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Hello,

I am a french law & economics graduate, and am about to complete the GDL at The University of Law, which I self-funded. I am beyond worried that my TC applications have not been unsuccessful (I was rejected from 3 firms after the online assessment stage), and unsure what my next step should be.

I know it isn't reasonable to carry on with the LPC self-funded, so I am thinking about applying to full-time positions starting September (I sit exams in August) - but what positions can I apply to at this stage ?

I have a M1 Business law, and a dual degree in law and economics from Panthéon-Sorbonne Paris 1 University, and the GDL.

Any help, ideas at all are welcome!!

I have a workshop and one of the activities involves working on a leveraged finance transaction. From my understanding it involves the collection of Debt to finance the transaction and usually involves setting up an SPV.I would like to ask to all the people in the forum what are the steps that a lawyer needs to undertake?

Thank you in advance

Hi Team,

Hope you're well.

Can someone please remind me of how I can go about getting my application reviewed by the TCLA team?
The deadline is on Monday. Do you think I will be able to get someone to quickly have a review of my answers?
I understand that it is last minute to ask for this favour.

Kind regards,

Sarah

Hello everyone, I wanted to ask questions on the training contract application process.

Since I did not apply to any placements this year, I am aiming to apply for direct TC next year. I have a range of legal and non legal work experience and I am also the founder and president of my university Commercial Law Society.

I have no prior experience in applying for a TC, what do you think I should expect?
Many people said that it is really tough to get a TC at a Magic Circle firm, for this reason I am definitely not expecting to get it first time but I am determined to give it a try and hope for the best!


I am trying to get as much experience as I can, I secured a place at two virtual law fairs and the Virtual Internship Experience with Bright Network, which hopefully it will give me more insight on what is like to work at a law firm.

What should I do to have the best possible chance of securing a TC?

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone on here has considered in-house training contracts? I'm at the beginning stages of researching them. However, so far there seems to be little to none advertisements of them. I can confirm that Deloitte launched theirs last year; BT seems to have a recurring one; the Government Legal Department as well as the BBC.

I thought starting a thread like this will help others add to the list so that those of us who are interested in this route can have something at hand.

Lets grow this thread

Hi all,

I have a video interview with Shoosmiths on Saturday and I was just wondering if anyone has had a video interview before and what kind of questions I should expect especially when it comes to commercial awareness.

Hey guys,

Hope everyone is doing well.

Unfortunately, with the current situation, I've been quite mentally drained and, therefore, haven't focused much on the commercial world.

I would be grateful if the TCLA community could suggest some commercial articles/stories for me to follow up on.

Best,
Donzi

For open day Q&A panels, does anyone have any questions that they find helpful to ask/look impressive?

Recently as everything has become based online, I need to strengthen my ability to network.

I prefer face to face networking as it’s much easier for me but that’s just a personal preference. I find networking online a bit more intimidating but I know it’s necessary so I’ll have to put that to one side.

I recently signed up for an account with aspiring solicitors as there were a few lawyers on there that I would like to contact, as some have the same learning difficulty as I do. And I want to better understand how they overcame those obstacles and what their advice to me would be.

I’m just not sure how I establish an initial conversation, as I know that would be the most important.

Does anyone have any tips for me?

I'm hoping for some practical advice for anyone who's either been in a similar position to me, or can provide me with some inspiration, as I have a few concerns about a future career in Law.

When I first sat my A-Levels, my school tutors had not detected that I had a learning difficulty. I often struggled to process large pieces of information, I also required a lot more support in my studies. Unfortunately, I didn't perform well and attained two U grades, which was extremely disappointing and at this point, I questioned my academic abilities.

I then went to university with the UCAS points from one A grade and did a foundation course in Law. However the teaching standards weren't too great, and I left and went back to college where one of my tutors sent me for an assessment as she detected learning difficulties and I was told I had dyslexia. Here, I decided to take on a new A-level that I had not sat before and also resit one of the U grades. I achieved 2 B's on an intense one year course and went to the uni of my choice this time.

I then had a relative fall very ill during my time at university and my time was divided up between her and my studies and a part-time administration job. However, I became increasingly and stressed my grades suffer as a result. Due to this I had to take a year out of university, and I took on my part-time job, as a full-time role. Because I knew I couldn't balance care responsibilities and academia together. Meaning that my three-year degree turned into a four-year degree.

I recently submitted the outstanding two pieces of work and am yet to receive my final grade and graduate, with a predicted 2:2, which again is not great and I'm fully aware of this.

Apologies for the long-winded explanation, but I'm having many growing concerns that this profession is not for people like me. I am of course not incompetent and I have overcome many challenges and gained a multitude of transferrable skills and taken part in two volunteering roles along the way. Although, I worry that a prospective employer would not view my situation in that light.

Would an employer realistically consider me? Or should I begin considering other careers, I do not want to give up and I'm aware that rejection is a large part of this process, but realistically, I'm not sure how I would appeal to an employer. Against a candidate with good grades, a solid 1st class honours/ 2:1 and no resits.

