Course curriculum

    1. What is commercial awareness?

    2. Why is commercial awareness important for lawyers and applicants?

    3. E-guide to commercial awareness

    1. How does commercial awareness come up in interviews, and how can you demonstrate it?

    2. What can case studies involve?

    3. How did commercial awareness come up in interviews for Harry Clark & Joe Mallet

    4. How did commercial awareness come up in interviews for Gordon Chung & Simran Mann

    1. How to approach building your commercial awareness

    2. News publications, websites and digests

    3. Business books

    4. Firm websites, articles and communication channels

    5. Courses, events, podcasts and other sources

    6. Recommended resources

    1. Introduction to case study frameworks

    2. Structuring answers to case study questions

    3. SWOT Analysis: reviewing a business' strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats

    4. PESTLE Analysis: assessing the impact of external factors

    5. Profitability Framework: understanding revenue, costs and profit

    6. Porter's Five Forces: analysing the competitive landscape

    7. Business Situation Framework: analysing businesses and their markets

    1. Key sources for building your commercial awareness

    2. How Harry Clark and Joe Mallet developed their commercial awareness

    3. How Sim Mann and Gordon Chung developed their commercial awareness

    4. Commercial awareness Q&A

    5. Commercial Law Handbook

    6. Training Contract Handbook

    7. Christopher Stoakes' books

    8. Consultancy Handbook

    9. Legal Practice Course Handbook

    10. LinkedIn networking group

Introduction to commercial awareness

  • 30 lessons
  • 1.5 hours of video content

Instructors

City Career Series Founder & Ex-Freshfields Lawyer Jake Schogger

Jake Schogger is a qualified lawyer, career coach, entrepreneur, author, copywriter and consultant. He is the founder and CEO of City Career Series, a publishing company that has sold ~50,000 handbooks designed to help students secure City careers, including the critically acclaimed Commercial Law Handbook. He trained at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP and now acts as a legal adviser to start-ups and scale-ups, whilst also working as a career coach and delivering career-related presentations at universities across the UK. In addition, Jake works with tech start-ups and runs a variety of his own businesses, including a creative/commercial consultancy (Fresh Perspective) and a luxury cake business (Whisk & Drizzle). For more information, visit: www.citycareerseries.com and www.linkedin.com/groups/8944518 or search for “City Career Series” on YouTube, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Podcaster & Baker McKenzie Trainee Harry Clark

Harry Clark, future Baker McKenzie Trainee Solicitor, is best known as the host of the More From Law podcast, an employability and commercial awareness podcast that has accumulated tens of thousands of streams to date. He also produces comprehensive resources for aspiring lawyers, including a broad range of articles, e-books and other content designed to help increase access to the legal profession. For more information, visit harryclarklaw.com, search @harryclarklaw across social media and connect with Harry on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/harryclarklaw

Influencer & Future Vinson & Elkins Trainee Joe Mallet

Joe Mallet is an incoming trainee solicitor at global US law firm Vinson & Elkins, having previously secured five vacation schemes. He’s best known for his free LinkedIn commercial law resources group, in which he pools his best advice, resources and template application answers, all of which are based on the lessons he’s learned throughout his journey from student to lawyer. For more information, search for ‘Joe Mallet Resources for Aspiring Lawyers’ on LinkedIn and connect with Joe via www.linkedin.com/in/jm16328

Influencer & Baker McKenzie Future Trainee Gordon Chung

LinkedIn personality Gordon Chung is a future trainee solicitor at Baker McKenzie. He completed his Bachelor of Laws degree at City University of Hong Kong before obtaining his postgraduate Master of Corporate Law degree at University of Cambridge. Recently, Gordon also passed the July 2019 New York state bar examination and is currently awaiting admission as a New York attorney-at-law.

Womble Bond Dickinson Future Trainee Simranjeet Mann

Simranjeet Kaur Mann is a future trainee solicitor at Womble Bond Dickinson, having received three training contract offers after finishing university. She has amassed an impressive range of work experience, having completed three vacation schemes, undertaken three paralegal roles, attended four assessment centres and briefly worked at a “Big 4” accounting firm. She’s passionate about increasing diversity across, and access to the legal profession, which has led to her offering regular guidance to aspiring solicitors via her Instagram page and her (light-hearted yet informational) YouTube channel, ‘Sim’s Legal Mentoring’.

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Hear what others have to say

Final year PPE student

Feedback on the commercial awareness content

"Thought-provoking and provided a fresh perspective for the upcoming application cycle, including insights to further my commercial awareness and tips to cultivate my personal brand."

Final year History student

Feedback on the training contract module

"Brilliant, so in-depth and insightful...I feel much more confident about how to approach applications and demonstrate my skills in a way that matches those required."

Final year Politics & International Relations student

Feedback on the assessment centre, growth mindset and employability content

"I found the insights you provided extremely helpful and easy to understand, especially as a non-law undergraduate entering the legal sector."