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- 📩 The Bootcamp starts Tuesday
📩 The Bootcamp starts Tuesday
are you in?
Hey
Over 1500 people have registered for the Summer Application Bootcamp.
This Tuesday, August 18, we start three days of sessions to get you application-ready before the recruitment cycle opens.
DAY 1 — Tuesday 18 August
Choosing your firms, with Mark Dubes
Mark spent 20 years in legal graduate recruitment, including at Mayer Brown, and has interviewed more than 10,000 candidates. He'll cover how to build a realistic firm list and a clear application strategy before the season fully opens.
DAY 2 — Wednesday 19 August
Researching them properly, with Dylan Anton, future trainee at Clifford Chance
What genuine research looks like beyond the website.
DAY 3 — Thursday 20 August
Writing your answers early, with Mark Dubes
How to draft strong answers to the most common questions firms ask, ready to adapt the moment applications open.
Attend all three days and you’ll get a certificate to add to your LinkedIn - showing firms you put in the work before applications opened.
One registration covers all three days.
If you’re making content online. we’d love to work with you.
We're partnering with more creators to get EOC's opportunities and resources in front of more people who'd benefit from them.
We are running an Instagram Giveaway.
We’re giving one winner a private session with a graduate recruiter. You could win:
A one to one training contract strategy with a graduate recruiter
A line-by-line review of your written application
A mock interview that tests you like a real firm would
The winner will be announced on our Instagram on August 21st.
AstraZeneca, a leading UK biopharmaceutical company, just had a megadeal fall apart within a day. For months, AstraZeneca had been secretly pursuing a merger with a US pharma giant called Bristol Myers Squibb which would have elevated AstraZeneca into becoming one of the world’s largest drugmakers by revenue.
However, within hours of the deal’s existence being publicly reported on, AstraZeneca's shares fell by 9% (its worst single trading day since the pandemic). By that very evening, AstraZeneca’s board terminated deal discussions, with this investor reaction being cited as the decisive factor.
Analysis
What is striking about this event is how quick the deal fell apart. The public report was less than 24 hours before the board terminated the deal. This goes to show the speed with which investors expressed their opposition, and the speed with which this signal was picked up on by AstraZeneca’s management.
The investors logic in their opposition is straightforward: AstraZeneca had built its current standing through targeted acquisitions and organic growth. By comparison, Bristol Myers Squibb was facing a patent cliff (where exclusive legal rights over leading products are about to expire).
What does this mean for the sector?
The deal’s collapse signals to the wider market that pharma mega-mergers are firmly undesired by investors, who prefer organic growth and smaller targeted acquisitions
Bristol Myers Squibb is left particularly exposed as its patent cliff approaches with several patents (exclusive legal rights over selling an invention) expiring from 2028 onwards
A cross-government team was set up by the UK government to monitor this deal given the prospects of a leading pharma company shifting operations to the US
How to Use This In Applications
Applications
Research for your applications
Access over 20 law firm profiles, complete with breakdowns, seats, secondments, and other requirements.
A 9-step law firm research checklist that shows you what to look for, where to find it, and how to use it.
This breaks down recent transactions and explains how to move beyond simply mentioning a deal, towards demonstrating real commercial understanding and relevance.
How to structure your answers, apply the rule of three and build a compelling narrative for your applications.
15 real application answers samples from major firms along with an explanation of what worked and why
What to do if your efforts still aren’t converting, despite trying everything.
Application tracker, CV & Cover Letter Guidance
Track your applications, access CV and Cover Letter templates, and more.
Psychometric Tests
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
Commercial Awareness Starter Pack
Guidance on how to develop your commercial awareness and a worked example showing what a strong answers looks like.
Over 80+ interview questions asked by leading law firms.
Covering common formats, how firms assess answers, and how to communicate clearly and confidently on camera.
Work Experience
How to gain Legal Work Experience
This covers six avenues you could explore to gain relevant legal work experience.
Explore free virtual internships and DIY vacation schemes. Build real-world skills you can showcase on applications.
80+ opportunities across law firms, chambers, early-careers programmes and paralegal roles.
Studying
Includes proven tips for managing time, revision, and exams.
First Class Problem Question Model Answer
How to structure a problem question answer and showcase your legal reasoning.
Covers how to open with impact, write clearly and finish with a focused conclusion.
Oscola Referencing Cheat Sheet
A simplified guide to OSCOLA referencing, covering how to cite cases, legislation, books, journal articles, and more
Register Today to Unlock FREE Access
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.
When you join, you will also gain access to the Watson Glaser Practise Hub where you can practise as much as you need to comfortably pass it!
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