TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[FutureTraineeMaybe]

Really hoping for good news for us this week!!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hey all - recognise this may not be the best place to ask this but slightly stressed and not sure any other pages receive quite as many viewers.

Have received a TC offer to start August 2027, and need to complete PGDL as well as SQE beforehand. My offer expires early March, and have only finished deliberating now (signing tomorrow). I went onto Ulaw to enrol into Sep 2025 courses, but the only options there for either London campus are part-time courses? Same story for BPP.

Have I missed all the places for full-time PGDL study this September? I must be missing something because this can't make any sense. How could I be too late to apply and get a place on these courses if my offer letter hasn't even expired yet? Moreover, there are loads of interviews and TC offers still to be released for 2027 start, and I assume a bunch of people who need to enrol in the Sep 25 PGDL courses too.

Please someone tell me I'm not crazy and I am missing something!!!

Congratulations on your TC.

I strongly suspect this is not correct. I would call the universities to speak to them, assuming your firm does not have a preferred supplier. If the firm does, then they are likely to have a reserved place for you anyway.

It’s definitely not to late to apply - these universities are selling places in the weeks before the programme starts and even then the courses are massively under sold and typically are only about 50% full.

 

[Jessica Booker]

A bit of a random question...

Also not sure why I am worrying about this considering I don't even have a TC offer yet. But, you know, manifesting and whatnot....

Does anyone know if it's possible to do the SQE part-time/remotely? The paralegals at my firm are working full-time AND sitting exams for SQE1 and SQE2. Crazy. The reason why I ask is because honestly if it's possible to do it remotely for most firms on a case-by-case basis if you request it, I would love to be able to move overseas somewhere for a couple of months instead of paying disgusting rent in the UK and suffering in this weather during winter 😭

If you have enough time before your TC starting then part time might be an option where firms do not have bespoke SQE prep courses.

I would expect those firms who use BARBRI would be flexible particularly with location as it’s effectively an online course.

I’d also say the higher the maintenance grant, the more likely there won’t be flexibility with location as that grant is calculated on the basis of you living in the location of their preferred supplier.

Firms may consider personal circumstances on a case by case basis - but I think it would need to be something more substantial than just wanting to be out of the U.K. (and that could raise a bit of a red flag to them too).

 

[allenpopi]

Hi! Does anyone have any tips on how to read/digest case info fast? I find that I never have enough time on ACs to understand the case

 

[YL]

Fieldfisher DAS post AC PFO! Great start to the week

 

[Chris Brown]

Hoping Travers Smith will get back to us this week or next with either a partner interview invite or a PFO. At this point my reaction will be the same because the waiting is long asf. 🥲​

 

[Maddy]

Any news from PW?

 

[OliverTwist]

Hoping Travers Smith will get back to us this week or next with either a partner interview invite or a PFO. At this point my reaction will be the same because the waiting is long asf. 🥲​

Have they sent out any interview invites yet? Apologies if it has been mentioned on here already, I have been off for a while!

 

[Chris Brown]

Have they sent out any interview invites yet? Apologies if it has been mentioned on here already, I have been off for a while!

I’ve seen around 4-5 invites on the forum so far and someone said they send interview invites out until early/mid March. I imagine after that we can assume it’s a PFO. 🥲​

 

[OliverTwist]

I’ve seen around 3-4 invites on the forum so far and someone said they send them out until early/mid March. I imagine after that we can assume PFO. 🥲​

Ah bummer, can't say it was a top choice anyhow!

 

[yk1906]

I think generally, firms don't do this, as it's too costly when hiring someone for 2 weeks. I think White & Case does and there may be other US firms who do it.

I am not an immigration lawyer, but I have heard there is simply no type of suitable short-term visa for 2 weeks of paid work.

 

[g.cl.2020344]

Quick Q- I’m final year non law and will do my PGDL in Sept. I have a vac scheme offer and an AC coming up for another firm- should i enrol myself at ULaw for September just in case I can’t convert my vac scheme and still have a spot there? @Jessica Booker thank you!

 

[Andrei Radu]

Hi guys, please what’s the best way to address a partner , an associate and a client when writing an email or a letter to them in a written exercise? So for instance would you say “Hi …..” or “Dear ….” , for a client, would you say Mr or Mrs / Hi… followed by their names / Sir or madam?

I normally used 'Hi [name of the addressee]' if there was implied familiarity from the details of the written exercise or if they were someone in the firm who was not very senior. If they were either a client or a partner/counsel and familiarity was not implied, I simply used 'Dear [name of the addressee]'. I never included a Mr/Mrs/Ms or sir/madam as I did not want to make any assumptions about gender or marital status. From my vacation scheme experiences, the emails I have seen associates send looked much the same in terms of address form, so I am quite sure this is an ok approach to follow.

 

[fitzer401]

Linklaters PFO

 

[kuuks_]

Any news from PW?

did everyone still waiting apply for summer?

 

[Kodak123]

Quick Q- I’m final year non law and will do my PGDL in Sept. I have a vac scheme offer and an AC coming up for another firm- should i enrol myself at ULaw for September just in case I can’t convert my vac scheme and still have a spot there? @Jessica Booker thank you!

I know this is for Jessica, but I’d strongly advise so. I was in the same position last year, and didn’t convert my vac scheme into TC. However, my final TC interview was at the end of August, so I think just depends on when your vac scheme is? If it’s earlier, and you get a decision before September, then no need to enroll just now.

 

[Andrei Radu]

I have managed to get past application stage for a few firms even though I am certain I had some typos and spag errors (White & Case, Willkie, BCLP and Paul, Weiss). I missed the , for Paul, Weiss at least 3x in my application and I have an interview soon. I’m lowkey worried they might ask about it. 🥲​

I remember the graduate recruiter at Paul, Weiss said that for the first stage application review they would have an automatic spelling and grammar check. If you passed that, I doubt they would focus much on it at a later point. I do however believe this applies more broadly. I had a few typos in 3/6 of the applications that led me to an AC and was never asked about. Moreover, I did mock interviews for a number of different people who had upcoming ACs and were worried about a typo or spelling error and once again this was never raised in an interview. I think at the stage of the AC most firms do not do much more than taking a quick look over the application - so if the typos were missed by them at a stage when the written answers were a lot more in focus, I doubt they would find them now.

 

[SamiyaJ]

did everyone still waiting apply for summer?

I applied for both spring and summer!

 

[Steakbake]

Not one but 3 Linklaters PFO emails. Think I got the message 😂 😂

 

[0800KP]

Linklaters PFO Summer VS