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Search results

  1. Jaysen

    Burges Salmon Interview

    When was your Burges Salmon interview? January 2018 What was it for? Vacation scheme Please describe the interview process at Burges Salmon. There was an assessment day at their office in Bristol. It was the longest assessment centre that I have attended, and there were quite a few...
  2. Jaysen

    Travers Smith Interview

    When was your Travers Smith interview? February 2018 What was it for? Vacation scheme Please describe the interview process at Travers Smith. A partner interviewed multiple applicants at my University. The interview lasted around 30 minutes and it felt very relaxed. For all of the firms...
  3. Jaysen

    What courses would you like to see?

    Hey everyone, You may have seen the email we sent round recently. We're developing a series of mini-courses to help you practice for interviews and case studies, and learn about commercial law and business. I'm keen to hear what content you'd like to see so I've created an anonymous poll...
  4. Jaysen

    Vacation scheme and training contract applications

    Question 1: How do I tailor my application to a law firm? Specifically, the 'Why are you applying to this firm?' question. Most law firms seem to say the same thing. When it came to answering this question in my first round of applications, I used language like "multi-jurisdictional" and...
  5. Jaysen

    Welcome

    Hi everyone We're going to move the 'trainee advice' page to this section so that the posts are easier to sort through. I'll be updating each one as I add them in so they're worth a look even if you've checked out the page before. The plan is that we'll also add more answers over time. For...
  6. Jaysen

    An introduction to law firms

    Hey, I'll answer these questions over the next few days. Starting with the first - How are law firms structured? Most large commercial law firms operate as a limited liability partnership or "LLP". An LLP, like a company, has a separate legal personality. It can enter into contracts, incur...
  7. Jaysen

    Useful resources

    Some of you have shared some very interesting articles and I thought we'd collate them (and future ones) here. To kick us off, The American Lawyer just released its US law firm rankings for 2018. Here is the chart for revenue...
  8. Jaysen

    Case Study 2: M&A analysis

    Hey all, Please find attached the second case study, you'll note that it's a fair bit chunkier than the last one. This case study mirrors the style of a real written exercise I had during an assessment centre. It's testing, among others, your ability to analyse large quantities of information...
  9. Jaysen

    Case Study 1: Legal Analysis

    Hey all, This is the first in a series of mock case studies, please see attached. The case studies are here to help you prepare for the written exercise at assessment centres. This one focuses on your ability to analyse complex information and form a solution. To simulate a real written...
  10. Jaysen

    Law firms as a business

    Hi everyone I came across this helpful guide about how law firms operate as a business and thought I'd share. It covers things like: how law firms are structured how law firms charge clients and make money how law firms use leverage and working capital how law firms compete the future of law...
  11. Jaysen

    Commercial Awareness Briefing

    Hey all, If you don't mind, I'd like to bounce an idea off you guys. I would say the most common question I get asked from students is 'how do I develop commercial awareness?'. It's a completely fair question to ask; I had the same problem when I was applying, and it's not typically taught at...
  12. Jaysen

    Application Reviews & New Features

    Hey guys, I've really enjoyed reading your applications over the last few months and well done to those of you who've secured interviews. I would like to announce that from the 31 March 2018, we will be introducing new criteria for application reviews. These are based on the points system...
  13. Jaysen

    Post your vacation scheme here

    We find it's often helpful to connect students with others on their vacation scheme. That way you can get an early opportunity to get to know students and discuss the scheme. So feel free to post your scheme, dates (and location, if relevant) below.
  14. Jaysen

    Vacation scheme application tips: Advice after securing seven vacation schemes this year

    Thank you to Varis from The Student Room for providing some excellent vacation scheme application tips. This year, Varis has secured vacation schemes at Clifford Chance, White & Case, Gibson Dunn, HSF, Travers Smith, Sidley Austin and Davis Polk. "I think the application process is very much a...
  15. Jaysen

    The what-we're-doing-right-now page

    Hey everyone, It's an exciting day for us today because it's our two-week anniversary since we launched the website. (I know two weeks isn't something people normally celebrate but it feels like our first milestone!). We also had an idea. Rather than having sneaky updates that no-one knows...
  16. Jaysen

    The impact of tariffs on business and law firms

    The impact of tariffs and/or a trade war on business and law firms - Part 1 What’s going on? On 1 March 2018, Trump proposed a 25% tariff on steel and a 10% tariff on aluminium imports. It’s supposed to be aimed at China - for a long time, China has been exporting excess capacity at low...
  17. Jaysen

    Office Hours: Want to chat about your applications?

    Hey all, I just spoke to a student (thanks @Nick) and wanted to extend this offer to the rest of you. I'll be holding office hours each Wednesday from 8-9pm. If you'd like advice on your applications, interviews or vacation schemes, you can schedule a call at 15-minute call at one of the...
  18. Jaysen

    How does a company raise money?

    Hey guys, I'm still finishing up the first of the Law Insights page (I'm hoping to finish it tomorrow). In the meantime, I'll post a few short articles I did on popular commercial-awareness interview questions. This one is about how a company can raise money. I go into more detail in the M&A...
  19. Jaysen

    Law Firm Insights Page

    Hey guys! A quick explanation of what's going on on the law insights section. We were actually going to postpone our website launch until we finished this page, but it turned out to be a much bigger task than we imagined, hence the coming soon cover at the moment. Here's the thought process...
  20. Jaysen

    The impact of interest rates on law firms - part 1

    The impact of interest rates on law firms - Part 1 Hey guys, This is a very popular interview question this year so I’ve decided to do a mini-guide. I know I’ve briefly touched on these areas in other posts, but hopefully, this’ll help you to connect the dots further. I hope to release part 2...

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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.

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