Trainee Talk

Our guest in this episode is Jonty Bouskill, a customer success manager at Wazoku. In this episode, we discuss how Jonty pursued his interest in legal technology and became a legal tech consultant at Neota Logic, which included working within Allen & Overy’s Fuse. You'll learn more about what legal technology is, its benefits, and the challenges in the adoption of legal tech within law firms. Jonty also explains how you can learn more about legal technology if you have an interest in this space. This episode is hosted by: Jaysen Sutton. The music in this episode is created by: Ichabod Todd. ichabod-todd.weebly.com/

Our guest in this episode is Azumah Cofie, a future trainee at Covington & Burling. In this episode, Azumah openly talks about how he overcame fears that his stammer didn’t make him suited to commercial law. He also explains how he embraced his African background during his vacation scheme. Not only that, but in this episode, Azumah explains how he bounced back after receiving 11 straight rejections, how he learnt to be confident, and how he didn’t take no for an answer in the application process. This episode is hosted by: Jaysen Sutton. The music in this episode is created by: Ichabod Todd. ichabod-todd.weebly.com/

Our guest in this episode is Gordon Chung, a future trainee at Baker McKenzie. In the first half of this episode, Gordon explains how taking advantage of a series of small opportunities helped him get to where he is today. We also discuss how he motivated himself to keep going, strengthened his application to make himself stand out and leveraged his background to find a firm that suited his strengths. In the second half of this episode, we walk through Gordon’s actionable advice on interviews and assessment centres. This episode is hosted by: Jaysen Sutton. The music in this episode is created by: Ichabod Todd. ichabod-todd.weebly.com/

Our guest in this episode is Monika Gagat, a future trainee at Squire Patton Boggs. In this episode, Monika discusses her journey as an international student attending a non Russell Group university. We begin by talking about the work she did as an in-house paralegal and how she leveraged her experience in her applications and interviews. Monika then shares her advice on everything from in-tray exercises and scenario questions to using your experiences to demonstrate commercial awareness at interview. This episode is hosted by: Jaysen Sutton. The music in this episode is created by: Ichabod Todd. ichabod-todd.weebly.com/

Our guest in this episode is Banu Hammad, a future trainee at Ashurst. In this episode, Banu walks us through her inspiring journey, from entering the UK as a Kurdish asylum seeker to dealing with feelings of imposter syndrome when starting at the LSE. We spend time discussing how she dealt with those feelings and how her interest in workplace psychology led to useful strategies to tackling interview nerves. Banu also explains how she made an impression on vacation schemes, the resources she used to develop her commercial awareness and how she went about tackling brainteaser interview questions. This episode is hosted by: Jaysen Sutton. The music in this episode is created by: Ichabod Todd. ichabod-todd.weebly.com/

In this episode, we are joined by Jan Alessandrini, a first-seat trainee at DAC Beachcroft. Jan came to law as a second career, after an established career in academia. He shares with us the reasons he decided to change his career, the challenges he faced as a mature candidate, and how he overcame them. Did you also come to law as a second career? If so, we'd love to speak to you! Contact admin@thecorporatelawacademy.com to get involved! The episode is hosted by: Yee Rou Quah. The music in this episode is created by: Ichabod Todd. ichabod-todd.weebly.com/

In this episode, we spoke to Tommy Adeyefa, a future trainee solicitor at Clifford Chance. Tommy speaks about his upbringing and journey into commercial law whilst dropping some nuggets for those looking to pursue the same path. The episode is hosted by: Milambo Makani. This episode is edited by: Yee Rou Quah. The music in this episode is created by: Ichabod Todd. ichabod-todd.weebly.com/

Our guest in this episode is Liz Barrett, a future trainee at Mishcon de Reya. In this episode, you’ll hear how Liz still had the conviction to pursue commercial law, despite coming to university as a mature student with only a handful of GCSEs, and having spent over a decade battling with illness. She explains the importance of valuing your worth and how life experiences can be used in applications and interviews to stand out. Liz also explains how she presented her mitigating circumstances to firms and stayed true to herself in her application forms. If you want to hear more from Liz, check out her blog: https://silksandthecity.wordpress.com/ where she shares plenty of actionable advice on all aspects of the training contract process. This episode is hosted by: Jaysen Sutton. The music in this episode is created by: Ichabod Todd. ichabod-todd.weebly.com/

