Stupid question but, how do people know what solution would work for a specific commercial challenge? Asking this with regard to commercial case studies.
I know examples could help with this, but
1) real life examples contain intricacies, which upon further examination might show the example as irrelevant.
2) they require a decent level of legal knowledge to be applied correctly
I’m a non law student, I know my legal knowledge is not the focus for commercial case studies, but I can’t help feel I’m lacking skills w/ regards to providing solutions.
Also I’ve recognised general comms news doesn’t help with certain firms we apply to. So my examples can only so far. Say I’m in an AC for a firm focused on SMEs and charities, examples from Apple Inc. can only be so applicable to a case study about a charity/social enterprise offering a product.
Nothing is a stupid question!
In my opinion, commercial acumen matters more in the application process than legal knowledge. Law firms don’t expect candidates applying to have so much legal knowledge because 1) though people taking law degrees all take the same qualifying courses, people subsequently take different courses over the 3 years, such as employment law and law in a digital world. This will mean that (given all things are equal), some people will have more knowledge on employment law matters in case studies, some will have more knowledge on the digital era as it applies to commercial law. Thus, it is commercial acumen that is tested more than legal knowledge. 2) They recognise that not everybody has a law degree, and you will still have the core foundational legal knowledge anyway by doing the PGDL.
Lastly, the way I see it… commerce comes before law. It is arguable that lawyers are business advisors, in addition to legal advisors.
In terms of which solution is best, I think it depends on how you argue it. However, if a scenario surely presents some red flags which can’t be justified, you may want to not go ahead with the deal (say, if it’s a proposed M&A transaction, for example). You could also make a statement like, “if X info is provided, then the deal could go through because Y. However, if it’s not, then perhaps the deal is not so feasible and another company could be acquired which suits more with the acquirer’s needs. Perhaps the money could also be invested into a new project instead, which the industry/company could benefit from!
On your last point, I believe news from companies like Apple can still be relevant, even in a case study focused on a charity or social enterprise offering a product. For example, if Apple is acquiring a subsidiary to expand its product line, this could be analogous to a social enterprise exploring partnerships to enhance or scale its own offering. Similarly, Apple’s approach to launching new products…such as how they assess market demand, set pricing, or build brand awareness…could provide useful insights for a charity looking to introduce a new product. It’s about applying the core commercial lessons in a way that makes sense for the scenario.
The point I am trying to make is to not overwhelm yourself with the amount of knowledge out there, and there are so many things to cover, so far as you back it up with reasoned opinions and established facts.
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