TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[Tintin06]

Hi guys, do any of you have any insights on how detrimental being cut off during a VI is?

That should not be an issue. I cut out in Travers interview. They get that tech often fails. Some firms get Ds for Legal Tech. This is Legal Cheek survey data. Things not working =/= your fault. At least not all the time.

 

[F a v o u r]

@F a v o u r Hope you're okay! Congrats on the AC invite.

Jessica has already responded, but could I just ask you when you completed all your online assessments? I'm just so anxious to hear from Linklaters and want to see when I could expect a reply.

Hi, I completed the Capp assessment on the 4th Oct and the WG on the 5th. Hopefully you'll hear back soon.🤞

 

[Tintin06]

Anyone heard from Covington or Dechert?

 

[s9111]

Anyone heard from Covington or Dechert?

Not heard from Covington, and had my Dechert written assessment invite on 09 Oct

 

[nodustollens]

That should not be an issue. I cut out in Travers interview. They get that tech often fails. Some firms get Ds for Legal Tech. This is Legal Cheek survey data. Things not working =/= your fault. At least not all the time.

Haha i meant i didn’t keep an eye on the time and got cut off mid point :/

 

[Andrei Radu]

Hi guys, do any of you have any insights on how detrimental being cut off during a VI is?

@Jessica Booker might be able to tell you more about this, but I'd say that while it obviously isn't ideal (as it can show you have some difficulty with managing time under pressure) it is also definitely not a deal-braker for conversion chances. In one of my VIs I got cut off at the end and was still progressed to the next stage.

How detrimental the impact is I think will mostly depend on the overall cogency of the rest of your answer. If you are cut off just as you are finishing a concluding sentence after articulating a clear and structured response, I would expect the impact to be minimal. However, if you are cut off after panicking midway and not managing to finish the explanation of your main points, it might matter more.

 

[Andrei Radu]

Anyone done a White & Case VS VI - any tips? pls dm me

Hi @sjr22! I recently discussed the same topic, you might find this post useful:

Hey @m12 and @Walon290! While I don't have any details from this year, I did their VI last year. Based on my general VI experience as applied to the specific W&C VI, these would be my tips:

• Prepare really well for the big 3 (Why commercial law, Why W&C, Why me) and a few of the other very common questions (such as about a new story you have been following and its impact on the firm). These will form the basis for the questions.
• Also, prepare for variations of the big 3 - instead of just 'Why W&C' and 'Why commercial law' independently, you could be asked both questions at the same time - 'Tell us about why do you want to be a commercial solicitor at W&C'.
• Try to get to a point where you can, on the spot, answer both the independent questions and the broader combinations of questions in 1 minute, 1.5 minute, and 2 minute timeframes. Then record yourself and assess your performance. The more you do this, the more will you improve your flexibility to answer different variations of questions in varying timeframes.
• Prepare for some less common/curveball type of questions. There's no way of predicting what more unique questions W&C may go for this year, but in the past they have had at least one question that was slightly unusual. The best you can prepare for that is by improving your ability to think of the spot and flexibility in how you can refer to your experiences.
• Do not overcommit when you first start answering a question. This was by far the biggest issue for me last year. I would try to be structured and signpost, so I would start my answer by saying 'I will give you three/four reasons why ...'. However, midway through articulating my answer I would realise I did not have enough time to comprehensively state what I indented to. Thus, I would have to sacrifice either on the quality of my explanations or just not talk through everything I said I would, neither of which is a good look. As such, when in doubt, go for less rather than more. Your purpose should not be to blow away the recruiters, but to simply communicate good substantive points in a clear, concise, and composed manner.

 

[nodustollens]

@Jessica Booker might be able to tell you more about this, but I'd say that while it obviously isn't ideal (as it can show you have some difficulty with managing time under pressure) it is also definitely not a deal-braker for conversion chances. In one of my VIs I got cut off at the end and was still progressed to the next stage.

How detrimental the impact is I think will mostly depend on the overall cogency of the rest of your answer. If you are cut off just as you are finishing a concluding sentence after articulating a clear and structured response, I would expect the impact to be minimal. However, if you are cut off after panicking midway and not managing to finish the explanation of your main points, it might matter more.

Thank you! It was me rounding up a point and i got cut off near the end of my sentence.
I managed to address most of what the question was asking besides one minor point, do you think that’s a big deal?

 

[Andrei Radu]

I have a question- CMS have an insight day for "Non-law undergraduates and graduates studying in England, Wales or NI". I am a non-law graduate, however I have also completed the PGDL. Does this disqualify me from the insight day or could I still apply? (or should I be emailing early careers for clarification). Thanks!

The PGDL is a postgraduate course, so I would expect this does not disqualify you. However, it's never a bad idea to just make sure by contacting the graduate recruitment team, so if you have the time you should consider doing that.