Our guest in this episode is Yousif Alawoad, a future trainee at Clifford Chance. In this episode, Yousif candidly shares the challenging circumstances he and his family faced as political refugees, as well as the determination he had to work things out as the first of his family to go to university. Yousif also explains how his persistence and ability to bounce back from rejection led to an offer from his dream firm. This episode is hosted by: Jaysen Sutton. The music in this episode is created by: Ichabod Todd. ichabod-todd.weebly.com/

Our guest in this episode is Arun Wagle, a future trainee at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner. Arun came from a non-Russell Group university and, during his applications, didn’t know anyone applying to the same firms he was applying to. However, Arun explains how he used his initiative to create his own opportunities. Arun also drills down into how exactly he developed his commercial awareness, his advice for those participating in the Aspiring Solicitors Commercial Awareness Competition (as a former semi-finalist), and how to deal with written exercises and curveball questions at interview. This episode is hosted by: Jaysen Sutton. The music in this episode is created by: Ichabod Todd. ichabod-todd.weebly.com/

In this practical episode, Luke Chouhan, a future trainee at White & Case, takes us through his application journey, starting as a non-law candidate at the University of St Andrews. He explains how he went about writing effective applications, developing commercial awareness and handling video interviews. You’ll also learn Luke’s top tips for approaching vacation schemes and demonstrating confidence during the interview process. This episode is hosted by: Jaysen Sutton. The music in this episode is created by: Ichabod Todd. ichabod-todd.weebly.com/

In this episode, Serena King, a second-seat trainee solicitor at Baker McKenzie, takes us through the first six months of her training contract. For candidates, Serena explains the importance of working out your 'why' as you head into commercial law and why you should back yourself. Serena also shares her advice for incoming trainees on managing expectations and dealing with constructive criticism, including the system she uses to reflect on her personal development during her training contract. Finally, thank you to Serena for being open when discussing the feelings of imposter syndrome that trainees may have! This episode is hosted by: Seren Williams. The music in this episode is created by: Ichabod Todd. ichabod-todd.weebly.com/

Our guest in this episode is Emma Burton, a future trainee at Baker McKenzie. If you think of yourself as an introvert, we think you’ll especially relate to this episode. Emma explains how that isn’t a barrier to securing a training contract and how pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone and being well prepared can help you along the way. She also explains how she managed to convert such a high proportion of her applications to interviews and how candidates can stand out on their vacation schemes. A big shoutout to Upreach as Emma explains the difference they made to her application journey. This episode is hosted by: Jaysen Sutton. The music in this episode is created by: Ichabod Todd. ichabod-todd.weebly.com/

Our guest in this episode is Ali Siddiqui, a fourth-seat trainee at Accutrainee. In this episode, we explore Accutrainee’s unique training contract structure, which involves trainees being seconded to different law firms and legal teams. We also discuss managing uncertainty and partner expectations, making the most of your training contract and how Ali persevered through over 30 applications before securing his place with Accutrainee. This episode is hosted by: Jaysen Sutton. The music in this episode is created by: Ichabod Todd. ichabod-todd.weebly.com/

Our guest in this episode is Harry Clark, a future trainee at Baker McKenzie. In this episode, Harry walks us through his journey to securing a training contract, as well as his advice for writing strong applications and performing at interview. We also discuss dealing with stress and making the most of networking. This episode is hosted by: Jaysen Sutton. The music in this episode is created by: Ichabod Todd. ichabod-todd.weebly.com/

Rahul Gandhi is a second-seat trainee solicitor at CMS with a passion for eSports. Further to our conversation, he was awarded 'Best Trainee Lawyer in the TMT Sector'. How did he achieve this without first completing a TMT seat? Let's find out. This episode is hosted by: Yee Rou Quah. The music in this episode is created by: Ichabod Todd. ichabod-todd.weebly.com/

In this episode, we spoke to Kwasi Yeboah, a future trainee solicitor at Ropes & Gray. Kwasi explains the process of acquiring a training contract and how to build resilience. He speaks about his background, the challenges he faced and how he overcame those challenges.  Kwasi also discusses the principle of sweat equity, what it means and how it helped him reach his goals. The episode is hosted by: Milambo Makani. This episode is edited by: Milambo Makani and Jaysen Sutton. The music in this episode is created by: Ichabod Todd. ichabod-todd.weebly.com/

