Law Firm Research Guide

Law Firm Research Guide

A repeatable method for researching firms before applications, coffee chats, and interviews.

7 min readUpdated 2026-05-30

Overview

Good firm research turns scattered information into a practical view of fit: where the firm works, what it does, how students are trained, and what questions remain.

Key Takeaways

Research should produce usable interview points and better decisions about where to focus.

  • Track offices, firm type, practice strengths, and student program notes.
  • Look for differences between firms rather than generic prestige signals.
  • Write down unanswered questions for coffee chats.

Main Content

Main Content

Build a one-page profile for each target firm with the office, practices, student program, recruiting notes, and two reasons the firm fits your interests. Then use comparisons to identify tradeoffs between platforms, market focus, and practice exposure.

Related Firms

Related Practice Areas