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Getting from student to future trainee at a City firm isn't a straight line, and it rarely looks the way people expect.
On 20 September at 14:00, Gulsum Qane is joining us to walk through exactly how she did it. She will share her background and route into law and how she approached the application process.
The session closes with a live Q&A, where you can ask Gulsum anything about her experience, the process, or what life as a future trainee is actually like.
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Almost a decade after the Grenfell Tower fire killed 72 people, almost 100 building safety lawsuits worth over £1 billion are working their way through London's High Court. Developers, builders, architects and material manufacturers are all suing one another over the cost of fixing unsafe building exteriors and other similar defects that the Grenfell incident had exposed.
Big housebuilders in the UK are being caught up in this wave of litigation. One particular example is Bristol’s Eclipse Tower, which had similar unsafe cladding to Grenfell Tower, and was developed by Bristol Alliance. Bristol Alliance paid £19 million for remedial work to be done, but then sued the building contractors, who in turn sued architects/subcontractors.
Analysis
This story shows how the Grenfell tragedy can rewrite the legal obligations binding an entire industry - construction in this case. For decades prior, what building developers would do is build their projects through a separate company known as a special purpose vehicle (a company set up to do one particular job). Once the project was complete, the special purpose vehicle would be wound down / disbanded to basically protect the developer from any future legal issues.
This legal loophole has been closed by the Building Safety Act, which allows courts to hold developers responsible for mistakes made even though the project was completed through a separate company - this Act was brought in as a direct response to the Grenfell incident.
What does this mean for the sector?
Companies now potentially face liability for work they had done decades ago
Firms that had once relied on special purpose vehicles / shell companies will need to rethink how future projects are structured to avoid liability tracking back to them
By putting pressure on construction firms and potentially pushing some of them into insolvency, housebuilding capacity is reduced at a time when the UK badly needs more homes
How to use in applications
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.
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
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
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.
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.
A simplified guide to OSCOLA referencing, covering how to cite cases, legislation, books, journal articles, and more.
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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 Practice Hub where you can practise as much as you need to comfortably pass it!