TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[LawyerUpPal]

I'd take it as identifying what makes you uniquely suitable for the role, where you have showcased their values and things like that, and how you could apply your skills once hired. The two parts of the question really feed into one another imo

Basically, Why you and what attracts you to the firm. These are all variations of the same thing with minor twists that you have to look out for.

 

[LawyerUpPal]

Where can we find the core values of Covington? I know they value collegiality, collaboration and public service. What else should I emphasise on?

In the intro to their brochure. Here: https://www.cov.com/-/media/files/corporate/brochures/london-recruiting-brochure.pdf. You should emphasise what resonates with you. Everyone has different life/ professional/educational experiences.

 

[Victor87]

Hey everyone, does anyone know if W&C only has one round of AC invites for the WVS? I fear I may have been PFOd after the VI ...
Otherwise wishing everyone a productive week filled with good news!

 

[Jenn-H]

Sidley offer! First ever application wow- i’m in shock. Thanks everyone and the TCLA team for all the help!

Hi- do you have any tips for how you went about preparing for the interview. What are some key things that you prepared and were there any questions that threw you? Thanks so much

 

[m12]

Does anyone have any insight on Simmons & Simons AC, what it involves, how best to prepare etc

heyy congrats!! how fast did you hear back after doing the VI if u dm me asking? thanks

 

[charlotte1704]

Anyone got any insight as to what the PWC test is? Is it just their firm-wide standard one or more like a WG/SJT?

 

[gazdgazd11]

Anyone got any insight as to what the PWC test is? Is it just their firm-wide standard one or more like a WG/SJT?

Both, there are two parts (numerical etc) & sjt

 

[Aspiringsolicitor01]

Does anyone have any insight into what the Mills and Reeve test is? I.e is it just sjt or is it more? They’ve given no clues I can find

 

[Andrei Radu]

Is anyone else applying to Davis Polk’s Open Day or has attended their Open Day and is able to kindly provide insight, please?

Hi @studentdelaw786, I attended an Open Day at Davis Polk last year, subsequently completed a vacation scheme and then signed a TC with the firm. I would be glad to answer any of your more specific questions about Davis Polk, but just to share some general insights about the firm's unique selling points before that:

• Unrivalled UK, US and Global capital markets practice: one of the very few firms (probably only alongside Latham) with leading capital markets credentials on both the equity and debt side in all the major financial centers.
• Elite M&A London practice: Davis Polk's corporate practice punches significantly above its weight, as it has 3-5 times fewer practitioners than most rivals in recognized in the same Chambers band (White & Case, Hogan Lovells, Weil). This suggests an extremely high quality of practice, which is supported by the fact that in recent years Davis Polk has been ranked 1st or 2nd by The Lawyer when ranking the most efficient corporate teams in the City (and thus, constantly topping Revenue Per Lawyer and Revenue Per Partner metrics).
• Highly profitable white shoe firm entering a period of expansion: Normally focused on retaining high profitability (constantly ranking in the top 3 firms in the City by PEP), Davis Polk has not traditionally pursued an aggressive international expansion strategy. However, there are signs that the firm is entering a period of growth in London, as it has recently signed one of the co-heads of Paul Hastings' finance practice and one of A&O's senior private equity partners.
• Guaranteed international secondment opportunity for all trainees: depending on where they intend to qualify, they cand do a 6-months secondment in either New York or Brussels.

These insights are just some very short explanations based on the much more in-depth analysis I wrote for Davis Polk's firm profile. While law firm profiles are normally accessible only on a premium subscription, Davis Polk's profile can be accessed for free here.

 

[gazdgazd11]

HSF rejection :/ so far only rejections losing hope again

 

[lawyersum]

In the work experience section, I have listed all my commercial law events, virtual experiences, and webinars attended in one entry. As my other legal work experiences are more pro bono, legal aid etc, I really want to use these events to explain what I did (Case studies, interactive workshops) and the skills I picked up so my motivation for commercial law comes across as strong. @Andrei Radu @Ram Sabaratnam @Amma Usman I would appreciate any insights on how best to put these experiences in writing.

 

[Andrei Radu]

Just to clarify and wrap up, I'm interested in what is considered a stand-out score. As you mentioned, my application is considered holistically so even if I do get full marks, I can still have an average written app which pulls me down, especially if the application has a greater weighting on progression. Nonetheless, I'm interested in what is considered a stand-out score (beyond full marks).

With the emphasis on percentiles for some firms, I'm worried that getting say an 83% (roughly 33 marks) could be the 50th percentile, downplaying the strength of my performance. This is an outcome you might see regularly from applicants for firms like Linklaters, just to use as an example.

