The Oxford Society for Commercial Law

Attending a vacation scheme this year or looking to attend some next year? Want to ensure you convert it and get the TC? Join us for tips from fellow students who have training contract offers from Latham & Watkins, Skadden, White & Case, Sidley Austin, Dechert, Linklaters, Herbert Smith Freehills, and HFW have been converted. Additionally, our panelists have received (future) vacation scheme offers from other magic circle and elite US law firms (including Slaughter and May, Freshfields, A&O Shearman and Davis Polk).

Mentee applications for the inaugural OSCOLA Professional Mentorship programme have been extended!

Whether it be further exploring your interest in the legal field, or taking practical steps to enter it, we understand the anxieties and uncertainties students face when navigating the legal industry.

Our mentorship programme aims to empower aspiring lawyers at Oxford and help them
understand the realities of a career in commercial law. We hope to provide passionate students with access to insights and mentorship from working professionals in the field which can help them make informed career and higher education decisions.

We invite mentors who are commercial law practitioners at various stages of their careers and across jurisdictions. They share our vision and passion for empowering aspiring lawyers to help them make informed career decisions with practical advice.

Sign up today! https://forms.gle/a7e2LWwnk8Ezqq6CA

Deadline: 11:59 PM Sunday, 26 May 2024

The OSCOLA 2024 Moot warmly welcomes all Oxford students regardless of legal or mooting experience. This year’s problem between the Machine Learning and Automation (MALA) Centre and Justine involves complex legal issues surrounding negligence and vicarious liability in the law of torts within the context of emergency response scenarios. By participating, you will get the opportunity to sharpen crucial skills such as legal analysis, argument development and the application of law to nuanced facts. This moot presents an insight into written and oral advocacy with detailed feedback from our experienced judges if you are interested in exploring a career in the bar. Sign up now at tinyurl.com/oscolamoot24 . See you there!

Come to our HT24 social! 🥳🎉 Committee and committee alumni is invited to join us the House Bar for FREE drinks and catching up with other society members. Mark your calendars for next Thursday at House Bar! Sign up now 🎉🎉

Registration is now OPEN for the OSCOLA Negotiation Competition HT24. The deadline to register will be Sunday, January 22nd at 11:59 pm GMT.

The OSCOLA Negotiation Competition is organised by the Oxford Society for Commercial Law (OSCOLA) and supported by Oxford Women In Law (OWLSS).

The competition is open to all Oxford students (including law, non-law, undergraduate & postgraduate). This is a beginner-friendly competition; previous experience in negotiation or legal knowledge is not required. Partners and associates from a prestigious law firm will be judging the final. They will provide valuable feedback for you with their solid expertise in negotiation.

Negotiation skills are absolutely essential in the world of business. Whether you are an aspiring lawyer, banker or entrepreneur, by honing your negotiation skills, you can improve your overall business acumen and increase your chances of success in the dynamic and challenging world of commerce.

Teams will be presented with a scenario where they must resolve a dispute or broker a deal. While they will receive a common set of facts, each team will receive confidential information as well during the oral rounds. The key to success lies in negotiating the most favourable terms for the client and maximising the client’s interest, as well as making appropriate concessions.

Applicants should apply in teams of two. If you are unable to find a partner, please email [email protected], and we will do our best to find you a partner.

Sign up at tinyurl.com/negotiationcompHT24 by Sunday!

Improve your commercial awareness, share your unique viewpoints and choose the topics you want to discuss! Everyone is welcome to apply to write for our blog and publish your articles with us. Apply now!

Happy holidays everyone! As we gear up for the new year, we are looking for new members to join our sponsorships and special projects committees!
If you are interested in networking with firms, learning more about commercial law, and building our society, fill up the form!

Part 2 of our practice areas deep dive! Today we cover the transactional groups, from banking and finance to private equity. Sign up for our commercial law guide for more!

Meet Slaughter and May in Oxford on Tuesday 28 November!

are hosting a Women in Commercial Law Panel and Q&A at St Peter’s College, Oxford on Tuesday 28 November, where you will have the opportunity to hear from a panel of female lawyers and trainee solicitors at all stages of their careers. This will be followed by networking drinks.

The event will be a great opportunity for you to find out what life is like as a lawyer at the firm, and ask any questions you may have about applying for their opportunities.

Sign up now at: https://bit.ly/3SWohJC

Hello Freshers! Looking to apply to first year schemes but concerned with the many levels of the application process? Fret not, our panelists and here to answers all your questions and provide advice on every step of the application! Sign up now!

