TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[nathan5996]

Love this advice and thanks for sharing. But I can’t help but feel my heart sink on the point about the LPC/SQE. I have completed a law degree but simply cannot afford to self fund the SQE. Putting the burden on my family would also be out of the question. Even a government masters loan would not include the £5000 or so required to book and sit the exams. I’m totally not shooting the messenger here as I thank you for sharing this advice, but I would encourage the partner who you spoke to think about ‘jumping straight into the SQE/LPC’ a bit more from the perspective of an average income household background law graduate.

Trust me, I am in exactly the same position. I completely understand the lack of consideration given to perspectives outside his own experience, bear in mind he qualified some time ago and with a TC straight from university. I don't think it's fair to assume everyone is able to self-fund, but if you can, it appears to be the way to go. My advice previously was based on the idea that this candidate had already undergone the very expensive process of GDL and multiple post graduate degrees on top of his undergrad.

As for everyone who isn't necessarily as fortunate. Please go and have a look at the LLM SQE process. As far as I know, not only does it qualify for a postgraduate loan, but it goes up to nearly 13 grand that is inclusive of the booking fee for the exams. On top of that you are able to do it outside of London, allowing for a lower cost of living if you were to house share in Leeds like some people I know. This combined with the potential scholarship options from BPP might allow you to bridge the gap.

 

[Chris Brown]

Love this advice and thanks for sharing. But I can’t help but feel my heart sink on the point about the LPC/SQE. I have completed a law degree but simply cannot afford to self fund the SQE. Putting the burden on my family would also be out of the question. Even a government masters loan would not include the £5000 or so required to book and sit the exams. I’m totally not shooting the messenger here as I thank you for sharing this advice, but I would encourage the partner who you spoke to think about ‘jumping straight into the SQE/LPC’ a bit more from the perspective of an average income household background law graduate. However, my commitment to practising law will always remain the same as someone who has self funded. Peace and love🫶🏼

My understanding of the original post was if a person is in the position of being able to do postgrad studies e.g., LLM’s in specialist areas of law, why haven’t they chose to do the LPC/SQE instead to qualify much sooner. By doing masters in specific areas of commercial law, it is possible that a candidate would be perceived to be less open to other practice areas (which may or may not be true). 🙂🙂

If someone can’t afford self-funding postgrad studies, it would make sense if they choose to not do a masters, LPC or SQE because of financial circumstances. For a partner to question this person’s commitment to a legal career would be unfair. I think there is now a stronger understanding of social mobility and how talent comes from all backgrounds. So I imagine partners would not expect people from socially mobile backgrounds to self fund postgrad courses without the security of a TC.

Getting a TC is also a lot more competitive now than it used to be. I remember at an open day a partner said that when they got their TC it involved a meeting with partners. Now there are WGTs and SJTs, VI’s, AC’s and all the other kinds of assessments. This makes it a lot harder to secure TC’s. I guess that’s why the SRA chose to introduce the SQE/QWE route, to increase the access into the legal profession.

I wouldn’t worry too much because people’s individual circumstances are different. 🙂🙂

I come from a socially mobile background myself as well. 🥲​

 

[FutureTraineeMaybe]

Osborne Clarke virtual AC!

Congratulations!!!! Can i ask when you applied/which office it was for?

 

[PFOenthusiast]

Is this for London?

This is for the Bristol office

 

[PFOenthusiast]

Congratulations!!!! Can i ask when you applied/which office it was for?

Thank you! I applied on the day of the deadline, for the Bristol office

 

[andrecsaa]

For the first question, while I do not have a lot of prior knowledge about the firm, I do believe Chambers and Legal 500 rankings are good indicators for a firm's practice area focus and strengths. Based on that, it seems like Winston & Strawn is not simply a litigation boutique, but that it covers a wider array of practices to service a wider client base. Looking at its Legal 500 rankings (as Chambers only ranks its finance department), we see the firm is recognized for:

• Transactional: for finance, particularly bank lending; for corporate, particularly mid market corporate M&A and PE;
• Disputes: general commercial litigation; particularly high rankings also in international arbitration and class action defence for product liability (the highest rankings of all its practices, which I think explains the firm's reputation for disputes)
• Advisory: competition law; also its aviation and sports practices;

For the second question my interpretation would partly depend on what other questions are asked in the application form. Nonetheless, all other things being equal, I would bring the scope down to something along the lines of 'What aspects of work/types of work/work environments motivate me to excel?'. Then, I would name and expand on two or three characteristics that I can link with an experience. Finally I would make a connection to the career of a commercial solicitor and try to explain how my motivations are aligned with it.

