Drawn from firm packs and sector primers.
Strengths
What comes naturally to you — and why it matters for law.
Used by: Clifford Chance, Travers Smith, Macfarlanes, Slaughter and May
Behavioural
Prove it with a story. Every answer needs a Situation, Task, Action, Result.
Used by: Freshfields, Linklaters, Ashurst Perkins Coie, Herbert Smith Freehills, most firms
Motivation
Know why you want this — and show you have actually thought it through.
Used by: All firms — these appear in every TC and vac scheme application
Commercial
Have a view. Know the legal angle. Show you read beyond the headline.
Used by: All firms — especially at vacation scheme stage and final-round TC interviews
Whether the interview is for a vacation scheme, a training contract, an insight day or a paralegal role, law firms circle the same four things: whether you can talk about the commercial world with genuine interest, why you want this firm specifically, whether you have evidence for the strengths you claim, and how you think under a technical or scenario question. Each category above maps to one of those, with the question styles firms are known for.
Pick a question and answer it out loud before you look at anything else. Then open the guidance, which sets out what a strong answer covers and the traps weak answers fall into, and compare it against what you said. Ten minutes a day across the four categories builds a bank of stories and positions you can draw on in the room. The guidance is free with a Folio account, and pairs naturally with the daily briefing, which is where fresh commercial answers come from.