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📩 What the strongest candidates are doing right now
Hey
Most candidates start thinking about applications when the portals go live. We believe there’s a better approach to improve your chances of securing a training contract.
This August, Mark Dubes is running a three-day bootcamp to get you application-ready before the season even begins.
Mark spent over 20 years in legal graduate recruitment and has interviewed more than 10,000 candidates, including at Mayer Brown. Over three days, he'll take you from a blank page to a clear strategy, proper research, and drafted answers.
DAY 1 — Monday 18 August
Choosing your firms
How to build a realistic firm list and a clear application strategy before the season fully opens.
DAY 2 — Tuesday 19 August
Researching them properly
What genuine research looks like beyond the website, and what recruiters notice when you haven't done it.
DAY 3 — Wednesday 20 August
Writing your answers early
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 receive a certificate of completion to add to your LinkedIn profile, showing firms you put in the work before applications even opened.
One registration covers all three days
We’re growing our events programme and are looking for someone to help us run it. From inviting speakers to hosting live sessions, you’ll play a key role in delivering events that help thousands of aspiring lawyers prepare for their careers.
We're recruiting our next group of EOC Campus Ambassadors for 2026/27. We are looking for students who will help us make career opportunities fairer by reaching more people on their campus.
As an ambassador, you'll bring EOC to your university, connect us with students and societies, work directly with our team, and be recognised and rewarded for the impact you make.
We’re looking to partner with law societies across the UK to provide members with free access to practical resources, events, and support designed to improve their chances of securing more opportunities.
This includes:
Exclusive events with former graduate recruiters and future trainees, run specifically for your society/university;
The Future Trainee Academy, including application frameworks, interview prep, assessment centre guidance;
Unlimited Watson Glaser practice through our dedicated hub,
and much more.
If you’re a part of a law society committee and would be interested in exploring a partnership, please fill out the form below.
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.
Apple has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and two former Apple employees, alleging theft of trade secrets. A trade secret is a type of intellectual property referring to confidential business information, like formulas or processes. More specifically, Apple is claiming that OpenAI used its employees to steal hardware designs as OpenAI prepares to launch its own consumer devices that have an AI-focus. The two employees are alleged to have shared confidential Apple supplier information with OpenAI, and to have stolen files from Apple whilst evading security systems.
Analysis
This lawsuit marks a definitive breakdown in the commercial relationship between Apple and OpenAI. Previously, OpenAI had integrated ChatGPT into Siri, but Apple has since switched to Google for its newest AI features. At the same time, OpenAI has acquired a design studio for billions of dollars that will enable the company to compete directly with Apple on producing consumer hardware. Importantly, OpenAI is preparing for an IPO next year and is already under investor pressure to justify its $850 billion+ valuation. A trade secrets lawsuit from Apple brings reputational and legal liability that complicates OpenAI’s planned public listing.
What does this mean for the sector?
Tech companies across the sector will be more carefully scrutinising employee exits to ensure devices are returned and network access is restricted to current employees
OpenAI’s IPO is under serious threat if the lawsuit is successful, as the company will have to pay out large amounts of money in damages and face the associated reputational fallout
The lawsuit is happening in America, so will test the extent of US trade secret law when it comes to AI hardware development, as the definition of general knowledge is harder to draw here
How to Use This In Applications
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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