Interview: Jaysen Sutton – Founder of The Corporate Law Academy

Hi Jaysen, please could you introduce yourself and your current role.

Hey, I run a company called The Corporate Law Academy, commonly known as TCLA. Our goal is to ensure that an individual's background, circumstances, or location does not prevent them from succeeding in the working world.

When and why did you decide to pursue a career in law?

I think I first decided to become a lawyer and then had to work out my actual reasons for why I wanted to be one. I did particularly enjoy writing and studying law as an academic degree, so the career felt like the natural next step.

Having completed various vacation schemes, what factors influenced your decision in which firm to choose to train at?

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP had long stood out to me. It seemed like a place where people were driven and friendly, and the culture felt like a good fit for my personality. During the vacation scheme, I had a great time sitting in litigation, and I admired how dedicated my supervisor, Chris Marks, was. I had always heard that you'll know when you meet the firm that is right for you, and I felt that with Weil.

What triggered you to leave your position as a trainee solicitor?

The truth is that I was struggling. I do not think I was ready to enter the working world, let alone the legal profession, and it took me a couple of years after I left to deal with my own personal challenges. At the time, all I knew was that I was not looking after myself well, so I woke up one day and realised I could actually leave, so I did. Full credit to my firm; they were so kind about it that it made it even harder to leave. I will always respect the firm for how they handled it.

What has been the most challenging part of working in the legal industry as an entrepreneur?

Many law firms carefully guard their external image. My favourite graduate recruiters that we work with at TCLA are refreshingly candid about what the experience is actually like. Gemma Baker from Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP and Paul Gascoyne from Shearman & Sterling LLP come to mind here. Being honest about what the firm is like will not deter most people from applying. If anything, it is a draw for the right applicant because it helps them work out which firm suits them and reduces the risk of a shock once they start.

Could you share a little more about the Junior Lawyers' Community?

Many junior trainees I speak to fear being the only one finding it tough. They often feel they must be careful about what they say so as not to impact their chances of progression, and it can be hard not to lose some of the wonder they had before beginning their career.

One of the nicest things about TCLA is that we get to work with applicants who are now trainees and associates across most London law firms. After having more confidential calls with these trainees, the JLC started as a confidential place for trainees to ask questions.

What does a typical day look like for you?

We work in the WeWork in Canary Wharf. I usually arrive at 9:30 am and speak to the team about their schedules for the day. In the busy season, they usually deliver 4–5 practice interviews a day, plus onboarding calls, scholarship calls, application reviews, or live classes.

I like to block off 10 am to 12 pm for concentrated work on my biggest task. Then I have a working lunch and head to the gym until 2pm. I catch up with the team around 5:30 pm, where they share reflections on each candidate. I then work on admin until about 7 pm or 8 pm.

With so many guides and subscriptions claiming to help students secure a training contract, what's the most helpful resource?

The challenge with so much information is that it can be hard to tell what is actually useful. My advice is to lean towards practice. Guides and courses are a nice‑to‑have, but nothing beats putting yourself in situations that simulate the real thing as closely as possible. For this reason, we run live classes at TCLA for candidates to practise discussing the financial markets.

Given the importance of commercial awareness, what is the best way to familiarise yourself with challenging financial concepts?

Immersion. It's similar to learning a new language. The fastest way to learn is to restructure your information sources so you develop your understanding passively and actively. Find a relevant book you like, listen to podcasts, read business news, watch related films, write about financial topics, discuss stories that interest you with others and follow financial experts on social media.

What advice would you give to individuals hoping to obtain a training contract but consistently facing rejections?

Rejection is the process. When you start the journey into law, it is tempting to think a rejection means you are not good enough. Actually, if there is anything I have learnt since starting TCLA, it is that all the trainees and associates were in the same place as you right now. The biggest difference is what you do with the rejection. Do you give up, blame the process or try to do one thing better each time?

Having recently launched the Solicitor Apprenticeship forum, what aspirations do you have for TCLA in the next few years and where do you see yourself?

Thanks for the mention. Yes, our graduate recruitment expert Jessica Booker has been a huge driver in thinking about what we can do for solicitor apprentices.

The goal for us is impact. We want to share what we wish we had known with a much bigger audience so people starting their journey into law don't have to struggle as much. The long‑term goal is to become a "Khan Academy for the working world", meaning we want to give millions of students and graduates access to high‑quality information.

I see myself doing exactly what I am doing now, just on a bigger scale.