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

[Jessica Booker]

I know this might not be relevant to the forum sorry for this.

A lot of my friends are applying for Legal Tech and Legal Operations roles at law firms like Slaughter and May, NRF, A&O and etc. I am thinking of going down the legal tech route but wanted to ask if I qualify in the legal tech route can I still in the future convert back to a solicitor or will I have to do the whole TC process again. Also, I am not talking about CC Ignite TC but am talking about legal tech and legal operations programmes.

What are your thoughts on this @Jaysen @Jessica Booker @AvniD @James Carrabino @George Maxwell

Apologies, I missed this.

If you accumulate qualifying work experience and pass the SQE, you wouldn't have to do a TC again. It is just whether the Tech roles you have mentioned would give you enough and the right exposure to work that could be signed off as qualifying work experience, and whether the firm would support you with the SQE.

 

[James Carrabino]

Hi everyone, please find my latest weekly interview insights post here and also check out the new Starred Thread Award on offer this week here! I hope everyone has an excellent week

 

[Asil Ahmad]

I'm not sure I fully understand your question- what do you mean by qualifying in the legal tech route?

Apologies, I missed this.

If you accumulate qualifying work experience and pass the SQE, you wouldn't have to do a TC again. It is just whether the Tech roles you have mentioned would give you enough and the right exposure to work that could be signed off as qualifying work experience, and whether the firm would support you with the SQE.

Thank you very much for this both of you.

@AvniD Sorry for the confusion what I meant is that lots of people are going down the legal tech route and legal operations route such as working on the tech side of law firms by working with companies like Fuse.

I wanted to ask if you qualify in the legal tech route and say that you don't like it and feel that you want to become a solicitor can you become a solicitor afterwards without going down the TC and SQE exams route. Also if you go down the legal tech route do you still have to pass the LPC and the SQE.

@Jessica Booker No need to apologise it is okay as you reply to my posts all the time so no worries and am so grateful for your great advice always.

Thank you very much for this it is really helpful.

Also, does anyone else know if you go down the legal tech and legal operations route do you have to pass the SQE or the LPC.

 

[GXA123]

Thank you very much for this both of you.

@AvniD Sorry for the confusion what I meant is that lots of people are going down the legal tech route and legal operations route such as working on the tech side of law firms by working with companies like Fuse.

I wanted to ask if you qualify in the legal tech route and say that you don't like it and feel that you want to become a solicitor can you become a solicitor afterwards without going down the TC and SQE exams route. Also if you go down the legal tech route do you still have to pass the LPC and the SQE.

@Jessica Booker No need to apologise it is okay as you reply to my posts all the time so no worries and am so grateful for your great advice always.

Thank you very much for this it is really helpful.

Also, does anyone else know if you go down the legal tech and legal operations route do you have to pass the SQE or the LPC.

from my own understanding it doesn't amount to a training contract, I think it is basically like any other graduate scheme, also I think most firms that would invest in you in that area would like to stay there! so it is something to consider if you are passionate about and would see yourself working in in the future, because it is not an easy route and could be harder than a tc because it is still new and developing and requires lots of innovation and maybe coding!

edit: they also don't require a legal background for applying therefore I don't think it could amount to qualifying as a solicitor (not sure about this).

Hope this helps a bit.

 

[NS95]

from my own understanding it doesn't amount to a training contract, I think it is basically like any other graduate scheme, also I think most firms that would invest in you in that area would like to stay there! so it is something to consider if you are passionate about and would see yourself working in in the future, because it is not an easy route and could be harder than a tc because it is still new and developing and requires lots of innovation and maybe coding!

edit: they also don't require a legal background for applying therefore I don't think it could amount to qualifying as a solicitor (not sure about this).

Hope this helps a bit.

And just to add! – when I looked at a couple of these schemes last year before securing a TC they mentioned very clearly whether any of the work could amount to qualifying work experience (I believe they didn't but I'd double check each one individually).

I would also add that there is no reason why you couldn't pursue one of the schemes and, if you feel that you still want to practice law as a solicitor while doing the work, you couldn't pursue a TC.

 

[Homer]

does anyone know how long it takes Mishcon to respond after a final stage interview for VS? took them about 7 months to reply to the app so not expecting much haha but open to being pleasantly surprised

 

[S87]

Has anyone heard back from SH regarding the AS scheme?

 

[OB]

I thought it was just the people who reached the AC stage but may be wrong

I have one post app which I'm quite shocked by!

 

[OB]

Thank you very much for this both of you.

@AvniD Sorry for the confusion what I meant is that lots of people are going down the legal tech route and legal operations route such as working on the tech side of law firms by working with companies like Fuse.

