TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

[Lopez2017]

Slaughters winter workshop PFO - a bit gutted, thought my cover letter was very strong. Oh well

I got a non-law direct TC PFO this morning (applied 23 sep).

 

[Legalstalker]

applied 3rd October. was for the summer vacation scheme too so quite humbling to be rejected in the same batch as the winter ones tbh

Yeah that is strange! Did you complete their forage or go to an open day?

 

[spamelinazoid]

May I ask which scheme did you applied for? Nevertheless onwards and upwards! 🫡

Winter!

 

[sxw517]

I guess the silver lining of getting a PFO from A&O today, if it occurs, is that it offers us a second shot this cycle – this time with an application to Shearman, haha!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Are there people here who didn’t do gcses or a-levels (did an equivalent) and their law degree in the uk that I could talk to? I have some questions on the academic section of vac schemes

You can PM me as I have seen a lot of these things in application forms.

 

[Flavius Aurelius]

I have also not gotten an automatic WG email after applying on Tuesday (17th October). Have you managed to get yours already?

Nope. still nothing..

 

[lovelaw223]

Hey @lovelaw223, thank you so much for the question which I think will be very useful to some people on here!
I think that some of the questions you might be asked are:

1. Why do you want to become a commercial lawyer?
   • This question aims to understand your motivations for entering the legal profession. In this kind of question you need to be both personal and professional, that is the approach I would take and I have always taken. So you start with a personal anecdote that pushed you to wanting to do law and you immediately connect it to a professional experience you have done that made you realise the importance of the law in the business field.
2. What specific area of law are you most passionate about, and why?
   • This question evaluates your interest and commitment to a particular field of law. They might ask you about a specific practice area so be ready to have a well-thought out answer for this.
3. Can you describe a challenging problem you would face as a trainee solicitor and how you'd handle it?
   • This question assesses your problem-solving skills and how you approach complex legal issues. As a trainee you might very overwhelmed sometimes so one thing they would want to understand is how you handle stress and anxiety as those would be part of the job.
4. Tell us about a time when you had to work under pressure to meet a deadline. How did you handle it?
   • This question assesses your ability to handle stress and work effectively in time-sensitive situations. This ties into the previous point a bit but this is a common question I have been asked quite a lot so having a confident answer to this is essential.
5. Can you provide an example of a difficult client interaction and how you resolved it?
   • This question evaluates your interpersonal skills and your ability to manage client relationships. This question might be asked to understand how you would handle a difficult client so always be positive when answering a question like this.
6. Describe a situation where you had to work as part of a team. How did you contribute, and what was the outcome?
   • This question assesses your teamwork and collaboration abilities.

Remember to provide specific examples from your experience and demonstrate how your motivations and behaviours align with the demands of the role of a commercial lawyer at the firm.
Yes, this will probably both a strengths-based and motivations-based question so be ready to answer both types of questions!
Good luck with the interview!

Wow thank you so much for this!!
So helpful

 

[Legalstalker]

Nope. still nothing..

Apparently WG for TC for HL are released in December. WVS are done every Monday. I spoke to GR.

 

[baj5]

anyone still waiting for linklaters winter vac scheme response?

Yup

 

[Nicole15]

Anyone got any updates from NRF WVS?

I received a holding email saying that they are still reviewing my application and an invite to register for their case study presentation series.

 

[hannahfl]

I received a holding email saying that they are still reviewing my application and an invite to register for their case study presentation series.

Have you had an invite for the AS and WG tests?

 

[mhs234]

Has anyone who’s applied to Simmons & Simmons Winter Vac Scheme & done the online assessments hear back? If so, how long did it take for them to reach out ?

 

[Legalstalker]

Has anyone who’s applied to Simmons & Simmons Winter Vac Scheme & done the online assessments hear back? If so, how long did it take for them to reach out ?

I’ve done online assessments and VI all within a week of applying. I was unsuccessful at VI stage

 

[Nicole15]

Have you had an invite for the AS and WG tests?

Just received the invite this afternoon (after I posted on the forum).

 

[Untilwinter]

NRF invite to take the test post app

 

[mkt]

Simmons ac

 

[Untilwinter]

"name a historical figure you admire" 🤯🤮🥲

 

[johnnn821]

Simmons ac

Hey Congrats! When did you complete the online assessment?

 

[johnnn821]

Also does anyone know how much thinking time you have for DLA's VI and how long you are given to answer?

 

[anon3897258247]

Sorry to hear that :/ may I ask when you submitted your application (as I am still waiting to hear back from them)?

when did you apply if you don't mind me asking?