TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

[axelbeugre]

I know it's kind of late into the application cycle to ask this question, but I've been wondering how everyone has been writing their work experience description. Do you do it in bullet points or paragraphs? In all the firm events I have attended, they've said to choose whichever you're most comfortable with. Personally, I prefer to use bullet points, as it makes it easier to follow what I've done. However, I find that when reviewing my application before submitting it, it kind of looks messy due to the formatting. Just wondering what everyone else is doing.

When I was applying last year I received the advice to always use full sentences and never bullet points. I personally do not understand why but ever since then I always used full sentences and it worked well for my applications after I heard that so I would recommend using full sentences.

 

[axelbeugre]

Does anyone know whether you get access to autocorrect during a written exercise at an assessment center?

Unfortunately you do not, you just have to pay attention to what you have written and be very detail orientated as it is the whole point of the assessment itself. I would practice a lot looking at your writing and checking it all the time to see if you can spot any grammatical mistakes.

 

[Tintin06]

Anything from Latham post-AC?

 

[Sunshinepink]

I’m not sure if I’m overthinking this question ‘Discuss a recent news article related to DAC Beachcroft. If you were tasked to write a follow up article on the same issue, what would you seek to cover’

Does it mean a news article related directly to/about the firm or a news article that I can link to one of their sectors?

You are not overthinking it, I was wondering the same thing! @axelbeugre please could you help with this?

 

[axelbeugre]

I’m not sure if I’m overthinking this question ‘Discuss a recent news article related to DAC Beachcroft. If you were tasked to write a follow up article on the same issue, what would you seek to cover’

Does it mean a news article related directly to/about the firm or a news article that I can link to one of their sectors?

Everything that encompasses the firm will work for this question in my opinion so both things you have mentioned will work. If you are talking about a practice area though, I would make sure it directly relates to the firm and it is not something applicable to multiple firms with the same practice area. Ideally, you may want to check the website of the firm or their LinkedIn page to see the latest news or pieces of information and write an answer based on a topic from what you find.

 

[axelbeugre]

Hi. I hope this isn't a silly question, but I'm curious about the time limit for 'recently'. For instance, if an application question says, 'Give a recent example of a goal you have set for yourself', how far back in the past is acceptable?

I would say that something in the last 1/2 years is recent enough and it is worth talking about if relevant for the purposes of the question. I would not go farther than 4/5 years though. This is the kind of advice I received when I was applying.

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

What’s the rule regarding choosing whether a work experience is SQE qualifying? Coz in a few applications, I ticked “yes” for my current role coz I am doing a mixture of paralegal and business operations work, but I’ve never had a chat with my employer about whether it is actually QWE or not. SQE states that QWE is “any experience of providing legal services that offers you the opportunity to develop some or all of the competencies needed to practice as a solicitor”. Will I be in trouble if it turns out it’s not QWE?

You won’t be in trouble, but unless you are very confident it will meet with standards (it isn’t just legal services - there are specific requirements and thresholds you need to meet within the experience), I wouldn’t claim something is QWE unless you are 100% confident it will be and will be signed off by your current/previous employers.

 

[axelbeugre]

You are not overthinking it, I was wondering the same thing! @axelbeugre please could you help with this?

Hey,

I just did, here is the post: https://www.thecorporatelawacademy....ns-discussion-thread-2023-24.8037/post-165458

I hope this helps!

 

[191919191]

I converted it from spring straight to AC so idk what the WG process was like, sorry

Thank you so much for your reply!!

 

[axelbeugre]

Jones Day AC! (first one) , any tips would be greatly appreciated. This is for summer btw

Congratulations, very well done!

Here are some tips I have shared which might be useful: https://www.thecorporatelawacademy....ns-discussion-thread-2023-24.8037/post-164067

Good luck with it!

 

[191919191]

it is timed，you need to complete 40 questions within 30minutes

thanks so much!!! ahhhh i hate WG tests!

 

[axelbeugre]

Apart from those of you who heard back from Goodwin last Weds, has anyone else heard back?

In your experience @axelbeugre do they tend to give interview invites / pfos in a batch or all at once?

I personally do not know and it might be that they changed the process this year. However, it felt like last year they released all answers on the same day, but this can just be a feeling from the people around me and from the forum. I would just recommend to wait and see but no news is good news in my opinion.

 

[O]

For anybody that has passed the app stage for Bakers this year, did you explicitly name one of their clients in the client question, or did you mention PE houses for example? As I am losing the will to live trying to find a mining client of the firm that uses the London projects team for work, even though I know there are some according to their website, they are just not named.

whats the question?

 

[cattlawapps324]

The Lawyer, the Economist and firms' websites and LinkedIn profiles are great too. Additionally, I tend to follow partners and associates from the law firms I am interested in and see what they like or the articles that they write on commercial topics and that is really good too in my opinion. The Lawyer is the best site though as it really gives an overview of what law firms work on and might be interested in. I did not use it when I was applying last year but I am using it now just for personal interest and I am mesmerised by how good it is. It would have been so helpful.

Am I missing something or do you have to pay like £6k for access to The Lawyer lollll I was on it the other day and then a bunch of articles I clicked on were subscriber only? And there doesn't seem to be a personal subscription option - only for companies?

 

[Sunshinepink]

Hey,

I just did, here is the post: https://www.thecorporatelawacademy....ns-discussion-thread-2023-24.8037/post-165458

I hope this helps!

It did help, thank you so much!

 

[77777law]

Does anyone know how the OC virtual assessment is divided? As in how long we get to do the research task and how long our presentation is supposed to last? Thanks

 

[MrHubertLouis]

You won’t be in trouble, but unless you are very confident it will meet with standards (it isn’t just legal services - there are specific requirements and thresholds you need to meet within the experience), I wouldn’t claim something is QWE unless you are 100% confident it will be and will be signed off by your current/previous employers.

Thank you, Jessica! I will keep this in mind for future applications.

 

[Kbrandnew]

Is this for Lewis Silkin? I was thinking the same! I went with one from around a year ago because it was most applicable to the q but not sure if that’s too far back

Yes, it is! I was thinking of talking about something within the same time frame tbh. I have heard 2 years is the maximum, but I'm never sure

 

[Kbrandnew]

For me this would be the last 12 months.

Okay, thank you so much.

 

[Kbrandnew]

I would say that something in the last 1/2 years is recent enough and it is worth talking about if relevant for the purposes of the question. I would not go farther than 4/5 years though. This is the kind of advice I received when I was applying.

Great, thank you, Axel!