TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[trainee4u]

this is amazing thank you so much for writing this! was there any mention of when to expect to hear back post-test?

Presumably not until after the test deadline of 20 February.

 

[yeezyee]

cleary ac 🥲would appreciate any insights

ahh congrats!! when did u do the wg?

 

[Chris Brown]

cleary ac 🥲would appreciate any insights

Huge congrats that’s major. 🥳

 

[zonnonomo]

ahh congrats!! when did u do the wg?

thank you! did wg on the 7th this month

 

[SSR27]

should i assume NRF pfo post-vi?🫠

in the same position as you, lets hope the future vac schemes we are waiting to hear back will be a more positive outcome!

 

[Someoneinlaw]

RPC PFO about an hour ago - never received a Watson glazer invite so I sort of anticipated it!

 

[VacSchemer]

RPC PFO about an hour ago - never received a Watson glazer invite so I sort of anticipated it!

I also suspect a PFO for the ones who finished their WGTs after AC allocations🥲

 

[Andrei Radu]

NRF AC!

@Andrei Radu Could you link again the insights to the NRF ac pls? i remember seeing a post about it over the last day or so but can't seem to find it.

if anyone else has any insights, that would be greatly appreciated!

for reference - completed VI on tuesday, received invite today at 2.15pm

Huge congrats on the AC! Here's the links to the resources I found:

• An older post with a general interview experience
• A 2020 thread discussing telephone interview experiences
• A 2025 post on a telephone interview experience (available via the premium database)

 

[yeezyee]

thank you! did wg on the 7th this month

ah me too 🥲🥲🥲 thanks for the update and good luck!

 

[BillSikes]

I also suspect a PFO for the ones who finished their WGTs after AC allocations🥲

Their aint no way they'd be losing 50% of their applicants.

 

[VacSchemer]

Their aint no way they'd be losing 50% of their applicants.

But I wonder if they would have another round of ACs to filter thru this 50% though

 

[ashwright]

Hi guys, does anybody have experience/advice in completing the Assessment Centre for Linklaters' Vacation Scheme that they would be willing to share?

I have experience at AO Shearman, CMS, Reed Smith, and Dechert that I would be happy to give in return.

Thanks.

Hi super sorry I don’t have any experience but wanted to check if you could share what the slots are looking like? Are they quite full/is there only a few days etc.?
Thank you and all the best 🍀

 

[BillSikes]

But I wonder if they would have another round of ACs to filter thru this 50% though

from last years thread. They wouldn't send WG if there were no more ACs. 31 Jan was first AC last year apparently.

 

[simplyfaith]

If Goodwin passes me to the face-to-face interview, I promise to make them Greatwin

 

[BillSikes]

I e-mailed RPC today btw asking if more ACs are to be held. whether they will reply - or give a proper answer - is to be seen.

 

[jacksollaf]

from last years thread. They wouldn't send WG if there were no more ACs. 31 Jan was first AC last year apparently.

View attachment 6863

I saw on LinkedIn someone announce that they secured a summer vs at RPC... So idk, I think I got a nice PFO

 

[VacSchemer]

from last years thread. They wouldn't send WG if there were no more ACs. 31 Jan was first AC last year apparently.

View attachment 6863

Ah thanks for that, it is very reassuring to know! Gives me a bit of hope but either way I guess we will find out by the end of the month.

 

[theruleofno]

THE WAIT IS OVER. Linklaters SVS AC. 77% with a tick. I got 93 on the WG

 

[Chris Brown]

THE WAIT IS OVER. Linklaters SVS AC. 77% with a tick. I got 93 on the WG

Congrats! 93 on the WG is crazy! 🤯🐐

 

[Andrei Radu]

Hi, I have an AC coming up and one of the exercises requires an in-depth knowledge of the firm, understanding how it works etc. This may be a dumb question, but I was wondering if anyone could tell me how to research the firm. I’ve gone through the website and found a few deals, but I’ve not really been able to gain an understanding of the firm’s operations. Any insights will be greatly appreciated. For context, it’s a US-headquartered international law firm @Ram Sabaratnam @Andrei Radu

Hi @Lizzy that is a great question and I do not think I have tackled this topic in depth before! People have different research methods which can yield equally good results. But if I were to explain my research philosophy, the starting point would be to "split" the law firm up between a number of different categories, which I would then represent as subheadings in my Firm Research document. Among the categories I used I included: Firm Basics, Financial Results, Business Strategy and Outlook, Main Practice Areas, Deals/Cases, Client Base, Awards & Recognition, Training Programme Details, Lateral Hires and Other News, Culture, DEI, and Pro Bono. This helped me immensely not just in better organizing the information I found, but in knowing what to look for.

In terms of the steps I took and the resources I used, I followed the approach bellow:

1. First, get the 'Firm Basics' right: what is its size, what countries does it have offices in, what work is it known for, what does its history look like and in particular what does its history in London look like etc.
2. Then, using a combination of searches using key terms on Google, the firm's own website and their LinkedIn account, try to fill as much information under those headings as you can.
3. Thirdly, use Chambers Student Guide, Chambers UK 2025 and Chambers Global; but also Legal 500 and for US firms Vault 2025 to get (i) a good firm overview; and (ii) a deeper analysis of practice area/sector expertise.
4. Fourthly, use the wider legal press to find out more insights on all of the previous points, but in particular for practice area expertise and business performance compared to competitors. Here I advise you to simply type the name of the firm in the search bar of the following publications: The Lawyer, Law.com, Bloomberg Law, The Global Legal Post, Business Law, and sometimes even Legal Cheeck. Some require a subscription but you may be able to access without paying using your university account.
5. Fifth, if the time allows for it look if there are any further resources you can use, such as podcasts and youtube channels - some done by the firm itself, and some run by the legal press (see The Lawyer's, Bloomberg Law, and Law, Disrupted).