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Search results

  1. 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...
  2. Jaysen

    Slaughter and May Interview Tips

    In terms of Slaughter and May specific advice, I believe @Sandrou had a TC assessment there. @Sandrou, if you can share some thoughts that would be much appreciated. If you have any questions Jennifer about a particular part of the interview, let me know.
  3. 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...
  4. 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...
  5. 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...
  6. Jaysen

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

    (Make that tomorrow :))
  7. Jaysen

    The impact of interest rates on law firms - part 1

    Thanks for clarifying, I think I understand, I assume you mean a competitive advantage when it comes to securing work from clients, but let me know if you meant otherwise. A few things to think about: First off, if you're a law firm operating in an uncertain environment, you need to be...
  8. Jaysen

    The impact of interest rates on law firms - part 1

    Hey Selma - I'm a little unsure what you mean by competitive advantage in this context. Are you asking what law firms can do for companies worried about a rise in interest rates?
  9. Jaysen

    Commercial Awareness - April 2018

    Hey KS, Interesting question. I can't say I'm an expert on this, but yes, I would imagine it does. Law firms store personal data so they can run conflict checks when new clients come in. Law firms, and more specifically the compliance staff, may need to review whether they get appropriate...
  10. Jaysen

    Commercial Awareness Briefing

    The newsletter is out guys :)
  11. 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...
  12. Jaysen

    Commercial Awareness Briefing

    Thanks for the feedback. Good points - at the moment I'm leaning towards an update 2-3 times a week. And yes, we want to give all aspiring lawyers a strong foundation in commercial thinking - not just the MC/US firm applicants.
  13. Jaysen

    Commercial Awareness Briefing

    Great, I will get this started on Monday. I'll also be sending over the commercial awareness roundup (from Coralin's March-April posts) shortly.
  14. 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...
  15. Jaysen

    Commercial Awareness - April 2018

    Practical law is really handy for trainees! You should actually be able to access the UK version without the paywall: https://uk.practicallaw.thomsonreuters.com/3-552-5708?originationContext=knowHow&transitionType=KnowHowItem&contextData=%28sc.Default%29&comp=pluk
  16. Jaysen

    Commercial Awareness - April 2018

    I had the same question when applying for law firms because I wanted to start from the basics and work my way up. I'm a big fan of Khan Academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/economics-finance-domain/macroeconomics/gdp-topic. This guy is also pretty good: . Would be interested to hear what other...
  17. Jaysen

    Commercial Awareness - April 2018

    Sure. In short, demand stopped exceeding supply. Developments in technology allowed US companies to access underground oil reserves that were previously irretrievable. The US began pumping lots of oil to take advantage of high oil prices. Soon, the US produced more oil than Saudi Arabia and...
  18. Jaysen

    Commercial Awareness - April 2018

    I agree with a lot of this. At this point I think a domestic listing is almost certain but I'm becoming less convinced that we'll also see an international listing. It seems very risky, especially if they're relying on the funds for the country's economic reforms. If they do go for a dual...
  19. Jaysen

    Commercial Awareness - April 2018

    Great share. Back when I was applying, the collapse of oil prices was all over the news. Part of the excitement behind a Saudi Aramco IPO was its mystery: investors didn't know how much money the company made. I imagine the company isn't too pleased that the figures were released - but they...
  20. Jaysen

    CMS Assessment centre

    Thanks for taking the time to write this JMC.

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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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