I wanted to ask if you qualify in the legal tech route and say that you don't like it and feel that you want to become a solicitor can you become a solicitor afterwards without going down the TC and SQE exams route. Also if you go down the legal tech route do you still have to pass the LPC and the SQE.

@Jessica Booker No need to apologise it is okay as you reply to my posts all the time so no worries and am so grateful for your great advice always.

Thank you very much for this it is really helpful.

Also, does anyone else know if you go down the legal tech and legal operations route do you have to pass the SQE or the LPC.

From my understanding you would do seats in different business services areas (e.g. at A&O you would go into project management, consulting etc). None of this work would be legal so you would not be any closer to qualifying as a solicitor, you would just have a really good inside knowledge of how law firms work 2 years down the line. You would also need to show how you're dedicated to business services and not just applying as a Plan B, and then explain later on at TC interviews why you went down that grad scheme and are now pursuing a TC.

 

[captainhilts]

anyone heard back from shoosmiths?

 

[AvniD]

Thank you very much for this both of you.

@AvniD Sorry for the confusion what I meant is that lots of people are going down the legal tech route and legal operations route such as working on the tech side of law firms by working with companies like Fuse.

I wanted to ask if you qualify in the legal tech route and say that you don't like it and feel that you want to become a solicitor can you become a solicitor afterwards without going down the TC and SQE exams route. Also if you go down the legal tech route do you still have to pass the LPC and the SQE.

@Jessica Booker No need to apologise it is okay as you reply to my posts all the time so no worries and am so grateful for your great advice always.

Thank you very much for this it is really helpful.

Also, does anyone else know if you go down the legal tech and legal operations route do you have to pass the SQE or the LPC.

Thank you for clarifying! I think @Jessica Booker, @GXA123, @NS95 and @OB have given you fantastic responses already and I couldn't agree more!

 

[dcriangrcy]

Yeah course. It was 18 mins long, some firm related questions basically (why law, how do firms run as businesses), some situational questions like how do you make relationships with people, and then the rest were competencies. It was definitely one of the harder first round interviews I did but I think they want you to think on your feet so they don’t ask the genetic questions you’d expect. I’d say just know your main competencies like how you work in a team, how do you interact with people etc and you’ll be fine!

thank you so much!! super helpful

 

[Sweety_512]

anyone heard back from shoosmiths?

Nope not heard anything yet

 

[WillkieGemma]

I look at it slightly differently as it definitely gives more people a chance to shine than it would without

I was very anti video interviews back in 2013/14 when they first started to come in. However, I started a project for a law firm and they needed to improve the diversity of their intakes, and the massive problem they had was they were making a really strict cut at the application stage, of about 1500 applications down to 60-70 candidates to see at first round interview stage.

That meant they had to make really harsh cuts based on things like a couple of percentage point differences in law module results or tiny writing errors. It was sometimes the case that people had excellent applications but didn’t come across well in person too (eg in a full 60 minute interview) and the partners dedicating their time to interviewing wanted a higher hit rate at interview).

Using video interviews the firm got about 200 people to have the chance to shine at interview stage, so over three times the amount. The hit rate at the first round interview increased dramatically and the intake of trainees diversified both in terms of ethnicity, social background, university and degree subject.

I have seen a lot of success since then.

I understand the awkwardness of them, but as far as I am concerned they are one of the best tools out there to select people down in the initial stages. My only concern is when AI is used to assess them (I am not sure any of the law firms do this - I am pretty sure they all still use people to review the videos) as some of the methods to design the AI and also the data sets for it are particularly questionable in my opinion.

@Jessica Booker I couldn't agree with this more. Using video interviews means I can interview triple the number of people I would be able to if it were a telephone interview etc. I also know they are awkward, but I only focus on what the person is saying, ie content, rather than how they are saying it.

 

[Maddiefretwell]

Nope not heard anything yet

I haven’t heard anything either!! I think they said we should hear something by the end of next week?

 

[Sweety_512]

I haven’t heard anything either!! I think they said we should hear something by the end of next week?

Yeah they did 🤞

 

[Homer]

mishcon vac scheme offer! v much tapping out of the app season now! thank you to all on the forum who gave insight and advice, v grateful for all of it.

 

[Maddiefretwell]

Yeah they did 🤞

Massive good luck to you, fingers crossed for positive news!!

 

[Sweety_512]

Massive good luck to you, fingers crossed for positive news!!

Thank you! Good luck to you too! Hopefully they don't keep us waiting until the very last day again!!!

 

[Ameliaa]

Has anyone heard back from Womble Bond Dickinson? I saw them upload a post about video interviews today so I'm wondering if they have started handing them out?