TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)

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futuretraineecity

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Does anyone have any tips for questions at the end of the interview that I can tailor to the practice area of the interviewer? I don’t know the interviewers’ practices but might prepare the main ones just incase
 

John Doe

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Anyone who got the Reed Smith holding email over the weekend heard back from them this week? (Slightly asking this to manifest a reply for us all today)

I think no one who received the holding email has heard anything yet. I guess they are just waiting to mass eliminate us together 😅 Can't see any silver lining from this waiting given the first AC slot is taking place in 4 days I believe???
 
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Jessica Booker

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Does anyone have any tips for questions at the end of the interview that I can tailor to the practice area of the interviewer? I don’t know the interviewers’ practices but might prepare the main ones just incase
You don’t have to tailor your questions to the interviewers practice area, especially if it isn’t an area you are actually that interested in.

The interview is about you, not about them, and so your questions do not need to be tailored to them unless they are also relevant/important to you.
 
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Parsorandini

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I think no one who received the holding email has heard anything yet. I guess they are just waiting to mass eliminate us together 😅 Can't see any silver lining from this waiting given the first AC slot is taking place in 4 days I believe???
Surely if we were all getting rejected by then they would have just done it by now? Am I being overly optimistic? 😂
 

George Maxwell

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Freshfields AC! My first ever so I’m rly anxious. I feel like I have insufficient commercial knowledge and that it would be an issue esp in the analytical interview 😓 Any advice/resources on how I can brush up on everything, including the basics (bc what are counted as the commercial basics that I must know?)? The AC is in two weeks time.

OH MY GOD just got FF AC invite??
I literally did the WG yesterday??
appreciate any tips on FF AC!!! 😭

Hi @rayemuse and @YUKI1201,

This is fantastic news. Congratulations for getting progressed to interview!

So first thing I would do is check out this post. It has a compilation of links which are useful for ACs in general. In particular, I would check out @Jacob Miller's articles (linked). These are invaluable(!).

In terms of more specific information about the FFs interview, I know @WannabeSolicitor24 has completed their interview, so it might be worth messaging them.

I believe that there is an article discussion involved. This post might be useful preparation specifically for article interviews.

I have been told the interviewers can question you on key commercial, or other teminology too. So try to identify key words in the article that you are given and have a think a. about what it means and b. how this concept/term can become important/useful in a commercial context.

I hope that helps! I am always happy to help.

Do let me know too when you find out 🙌

Hi all, just out of curiosity, if you have two summer VS and you receive a TC after the first scheme, are you allowed to still participate in the VS at another firm and decide to accept/decline the TC offer afterwards?

I would advise speaking with the firm and being completely upfront about it. Be clear with your reasoning (e.g., money, experience, wish to make an informed decision). It is risky completing a vacation scheme after accepting a training contract offer.

The firms that I completed vacation schemes with explicitly required me to confirm that I had not accepted a TC elsewhere. It might also be deemed dishonest if you have accepted with one firm, but do a vacation scheme with another after accepting. Doing it without being honest seems like a very risky option with little upside.

Hypothetical question:

In the fortunate situation that one gets offered several vacation scheme offers and it ends up that they overlap ( eg. one is 1 july - 20 July and the other one is 17 july - 30 july), is there any alternative or is the only solution available to do just one of them?

Can you for example ask GR to do a Spring Scheme instead of SVS for one of them or would that be innappropriate?

Follow up questions
As ACs and responses after ACs come at different times for different firms, and let's say one gets a SVS offer and chooses a date for it. Then one does a later AC and gets another SVS and the dates overlap and one wants to do the second SVS more, are there any consequences if one cancels the first SVS?

Is a SVS offer without actually doing the SVS still something to put on your CV / LinkedIn?

Any guidance for this hypothetical situation would be much appreciated

Hi @pizzamalia,

Wow! Well done for getting several vacation scheme offers!

If I were you, I would ask your less preferred firm, whether you can transfer to one of their other vacation schemes (the earlier the better as with notice this is more likely than if you ask last minute). If they say no, you could even ask your preferred firm the same question. You will not be rejected/have your offer reneged for asking whether it is possible to change dates, it is a completely fair question. Personally, I think you are entitled to seek as much information as you can from both firms to make the best decision for your future.

If both firms say it is not possible, then you will have to choose your preferred firm unfortunately.

With regards to your second question, I would do what is best for you. Some people drop out because they have completed and have accepted training contract elsewhere (as well as for other reasons).

Hi George,

Thank you for this. It is for their summer vacation scheme.

Hi @art,

I would check out the posts that I have listed above in reply to @rayemuse and @YUKI1201.

Do reach out if I can help in any other way too!

HSF AC!! 🤯🤯 This is my first post here but I've been keeping up with these threads for a few months now and all of the advice and support given by everyone here has been amazing to see :) I've definitely used some of the advice given in my own applications so for that I'm really thankful to everyone here!!

(..and on a side note if anyone has any HSF-specific/commercial awareness/general AC advice I would be extremely grateful as this will be my first one ever!!)

Hey @Giovanna!

I am really pleased for you. HSF is a fantastic firm!

I listed my biggest tips for HSF's AC here. I would also suggest checking out the general AC tips I list earlier in this post.

I hope that helps :)

Hi! Does anyone have experience with Kirkland & Ellis AC? Would be much appreciated please!

Hey @YJ,

I am unsure whether it is the same format as when I did it (online last year). What have you been told so far? I just want to make sure I am not giving incorrect advice as it may well have changed since I did it!

Does anyone have tips regarding how to nail competency questions in video interviews? I always just end up waffling and giving long winded answers..... i dont know how to pass the video interview stage lol

Hi @LSELawsolicitor,

Agreed these are tough. It sounds like you could really benefit from adopting a clear structure in your answers.

This and this post might be help.

Always here to answer any follow-ups!

a firm has offered me a VS and asked me to confirm Scheme Dates 1. What if i get another offer from a firm that runs at the exact same time, would I be able to change to Scheme Dates 2 at the first firm? @Jessica Booker
Hi @thelovelygiraffe,

The advice that I gave @pizzamalia above might be useful in this situation.

I am very happy to answer any other questions you might have on this if it would be helpful :)
 
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