 

[VMS]

Hi guys, do any of you have any insights on how detrimental being cut off during a VI is?

I got cut off when applying to Gateley in early 2023 and also ended one video saying 'and um things' and still ended up with the Vac Scheme (in my defence, I was so nervous as it was my first VI and first cycle, haha). So, while not ideal, I don't think it's the end of the world!

 

[sjr22]

Hi everyone, I have a question regarding Cleary's CV - should we opt for bullet points, or for short prose? Thanks in advance

 

[Andrei Radu]

Thank you! It was me rounding up a point and i got cut off near the end of my sentence.
I managed to address most of what the question was asking besides one minor point, do you think that’s a big deal?

In this case it's likely not going to be weighed too heavily. Your progression will probably come down more to how much the recruiters like both your substantive points and the way in which you articulated them.

 

[Andrei Radu]

Hi everyone, I have a question regarding Cleary's CV - should we opt for bullet points, or for short prose? Thanks in advance

I'm not sure whether Cleary has any particular CV preferences, but I think using bullet points is widely accepted as common practice for structuring a CV. This is the way I structured mine and was progressed by multiple firms.

 

[Amjaya]

Paul, Weiss Open Day PFO

 

[Amjaya]

Need to keep reminding myself it takes one YES!

 

[JacobRichardson]

Is anyone still waiting to hear back from NRF post-test? Completed the Arctic Shores assessment on 23 September, and haven't heard back since...

 

[Andrei Radu]

Hi guys, what is the best to ask at the end of the interview at Jones Day? Maybe you have some tips. Thanks!!

I would say what is best to ask depends on (i) what your interests are; (ii) who is interviewing you; and (iii) what has previously been discussed in the interview:

1. Firstly, you want to ask something that you actually care about. Whoever is interviewing you likely has significant experience with the process and will therefore be able to see whether you are being genuine or just asking a question for the sake of it. Thus, when you think of a potential question, first ask yourself why do you think the answer might matter to you. In fact, I think it would be good if in the interview you mention the reason why you care about the question before you actually ask it - this will directly show the interview that you have put thought into it. An example of questions that you may choose to ask could be questions relating to your 'Why the firm' motivations. For instance, if a a strong reputation in one practice area, you may ask: how has the firm managed to build such a strong practice? what are plans for the future of the practice? are there any relevant challenges and opportunities in that practice's market, and how is the firm planning to respond to that? how can the firm's practice be differentiated from competitors with similar reputations? etc.
2. Secondly, you want to tailor your question to the audience as much as possible. Some questions may be more appropriate for an associate, some for a junior partner, and some for a senior partner. For instance, questions relating to junior culture and training experience are great for associates, questions around progression and the different tasks and responsibilities at different seniority levels in the firm would be great for a junior partner, while questions about the firm's strategy, client base, and market reputation when compared to competitors would be great for the more senior partners. Moreover, you may not want to ask a disputes partner about the firm's strategy to increase market share in PE, and you may want to avoid asking a transactional partner about details of the firm's newest competition litigation mandate. If possible, tailoring your questions around your interviewer's expertise is optimal.
3. Thirdly, you want for your questions to feel natural - you don't want to seem like you came in with a pre-prepared list which you were going to ask regardless of how the interview went. Of course, it is good to show that you have done your research and came prepared. However, you also want to make this section of the interview feel as conversational as possible, as for once you are playing the role of the person doing the asking. The more you can link your questions with what has been touched upon in the interview, the better. Some questions could just be follow-ups to the interviewer's answers to your pre-prepared questions. Some could be just about asking the interviewer to elaborate on some points they touched upon beforehand. However, take care to not be repetitive. Thus, only ask a question if you think it is likely there is a lot more that the interviewer could have to add to the previous discussion.

Finally, to mention some concrete examples of some questions I would consider asking at the end of a Jones Day interview:

• What are the key challenges of the non-rotational TC? What are the key differences between the people that you see succeed in the non-rotational structure and the people who have difficulties adapting to it?
• Why did the firm decide to depart from the traditional TC model and implement a non-rotational structure? How does the firm benefit from it, and how successful has it been so far?
• How does the firm manage to ensure it retains its collaborative culture if people are competing for work rather than being allocated their work?
• How does the firm see its market position for transactional practices when compared to US rivals? And what are the firm's strategic goals in London in terms of target clients bases and increases in market share?
• How has the firm managed to build its reputation for exceptional advisory (mainly IP) and disputes work as an US firm? Is the firm looking to have a complete full service offering, and if so, are there any further practice areas that the firm is seeking to expand?

 

[legal18]

Does anyone know any US law firms which are thinking of establishing a London office in the near future? Or where I could find information about this?

 

[Amjaya]

Has anyone noticed that Addleshaw Goddard have dropped to one question, last year it was around 4/5 questions.

 

[unknownnn7372]

has anyone heard back from skadden?