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

[stemlawgal]

Not me getting a VS offer yesterday and then only hours later testing positive for covid. Swings and roundabouts I guess? 😅

 

[Law1099]

Do vac schemes tend to tell you what practice area you’re sitting in before the scheme? Mines only 2 weeks away and haven’t heard yet

 

[Jessica Booker]

Do vac schemes tend to tell you what practice area you’re sitting in before the scheme? Mines only 2 weeks away and haven’t heard yet

Sometimes you won’t find out until your first day. Sometimes it will be earlier, but I wouldn’t worry to much if you don’t find out until the scheme starts.

 

[hungry_for_TC]

Can I ask did they call or send an email? Congrats btw

E-mailed at 3pm (ish) on Thurs :^)

 

[rightletsdothis]

Need advice. Both of the firms I have a VS with asked me to tell them my preference for alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages… at a restaurant this would be an easy question but … am I genuinely meant to email grad recruitment that I like gin & tonics and copious amounts of Coke Zero? And is this a normal thing firms ask??

 

[Jessica Booker]

Need advice. Both of the firms I have a VS with asked me to tell them my preference for alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages… at a restaurant this would be an easy question but … am I genuinely meant to email grad recruitment that I like gin & tonics and copious amounts of Coke Zero? And is this a normal thing firms ask??

They want to ensure everyone is catered for at the restaurant, and so it is a normal thing to ask for that particular social (they are probably pre ordering drinks for the drinks on arrival).

 

[James Carrabino]

Is it conventional to include incoming vacation schemes in the work experience section of applications? If so, how should this be framed in the corresponding details/description section?

You'll probably hear a lot of feedback to this saying "No, never put future work experience on your application because you haven't worked it yet" but I know from my past successes, no one in grad recruitment will reject you because you did so lol. I think you have about a 1 in a million chance that your amazing application will be binned because you put "incoming VC at amazing LLP." If you want to, do it. I've done it a few times for VS myself.

I agree with @DTS; a lot of people say not to but I did because I wanted firms to know that I had vac schemes and I thought that at worst they would just ignore it - would a recruiter really say 'I am going to reject James because it annoys me that he put future vac schemes under work experience'?

I figured that one week of online work experience (as vac schemes were when I was applying) was not much different whether it had been completed or not, especially since mine were primarily made of presentations with minimal amounts of work... the main thing was getting accepted onto the scheme!

I found that the percentage of my applications which got past the application stage went up dramatically after I started mentioning that I had future vac schemes in the work experience section of my applications, although this is purely anecdotal and was probably down to the fact that I had no other legal work experience.

Anyway, regardless of convention or what someone told me 'should' be done, I was happy to have included these future vac schemes!

 

[unserious candidate]

bit of a random question but do you get a graduation ceremony upon completion of the GDL or LLM loool

 

[Donuttime]

If my tc starts in 2024, when is it likely that I will start the LPC or SQE?

 

[ssolicitorz]

If my tc starts in 2024, when is it likely that I will start the LPC or SQE?

SQE for most firms!

 

[Donuttime]

SQE for most firms!

Okay thank you! So if a TC starts in 2024, when would a firm expect its new intake to complete their SQE. Would it be in July/September of 2023?

 

[ChloeL]

Hello, has anyone done the Mishcon de Reya video interview yet and can you offer any advice re how to prep 😊

 

[Jessica Booker]

Okay thank you! So if a TC starts in 2024, when would a firm expect its new intake to complete their SQE. Would it be in July/September of 2023?

Here are the expected assessment dates. You will most likely take the assessments closest to your start date.

 

[Rob93]

bit of a random question but do you get a graduation ceremony upon completion of the GDL or LLM loool

Yeah you should do. I didn't go to my GDL one and my LLM one has been postponed cause of covid, but to the best of my knowledge most schools do them.

 

[unserious candidate]

Okay thank you! So if a TC starts in 2024, when would a firm expect its new intake to complete their SQE. Would it be in July/September of 2023?

i’m starting in august 2024, my firm expects us to start sqe prep september 2023. hope this helps

 

[Law009]

Hi. I am in the process of applying to an international law firm for a TC and would really appreciate advice on whether I should mention a particular experience I have on the application form.

I am currently a paralegal and I sometimes have to work with Scottish lawyers and negotiate contractual terms with them.

I was thinking to somehow incorporate my experience in dealing with different legal jurisdictions as doing so entails excellent attention to detail to ensure that I am referring to the relevant laws which is a skill that I will be able to incorporate when working in an international firm, etc.

However, I am hesitant to include this within the application as I know that the jurisdictional rules that apply across the UK are largely similar. Do you think it would benefit me by mentioning this within my application?

 

[kr253]

Hi. I am in the process of applying to an international law firm for a TC and would really appreciate advice on whether I should mention a particular experience I have on the application form.

I am currently a paralegal and I sometimes have to work with Scottish lawyers and negotiate contractual terms with them.

I was thinking to somehow incorporate my experience in dealing with different legal jurisdictions as doing so entails excellent attention to detail to ensure that I am referring to the relevant laws which is a skill that I will be able to incorporate when working in an international firm, etc.

However, I am hesitant to include this within the application as I know that the jurisdictional rules that apply across the UK are largely similar. Do you think it would benefit me by mentioning this within my application?

Absolutely! I generally feel like you should include pretty much all experience in all applications as there are always transferrable skills, but this sounds particularly relevant to me!

 

[S87]

Hi guys,

Would you describe Stephenson Harwood as a medium-sized firm and compare it to Watson Farley or Reed Smith? I want to focus on the firm's international strategy which seems a bit on pause. The firm is strong in Asia, South-East Asia and Europe but it is not pushing further which could be also a positive considering the continental's growth.

What do you think?

 

[zizszhplum]

Anyone heard from Shoosmiths?

 

[zizszhplum]

If I have not had a vacation scheme offer yet, do I have any chance when applying to Training Contracts in upcoming months? Starting to lose hope while everyone around me seems to be getting offered 😔