In this episode, we spoke with Ayaz Saboor, a current paralegal and a future trainee at DWF. Ayaz explains how he turned around his applications, leading to an 80% application-interview conversion rate.   We also discuss: - how to write an application that stands out from the crowd; - how to handle challenging video interviews; - how to demonstrate confidence in interviews and vacation schemes;  and much more! This episode is hosted by: Jaysen Sutton. The music in this episode is created by: Ichabod Todd. ichabod-todd.weebly.com/

In this episode, we spoke with Peter Watson who worked as a stockbroker for 13 years in London and Tokyo, and advised some of the world’s largest financial institutions on investing in the UK, European and Japanese stock markets. He also worked across four recruitment agencies.   In this episode we discuss: - where candidates typically fall down in commercial interviews; - what strategies you can start implementing today to develop your commercial awareness; - the key issues to know for your interviews in sectors like technology and retail; and - how you can leverage your commercial awareness to stand out during vacation schemes and law firm events.  If you want to learn more about Peter, check out his daily commercial awareness briefing called Watson's Daily. His daily newsletter is now free as of the release of this podcast! This episode is hosted by: Jaysen Sutton. The music in this episode is created by: Ichabod Todd. ichabod-todd.weebly.com/

Kishan Mathy is a first-seat trainee at CMS. He came to the UK from Sri Lanka at the age of 8 without knowing a word of English. He was state-school educated and the first in his family to go to university. At university, he balanced seven part-time roles. How did he do it all? This is our conversation where Kishan shared with us his story. Part 1 is focused on Kishan’s background, the hurdles he faced whilst applying for training contracts, and how he overcame these. Part 2 is focused on Kishan’s experience with the CMS application process, the CMS Academy, and his training contract so far. In these episodes, Kishan spoke about: - How he leveraged his experiences in his application; - What to do if you lack commercial work experience; - How he used LinkedIn to find alternative ways to demonstrate his commercial awareness; and - The power of being "unapologetically yourself" through the application process. Kishan has also teamed up with All About Law to share his time as a trainee solicitor and the lessons he learns on the way. Follow his dedicated instagram account: @sqbrkt This episode is hosted by: Yee Rou Quah. The music in this episode is created by: Ichabod Todd. ichabod-todd.weebly.com/

Kishan Mathy is a first-seat trainee at CMS. He came to the UK from Sri Lanka at the age of 8 without knowing a word of English. He was state-school educated and the first in his family to go to university. At university, he balanced seven part-time roles. How did he do it all? This is our conversation where Kishan shared with us his story. Part 1 is focused on Kishan’s background, the hurdles he faced whilst applying for training contracts, and how he overcame these. Part 2 is focused on Kishan’s experience with the CMS application process, the CMS Academy, and his training contract so far. In these episodes, Kishan spoke about: - How he leveraged his experiences in his application; - What to do if you lack commercial work experience; - How he used LinkedIn to find alternative ways to demonstrate his commercial awareness; and - The power of being "unapologetically yourself" through the application process. Kishan has also teamed up with All About Law to share his time as a trainee solicitor and the lessons he learns on the way. Follow his dedicated instagram account: @sqbrkt This episode is hosted by: Yee Rou Quah. The music in this episode is created by: Ichabod Todd. ichabod-todd.weebly.com/

Our guest in this episode is Nasteho Muse, a future trainee solicitor at Clyde & Co. We talked about the importance of developing a clear strategy when applying for training contracts, what the application process for Clyde & Co was like for her, and how she used her experience as paralegal to demonstrate passion in the insurance industry that Clyde & Co is a key player of. This episode is hosted by: Yee Rou Quah. The music in this episode is created by: Ichabod Todd. http://ichabod-todd.weebly.com/

In our second conversation with Lewis Malkin, now a third-seat trainee at Baker McKenzie, we discussed how to make the most of your training contract. This episode is hosted by: Jaysen Sutton.

Welcome to the Corporate Law Academy's podcast series: Trainee Talk! Our first guest is Laura B from CMS. We talked about her fascinating route into law, from graduating from university into the recession, taking her first job at a call centre, to being crowned CMS UK Trainee of the Year in 2019. This episode is hosted by: Yee Rou Quah.

The Corporate Law Academy spoke to Lewis Malkin a month before he began his training contract with Baker McKenzie. We talked about his journey through the application process and how he secured six vacation schemes. This episode is hosted by: Jaysen Sutton.