Can I mention that one or more partners are consistently ranked, even if the firm's department is not ranked?

I am researching a firm for the direct TC, and they have two partners ranked in practices I am interested in, but the departments are not ranked.

 

[icebear]

What office are you applying for!

Reading

 

[RandomFlyer]

Congratulations! Can I please ask if this is for the summer vac scheme or direct TC? If it is for the VS, when did you do the watson glaser?

It was for the Summer Vac.

I submitted my application in early January and did the Watson Glaser on the 24th of January. My deadline for the WG was for 9:30am today.

 

[isabelle888]

White & Case interview! Any insights please message me, happy to share some of my own

 

[Toomanypfo]

Would it look really bad if I have a script with me when I give a presentation during interview

 

[Star Light]

If you've done the Kirkland insight day/interview, please pm me too! I can provide AC insights for Skadden/Latham/S&M.

Does anyone know what to expect at Kirkland interview/ insight day? Please pm me. Cheers

Is this for the assessment day or the final interview post assessment day?

 

[sooae]

It was for the Summer Vac.

I submitted my application in early January and did the Watson Glaser on the 24th of January. My deadline for the WG was for 9:30am today.

Hello! Congrats! Can I ask when you received you WG invite? Thanks!

 

[RandomFlyer]

Hello! Congrats! Can I ask when you received you WG invite? Thanks!

Also on the 24th of Jan. I completed it same-day.

 

[Chris Brown]

Would it look really bad if I have a script with me when I give a presentation during interview

If it’s a reasonable adjustment that you have requested I don’t see why it would look bad to the interviewer from their perspective. 🙂🙂

I think it would be preferable if you wrote bullet points down though instead of reading off a script. That way you have a structure in mind and keep the presentation more conversational and flexible. This is more important because they could ask you certain questions while you are delivering the presentation.

I think @Jessica Booker can give you a better answer than this one because idk for sure. 🙂🙂​

 

[sooae]

Also on the 24th of Jan. I completed it same-day.

Ah I see! I completed mine yesterday and have not heard back 😭

 

[lawstudent2]

Heya @lawstudent2

I think taking 3-4 minutes for the big questions (e.g. why law, why the firm, and why you) is absolutely fine. What’s most important is that the interviewer can follow and recall the main points of your answer, and this is where structure becomes essential. Summarising your key points briefly at the beginning and wrapping up with a conclusion at the end can really help the interviewer remember your answer.

I’d also recommend practising with someone, whether a friend, mentor, or even recording yourself. Ask them to summarise your answer afterward to check whether your main points were clear and memorable. For these longer questions, make sure you're not cramming in too much detail and rushing through your answer to fit the 3-4 minute timeframe. Prioritise depth over breadth where possible.

For other types of questions, aiming for 2-3 minutes with a clear structure should work well. If you feel like answering off the cuff will lead you to waffle, I'd recommend just taking a minute to think about the main points you want to hit. Overall, always focus on answering the question directly, and and keep in mind what you think will allow your interviewer to best recall the main points you've made.

Thank you that's super helpful

 

[lawstudent2]

I believe this depends on the length of the interview. For questions like “Why law?” or “Why this firm?”, you should aim to spend two to three minutes answering each in a thirty-minute interview. That’s enough time to make your points clearly without dragging on. If the interview is longer, such as an hour, you can take closer to three to four minutes to add a bit more detail.

The key is to hit your main reasons quickly and confidently. Start with your strongest point first. For example, with “Why law?”, lead with what sparked your interest or what keeps you motivated. Then follow with something more personal or reflective to show depth. For “Why this firm?”, focus on specific things that set them apart, like their work in a particular sector, and link that back to your career goals.

Practising how you deliver these answers is crucial. Your vocal tone and confidence in what you are saying will make all the difference. A strong start will help prevent interruptions and keep the conversation flowing naturally. Another thing is to not practice too heavily for such questions - and I appreciate this may sound contradictory to all I’ve said. Pre-prepped answers can always be caught, and you want these passions to sound natural. You should still know your main drivers from within though, and fall back on these during the interview.

The idea is to balance being concise with showing that you’ve put thought into your answers.

Thank you so much that's super helpful

 

[BobThebIlly]

Ah I see! I completed mine yesterday and have not heard back 😭

Same!

 

[lolololol]

anyone have insight into the wbd test?

 

[InterestInPublicLaw]

Hi all, has anyone heard back from

• Mishcon de Reya Spring Vac Scheme post-video interview?
• Birketts vac scheme post app?
• Penningtons vac scheme post app?
• Irwin Mitchell post-app/online assessment?