📩 Future trainee is hosting this next Thursday — are you in?

Hey

On Thursday, April 16th, Dylan Anton, future trainee at Clifford Chance, will host a session on how to develop commercial awareness and apply it effectively in law firm applications.

In each session, Dylan will cover:

• how to build commercial awareness in a way that is actually useful for applications

• what firms are really looking for when they assess it

• how to use commercial stories more effectively in written answers and interviews

He will also go through the latest editions of The Big Picture, unpack the key issues, and discuss how they could be used in applications.

Applications

1. Research for your applications

   Access over 20 law firm profiles, complete with breakdowns, seats, secondments, and other requirements.

2. How to research a law firm

   A 9-step law firm research checklist that shows you what to look for, where to find it, and how to use it.

3. Magic Circle Analysed Deals

   This breaks down recent transactions and explains how to move beyond simply mentioning a deal, towards demonstrating real commercial understanding and relevance.

4. Written Application Framework

   How to structure your answers, apply the rule of three and build a compelling narrative for your applications.

5. 15 Applications Sample Bundle

   15 real application answers samples from major firms along with an explanation of what worked and why

6. Securing a Vacation Scheme

   What to do if your efforts still aren’t converting, despite trying everything.

7. Application tracker, CV & Cover Letter Guidance

   Track your applications, access CV and Cover Letter templates, and more.

Psychometric Tests

1. Watson Glaser Cheat Sheet

   A clear breakdown of the key skills tested in critical thinking tests, along with where to practice, mistakes and red flags to watch out for.

Interviews

1. Commercial Awareness Starter Pack

   Guidance on how to develop your commercial awareness and a worked example showing what a strong answers looks like.

2. The Interview Question Bank

   Over 80+ interview questions asked by leading law firms.

3. Video Interview Guide

   Covering common formats, how firms assess answers, and how to communicate clearly and confidently on camera.

Work Experience

1. How to gain Legal Work Experience

   This covers six avenues you could explore to gain relevant legal work experience.

2. Virtual Work Experience

   Explore free virtual internships and DIY vacation schemes. Build real-world skills you can showcase on applications.

3. Opportunities in Law

   80+ opportunities across law firms, chambers, early-careers programmes and paralegal roles.

Studying

1. First Class LLB Notes

   Includes proven tips for managing time, revision, and exams.

2. First Class Problem Question Model Answer

   How to structure a problem question answer and showcase your legal reasoning.

3. Essay Structures

   Covers how to open with impact, write clearly and finish with a focused conclusion.

4. Oscola Referencing Cheat Sheet

   A simplified guide to OSCOLA referencing, covering how to cite cases, legislation, books, journal articles, and more.

Fuel Crisis Threatens to Ground Airlines

The Iran war’s disruption to global fuel supplies has sent prices soaring for airlines that have subsequently chosen to cut back on expansion plans. Industry-wide growth plans for April have been dropped from a planned 5.4% to just 0.2%. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz - a stretch of water that is necessary for transport from key countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia - has disrupted roughly 20% of global crude oil supply.

Korean Air, the largest and state-owned South Korean airline, has noted that it has entered emergency mode after fuel costs more than doubled. Fuel costs now constitute over 50% of total operating costs for the business. Other global airlines are cutting international routes or announcing fare increases.

The Implications

The airline industry already operates on razor-thin profit margins, and so a large swing in fuel costs can easily turn profitable flight routes into loss-makers for airlines.

The airline industry is particularly vulnerable to this geopolitical climate because: fuel prices doubled so quickly, jet fuel degrades quickly in storage making stockpiling impossible, and travellers are price-sensitive so costs cannot be passed on to them so easily.

And the UK and Europe’s exposure to this issue is also particularly pronounced because European countries deliberately shifted their dependence on fuel imports from Russia to Middle Eastern suppliers following the Russia Ukraine invasion.

What does this mean for the airline industry?

• Airlines are facing an immediate profitability crisis which will have to be resolved through route cancellations and potential workforce reductions.

• Fuel suppliers will gain pricing power in this market, but may face reputational or regulatory risk if they are seen to be taking advantage of a crisis situation.

• Europe’s structural dependency on imported fuel might trigger government intervention if fuel shortages threaten airport operations or economic connectivity.

How to Use This In Applications

5 April 1838 — Queen Victoria proclaimed Hong Kong a British crown colony. It will come into full effect three years later.

6 April 1944 — Pay As You Earn (PAYE) income tax was first introduced in Britain through the Income Tax Act 1944

7 April 1914 — HoC passed the Government of Ireland Act 1914, providing self-government within the UK for Ireland.

8 April 1904 — Britain recognises the Suez Canal Convention and surrenders its claim to Madagascar.

9 April 1838 — National Gallery opens in Trafalgar Square, London, after the Parliament voted to purchase 38 paintings 12 years earlier.

10 April 1710 — The Copyright Act (The Statute of Anne) comes into effect. It allows authors to hold exclusive rights to their work up to 50 years after their death.

11 April 1689 — William III of Orange and Mary II were crowned joint monarchs, following the Glorious Revolution of 1688.

Want a clearer route to securing a training contract?

The Future Trainee Academy brings the full recruitment process into one place, with guidance from a recruiter who assessed 10,000+ candidates and examples from future trainees at top firms.

It covers applications, interviews, assessment centres, and more. You’ll also get a certificate you can add to your CV and LinkedIn.