TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

[axelbeugre]

Holding myself accountable (again):

Willkie Farr & Gallagher ✅📼📝
Covington & Burling ✅
Shearman & Sterling ✅
White & Case ✅📼
Milbank ✅
Ropes & Gray ✅
Arnold & Porter ✅
Sullivan & Cromwell ✅
Latham & Watkins ✅
Kirkland & Ellis ✅
Skadden Arps ✅
Vinson & Elkins ✅
Weil Gotshal & Manges ✅
Akin ✅
Gibson Dunn ✅❌
Goodwin ✅
Cleary Gottlieb ✅
Paul Hastings ✅
Ashurst ✅ 📝❌
Macfarlanes ✅📝
Mayer Brown ✅📝
King & Spalding?
Winston & Strawn?
Morgan Lewis ✅
Fried Frank (1st January)
Orrick ✅
Dechert ✅
Cooley ✅
Morrison Foerster ✅
Slaughter and May ✅❌

✅ = application; 📝 = test/written exercise; 📼 = VI, ❌ = PFO.

Three PFOs, but honestly, the excitement you get even just getting an open-day invite or a VI makes it all worthwhile.

Amazing! And I agree, when I was applying I used to get so excited for VI or interview invites and it does make it all worthwhile so keep going!

 

[s9111]

Anyone heard back for Slaughters summer scheme (law or non-law)?

 

[Mike Wazaoski]

Holding myself accountable (again):

Willkie Farr & Gallagher ✅📼📝
Covington & Burling ✅
Shearman & Sterling ✅
White & Case ✅📼
Milbank ✅
Ropes & Gray ✅
Arnold & Porter ✅
Sullivan & Cromwell ✅
Latham & Watkins ✅
Kirkland & Ellis ✅
Skadden Arps ✅
Vinson & Elkins ✅
Weil Gotshal & Manges ✅
Akin ✅
Gibson Dunn ✅❌
Goodwin ✅
Cleary Gottlieb ✅
Paul Hastings ✅
Ashurst ✅ 📝❌
Macfarlanes ✅📝
Mayer Brown ✅📝
King & Spalding?
Winston & Strawn?
Morgan Lewis ✅
Fried Frank (1st January)
Orrick ✅
Dechert ✅
Cooley ✅
Morrison Foerster ✅
Slaughter and May ✅❌

✅ = application; 📝 = test/written exercise; 📼 = VI, ❌ = PFO.

Three PFOs, but honestly, the excitement you get even just getting an open-day invite or a VI makes it all worthwhile.

How long do you spend on each application?
Do you have suggestions for balancing quality and volume?

 

[Tintin06]

How long do you spend on each application?
Do you have suggestions for balancing quality and volume?

A day. I'd suggest keeping your work experience material handy as well. Be careful though since some forms will allow you to write up to 250 words for work experience and some 150. I'd say make a calendar based on deadlines and your schedule.

 

[Mike Wazaoski]

A day. I'd suggest keeping your work experience material handy as well. Be careful though since some forms will allow you to write up to 250 words for work experience and some 150. I'd say make a calendar based on deadlines and your schedule.

I have a bank of my work experience answers which definitely does help.

It’s the firm specific unique research which I feel takes longer!

Do you have key criteria that you use to compare the firms?

 

[h79]

Hey, on the Taylor Wessing vac scheme application at the top of the form it says writing a cover letter and cv is not required, and i got this confirmed at their open day so you should be fine without it

'Not required' is a bit vague though? Would grad recruitment see it as a benefit to have a cover letter attached? Unsure on this.

 

[Ash2323]

Hello everyone! Anyone else a bit stuck on Gowling WLG's question: Why is ESG important to Gowling WLG, and how can lawyers proactively promote ESG best practices in the commercial world? (350 words)

Do we approach it as Gowling WLG as a business or more the ESG work they do for their clients?

Many thanks

 

[Ash2323]

'Not required' is a bit vague though? Would grad recruitment see it as a benefit to have a cover letter attached? Unsure on this.

Sorry it was just my wording that was vague, it is definitely not needed for vac scheme applications, my guess is they have the same format for all their job openings so that is why it is even there.

