Share This Article
The Corporate Law Academy (TCLA) is a UK-based platform focused on providing education and career development opportunities for aspiring corporate lawyers. It primarily supports law students, graduates, and early-career professionals who are interested in pursuing a career in corporate law. TCLA offers various resources and training, including:
- Corporate Law Courses: Covering topics like mergers and acquisitions, banking, and intellectual property.
- Commercial Awareness Training: Keeping participants updated on key business and legal trends.
- Application Support: Guidance on securing training contracts, CVs, cover letters, and interview prep.
- Events and Webinars: Insights from industry professionals.
- Networking and Mentorship: Opportunities to connect with experienced corporate lawyers.
It’s a valuable resource for those pursuing a corporate law career in the UK.
But TCLA wanted to add another resource to their community: a law firm directory. TCLA wanted a space for firms to highlight their company to potential applicants and act as a place for applicants to view and compare different law firms in an easy to use dashboard. Below, you can see the results and how we built a custom and feature-rich platform to meet their goals.
Why is the TCLA Directory Important?
The TCLA Directory is an online resource designed to support aspiring corporate lawyers by providing a detailed and comprehensive list of UK law firms offering training contracts, vacation schemes, and other key opportunities. This directory is an essential tool for those looking to secure positions at top law firms, particularly those focusing on corporate law. Having this functionality is critical to the TCLA community because it provides:
- Streamlined Search Process: Finding relevant opportunities in the vast legal landscape can be time-consuming. The TCLA Directory consolidates key information in one place, saving users hours of research. By having all the necessary details at their fingertips, users can focus on preparing their applications.
- Informed Decision-Making: The directory provides not only logistical details like deadlines and requirements, but also insights into the work culture of various firms. Understanding the culture of a firm is crucial for candidates to determine whether they would be a good fit, ultimately increasing their chances of success in interviews and assessments.
- Centralized Resource: Instead of browsing multiple websites and combing through different sources, the TCLA Directory offers everything in one user-friendly platform. This centralization makes it easier to manage applications and stay on top of key opportunities.
The Features
Comprehensive Firm Listings: The directory includes an extensive list of law firms, ranging from global giants to boutique firms, each offering training contracts or vacation schemes. It helps users discover firms that match their interests and career aspirations.
Application Details: For each firm listed, the directory provides important information about application deadlines, eligibility requirements, and selection processes. This makes it easier for candidates to stay organized and ensure they meet crucial timelines.
Firm Profiles: The directory offers detailed profiles for each firm, giving users insight into the firm’s culture, values, and areas of specialization. Whether you’re interested in mergers and acquisitions, banking, or intellectual property, the TCLA Directory helps you find firms that align with your career goals.
Favoriting: Ability to favorite firms and have a quick list of firms you’d like to apply to.
Rich Sorting Options: The TCLA directory offers the ability to sort firms by salary, practice area, application process, and more.
Polling: Users who have favorited a firm will be prompted to complete a poll regarding whether they 1) plan to apply to the firm 2) have applied to the firm 3) the stage they have reached. The poll results will show live to those others who view a law firm’s profile.
Profile Alerts: Users can receive alerts related to polls, upcoming events, and new opportunities for their favorite firms.
Community integration: The latest responses from Q&As with the firm and mentions of them at TCLA, as well as upcoming events with the firm like open days and application deadlines.
From prototype to launch
The rollout of the TCLA Directory has been a significant success for The Corporate Law Academy, revolutionizing the way aspiring corporate lawyers approach the recruitment process. Since its launch, the directory has quickly become an indispensable resource for law students and early-career professionals. It has been praised for its user-friendly interface, comprehensive firm listings, and up-to-date application details, which have streamlined the often overwhelming process of securing training contracts and vacation schemes. By centralizing key information and offering tailored search features, the directory has empowered users to make more informed decisions and increase their chances of success in a highly competitive field. The positive feedback and growing usage of the directory highlight its effectiveness in supporting the next generation of corporate lawyers in the UK.
Let’s Wrap It Up
It has been a privilege to work with The Corporate Law Academy to launch the TCLA Directory, and we are incredibly proud of the positive impact it has had on aspiring corporate lawyers. Seeing the directory become such a valuable resource for students and early-career professionals has been amazing and, as we look ahead, we are excited about the future and the continued growth of the directory. If you’re interested in having a custom directory of your own, feel free to reach out!
