We don’t want your financial situation or your circumstances to be a barrier to accessing our resources.
That’s why most of our content is free, from the guides we produce, to the webinars we run, and the advice we provide in our forums.
TCLA Premium is what keeps us going as a business. It gives us the opportunity to hire the best people to deliver the best advice we can, which in turn helps us provide the free content for everyone to benefit from.
But we also know that not everyone can access TCLA Premium.
So we thought deeply about how we could make our best resources more accessible to the people who need it the most.
With that in mind, we’re delighted to announce the TCLA Scholarship Programme 2022-23, the biggest scholarship programme that we’ve ever run.
An Introduction to the Programme
What is being offered?
TCLA’s Scholarship Programme will consist of 100 scholarships in 2022-23, with a combined value of £36,000. This includes:
- TCLA’s “Winter Scholarship School” – a virtual event held in December 2022 with interactive training sessions and the opportunity to meet with commercial lawyers
- Access to TCLA Premium for the duration of the programme, including hundreds of hours of training on the financial markets, case studies, the Watson Glaser test, and much more!
- 1-2-1 advice calls at the start and end of the scholarship programme and regular check ins for the duration of the programme
- £150 credit to use on the TCLA services of your choice, including our application review service, video interview simulator, or mock interviews
- A copy of TCLA’s “Guide to the Commercial World” and access to TCLA’s case studies and training materials
- Live chat support throughout the duration of the programme and access to the Gold Members-only forum
The programme runs from October 2022 to April 2023.
How do you apply?
Please fill out the form below in no more than 400 words detailing why you are applying for the TCLA Scholarship and how it would help you. Please also submit a copy of your CV.
The information you provide will be kept 100% confidential. We expect to receive a very substantial number of applications, so we encourage you to go into as much detail as you are able to. In particular, we’d be interested in hearing more about any circumstances that may have limited your opportunities to access professional legal networks. This could include (but is not limited to):
- If you were the first generation in your family to attend university
- If you worked more than 16 hours per week during term-time for at least two terms at college or university
- If you were eligible for free-school meals
- Your parents’ occupation when you were a teenager
- Any other major personal commitments, such as acting as a carer for a family member
- You have received other forms of government financial support such as disability allowances, asylum support etc.
- Any means-tested bursaries or scholarships you have received throughout your education
The deadline to apply is Monday 3 October 2022. All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by Monday 10 October 2022.
Kindly note that due to the volume of applications we receive, we will be unable to provide specific feedback for unsuccessful applicants.
How is the scholarship awarded?
Scholarships will be awarded on the basis of any of the following factors:
- Financial circumstances
- Being from an underrepresented group
- Where a scholarship will make a substantial impact to your application journey
Who is running the scholarship programme?
The scholarship programme is administered by TCLA Community Manager Jessica Booker.
Jess worked in graduate recruitment for nearly a decade for a range of law firms and other global businesses. These included Freshfields, Allen & Overy, Linklaters and Deloitte.
In 2014, Jess set up Star Potential, a consultancy business advising employers and academic institutions on early careers matters. Since then, her clients have included a range of law firms for whom she designed exercises for assessment days, and provided services such as screening applications and conducting telephone or video interviews.
Applications are now closed. Please check back next year!
Previous Scholarship Testimonials
Hear from our past scholarship candidates, many of whom went on to secure vacation schemes and training contracts:
My name is Sharaf and I graduated from the University of East Anglia in 2019 with a 2.1 degree in Law. I am Syrian-born and came to this country as a refugee and have grown up in a single-parent household. Currently, I work for a legal software company where I provide support for a range of law firms using our services.
I found the TCLA scholarship through LinkedIn and decided to apply as I had plans to dedicate my spare time towards vacation scheme/training contract application. Immediately, I found my applications improved, especially with my first application resulting in a vacation scheme offer from a US firm! The resources available to me have helped me understand the ins and outs of what is required for a strong application. For example the past applications on the forums have offered me an insight into what graduate recruitment at firms are looking for specifically. Beyond this, I have received support for upcoming interviews directly from Jaysen which inevitably led to my early success.
The courses that are available with the TCLA scholarship have developed my understanding of the practicalities of different strands of commercial/corporate law. For example, I have only just started learning about private equity and what this entails. Having no faith in my knowledge of the world of finance, this has strengthened my confidence in more ways than one. I would urge anyone who is looking to gain the upper hand in applications to apply for the TCLA scholarship!
Sharaf SheikhClass of 2020, TCLA Scholarship
Honestly, the scholarship been such a massive help to me in making applications- I actually got two magic circle interview offers from the back of the help I received from the TCLA scholarship!
