Aren helps UK law students prepare for training contracts and vacation schemes — with AI-powered practice, real firm intelligence, and honest feedback.
I did a finance module and interned at a fintech — where does that land best?
Aren
Clifford Chance and Linklaters both run market-leading finance practices. Linklaters' fintech work with Revolut and their leveraged-finance pedigree may be the sharper fit. Want me to draft a CC-vs-Links comparison for Why This Firm?
Compare CC vs LinksShow me Links' fintech dealsDraft a "Why us" opener
Competency in Action — Question 3 of 10
A partner hands you a drafting task due in two hours. At the same time, an associate you've been mentoring messages asking urgent help on their own project. You've got capacity for one.
What do you do first?
By dragging and dropping, rank the options from most likely (1) to least likely (4).
1AFinish the partner's drafting first, then message the associate with a specific time you can help later.⇅
2BQuickly answer the associate's question then return to the drafting.⇅
3CTell the associate you can't help right now and focus on the partner's task.⇅
4DAttempt both in parallel and hope the drafting stays on track.⇅
100%Good judgement
Prioritising the partner's hard deadline while committing a specific later time to the associate preserves both your reliability and your mentoring relationship.
Group exercise · Round 2 of 4 · 04:12 left
YouPriyaTomNaomiHelena (observer)
Should the firm invest in a legal tech start-up that automates contract review?
PriyaThe ROI is strong if adoption exceeds 40% within two years, but we need to consider client perception — some will read automation as less-than-full-service.
TomI disagree with Priya — clients will see it as innovation, not a threat. The Magic Circle is already automating due diligence on £1bn+ deals.
NaomiBoth points have merit. Could we pilot in one practice area — say banking — and measure the impact before wider roll-out?
YouNaomi's pilot angle makes sense. I'd propose an 8-week proof on a specific matter type, tied to a billable-hours reduction KPI — that gives us objective data for the partners.
Live scoring
Collaboration
Persuasion
Structure
Listening
AI Partner Interview · Clifford Chance · Question 3 of 6 · 14:22 elapsed
"So — you mentioned the NatWest carve-out earlier. Walk me through what you'd have pushed back on if you were on the CC side."
You're saying…
The timeline. A 48-hour turnaround on the conditions precedent schedule meant associates were reviewing in parallel, which usually surfaces inconsistencies — I'd have pushed for a 72-hour window and a dedicated review lead to catch them before signing.
Assessment so far
Commercial awareness
Motivation
Judgement
Written Exercise — Clifford Chance · 60 min timer
Project Horizon — Risk Memo to client
Victoria Chen (Senior Partner) wants a 350-500 word memo covering the three key risks of the proposed Drummond JV before Friday's client call.
From: Victoria ChenTo: YouSubject: Project Horizon — need your take before Friday
Board met yesterday. The Drummond JV is back on the table but with a December signing deadline — aggressive given the regulatory exposure. I need a memo by Thursday EOD that flags three risks and tells me where I should push on negotiation. Keep it tight — 350-500 words. The client is risk-averse; assume they'll act on what we write.
Your draft• Autosaved 2s ago
To: Victoria Chen, Senior Partner Re: Project Horizon — Preliminary Risk Assessment
Victoria,
Three risks warrant immediate consideration before the Friday call. First, the FCA has flagged similar cross-sector JVs for extended Phase 2 review, which would push completion past Drummond's December deadline and trigger the MAC clause
Video Interview · Commercial track · Question 2 of 4
Q1 ✓Q2 · 2:00 capQ3Q4
"Walk me through a recent deal in the news that caught your attention. What would you have advised, and why?"
30s thinking time used
00:42
Recording your answer · 1:18 remaining · 2 re-records left
Live transcription
"The Microsoft-Activision deal fascinated me because of how the CMA's initial prohibition forced a structural remedy — Microsoft divesting cloud streaming rights to Ubisoft. I'd have advised the CC side to lead with behavioural remedies earlier, because the prohibition itself created a perception risk that slowed approvals in other jurisdictions
I am extremely passionatedrawn to Clifford Chance's work in international arbitration and would love the chance to join your team with my strong attention to detail and can-do attituderecent ICC case team, particularly after reading about your advisory role in the Svelte Mining award. I have organizedorganised two law society moots.
firm_specificFirm-specific
Generic motivation clichés trade down a cover letter for a top-tier firm — swap for a specific case Clifford Chance actually advised on, which shows you've read the deal sheet.
clicheCliché
"Extremely passionate" is the single most overused opener in TC applications — it signals you haven't written specifically for this firm. "Drawn to" reads as mature, considered interest.
uk_englishUK English
"Organized" → "organised". UK law firms expect British spelling in every application surface — partners notice.