 

[rebeccar]

anyone got any tips for the DLA Piper VI? Any hints on how best to prep? Any advice would be much appreciated, thanks!!

 

[Ellewoodz]

Sorry it was just my wording that was vague, it is definitely not needed for vac scheme applications, my guess is they have the same format for all their job openings so that is why it is even there.

Grad Rec said not to upload it. They’re not looking at any cover letters for vac scheme.

 

[elyse]

I also got my WG score back from Linklaters I got 15% Percentile but I got 23/40 questions right which means I scored 57% accuracy. Does that mean I passed the test right - I am confused??

From what I understand you are judged against other people's scores. Unfortunately, Links also carry your grade forward so you can't redo it.

 

[AmberLawApply]

Irwin Mitchell VI invite!

How long did it take you to hear after doing the online assessment??! Congratulations by the way!

 

[AmberLawApply]

irwin mitchell VI invite! if anyone has tips or has done VI's with them before i'd reeeeally appreciate it as it's my first VI ever

Congratulations, how long did it take to hear back after the online assessment?!

 

[h79]

Grad Rec said not to upload it. They’re not looking at any cover letters for vac scheme.

Thanks for this ! Saved me some time.

 

[Tintin06]

I have a bank of my work experience answers which definitely does help.

It’s the firm specific unique research which I feel takes longer!

Do you have key criteria that you use to compare the firms?

I look at practice areas using Chambers & Partners and Legal 500. I prefer Legal 500 because it mentions specific clients as well as practice groups. I also use The Lawyer (mostly pay-walled but the 'What The Lawyer Says' rundowns for each firm are incredibly useful, especially for financials like PEP or revenue growth (e.g. here's one I used for finding out about Sullivan & Cromwell). Legal Cheek and Chambers Student, and Roll on Friday are good. I hope this helps.

 

[NJS]

A day. I'd suggest keeping your work experience material handy as well. Be careful though since some forms will allow you to write up to 250 words for work experience and some 150. I'd say make a calendar based on deadlines and your schedule.

Damn how can you do it in a day takes me more than that just to research a firm!

 

[Tintin06]

Damn how can you do it in a day takes me more than that just to research a firm!

See my previous post. Those sites can definitely help.

 

[EliteWhovian]

Holding myself accountable (again):

Willkie Farr & Gallagher ✅📼📝
Covington & Burling ✅
Shearman & Sterling ✅
White & Case ✅📼
Milbank ✅
Ropes & Gray ✅
Arnold & Porter ✅
Sullivan & Cromwell ✅
Latham & Watkins ✅
Kirkland & Ellis ✅
Skadden Arps ✅
Vinson & Elkins ✅
Weil Gotshal & Manges ✅
Akin ✅
Gibson Dunn ✅❌
Goodwin ✅
Cleary Gottlieb ✅
Paul Hastings ✅
Ashurst ✅ 📝❌
Macfarlanes ✅📝
Mayer Brown ✅📝
King & Spalding?
Winston & Strawn?
Morgan Lewis ✅
Fried Frank (1st January)
Orrick ✅
Dechert ✅
Cooley ✅
Morrison Foerster ✅
Slaughter and May ✅❌

✅ = application; 📝 = test/written exercise; 📼 = VI, ❌ = PFO.

Three PFOs, but honestly, the excitement you get even just getting an open-day invite or a VI makes it all worthwhile.

You know what, I've been pretty lazy so far despite saying I will apply to as many as I can before December. This is my sign! Absolute legend

 

[legallybrunette8]

Congratulations, how long did it take to hear back after the online assessment?!

hey! i submitted on 3/11 and heard back on 7/11

 

[zizszhplum]

@Jessica Booker @axelbeugre and anyone else, I would appreciate your advice! I recently started an in-house paralegal role that has given me a lot of amazing experience. Before this role, I was still very involved in extra-curriculars and some high-street law experience but of course my current daily responsibilities are most relevant to what a trainee might do at a commercial law firm. I am just wondering if, in an application with multiple written questions about my experience / my interest in commercial law / how I have displayed the firm's values etc. I focused solely on my current paralegal experience, is this too much? Should I still try and balance my answers with non-legal work experience in questions that ask how I have displayed the firm's values (as opposed to sticking to examples from the same workplace)? Hope this makes sense, thanks