The TCLA 2019 scholarship programme was invaluable when it came to helping me apply for vacation schemes and training contracts. Through utilising the courses offered by the programme, such as the “Legal Technology Crash Course” and the “M&A Crash Course”, I now feel much more comfortable with legal topics I had previously been unsure about. TCLA’s law firm insights have helped me make tailored applications to firms, and have helped me increase the number of interviews I am being invited to. Their video interview simulator was also incredibly insightful. By using the simulator prior to an interview, I calmed my nerves down regarding the process while also receiving helpful feedback that helped me improve my video interviewing technique. Overall, the TCLA Scholarship has been a wonderful aid in helping me navigate the difficult process of applying for training contracts.
Syeda Rubab ZahraClass of 2020, TCLA Scholarship
Both my parents are refugees from Afghanistan who settled in North London, where I was born and raised. I’m a proud Londoner and Arsenal fan who studies LLB Law with Politics at the University of Essex.
Since being awarded the TCLA Scholarship I have found the team at TCLA to be incredibly supportive in terms of applications, advice but more importantly personal development. The resources offered on the programme have benefited me in so many ways. Having access to the commercial awareness courses, introduction to the city course and premium forum has really benefited me in terms of becoming a more well-rounded law student and future vac scheme applicant. The team’s review of my application also made it easier for me to understand my (many!) mistakes and offered advice that was both supportive and critical. I have to say that without the scholarship and having the assistance from TCLA I would not have progressed as much as I have in my development as an aspiring commercial solicitor. If you meet the criteria, I would highly encourage you to apply!
Yusuf PanahClass of 2020, TCLA Scholarship
The Corporate Law Academy Scholarship is a positive step towards diversifying and opening up the legal profession to those individuals who require additional support or assistance to begin their career in the competitive field of law. I was so excited and grateful to have been offered the TCLA scholarship in 2019 as it gave me the reassurance I needed to begin making training contract applications. The scholarship has been a great resource in helping me thoroughly research firms but also provides an excellent legal community atmosphere through the TCLA forum where any question, idea or worry can easily be answered! The additional application review option is another great highlight of TCLA and Jaysen and his team always strive to provide thorough and useful application insight and advice.
Laura KeaneClass of 2020, TCLA Scholarship
I first discovered TCLA when I was searching the internet for interview experiences and found this wonderful forum of people helping each other through the process of applications. Since then I have become more engrossed in the forum and all that TCLA has to offer.
The tools on TCLA are second to none. They have allowed me to understand not just what knowledge is required of me during this process but has also given me the information needed. Jaysen is dedicated to keeping the courses up to date with current topics and the video presentations have been a great help.
I also received the scholarship for the first TCLA event which was a day full of insights. It was a great starting point on topics such as LegalTech and commercial awareness. The event was also recorded and uploaded for those who attended, giving me the ability to revisit these presentations at a later date which is super useful.
All in all, TCLA has introduced me to a world I didn’t know existed. There is such great support available on the forum via people’s experiences and updates through the process which is held together by the foundation that Jaysen provides through the courses and application reviews.
Couldn’t recommend more!
Samar AlamClass of 2020, TCLA Scholarship
I highly recommend the TCLA platform. It is probably one of, if not the best platform that provides practical resources that will aid your journey and pursuits into a career in corporate law. The platform consists of detailed insights into law firms, practical advice and most importantly helpful individuals who are part of the wider team who willingly make themselves available within minutes to answer your questions and that is no exaggeration. The platform also provides several important information including videos and notes which deliver the breakdown of key commercial concepts and commercial awareness newsletters and many more. I am truly grateful to have received a scholarship for the TCLA and I highly recommend that all aspiring commercial lawyers do join as soon as they can.
Sarah BamideleClass of 2020, TCLA Scholarship
I have found the TCLA Premium Scholarship an invaluable resource throughout this application cycle and truly believe it helped me to secure my training contract.
The aspects of the scholarship that I used the most were the law firm insights and the courses. I used the insights to narrow down which firms to apply for, and revisited them when preparing for interview to help tackle questions about a firm’s competitors and how it distinguishes itself. The courses were an immense help when preparing and performing in case study interviews, I particularly enjoyed the Introduction to the City, Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity courses and felt that they gave me the knowledge and confidence to discuss commercial options and concepts at interview. The courses also helped me complete some of the tasks on my vacation scheme, again the M&A course in particular!
I’m really grateful to Jaysen and the TCLA team for the opportunity and I genuinely enjoyed making the most of my Scholarship!
Olivia SulemanClass of 2020, TCLA Scholarship
