• Get Everything You Need to Secure a Training Contract
    Now half the price. Join TCLA Premium for £30/month and get step-by-step application support, daily commercial awareness practice, and 700+ successful examples of past applications and interview experiences. Plus so much more.
    Join Premium →
  • Office Hours with BCLP (Live Q&A)
    29 Oct 2025 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm (UK) Hosted on TCLA TV
    Join Isabel Elsey, Legal Recruitment Manager at BCLP, for a live Q&A session. Get details on secondments, innovation, growth areas, and everything else you’ve wanted to ask about life at BCLP!

    📺 Join Event

Any advice on how to approach the applications?

cianoshea321

New Member
Dec 31, 2023
4
5
Hi everyone,

I am wondering if anyone could help me? I've just received my third rejection letter, this time being NRF. I really tried to put a lot of effort into my applications however I clearly am doing something wrong. Does anyone have any advice on how to approach the applications i.e., what structure to implement? what ways to be showcase my commercial awareness in my answer? etc. I have lost some hope and I feel that unless you have started their own business, it is virtually impossible to get onto any firm programmes.

thanks!
 

TCLA Community Assistant

Legendary Member
TCLA Moderator
Gold Member
Graduate Recruitment
Premium Member
Forum Team
Aug 1, 2019
15,526
21,761
Three applications is not a lot in the grand scheme of things - I generally encourage people to try to make around 8-12 applications each cycle if they can (and on the basis that they have interest in that many firms). So I would encourage you not to lose hope at this stage.

You don’t need to have run your own business though. Very few candidates have that when applying. It is a competitive process but you can show this through a range of activities and experiences.
 

About Us

The Corporate Law Academy (TCLA) was founded in 2018 because we wanted to improve the legal journey. We wanted more transparency and better training. We wanted to form a community of aspiring lawyers who care about becoming the best version of themselves.

Newsletter

Discover the most relevant business news, access our law firm analysis, and receive our best advice for aspiring lawyers.