TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[Andrei Radu]

I really hate scenario based VI questions. A practice one was:
"Your client sells garden furniture and is keen to expand outside of the UK. They ask you for some preliminary advice regarding their plans. How would you approach this task?"

I just said in essence, that I would:
- Ask them about their goals and objectives
- Find out which jurisdictions they plan to enter
- Do a PESTLE analysis to inform opportunities and threats as part of a SWOT analysis
- Weigh up the opportunities and risks to present to them along with any solutions

Bit in a more step by step and detailed way.

Am I missing something? I feel so flakey on situational interview questions.

This sounds like a good answer to me. The only thing I would chance is maybe trying to emphasize more the points regarding legal research and what you think may be particularly worth looking into, such as: different regulatory frameworks for employment and consumer contracts, the different 'market terms' for supply and distribution, different approval processes and waiting periods for setting up a new company there etc. Ideally, I think your answer should combine a mixture of 'framework of analysis' points (which you have done a great job in covering) and also a number points around your informed guesses as to what might actually be of relevance. The later bit is just to show general commercial awareness, in this case about what legal issues come into play when a business is expanding in a new jurisdiction.

The other point I wanted to make is that I can completely understand feeling a bit 'flakey' when responding to situational questions. I used to feel the same and I think that is to an extent unavoidable simply because of how vague their formulation is. However, recruiters will also be aware that they are giving you very limited information to work with. Thus they will not expect much in terms of substantive points - rather, they will look to assess your commercial awareness and ability to show you can work through a problem in a structured manner.

 

[tkl24]

hello, do dentons send an online assessment automatically or not?

 

[evianmineral]

asking again - anyone heard from baker mckenzie wrt open days in november?

applied to one on 18th and not heard anything - should have at least received a PFO today - assuming its a PFO anyway due to radio silence

 

[g.cl.2020344]

I

Anyone heard back from the White and Case winter vacation scheme after the Video Interview? I still haven't but it says the WVS starts in about 3 weeks does that mean I've been rejected if I haven't been invited to the AC yet?

Honestly who knows, I think it’s so disappointing that firms for WVS are leading everyone on so much.

 

[sibs23]

Hi! I'd like a bit of advice as to whether I should still be including older vac schemes on my applications this time around? I got a scheme each year in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Some people I have spoken to have suggested that I take off the firms from 2023 and 2022 because when firms see three "failed" schemes on my CV, they will start to worry that I am not a good candidate. On the flip side, I thought it was a good sign to have previously secured schemes and having those on my applications would show that I am a competitive candidate and would help me to open doors. The older firms are more "prestigious" if that makes any difference.

 

[futuretrainee202X]

Meet Cooley November open day invite. The rollercoaster of all this stuff!

Hi this is a bit late, when did you apply for the November open day? And when did you get the offer? I applied for the Dec slot; not sure about when they'd start issuing offers. Thanks!

 

[billyonthespeeddial]

still no news from Dechert or HL...

 

[lawyersum]

still no news from Dechert or HL...

tbh you might still be in the running for HL considering many people got PFOs today!

 

[B2025]

Hiya @B2025

I'm sorry about the rejections, but remember, the cycle isn’t over yet. Many firms keep reviewing applications into January and beyond, so there’s still time. Also, reaching the VI stage for several firms is no easy feat. It's a testament to your hard work that you're reaching this stage. I think with a bit of practice, you'll be able to better deal with this stage of the application.

More practically, I wanted to ask whether it was possible to reach out to the firms where you completed VIs to see if they can offer feedback? I know this isn't often possible in practice, but one of my friends was able to get feedback from Willkie and this enabled her to craft more convincing responses in future VIs.

If that's not possible, I'd encourage you to keep practising your VI responses by recording yourself with voice notes or tools like Photo Booth. I think it's especially useful to practise timing your answers with friends, family, or even your university careers service (the support I had at UCL was excellent). This can help you pinpoint areas to fine-tune, whether it’s your delivery, conciseness, or the quality of your answers. Best of luck with the rest of the applications and any upcoming VIs!

Thank you for this and agree with you. It is worth a shot reaching out as there is no harm.

 

[B2025]

PWC post VI pfo, Ashurst post app PFO, Links open PFO and Dechert post app PFO today.

 

[studenttolawyer]

Linklaters Open Day PFO. Really confused about the firm's application process.

 

[IneedaTCASAP]

PWC post VI pfo, Ashurst post app PFO, Links open PFO and Dechert post app PFO today.

Linklaters Open Day PFO. Really confused about the firm's application process.

What open day was this?

 

[B2025]

What open day was this?

I don't know and does it even make a difference which open day it was.

 

[studenttolawyer]

What open day was this?

The one on the 13th November or on the 27th. You could apply for either and they would allocate based on availability.

 

[IneedaTCASAP]

I don't know and does it even make a difference which open day it was.

Yes it does make a difference because not everyone has applied to the same open day obviously.

 

[Gday33]

What open day was this?

For linklaters probably the second one as 13th people heard back a while ago

 

[IneedaTCASAP]

The one on the 13th November or on the 27th. You could apply for either and they would allocate based on availability.

Thanks for the reply. I didn't apply to either of these open days. Good luck with the rest of your applications.

 

[B2025]

Yes it does make a difference because not everyone has applied to the same open day obviously.

I just applied for the later 1 fyi and tbh don't think it makes a difference which one you applied for.

 

[sameers1603]

Kirkland Open Day

 

[Sad_Old_Grad]

If we were to receive an Open Day PFO, would that mean that we cannot apply for a direct TC in the same cycle?