TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

[lovelaw223]

Hey @lovelaw223,
In my experience, it is a case study about a commercial topic. Mine was about a private equity deal but I have heard many other cases around analysing who to fire from a company which is merging with another company, or what to consider in an M&A transaction with a private equity firm, things of this nature.

In terms of tips, I would say that the main thing is to be a team player during group exercises. Listen actively, contribute thoughtfully, and respect the opinions of others. Demonstrating collaboration skills is crucial in a law firm setting. It is not only about what you say but also how you contribute to the overall team and if you manage to make everyone feel comfortable, so focus on this aspect as well, which can be sometimes forgotten! Additionally, make sure that everyone on the team had a chance to say their piece, I think that this is a really great skill to demonstrate, i.e. being inclusive, as it shows that you are a great team player.

I would also brush off on your commercial awareness by keeping up-to-date with current news about the legal and business sector, particularly in areas that are of interest to the firm. For instance, my group task was around a tech company, which is an area of interest to Goodwin specifically, and so I expected something around technology. So, I think that if you can prepare on things that you think might come up in terms of main areas of interest to the firms it would be really good!

Lastly, be yourself throughout the process. As much as it can feel very daunting, I think that the best strategy is being yourself and making sure that you understood the task given. As long as you are able to do these things, I am sure that you will perform amazingly.

Good luck!

Thank you so much Axel!!

 

[Lawstudent3sp]

Hi @ChanA2626

I wouldn’t look at this at U.K. vs US firms.

It is much more about the ratio of VS to TC places. Many US firms with low TC numbers will have a ratio less favourable than many U.K. firms where the ratio is lower. But that can’t be said of all US firms, and it can’t be said of all U.K. firms.

For the majority of firms there will be a good chance of converting to a TC - that’s the whole purpose of the vacation scheme.

However, this will come down to your performance on the scheme. Firms are not going to be generous with converting and you will need to show the skill, qualities and knowledge that they will need to see in trainees. This is the case whether there is 1 TC for every VS place, or whether there is 1 TC for every 10 VS places.

It can be trickier for firms where there is a high ratio of VS to TC places because ultimately you may be competing for fewer spots against more VS candidates, and in these instances firms can be super selective in choosing from a group of high performing VS candidates, and they can just end up picking those who are the highest performing candidates from that group.

are there any firms which tend to have a high ratio of TCs to offer with respect to VS places they offer? (so firms where the VS is less competitive and perhaps getting to VS stage is the harder part?)

 

[Tintin06]

are there any firms which tend to have a high ratio of TCs to offer with respect to VS places they offer? (so firms where the VS is less competitive and perhaps getting to VS stage is the harder part?)

You can look at the ratio of Vac Schemes to Training Contracts on Law Careers net Obviously, some of those firms may recruit quite heavily for direct Training Contracts (I know for fact that Slaughter and May does), but US firms like Milbank or Willkie Farr & Gallagher pretty much take all their Trainees from the Vac Schemes. Generally, I think US firms have fewer direct Training Contracts available because 1) smaller teams and 2) well, higher salaries (I guess). The training can be less structured so I guess a lot of these firms have to be sure you'll a self-starter before hiring you.

 

[Jessica Booker]

are there any firms which tend to have a high ratio of TCs to offer with respect to VS places they offer? (so firms where the VS is less competitive and perhaps getting to VS stage is the harder part?)

It tends the be the firms with the largest TC intakes, but I would stress these firms do direct TC recruitment hiring too, so they know they don’t have to offer their VS candidates places.

There are lots of variables in this process and so the ratio is not going to give you a clear indication of how competitive a VS to TC process is (or how difficult it is to secure a VS in the first place), it just really identifies certain possibilities.

 

[hannah04]

Is WFW rolling?

 

[Sanduriani Pandiani]

Hi everyone! I am new to this platform and trying to navigate this platform. I am from Djibouti and recently moved to the UK to explore legal careers. I have work experience as a labourer in Djibouti and I heard that one does not need legal work experience to apply for TCs. Please can someone confirm if that is correct?

 

[Lawyerwithadream]

Hi everyone! I am new to this platform and trying to navigate this platform. I am from Djibouti and recently moved to the UK to explore legal careers. I have work experience as a labourer in Djibouti and I heard that one does not need legal work experience to apply for TCs. Please can someone confirm if that is correct?

Hi, welcome to the forum It’s definitely possible to obtain a TC without legal experience. But I think it’s important to show firms that you have engaged with firms/ attended events that show your commitment to the profession and also your understanding of what it means to work as a lawyer and the work itself. Do you have a law degree or studied a different subject at university?

 

[Abbas J]

Anyone have an update about Stephenson Harwood?

In my preferred dates, I specified my interest in participating in the firm's winter placement scheme but haven't heard back since.

Have they started replying to applicants?

 

[prospectiveswitcher]

Travers PFO this week for WVS

 

[jplaw1010]

Anyone have an update about Stephenson Harwood?

In my preferred dates, I specified my interest in participating in the firm's winter placement scheme but haven't heard back since.

Have they started replying to applicants?

I'm in the same position and a few others are too. Some have received a SJT, some haven't heard back. I haven't seen any PFOs on here currently. Maybe worth emailing grad rec for an update?

 

[saraeali]

has anyone heard from Dechert of Cleary about the SVS?