Applications are now open for the following opportunities with Slaughter and May:

⭐ September 2026/March 2027 training contracts

⭐ Summer work experience schemes

⭐Spring work experience scheme

⭐ Spring open days

You can find out more about all these opportunities, and how to apply, through the links in the bio.

Interested in finding out more about the firm before applying? Sign up now for their virtual presentations coming up in November:
📅 Tuesday 14 November, 1pm - A World of Difference presentation

📅 Thursday 16 November, 1.15pm - Business and human rights: insights on the ‘S’ of ESG

📅 Thursday 23 November, 1pm – Application and interview skills

All the sign-up links are in bio.

What exactly differentiates the various practice areas? Want to know more about the different areas in which firms and lawyers specialise?

In our three part series, we will be providing brief summaries into the work in different PAs, starting with those in disputes! Follow us for more, or read our Commercial Law Guide on the main oscola website for more detailed deep dives!

Looking to apply for vac schemes and want some advice? Our panelists will be sharing their experiences from a wide range of firms. Collectively they have received offers from Latham & Watkins, Cleary Gottlieb, Skadden, Freshfields, Jones Day, HSF, Sidley Austin, Orrick, Debevoise & Plimpton, Goodwin Proctor, Linklaters and Allen & Overy.
Pizza and drinks will be provided after the discussion!

Join us for an interactive Tax workshop with the lawyers from the renowned silver circle firm, Macfarlanes - a top player in both corporate and private client practice areas!
Sign up now at tinyurl.com/oscolamacfarlanes23

Our key takeaways from the recent presentation with . Swipe to the end for key scheme dates!

3 key takeaways from our Private Equity Presentation yesterday! We have more events lined up in the upcoming weeks, don’t forget to sign up now!

Introducing OSCOLA’s Executive Committee for 2023 - 24!

The incoming ExCo would first like to thank the outgoing Co-presidents for their work and dedication in growing our society. We look forward to bringing OSCOLA to new heights and making commercial law more accessible to students in Oxford!

Want to join a team of peers to cover the latest in commercial news, improve your commercial awareness, and express your own POV on your favourite topics? Join our team of writers for the OSCOLA blog! Submit applications by 2359 2 Nov.

Join trainees and associates of the revered white shoe firm Davis Polk to learn more about their recent deals through case studies, followed by a networking session with drinks provided from 5-6pm. Sign up at tinyurl.com/DPOSCOLA23

Come to learn more about life at Ropes & Gray and have a deep dive into the exciting practice area of private equity. There will also be a networking session afterwards, where you can ask questions to the firm’s partners, associates and trainees while grabbing a bite of pizza! Link below: https://forms.gle/BEenAU2gEtP8QQS5A

Leading US law firm Willkie Farr will be organising a workshop on its commercial litigation practice on 24 October 2023 from 4-5pm. In this workshop, an associate and a trainee solicitor will talk you through a case the firm has worked on, its commercial implications and the role played by associates and trainees in the case. This is an excellent opportunity to build your commercial awareness ahead of applying to a vacation scheme at Willkie Farr or other leading US firms. 

Sign up for the event at the link on our story or at tinyurl.com/willkieworkshop

We are excited to announce that to start a fantastic term of events, leading City law firm Dechert will be hosting an all expenses paid three-course dinner, at the Randolph Hotel for OSCOLA members.The event will be held on the evening of 19 October 2023 from 5.30pm until 9pm. This will be an excellent opportunity to network with representatives from the firm if you are interested in applying for the firm's winter, spring, and summer vacation schemes. 

Signups will close at 11.59pm, 12 October 2023 , or when all available places are taken (whichever is earlier).

Signups for the event will be done on a first come first served basis so do sign up as soon as possible. If the dinner is oversubscribed, we will be giving priority to students eligible to apply for Dechert's Vacation Schemes (penultimate year law students, finalist non-law students, and postgraduates). 

Sign up now! tinyurl.com/oscoladechert

If you are planning on applying for commercial law opportunities this application cycle, be it first-year schemes or vacation schemes, having a mentor to guide and support you through the process can be an invaluable advantage. Our mentors have gone through the same process that you are going through now and succeeded, and now wish to give back by supporting others through it.

Our mentors have secured first-year schemes, vacation schemes and training contracts across top law firms in the City. These include Magic Circle firms, leading US firms such as Latham & Watkins, Cleary Gottlieb, Sidley Austin, and more!

