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We're giving one aspiring lawyer £1,000 towards their postgraduate law studies.
Entries open today and close at 23:59 on 1 September 2027. We'll draw the winner at random on 3 September 2027 and pay the £1,000 straight into their bank account once their place is confirmed.
You can enter if you:
are 18 or over and live in the UK
are in your final year of university, or graduated in 2024 or later
will start an LLM, the PGDL or GDL, SQE preparation, the LPC or the Bar course at The University of Law or BPP between January and September 2027.
You don't need a confirmed place to enter. One entry per person.
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Weil, Gotshal & Manges, the New York law firm with around $2bn in yearly revenue and no apparent balance sheet weakness, has recently told its lawyers it will wind itself down after almost a century. Chair of the firm’s management committee, Barry Wolf, made the announcement to the committee gathered in Manhattan and to staff watching remotely.
The collapse of Weil followed a run of senior lawyer exits throughout 2026. For example, private equity partners Christopher Machera and Brian Parness left for Paul Weiss and Simpson Thacher respectively. M&A partner Michael Aiello then announced a move to Cravath with a group of colleagues. His team brought in between $100mn and $150mn a year, around 5-7% of total revenue.
Analysis
The case shows how little a law firm owns beyond its lawyers. Unlike a manufacturer, it has no patents or stock to fall back on, and its income depends on partners who are free to leave and bring clients with them. In the US, professional conduct rules effectively prevent firms from stopping lawyers from moving, because clients are entitled to choose their own counsel.
Once the partner exits began, each one made the next more likely, as remaining partners will have judged that staying put carried more risk than leaving. Once rumours spread of further group departures large enough to make survival impossible, dissolution became the most realistic outcome.
What does this mean for the sector?
Firms with heavy dependence on a handful of rainmakers or a single practice area face a concentration risk that clients, lenders and prospective recruits may now examine more closely
Retention is likely to become a board-level issue, with greater use of long-term incentives, deferred compensation and deliberate succession planning to keep key partners
Candidates and clients are likely to ask more questions about a firm’s stability, which can itself become self-fulfilling when doubts spread
How to use in applications
Restructuring and insolvency teams would advise on how a professional firm winds down in an orderly way, including how assets and receivables are collected, how creditors and landlords are dealt with, and how the order of payments is managed.
Employment teams would advise on the movement of partners and teams between firms. In the UK, contracts often include long notice periods, periods of paid leave away from the workplace and restrictions on soliciting clients or colleagues, which makes mass departures harder than in the US.
Applications
Access over 27 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.
Access CV and Cover Letter templates, and more.
Psychometric Tests
Timed questions across all five sections of the test, with an explanation for every answer. Practise as many times as you need until you're ready.
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.
45+ 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.
Guides
9 November
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18 November
19 November
20 November
22 November
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 Practice Hub where you can practise as much as you need to comfortably pass it!
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