The CMA published new guidance on merger review timelines in October, cutting the Phase 1 window from 40 to 35 working days. Two firms subsequently withdrew their notifications. The authority has not disclosed its reasoning for the change.
Statement: The two firms withdrew their notifications because of the new 35-day window.
✓ Correct
The passage tells you the firms withdrew but not why. "Insufficient Data" is the only defensible answer — anything stronger infers causation that isn't stated.
Application review · Clifford Chance
Clifford Chance·"Why commercial law?"
7.0
Overall score
Clear intent, but the specifics aren't pulling their weight yet.
Specificity
8.2
Firm fit
7.5
Commercial substance
6.4
Word economy
5.8
Model rewrite opening
"Clifford Chance's role on the NatWest retail carve-out last year crystallised what drew me to commercial law: the intersection of decisive regulatory change and practical, client-facing advice that shapes deal outcomes. After shadowing a corporate team for three weeks, I'm more certain than ever this is the work I want."
★ Top fix this week
Rewrite one answer every day for 5 days. Each draft must name a specific deal Clifford Chance actually advised on and connect it to a behavioural example from your own experience. Time-box to 10 minutes.
How it works
Threesteps toconfidence
Step 01
Sign up for free
Create your account in 30 seconds. No credit card required. Explore firm research and the advice chat immediately.
Step 02
Practise with AI
Work through SJTs, Watson-Glaser, written exercises, group discussions, and AI partner interviews — tailored to your target firms.
Step 03
Apply with confidence
Use the Question Reviewer to sharpen your answers, track your deadlines, and walk into assessments fully prepared.
What Aren does
Everythingyouneed inoneplace
Built specifically for UK commercial law applications — not a generic AI chatbot repurposed for legal careers.
Advice & Research
Ask anything — firm comparisons, TC timelines, commercial awareness, application strategy. Aren draws on a deep knowledge base of UK law firms, guides and live web search.
Free
AI Partner Interview
Speak directly with an AI partner interviewer. No buttons — just natural conversation. Tailored to your target firm. Full debrief at the end with scores and specific feedback.
Pro
Watson-Glaser
40 AI-generated questions per session across all 5 question types. 30-minute timer, immediate feedback on every answer, full results breakdown by skill area.
Plus
Written Exercise
Fresh AI-generated scenarios every time — realistic documents, 60 minutes to draft a memo, then marked by AI on commercial thinking, legal analysis and structure.
Plus
Video Interview
Practise recorded video interviews with thinking time and re-record options. Get comfortable with the format before your real interview — just like the platforms firms use.
Plus
Situational Judgement
Cappfinity-style ranking and slider questions. Builds a personal skill web across 8 competencies — commercial awareness, ethical judgment, leadership and more.
Plus
Question Reviewer
Paste your firm, question and draft answer — get scored instantly on Specificity, Firm-fit, Commercial substance and Word economy. Each dimension 1–10 with line-by-line feedback.
Free
Group Exercise
Join a 4-person AI discussion with realistic personas — Priya, Tom and Naomi. Fresh scenarios every session. Scored on Collaboration, Persuasion, Structure and Listening.
Plus
Pricing
Simple, honestpricing
Start free. Upgrade when you're serious about your applications.
Aren is an AI-powered law career assistant built specifically for UK students applying for training contracts and vacation schemes. It combines a deep knowledge base of UK law firms with practice tools, AI interviews, and an application tracker — all in one place.
Aren is purpose-built for law applications. It has firm-specific data, Watson-Glaser tests, written exercises, a Cappfinity-style SJT tool, and a voice partner interviewer — none of which ChatGPT has. It also knows the UK training contract application process in depth and can tailor practice scenarios to your target firm.
Yes — it uses voice recognition so you speak your answers naturally, and the AI responds like a real partner would. It adapts to your answers, gives brief feedback after each question, and delivers a full debrief at the end with a score and specific improvements to work on.
Yes. The free tier gives you access to the advice chat, application tracker, and firm research — no credit card required. When you're ready for practice exercises and interview prep, you can upgrade to Aren+ or Aren Pro.
The knowledge base is updated regularly with TC deadlines, salary data, and firm news. Aren also uses live web search to find the latest information when you ask about current events or recent deals.
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