Hi everyone

[CharlesT47]

Hi all, my name is Charles. I've just finished my Final year and am waiting for my results. Hoping for a first as have worked hard for it, but will be happy regardless. Any ideas on any first steps to obtaining a TC? I understand I've started late, but had originally opted to go down the Barrister/ Consultancy route in my first three years.

 

[Amma Usman]

Hey Charles,

It’s lovely to hear about your interest in going down the TC route. Here are a few tips to help. I’ve also linked a very basic post which should get you started on the fundamentals.

• Attend online webinars. TCLA hosts a couple in partnership with law firms. They help you grasp certain concepts like application processes, practice area descriptions, and so on. You also get to connect with fellow peers, which is helpful if you want more insights/ an application buddy.
• Enrol in courses to help you build that commercial awareness/ application writing confidence/ interview confidence. TCLA has a lot on the course offerings page (Premium, Bronze, Gold).
• Make a LinkedIn account. Connect with trainees, future trainees, associates, and offer to schedule coffee chats based off their capacity. Some prefer messaging though, so something to be mindful of.
• Have a solid grasp of the core practices at most firms ( transactional vs. disputes ). Know which side you’re learning more towards - this’ll enable you to craft more tailored applications to firms that have core offerings in those seats. If you don‘t know, that’s largely fine - you can apply to firms that have a great balance of the two.
• Attend open days. These give you insights into each firm, and the profession at large. You can reference them even if you’re not applying to the firm which you attended an open day at - firms value this across the whole board. If you want to apply to a firm that you’ve done an open day at, then great - you’ve already built a strong connection with them. Though, this is in no way at all a prerequisite to an offer. They are certainly helpful regardless.
• Start building your commercial awareness. The term is always thrown around - but it is really important. Do you understand how businesses make money? The structure of law firms as a business? How economic conditions affect deals in the PE (private equity) sphere for example, and ways law firms aim to protect all stakeholders involved? I appreciate this may all sound overwhelming at first, but step by step - you will do fine and build that competency. Some good sources are TCLA Academy, Finimize, Investopedia, Littlaw News, the FT, etc.
• Craft good law firm applications. What makes the applications good? Have a look at the posts I’ve linked below.
• Put yourself out there. Attend law firm events, or even networking events outside the sector. It helps build that confidence of interacting with people in a social setting. I attended events in private equity for example, knowing very well that I didn’t want to go into pure PE (though was drawn to it from a legal/client management side). Talking and holding good oral communication is a key skill for any lawyer, and law firms look for this even at the early careers stage - so attempt to flex that muscle that needs constant building when you can!
• Leverage your past experiences - do not undermine anything you’ve done - transferable skills are real, and law firms love to see that.

Final tip: you are not “late”. You are exactly where you need to be, and I trust you’ll excel in this. Please let us know if you have any more questions at all. Good luck with everything, Charles - rooting for you!

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[CharlesT47]

Hey Charles,

It’s lovely to hear about your interest in going down the TC route. Here are a few tips to help. I’ve also linked a very basic post which should get you started on the fundamentals.

• Attend online webinars. TCLA hosts a couple in partnership with law firms. They help you grasp certain concepts like application processes, practice area descriptions, and so on. You also get to connect with fellow peers, which is helpful if you want more insights/ an application buddy.
• Enrol in courses to help you build that commercial awareness/ application writing confidence/ interview confidence. TCLA has a lot on the course offerings page (Premium, Bronze, Gold).
• Make a LinkedIn account. Connect with trainees, future trainees, associates, and offer to schedule coffee chats based off their capacity. Some prefer messaging though, so something to be mindful of.
• Have a solid grasp of the core practices at most firms ( transactional vs. disputes ). Know which side you’re learning more towards - this’ll enable you to craft more tailored applications to firms that have core offerings in those seats. If you don‘t know, that’s largely fine - you can apply to firms that have a great balance of the two.
• Attend open days. These give you insights into each firm, and the profession at large. You can reference them even if you’re not applying to the firm which you attended an open day at - firms value this across the whole board. If you want to apply to a firm that you’ve done an open day at, then great - you’ve already built a strong connection with them. Though, this is in no way at all a prerequisite to an offer. They are certainly helpful regardless.
• Start building your commercial awareness. The term is always thrown around - but it is really important. Do you understand how businesses make money? The structure of law firms as a business? How economic conditions affect deals in the PE (private equity) sphere for example, and ways law firms aim to protect all stakeholders involved? I appreciate this may all sound overwhelming at first, but step by step - you will do fine and build that competency. Some good sources are TCLA Academy, Finimize, Investopedia, Littlaw News, the FT, etc.
• Craft good law firm applications. What makes the applications good? Have a look at the posts I’ve linked below.
• Put yourself out there. Attend law firm events, or even networking events outside the sector. It helps build that confidence of interacting with people in a social setting. I attended events in private equity for example, knowing very well that I didn’t want to go into pure PE (though was drawn to it from a legal/client management side). Talking and holding good oral communication is a key skill for any lawyer, and law firms look for this even at the early careers stage - so attempt to flex that muscle that needs constant building when you can!
• Leverage your past experiences - do not undermine anything you’ve done - transferable skills are real, and law firms love to see that.

