Do you share our passion about the success of the South West?' says its friendly website. Above are some quirky pictures of (presumably) trainees in a hodgepodge of odd outfits: one has a rucksack and passport, one a broken umbrella and a map – two are in jackets and ties but are wearing tennis shorts and cricket whites below the waist. The message is clear: we're more than just lawyers; we're sporty, adventurous, and did we mention we're a bit countryside-y? The firm's commitment to the region is palpable and should be noted.

Another firm to contrast: Travers Smith. Its very sensible website doesn't do straplines. It has a picture of a chap in smart shoes and trouser dashing up some old steps; and another of graduates eagerly clutching flouncy degree certificates. The text is in a conservative serif font and the background is parchment-coloured. Like Weil, Travers is trying to come across in a serious way, but it doesn't feel as scary – or modern. It feels like it would be quite a sedate place to work, and maybe just a tad traditional.

So, graduate recruitment websites can tell you two things. First, they give a first idea of the type of person the firm might be looking for: Weil wants serious, hard workers; Stephen Scown is more on the hunt for the bubbly sporty type. They may also hint at the firm's broader identity: Stephens Scown is firmly committed to the South West; HFW has a strong focus on particular sectors. Both of these types of information can help you answer that question we mentioned at the start: 'why did you choose to apply here?' So, every time you view a law firm’s web pages, ask yourself: what is it trying to tell me? You already do this subconsciously. Do it consciously from now on.

Graduate recruitment website have definitely got more generic in recent years. Some used to be downright alarming. Weil 's graduate recruitment website used to include images of a tiny bug-like person in the glare of a spotlight with the slogan 'DO SOMETHING THAT SCARES YOU'. Yikes. This was targeting a specific type of person. Sometimes a firm's grad recruitment slogans can be a bit misleading. For example, White & Case used to sell itself as having a small trainee intake and offering a training contract focused on the individual. In fact it recruits quite a lot of trainees (50 a year!) and is a big corporate giant where the focus is unlikely to be about the individual. So the campaign was a bit of a disaster. The firm ended up with a bunch of very demanding trainees who expected the firm to move the earth for them (that's what they'd been promised after all), but in fact they had to fit into the corporate straightjacket. These days White & Case's campaign is more transparent, targeting ambitious types looking for a global career: if a firm pushes terms like 'global', take note. So make sure you use other resources to corroborate the impressions you glean from grad recruitment materials. Again, the Chambers Student True Picture is a good place to start.

Step four: Trawl through a firm’s main website

There is so much to be gained from crawling over a firm’s website, and if you take away all the superlatives and self-praise you’ll get a decent understanding of what a firm does. As these sites are designed primarily for clients, the usual approach is to say what the firm does and for what type of client. Firms will usually present themselves in a way that emphasises the breadth of their activities. But be aware that this won’t necessarily tell you which things a firm is best at and which they are just getting into. A firm may be repositioning itself in the market and pushing certain practice areas which don't actually make up a large proportion of its work.

Here are some good things to look for on a firm's website:

• a message or annual report from the managing partner/chair/CEO
• the way in which the firm divides itself, ie by department or by key client sectors
• the relative size of departments or practice groups
• the geographical spread of the firm
• biographies of trainees or partners who might be on the interview panel
• any information about community or charitable activities (CSR is the often used term – it means corporate social responsibility)
• the gender/ethnic balance among partners/trainees
• news about the firm – information about recent deals and cases is especially useful
• press releases, opinion pieces or blogs about areas of law the firm is active in

All these things can help you expand your factual knowledge about a firm and get a feel for the place. You might notice, for example, that a lot of partners and staff come from certain universities. A lead partner might spell out what the firm’s game plan is for the next few years. You might notice that particular practice groups have expanded (though firms will rarely make it obvious where they have contracted). Or you might find a blogpost about a recent Supreme Court case affecting one of the firm's key practice areas. Absorb the information but retain a degree of healthy scepticism about the trumpet blowing.

Step five: Keep an eye on the legal press, blogs and social media

The Lawyer , Legal Week ,  The Times ' Law Supplement and The Law Society Gazette are all good sources for daily and weekly information about what’s going on at firms.  The American Lawyer will have information for US firms. Now, we're aware that most of these websites are behind a paywall. Is it worth paying for a subscription? Probably not. If you can wangle a subscription somehow that's great, but the headlines will usually tell you most of the story and relevant news will often be reported on a firm's website too.

Look out for big deals, financial results and stories making a splash in the profession to judge how well a firm is performing. Not everything reported on in the legal press will be relevant to your research on firms: the appointments of a new managing partner or the story of a firm in demise may not be that relevant. That said, a lot of stories in the legal press can have an angle to them that's useful to you as a budding lawyer. For example, has a new managing partner got a different strategy they want to pursue? What lessons can be learnt from the example of a firm that goes into administration?