The firms I'm applying to that use this test/test style are Addleshaw, Hogan Lovells, Bates Wells and CMS. From what I have read, Hogan uses a benchmark, but I'm not sure about the others.

Maybe @Jessica Booker will be able to tell you more. However, when we were last discussing this topic on the forum it seemed like there wasn't any way of determining what is a stand-out score because it is simply too specific to each test. There were a number of reasons for this:

• Different assessment criteria: some firms use a pure mark-based benchmark, while others use a percentile-based benchmark.
• Different percentile-based benchmarks use different cohorts of test-takers to calculate relative percentiles.
• Different firms choose WG assessments with different levels of difficulty - some of them will only have a minority of questions forcing you to think very carefully, while others will have this effect at almost every question.
• Different firms use different test compositions: not all firms have the same total number of WG questions, and not all firms have the same proportionate distribution of questions for Inferences, Assumptions, Deductions, Arguments, and Interpretation.
• Different firms use have different weighing mechanisms for performance in the 5 sections of the test.

As I see it, a candidate who obtains a stand-out score in one test can achieve average results in another. This is also supported by my personal experience with the test: I obtained really high percentile scores in Clifford Chance's and Milbank's tests, but only achieved average scores in Mayer Brown's.

 

[studentdelaw786]

Hi @studentdelaw786, I attended an Open Day at Davis Polk last year, subsequently completed a vacation scheme and then signed a TC with the firm. I would be glad to answer any of your more specific questions about Davis Polk, but just to share some general insights about the firm's unique selling points before that:

• Unrivalled UK, US and Global capital markets practice: one of the very few firms (probably only alongside Latham) with leading capital markets credentials on both the equity and debt side in all the major financial centers.
• Elite M&A London practice: Davis Polk's corporate practice punches significantly above its weight, as it has 3-5 times fewer practitioners than most rivals in recognized in the same Chambers band (White & Case, Hogan Lovells, Weil). This suggests an extremely high quality of practice, which is supported by the fact that in recent years Davis Polk has been ranked 1st or 2nd by The Lawyer when ranking the most efficient corporate teams in the City (and thus, constantly topping Revenue Per Lawyer and Revenue Per Partner metrics).
• Highly profitable white shoe firm entering a period of expansion: Normally focused on retaining high profitability (constantly ranking in the top 3 firms in the City by PEP), Davis Polk has not traditionally pursued an aggressive international expansion strategy. However, there are signs that the firm is entering a period of growth in London, as it has recently signed one of the co-heads of Paul Hastings' finance practice and one of A&O's senior private equity partners.
• Guaranteed international secondment opportunity for all trainees: depending on where they intend to qualify, they cand do a 6-months secondment in either New York or Brussels.

These insights are just some very short explanations based on the much more in-depth analysis I wrote for Davis Polk's firm profile. While law firm profiles are normally accessible only on a premium subscription, Davis Polk's profile can be accessed for free here.

Hi @Andrei Radu , nice to meet you. I’m Hamzah.

Thank you so much for this in-depth analysis.

Can I please send you a DM to discuss further?

 

[Andrei Radu]

Hi Andrei, nice to meet you. I’m Hamzah.

Thank you so much for this in-depth analysis.

Can I please send you a DM to discuss further?

Hi Hamzah, it's great to meet you too ! TCLA's policy is to try to keep all discussions on the forum unless it is concerns very personal issues and circumstances. Firstly, this is so everyone else can get the benefit of reading our posts. Secondly, it is so that other people can get involved in the conversation as well, as a lot of useful insights and perspectives are shared as a result of that. Thus, I would encourage you to just write a response here to continue the discussion - I will be happy to respond to any questions.

 

[LawyerUpPal]

HSF rejection :/ so far only rejections losing hope again

Sorry to hear that. Don't lose hope, and don't get down. For one, it's early and two, it doesn't help. You know what you have to do. The more apps you do, the more the chances of getting even one increase. So crack on.

 

[hanz123]

Just completed HSF online assessment for the summer vac scheme, hoping for a positive outcome 🤞

 

[Tintin06]

The award for best vac scheme application question goes to this one: How do you rate your computer skills? Answer: I don't...

 

[erderlylars]

Any again still waiting on nrf post arctic shores?

 

[hanz123]

Has anyone previously applied to Fieldfisher's diversity access scheme, if so could you please message me

 

[RSK]

Hey,

Does anyone know if the WG for CMS is automatic? Is the test time limited?

Thanks!