Final tip: you are not “late”. You are exactly where you need to be, and I trust you’ll excel in this. Please let us know if you have any more questions at all. Good luck with everything, Charles - rooting for you!

WHAT ARE THEY? First-Year Schemes, Vacation Schemes, Training Contracts

Starting Remarks One of the greatest assets an individual can possess is access to information. A commonly understated but critical step in career progression is doing extensive research before diving into applications. Another key element is actively seeking out conversations with...

www.thecorporatelawacademy.com

Why This Firm? 🤔💭 : Crafting Applications

Hi TCLA Community! 😁 I created this thread because we all know that October is the season of drafting more and more applications for law firms. Knowing that you want to work at a particular firm is one thing; effectively demonstrating why that specific firm interests you is another. There are...

www.thecorporatelawacademy.com

Why Commercial Law? Investigating Your ‘Why’

The question that often makes you pause for a moment. You know why you want to pursue this, you’re certain it’s what you want. Yet, putting it into words — especially in a way that resonates with recruiters — is a challenge. Then, you see it in an application form, and it’s just like “argg!” How...

www.thecorporatelawacademy.com

Hi Amma, thank you for this reply. To be honest, I'm struggling to use the TCLA site. How are the forums separated from the main site? Are most useful articles located on the forum? Additionally, I haven't managed to get a VS (only made 2 lack-lustre applications in my second year). Would you have any advice for me? My current plan is to make applications to loads of firms over September for a Winter VS then perhaps try obtain a TC using the VS experience. I don't think applying for a TC directly would be a useful spend of time at this point, as I have little legal experience other than a mini-pupillage.

 

[3000to1shoteverytime]

Hi I am a non law graduate and graduated last Summer.

I spent this year making a number of applications to winter, spring and summer vac schemes and a few direct TCS.

Make a list of which firms you like and when the schemes run and the deadlines for applying. I decided which scheme to apply for to make minimal overlap. Some of the spring and summer ones have similar deadline dates as winter.

As it turned out I didn't get any winter or spring schemes but had a Summer vac scheme (now a TC offer!) and funnily enough more final stage interviews for direct TC even as a non law applicant, still awaiting outcomes.

So get a spreadsheet started and approach it like a full time job.

 

[CharlesT47]

Hi I am a non law graduate and graduated last Summer.

I spent this year making a number of applications to winter, spring and summer vac schemes and a few direct TCS.

Make a list of which firms you like and when the schemes run and the deadlines for applying. I decided which scheme to apply for to make minimal overlap. Some of the spring and summer ones have similar deadline dates as winter.

As it turned out I didn't get any winter or spring schemes but had a Summer vac scheme (now a TC offer!) and funnily enough more final stage interviews for direct TC even as a non law applicant, still awaiting outcomes.

So get a spreadsheet started and approach it like a full time job.

Hey thanks for this I think I will do something similar. Did you apply to the same firm for both a direct TC and a winter VC? Or did you limit yourself to only a single application for each firm?

 

[Amma Usman]

Hey thanks for this I think I will do something similar. Did you apply to the same firm for both a direct TC and a winter VC? Or did you limit yourself to only a single application for each firm?

So often times, firms will have a policy whereby you can not apply to them twice in the same cycle. It’s worth checking each FAQ section/ contacting graduate recruitment to confirm. Though, I advise just pouring your all into a single application for each law firm, to avoid thinking about re-applying that same cycle when policies may not even enable that.

 

[Amma Usman]

Hi Amma, thank you for this reply. To be honest, I'm struggling to use the TCLA site. How are the forums separated from the main site? Are most useful articles located on the forum? Additionally, I haven't managed to get a VS (only made 2 lack-lustre applications in my second year). Would you have any advice for me? My current plan is to make applications to loads of firms over September for a Winter VS then perhaps try obtain a TC using the VS experience. I don't think applying for a TC directly would be a useful spend of time at this point, as I have little legal experience other than a mini-pupillage.

In terms of how to navigate the TCLA site, yes you are right - the forum itself is a site that is different from the other site whereby courses are placed. That other site is teachable, but can also be accessed by logging in at - https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/

Definitely apply to a good number of firms - 10 to 20 is advised usually. Do not just apply for the sake of it, ensure to make each application tailored to the unique strengths of the firm. There are some reasons which are more convincing than others (see above the posts I quoted in my previous post).

I recommend applying for a decent mix between winter, spring, and summer. If you are an intl student as well, you may not be able to apply to winter schemes as they usually do not fall outside term-time.

Lastly, yes - most people recommend applying for vac schemes when you would like to gain more legal experience, as opposed to direct TCs. However, I have seen many people without so much legal experience succeed that way too - it’s just about your strategy and finding one that works for you!

And a mini pupillage is such impressive experience! Apply it to applying to commercial law firms by saying you tested the bar route and found you preferred private practice for XYZ reasons, to show that contrast! Leverage all experiences!

 

[3000to1shoteverytime]

Hey thanks for this I think I will do something similar. Did you apply to the same firm for both a direct TC and a winter VC? Or did you limit yourself to only a single application for each firm?

Single for each. There are only a couple that will let you apply to both anyway.

 

[3000to1shoteverytime]

I would say actually without taking away from the quality of your applications if you are no longer studying then apply to as many as you can.