Legal blogs are a great way to stay up to date on the developments in specific areas of law. We've come across useful blogs on topics ranging from Brexit and M&A to art law and privacy. Elsewhere on this website we've curated a list of recommended legal blogs , plus some useful podcasts you might want to listen to.

There's also a handful of legal gossip websites that focus on stories and intrigue which you can take a look at. Beware, though, these sites should not be a key research tool. You'll probably also be aware that there are other law careers publications besides Chambers Student out there. Use those that you find most useful. Some are better than others: we find that certain of our rivals produce content which presents an overly glitzy and Pollyanna view of a career in law, while others bring out articles and listings which are genuinely helpful or insightful. Take your pick. The more independent and critical of law firm's content is the more useful it'll be.

Social media is a great tool for keeping up to date on what law firms are doing and the latest developments in the legal world. But who to follow? Well you can start with @chambersstudent (and like us on Facebook while you're at it). We post regular news about law firms, deadline reminders, commercial awareness stories and more. Law firm graduate recruitment accounts are well worth following, as are prominent lawyers, university careers services, and legal and news publications...

Step six: Read the news on areas you're interested in

The mainstream press can be a good source for finding out more about business, law firms and the legal profession. For example, the business sections of broadsheet newspapers and the BBC News website are a great place to find out more about everything from the details of corporate deals firms are working on to the affects of legal aid cuts. Publications varying from The Economist to Buzzfeed may have specific articles about trends affecting the legal profession. These are all really valuable for boosting your commercial awareness.

When researching smaller firms, especially regional ones, we often resort to very broad Google searches. You should try the same. You might be surprised what turns up: local press articles; links with community and charitable organisations; references to things the firm has sponsored; really bad news about dodgy dealings (on rare occasions!); articles the firm’s lawyers have written for industry journals; reported cases; and local business awards. Just one of these snippets of info could turn into a useful talking point at an interview.

If you're interested in certain sectors or areas of law consider reading trade publications relevant to those fields, whether that's Wired   or Family Law Week . Even if you're not interested in a certain sector, but are interested in the commercial world in general it's worth picking a certain story to follow over the course of the year or more when you're making applications – for example, you might follow the fortunes of mid-market supermarkets like Tesco or Sainsbury's, or the effects of government cuts on social welfare cases. Make a habit of following news and developments in areas of law or business that you're interested in. Get into a ritual: maybe read the  industry newsletters you've subscribed over breakfast, and the  BBC Business  headlines at lunch. And ideally this shouldn't feel forced: the areas you're reading up on should be ones you're genuinely interested in.

Step seven: Use your network

We’re always banging on about networking and we know it's something that law students and even qualified lawyers can feel intimidated by. There’s really no need to feel this way and if you don’t get over your initial inhibitions then you’re doing yourself a real disservice. Read our Nine networking tips here. Make networking and attending events a habit. Here are some tips on how to get started:

• Write a list of all the people you know. Start to enquire if any of them have contacts in the profession or contacts that could give you some kind of assistance. You might end up with a contact at a firm you’re trying to target and you might also be surprised at how willing people are to give you helpful advice. Even the odd sliver of info could be useful. Remember to include friends, neighbours, university or law school contacts, people you have worked for, people you meet at social events, people on your sports team… and so on.
• Use social networking sites to ask friends if they have potential contacts for you. LinkedIn and Twitter are both great way to engage with contacts – but make sure you're polite and not pushy at all times.
• Attend as many careers events, presentations and open days as possible. Be the person who stays to chat.

The only thing left to say is don’t OVER-research and rattle on at interview about every deal the firm has ever done. Remember, recruiters just want to see that you have a broad understanding of what the firm is about. But the more detailed your prior research is, the more sophisticated and commercially aware your answers will sound.

This feature was first published on our website in June 2010.

It was fully revised and updated in December 2017.

AI to Help Double Legal Tech Market Over Five Years, Gartner Says

By Isabel Gottlieb

The legal tech market will expand to $50 billion by 2027, driven by the generative artificial intelligence boom, according to an analysis by market research firm Gartner Inc .

That growth, up from about $23 billion in 2022, will be driven by continued law firm spending on AI legal tech, as well as in-house departments allocating more of their overall budgets to technology, said Chris Audet, chief of research in Gartner’s legal, risk and compliance leaders practice. The market size prediction, released publicly on Thursday, comes from a late-2023 analysis for Gartner clients, and the 2022 market size comes from ...

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Reporting by Karen Sloan

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Karen Sloan reports on law firms, law schools, and the business of law. Reach her at [email protected]

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