I know that nothing is impossible and I'm of course willing to keep trying and keep applying, but I'm just seeking some practical advice or general inspiration from others in similar situations.

Thankyou

Hey guys,

I'm currently doing an application and one of the questions is:

What are the biggest challenges facing the legal sector and how do you think Shakespeare Martineau should respond?

I was planning to talk about the coronavirus, and the challenges this poses in terms of creating economic uncertainty and how the firm can try to maintain profitability, adding value etc. I was also planning to talk about the practical impact of being forced to work from home, and the challenges that come with that - staying efficient, cybersecurity risks etc, but I wasn't sure what the firm can do to respond to that particular challenge apart from finding ways to stay connected with staff, and investing in education/protection for cybersecurity risks. I'm not really sure if that's the type of answer they're looking for though.

Any help would be appreciated

Dear All,

Has anyone came across the below question:

'Lewis Silkin prides itself on delivering legal advice in a commercial way. What do you think it means to deliver legal advice in a commercial way?'

Thanking in advance.

Say company A hires company B to develop a piece of software and store all data associated with this software. Is company B a controller or processor? Or is company B a processor and depending on how it uses the stored data can be a controller as well?

Is it worth applying to a law firm that has already rejected you once or twice?

I was completing Wedlake Bell's application form and I am super stuck on this question:
Tell us about something which did not turn out as expected. (200 words)

I am not sure if they want me to say something that turned out worse or that turned out better, and I am not sure what else to include beyond the description of the event.

Any help would be much appreciated!

Those of you who have read our guides before will know that we're a big fan of long-form guides. We love really diving deep into a topic and breaking down its history, the surrounding issues and why it's relevant today.

With that in mind, we're absolutely delighted to publish this article from TCLA Writer @Oliver Gilliland.

In this article, Oliver explains:
- The economic impact of falling oil prices
- The issues plaguing the oil industry and its future
- How Covid-19 has impacted oil supply and demand
- The new opportunities for renewable energy
- The impact on the legal sector

Let us know what you think: https://www.thecorporatelawacademy....pipe-covid-19s-impact-on-the-energy-industry/!

Hey guys,

Hope everyone is doing well in these trying times.

For those of you who will be commencing your vacation scheme online, I wanted to get your thoughts on what you're most looking forward to in terms of the online vacation scheme?

Hi,
Does anyone have any idea for the start date for BPP Waterloo for the PGDL- I can't find it online anywhere.
I was also wondering if anyone had a rough idea for a timetable for what the average week looks like.
Thanks

Today, I submitted my Foot Anstey application for the 2021 training contract. Although the deadline was today, the portal still let me submit the application. I am just hoping that my application gets considered, but I got an email which read:

"Thank you for applying for our vacation scheme/training contract. Applications for our vacation scheme will close and be reviewed from 1 April 2020 and applications for our training contracts will close and be reviewed from 1 June 2020. We aim to provide you with an update within two weeks of these dates."

This was the first training contract application I have submitted (ever).

I presume they are recruiting on a rolling basis because it says on their site now that the new deadline is 31 December 2020 but on the drop down box it still allows you to select the 2021 training contract option.

Wondering if anyone has attended an assessment centre at CRS before? The only info they have on their website is that it will include ‘a mix of group and individual tasks’, so quite stuck as to how to prepare

With the new development of Facebook shops, I was wondering how this may have an impact or relevance to law firms such as Linklaters?

Hi,

I was just wondering if anyone has experienced doing the GDL full time and working part time?

I am hoping to start the GDL in September after recently obtaining a TC offer. However I am worried the 10k maintenance grant from the firm won't be enough to cover my London rent, day to day expenses and supporting my family.

I know the course is super demanding but I just wanted to see if anyone else managed to do well on the GDL and work part time.

I am especially concerned given the fact the GDL has been further condensed at BPP into the PGDL from september which means even less time to prepare for exams because of the shorter academic year (Sept-April)

Has anyone had any interaction with the firm? I’m considering applying to them but would love to hear people’s thoughts/experience with them.

Hey all,

I'm currently in the midst of completing my application for the training contract (deadline being 15 June). I have reached out to the firm to clear up on whether the TC is being postponed and whether there are any change in deadlines. This was two weeks ago and despite follow ups I haven't heard anything.

Has anyone approached them? If yes, have you heard back?

Hi all,

I am applying to a firm which requires candidates to complete an application form and answer the following two questions:

1. Please tell us about any skills or experience you have acquired that is relevant to the vacant position.

2. Please tell us why you are applying for this vacancy and give examples of what you think makes you particularly suited to the job.

On their website it states "Completed application forms and covering letters should be returned to XYZ"

My understanding is that the two questions can cover sufficient information as there is no word limit for the questions. Therefore, I don't think a covering letter is required as well but the statement above re covering letter has raised doubts in my mind.

Should I clarify this with the firm directly if a covering letter is required or submit a covering letter as well? If I am submitting a covering letter separately then what kind of information should I include?

I would really appreciate some advice.

Many thanks!