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Join Premium →Get Everything You Need to Secure a Training ContractNow half the price. Join TCLA Premium for £30/month and get step-by-step application support, daily commercial awareness practice, and 700+ successful examples of past applications and interview experiences. Plus so much more.
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Register on Zoom →SQE Student Panel with BPP19 Nov 2025 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm (UK) Zoom (registration required)Join us for a live student panel with BPP University Law School. We'll be joined by Jonny Hurst, Senior Lecturer in Law at BPP, and current BPP students who will share their advice on passing the SQE.
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Register on Zoom →A Deep Dive Into Reed Smith's Sector Focus (Transportation)24 Nov 2025 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm (UK) Zoom (registration required)Dive into Reed Smith’s transportation practice to see how their legal advice drives the world’s largest shipping, aviation, and logistics businesses, and how trainees can make their mark.
Search results
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Freshfields Personal statement
Copying Raphael's post below:- Jaysen
- Post #2
- Forum: Applications Discussion
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Hearing Back from Law Firms, Assessment Centres & Interview Tips - 2019 - 2020
It could well be the case, especially as some have struggled with all the applications this year.- Jaysen
- Post #48
- Forum: Applications Discussion
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Hearing Back from Law Firms, Assessment Centres & Interview Tips - 2019 - 2020
Not to scare anyone but you may have seen that Allen & Overy are opening their winter vacation scheme applications early this year (from 1 August 2019 with the deadline on 20 October 2019). The website doesn't seem to reflect this year so just a heads up.- Jaysen
- Post #46
- Forum: Applications Discussion
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Post your Summer Vacation Scheme (2019)
Hi All, I thought it would be interesting to see where our members are heading to this summer. A couple of trainees have also asked me if any TCLA members are heading to their firm this summer, so I can give a heads up. Feel free to also include the dates of your scheme. In the meantime, you...- Jaysen
- Thread
- Replies: 3
- Forum: Vacation Schemes Discussion
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TCLA's New Podcast: Trainee Talk
We're delighted to announce episodes 5 and 6 of Trainee Talk. Our interview with Kishan Mathy, a first-seat CMS trainee, was so insightful that we've split them into two parts! Kishan came to the UK from Sri Lanka at the age of 8 without knowing a word of English. He was state-school educated...- Jaysen
- Post #11
- Forum: General Discussion
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Commercial Awareness Update - June 2019
Philip Green and Arcadia (by @Alice G) The story Sir Philip Green, Chairman of the Arcadia Group, is desperately trying to salvage his retail empire with a complex restructuring that includes seven interlinked insolvency procedures known as Company Voluntary Arrangements (CVAs). CVAs allow...- Jaysen
- Post #6
- Forum: Commercial Awareness Discussion
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Commercial Awareness Update - June 2019
Hi All, Welcome to the next commercial news update. Happy reading! Commercial News Update – 12th June 2019 Topics covered this week: Beyond Meat’s Share Price (by @bugsy malone) US-Mexico Tariffs (by @Moni) India’s Slow Economic Growth (by @Sara Moon) Philip Green and Arcadia (by @Alice G)...- Jaysen
- Post #5
- Forum: Commercial Awareness Discussion
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Dechert Interview
Here are the vacation scheme questions from Winter this year, although I can't guarantee they will be the same: Please explain why you want to be a solicitor at Dechert LLP. (250) Give us examples of when you have demonstrated the skills necessary to become a successful solicitor at Dechert...- Jaysen
- Post #4
- Forum: Older Interview Experiences
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Podcast Recommendations
I listen to podcasts quite obsessively! In terms of the ones that could be of use, I routinely come back to: The Economist's Editor's Picks/The Economist's The Intelligence FT News Briefing (a nice daily summary of the top FT stories)- Jaysen
- Post #2
- Forum: Commercial Awareness Discussion
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Baker McKenzie - can we call them Bakers
I don't know their perspective on this, but I have seen candidates abbreviate Baker McKenzie before. Personally, I would recommend writing out the name in full where a firm's name is just two words. With "Bakers", you also risk coming across as a bit too informal.- Jaysen
- Post #2
- Forum: Applications Discussion
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Why this firm?
Hey Amanda, It may be this one from @Alice G: https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/struggling-to-differentiate-between-firms.1332/ There's also this from the Training Contract Guide: And from the premium section:- Jaysen
- Post #2
- Forum: Applications Discussion
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Reed Smith application
That seems like a good start. Now try to consider how you think that influences Reed Smith, using what you know about the firm, and try to be specific with the details. For example, you could consider how it would influence the way they bill clients or recruit talent.- Jaysen
- Post #12
- Forum: Applications Discussion
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Commercial Awareness Update: May 2019
By way of update to this story, the UK has today signed a post-Brexit (outline) free trade agreement with South Korea: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-48577667.- Jaysen
- Post #10
- Forum: Commercial Awareness Discussion
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Free TCLA memberships
To kick us off, I have chosen @ELA as our first winner. You've been a consistent presence in the forums since you joined, keep up the great contributions and questions! As you're already a premium member, just let me know when you want to activate your free month.- Jaysen
- Post #81
- Forum: General Discussion
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Reed Smith application
Just to add — I’ve read many applications where candidates are too generic with their reasoning to the second part of this question. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to find actual evidence (you will have done this already for the first part), but you should be specific with your analysis...- Jaysen
- Post #10
- Forum: Applications Discussion
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Leveraging Another Law Firm
Agreed with @Alice G. I can’t say I know much about the brand ambassador process, but it would be hard to leverage another offer at the application stage without giving off the wrong impression — that you lack commitment to the firms you’ve applied to.- Jaysen
- Post #3
- Forum: Applications Discussion
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Interview Cheatsheets: M&A/financial markets and more!
What does cyber security have to do with your interviews? Let's look at some stats from the Solicitors Regulation Authority: In 2017, the SRA received 52% more reports of cybercrime than in 2016. 60% of law firms reported an information security incident in 2017. 86% of the top law firms said...- Jaysen
- Post #3
- Forum: Interviews Discussion
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The Horde of the European Zombie Banks
"10 years on from the financial crisis and the European banking sector is still suffering from a painful amount of problems; the sector is too large, lacks capital and most significantly has too many unprofitable, unsustainable players – the zombie banks." A fantastic insight into Europe's...- Jaysen
- Thread
- Replies: 0
- Forum: Commercial Knowledge Articles
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Law Firm Insight: Kirkland & Ellis
Those of you applying to Kirkland & Ellis, there is a detailed article in the FT today: How a private equity boom fuelled the world’s biggest law firm https://www.ft.com/content/13696928-86d5-11e9-a028-86cea8523dc2?shareType=nongift If anyone wants it but doesn’t have access to the FT, let me...- Jaysen
- Post #7
- Forum: Watson Glaser and Case Study Resources
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Big Tech Regulation
Looks like tech companies are starting to take action and no longer relying on the defence they're just a platform. As these companies begin to remove more content, they'll continue to receive accusations that they're biased/making policy decisions on what is considered appropriate information...- Jaysen
- Post #4
- Forum: Commercial Awareness Discussion