With just a few minutes of your time, you can apply to gain a mentor who can be a source of information, mentorship, and support to help you level up your applications this cycle. Sign up today! tinyurl.com/oscolamentee

We are pleased to announce that we have partnered with the Commercial Law Academy to give OSCOLA members 100% off a one month subscription to the Commercial Law Academy. This resource is an excellent resource for applications to vacation schemes and training contracts with in-depth guides on writing applications, preparing for assessment centres, and building your commercial awareness. This offer will only be run at this time during this academic year and is an exclusive chance to access all the resources of the Commercial Law academy for one month, with our discount code 'oscola100', valid until 11.59pm, Tuesday, 10 October 2023. 

A one month subscription would otherwise cost GBP 14.99 so this is an excellent deal for all OSCOLA members looking to build their commercial awareness.

If you wish to use this resource, you will need to create an account with the Commercial Law Academy, select the monthly subscription option, and enter the discount code "oscola100" at the checkout page. If you sign up, do remember to cancel your subscription within 30 days if you do not want to revert to a paid subscription at the end of the free one month. 

Sign up now!

Welcome everyone to another academic year! OSCOLA is kicking off its slew of amazing events with a welcome talk for everyone. Curious about what commercial law is all about, how to get into the industry and how OSCOLA can help? Come join us for talks with seniors, with pizza, drinks and mingling after! This event is open to EVERYONE, regardless of degree, year or experience in the law.

Date and time: 5:30-7pm, 12 October 2023
Venue: Harris Lecture Theatre, Oriel College

Sign up now! tinyurl.com/welcomeoscola

Applications to join OSCOLA's MT23 General Committee are now open! We are looking for driven and enthusiastic members to join our Programmes & Special Projects, Marketing, or Sponsorships subcommittees.

Applicants may apply for more than one position and only those who have taken up a position with OSCOLA will be considered for Executive Committee positions next year. We welcome applications from incoming freshers.

Apply by 8 Oct 2023 at tinyurl.com/mt23oscola

A huge congratulations to Omid Eliott Yeganeh and Syed Taha Anzar for winning this year’s Gibson Dunn - OSCOLA Commercial Law Moot!
 
The finals – held on the 12th of June - concerned the issue of duties of care owed by solicitors to negotiating counterparties, and took place in none other than the UK Supreme Court, which all participants and audience members received a tour of before the Moot.
 
The arguments were heard and adjudicated by Judicial Assistant Harry Balfour-Lynn and Lord Hamblen JSC, who commented that all the finalists were “extremely fluent” advocates, displaying a high level of advocacy throughout.
 
OSCOLA would like to extend particular thanks to Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher as the Moot’s name sponsor, and to Harry Balfour-Lynn and Nigel Patel for providing the mooting problem.

Join OSCOLA and esteemed law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer as we delve into the interesting and complex practice area of Dispute Resolution during our upcoming workshop on 16 June, 1-2pm.

Current associates and trainees at Freshfields will be sharing their valuable insights and experiences in the field of Dispute Resolution. Come prepared with questions so as to gain firsthand knowledge of the challenges and strategies employed by professionals in this practice area! You'll also get the chance to expand your professional network by engaging in meaningful conversations and establishing connections with Freshfields' talented presenters and Graduate Recruitment team during the virtual networking session.

Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity to learn from one of the world's market leaders in litigation and arbitration! Sign up now.

Join OSCOLA and Paula McMullan for a workshop on 7 June, from 4-5pm on tips for applications for Law Firms. The workshop will cover both tips for writing a good CV as well as advice on answering Law Firm application forms. Regardless of if you're considering a career in law and seeking to understand what law firms want or if you've applied for insight and vacation schemes this workshop is a valuable opportunity to understand common mistakes and brush up your CV. 

With a 25 year career in law and in career coaching lawyers of differing experiences, from aspiring trainees to senior associates and partners, Paula McMullan is an expert in understanding what Law firms look for in candidates and how you can stand out in applications for vacation schemes and training contracts. 

Sign up now! https://tinyurl.com/OSCOLAworkshop

Join OSCOLA for an exclusive chance to visit the UK Supreme Court, tour the building, and attend the Grand Finals of the Gibson Dunn-OSCOLA Commercial Law Moot judged by Lord Hamblen JSC. The Moot is the perfect opportunity to witness high levels of advocacy in the UK's highest court, in what promises to be an exciting Moot final!

Please note that OSCOLA will not be providing transportation to the event. However, as a token of our appreciation, we will be reimbursing Moot participants except for the two finalist teams up to £10 for reasonable travel expenses incurred. The two finalist teams will receive full reimbursement for reasonable travel expenses incurred.

Sign up now at tinyurl.com/mootfinals