 

[Abbas J]

I'm in the same position and a few others are too. Some have received a SJT, some haven't heard back. I haven't seen any PFOs on here currently. Maybe worth emailing grad rec for an update?

I emailed a while back and I got the same standard response that they are processing apps.

Guess it's just a waiting game now ://

 

[Abbas J]

has anyone heard from Dechert of Cleary about the SVS?

Do Dechert recruit on a rolling basis?

 

[jplaw1010]

I emailed a while back and I got the same standard response that they are processing apps.

Guess it's just a waiting game now ://

Yeah me too. Fingers crossed

 

[Rolyp]

anyone heard from Sidley for the wvs? saw a bunch of pro's a couple of weeks ago but I haven't heard anything..

 

[sxw517]

anyone heard from Sidley for the wvs? saw a bunch of pro's a couple of weeks ago but I haven't heard anything..

I had to remind them I'd applied last year and then about an hour after sending the email, I received a PFO 😂

 

[user7879]

Hi guys,
Would like to know your thoughts on this... I attended an AC at a Silver Circle firm two weeks ago and I learned that X candidate (a successful candidate) on the AC was best friends with the assistant grad rec. The grad rec assistant and the senior grad rec were with us the whole time whilst they were taking us to be interviewed individually by partners/associates. I fully understand that personal connections exist so this did not really bother me much at the time, especially as X themselves revealed that they were best friends after the AC.

Anyway, X learned they were successful right after the AC and told me right away. I waited a couple of days, then received the PFO from the assistant grad rec (the friend). I also received very detailed feedback (about 4 pages long) on each interview giving me 'insight into [my] performance' and 'observations of [my] behaviour'. At first, I thought the feedback seemed very odd because it didn't accurately describe how my interviews went (one of them went amazingly well but this was described as completely the opposite). A bit concerned, I asked another candidate what they thought of their feedback, and to our surprise, we learned that we received word-for-word identical feedback (basically copied and pasted the whole document), and this was also sent to them by the assistant grad rec (the friend).
At this point I was very concerned, so I sent a kind email to grad rec addressing the situation about the identical feedback and asking politely for a more individual assessment of my performance, one that truly reflects my performance for my personal development. It has been nearly 7 days and I have not received a reply.
Should I just forget about it, or should I try to make sure my concerns are properly addressed?
thank you for reading and please let me know your thoughts on this.

 

[Deleted member 31263]

Hi guys,
Would like to know your thoughts on this... I attended an AC at a Silver Circle firm two weeks ago and I learned that X candidate (a successful candidate) on the AC was best friends with the assistant grad rec. The grad rec assistant and the senior grad rec were with us the whole time whilst we were being interviewed by partners/associates. I fully understand that personal connections exist so this did not really bother me much at the time, especially as X themselves revealed that they were best friends after the AC.

Anyway, X learned they were successful right after the AC and told me right away. I waited a couple of days, then received the PFO from the assistant grad rec (the friend). I also received very detailed feedback (about 4 pages long) on each interview giving me 'insight into [my] performance' and 'observations of [my] behaviour'. At first, I thought the feedback seemed very odd because it didn't accurately describe how my interviews went (one of them went amazingly well but this was described as completely the opposite). A bit concerned, I asked another candidate what they thought of their feedback, and to our surprise, we learned that we received word-for-word identical feedback (basically copied and pasted the whole document), and this was also sent to them by the assistant grad rec (the friend).
At this point I was very concerned, so I sent a kind email to grad rec addressing the situation about the identical feedback and asking politely for a more individual assessment of my performance, one that truly reflects my performance for my personal development. It has been nearly 7 days and I have not received a reply.
Should I just forget about it, or should I try to make sure my concerns are properly addressed?
thank you for reading and please let me know your thoughts on this.

name and shame the company

 

[happyhippo0402]

Hi everyone - I had a first stage interview with Gibson Dunn over two weeks ago now, and haven't heard anything from grad rec. Can anyone who has had a first stage interview with the firm let me know how long it took to hear back from them?

 

[mfuturetrainee]

Hi guys,
Would like to know your thoughts on this... I attended an AC at a Silver Circle firm two weeks ago and I learned that X candidate (a successful candidate) on the AC was best friends with the assistant grad rec. The grad rec assistant and the senior grad rec were with us the whole time whilst we were being interviewed by partners/associates. I fully understand that personal connections exist so this did not really bother me much at the time, especially as X themselves revealed that they were best friends after the AC.

Anyway, X learned they were successful right after the AC and told me right away. I waited a couple of days, then received the PFO from the assistant grad rec (the friend). I also received very detailed feedback (about 4 pages long) on each interview giving me 'insight into [my] performance' and 'observations of [my] behaviour'. At first, I thought the feedback seemed very odd because it didn't accurately describe how my interviews went (one of them went amazingly well but this was described as completely the opposite). A bit concerned, I asked another candidate what they thought of their feedback, and to our surprise, we learned that we received word-for-word identical feedback (basically copied and pasted the whole document), and this was also sent to them by the assistant grad rec (the friend).
At this point I was very concerned, so I sent a kind email to grad rec addressing the situation about the identical feedback and asking politely for a more individual assessment of my performance, one that truly reflects my performance for my personal development. It has been nearly 7 days and I have not received a reply.
Should I just forget about it, or should I try to make sure my concerns are properly addressed?
thank you for reading and please let me know your thoughts on this.

that is crazy, this is the first time ive read smt like this😭