TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

[The6FigureSuccessfulSolicitor]

My entire cohort for the Allen & Overy Winter Vacation Scheme were given training contract offers! There was 31 of us, it's actually insane but I'm so glad I did this scheme. For anyone who has upcoming Summer vacation scheme at A&O, feel free to reach out for tips!

*Also, for anyone thinking about A&O, I defo recommend because now with the merger with Shearman Sterling, us trainees should hopefully get a massive pay rise to match the US firms cause I don't see how anyone at Shearman would accept a pay decrease AND if you like the USA, there'll be way more opportunities to work in NYC, DC, Texas and California.

 

[hannah04]

Does anyone know how long the recording time is for the VI portion of Simmons' blended assessment?

 

[avry]

congrats! when did you do your AC?

28 nov

 

[saraeali]

Does anyone know how long the recording time is for the VI portion of Simmons' blended assessment?

Hey how long did it take for them to send you the test?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Any tips on getting a poor interview performance out of your head? Thanks to my ADHD, I tend to hyper-focus on any errors/poorly worded answers and then spiral... 🥺

For everything you think you did wrong, write down something you think you did right, even if it seems quite small/minor.

I suspect the “wrong” things you are highlighting are also minor in the grand scheme of things, so at least it gets you to put some balance into your thinking.

 

[Manuchelsout]

Any hsf summer AC invites

 

[icebear]

congrats!! when did you do the VI?

did it on 3rd nov and received email that i passed the benchmark on 6th nov

 

[Jessica Booker]

My entire cohort for the Allen & Overy Winter Vacation Scheme were given training contract offers! There was 31 of us, it's actually insane but I'm so glad I did this scheme. For anyone who has upcoming Summer vacation scheme at A&O, feel free to reach out for tips!

*Also, for anyone thinking about A&O, I defo recommend because now with the merger with Shearman Sterling, us trainees should hopefully get a massive pay rise to match the US firms cause I don't see how anyone at Shearman would accept a pay decrease AND if you like the USA, there'll be way more opportunities to work in NYC, DC, Texas and California.

On the pay point (and to manage people’s expectations), you don’t need to decrease people’s salaries, you just phase them out.

It wouldn’t surprise me if they don’t match them and instead allow legacy Shearman staff’s salaries to slowly be eroded through smaller increases/bonuses or as people leave until they are more level with A&Os.

Although A&O could choose to match Shearman’s salaries (or other US firms), that will be a significant increase in costs to them and I personally can’t see them doing that. If you said the average increase was £20k (and that’s just by going off the NQ base salary) that’s going to cost around £70 million alone given the number of lawyers A&O has. I could get this wildly wrong, but everyone else I have spoken to about this seems to think the non-matching approach will be taken.

 

[Undefined]

My entire cohort for the Allen & Overy Winter Vacation Scheme were given training contract offers! There was 31 of us, it's actually insane but I'm so glad I did this scheme. For anyone who has upcoming Summer vacation scheme at A&O, feel free to reach out for tips!

*Also, for anyone thinking about A&O, I defo recommend because now with the merger with Shearman Sterling, us trainees should hopefully get a massive pay rise to match the US firms cause I don't see how anyone at Shearman would accept a pay decrease AND if you like the USA, there'll be way more opportunities to work in NYC, DC, Texas and California.

They are currently culling Finance teams, not Real Estate or anything going wrong, including Associates.

I guess fresh cannon fodder is required for "merger efficiency gains". The cultural impact will be something to behold as well.

 

[icebear]

Congrats! Can I ask when it is? Just thinking about how far much notice they give.

11th jan

 

[Deleted member 32324]

Mishcon SVS spring AC- invite

congrats, may I ask when you completed the video interview?

 

[estimur]

Mishcon SVS spring AC- invite

congrats, may I ask when you completed the video interview?

I did mine on 14/11 and got the AC invite today.

At the Legal Cheek fair they’d said everyone should hear back this week regardless of when you submitted ☺️

 

[VacayScheme]

Could someone explain what Bates Wells are looking for with this question: "Please tell us about an outstanding personal achievement which added value to either your academic or working environment. When answering the question, please consider the Bates Wells values."?

I'm not sure whether added value means something that furthered academic/work success, or if they're looking for something which improved the general environment of a work/education setting (i.e. a society position that helped the student body more generally, a place on a network in a job etc).

 

[MandyAA]

Does anyone know how strict Debevoise are with the 144 UCAS requirement? I have 136 which is (AAB). 144 would be (AAA)

 

[lawyerletsgo]

how soon after applying to Gibson Dunn have ppl heard back from them? Hearing of ppl getting interviews etc and I only applied last week so kinda worried :/

 

[ETA2026]

Do CMS notify you of the outcome of WG regardless of positive or negative?

 

[Mike Wazaoski]

Is reed smith alive?

 

[Wannabe_Lawyer]

I was looking through the thread w/ Ropes & Gray Grad Recruitment (below) and saw that they won't accept applications from LPC students/graduates...it seems unnecessarily harsh and not logical (especially if individuals are willing to forfeit their exemption and do the entire SQE).

Has anyone emailed them to verify if this is the case or if this rep just got it wrong?

Ask Ropes & Gray Anything! Join Maya Shah to learn about applying to a leading transactional law firm

Hi Maya, Thanks for answering our questions. Could you please explain why this is the case. It doesn’t seem logical nor fair for candidates to be penalised simply because they completed the LPC, even if they are willing to do the SQE at a later time. I don’t know if I haven’t looked hard...

www.thecorporatelawacademy.com

 

[S87]

I was looking through the thread w/ Ropes & Gray Grad Recruitment (below) and saw that they won't accept applications from LPC students/graduates...it seems unnecessarily harsh and not logical (especially if individuals are willing to forfeit their exemption and do the entire SQE).

Has anyone emailed them to verify if this is the case or if this rep just got it wrong?

Ask Ropes & Gray Anything! Join Maya Shah to learn about applying to a leading transactional law firm

Hi Maya, Thanks for answering our questions. Could you please explain why this is the case. It doesn’t seem logical nor fair for candidates to be penalised simply because they completed the LPC, even if they are willing to do the SQE at a later time. I don’t know if I haven’t looked hard...

www.thecorporatelawacademy.com

I did and yes they don’t accept LPC candidates.

 

[Wannabe_Lawyer]

I did and yes they don’t accept LPC candidates.

Thank you! Seems like a bizarre policy, but I guess that's one less application I'll have to make.