Aspiring Solicitors - Commercial Awareness Competition 2019/2020.

Lumree

Legendary Member
Premium Member
Highest Rated Member
Junior Lawyer
  • Jan 17, 2019
    620
    1,068
    Hi everyone,

    I’ve made the group now but people are still welcome to join!

    Just to make it easier, if you private message your number and name I will add you to the chat.
     

    gricole

    Legendary Member
    Premium Member
    M&A Bootcamp
  • Jul 6, 2018
    210
    340
    I reached the semifinals last year so I thought I'd share my bit of advice in terms of preparation:

    1. Make sure you are well aware of the companies at FTSE 1000 - who are they, in what industries, what are their business models, any big moves?
    2. Read the FT Opinion stuff if you have access to it.
    3. Finimize is absolutely wonderful - I took notes of the key commercial events the week before my quarterfinals and used lots of examples in the interview.
    4. Make sure you are familiar with basic commercial terms - derivatives, bonds, equity etc.
    5. Read a bit on the role of business development in law firms to establish a sound two-dimensional understanding: 1. The business climate of the law firm's clients and 2. The way in which law firms attract clients in the first place and how they operate as businesses.
    6. Listen to Wake-Up to money and follow up on things you find interesting there.

    Best of luck to you all!
     
    Last edited:

    Lumree

    Legendary Member
    Premium Member
    Highest Rated Member
    Junior Lawyer
  • Jan 17, 2019
    620
    1,068
    I reached the semifinals last year so I thought, I'd share my bit of advice in terms of preparation:

    1. Make sure you are well aware of the companies at FTSE 1000 - who are they, in what industries, what are their business models, any big moves?
    2. Read the FT Opinion stuff if you have access to it.
    3. Finimize is absolutely wonderful - I took notes of the key commercial events the week before my quarterfinals and used lots of examples in the interview.
    4. Make sure you are familiar with basic commercial terms - derivatives, bonds, equity etc.
    5. Read a bit on the role of business development in law firms to establish a sound two-dimensional understanding: 1. The business climate of the law firm's clients and 2. The way in which law firms attract clients in the first place and how they operate as businesses.
    6. Listen to Wake-Up to money and follow up on things you find interesting there.

    Best of luck to you all!
    Thank you so much for this insight!
     
    • Like
    Reactions: gricole

    Castelli99

    Esteemed Member
    May 12, 2019
    89
    37
    Hello - I have my quarter-final call tomorrow - can anyway explain what exactly the format is? Are we offering long answers or are they very short ones? I don't really know what to expect!
     

    Jai C.

    Esteemed Member
    May 15, 2018
    76
    65
    Hello - I have my quarter-final call tomorrow - can anyway explain what exactly the format is? Are we offering long answers or are they very short ones? I don't really know what to expect!

    I did it last year but that was face to face in person but I would imagine the format is the same ..albeit on a voice call. So they basically go round the table asking question one by one until the 20 mins are over - they normally ask small questions like what does seperate personality mean - what’s LLP - Some times they may ask a longer one but the answer won’t be more th an 1-2 sentences

    if you still need anything or advice - drop me a pm and we can discuss there ! Hope that helps all the best
     
    • Like
    Reactions: Niabari Lahben

    Niabari Lahben

    Standard Member
    Nov 6, 2019
    6
    0
    Hi everyone, I am not entering the Aspiring Solicitors Commercial Awareness Competition this year, but I was top 25 finalist last year. Great Idea for reading FT articles daily, definitely got into the habit of this for months helped make understanding business and political issues more clearly.

    For general advice on learning terms, I would highly recommend The Finimize glossary for extensive list of financial terms. Additionally, The Christopher Stoakes Commercial Awareness book is a great read to gain a detailed overview of key financial markets and terms.

    My best advice for the competition overall is get a group of friends participating together, to work on building commercial awareness - I worked with 3 other students to write notes, news summaries and discussed topics together. This made going into presentations during the Semi/Grand Final more easier process because we encouraged each other to learn from one another.

    Feel free to ask any further questions, happy to help! Good luck everyone! :D


    Hi
    Can I get pointers specifically for the quarter-final round?
     

    @k

    Active Member
    Aug 1, 2020
    16
    5
    Hi everyone, I am not entering the Aspiring Solicitors Commercial Awareness Competition this year, but I was top 25 finalist last year. Great Idea for reading FT articles daily, definitely got into the habit of this for months helped make understanding business and political issues more clearly.

    For general advice on learning terms, I would highly recommend The Finimize glossary for extensive list of financial terms. Additionally, The Christopher Stoakes Commercial Awareness book is a great read to gain a detailed overview of key financial markets and terms.

    My best advice for the competition overall is get a group of friends participating together, to work on building commercial awareness - I worked with 3 other students to write notes, news summaries and discussed topics together. This made going into presentations during the Semi/Grand Final more easier process because we encouraged each other to learn from one another.

    Feel free to ask any further questions, happy to help! Good luck everyone! :D

    I am participating in the competition this year and your advice is SUPER helpful! The email circulated among participants does not really specify what to prepare for, they only talk in general topic areas, like financial instrument, commercial concepts, etc. The Finimize glossary is exactly what I was looking for and would have never found it if it wasn't for this thread! It explains all concepts in much detail and still very succinctly. I purchased the Stoakes book yesterday and it has already enhanced my understanding massively.
     

    About Us

    The Corporate Law Academy (TCLA) was founded in 2018 because we wanted to improve the legal journey. We wanted more transparency and better training. We wanted to form a community of aspiring lawyers who care about becoming the best version of themselves.

    Newsletter

    Discover the most relevant business news, access our law firm analysis, and receive our best advice for aspiring lawyers.