TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[Andrei Radu]

Sorry if this is a really stupid question but how can you tell whether a law firm organises itself by practice group or sector? because they tend to have both sections on websites and i can't tell which one is the primary way they organise themselves...

Hey @aspiringlawstudent123 - I think this is actually a great question. Part of the reason why I cannot give you a very simple answer is that I do not think firm's organizational structure can be broken down in a dichotomy practice area vs sector based grouping - rather, I think it is more of a spectrum. Firms that mainly organize themselves based on practice areas will often split some of their practice areas in subdepartments dealing with transactions in a particular sector - you might see this especially for firms with big client bases in industries like tech, pharma and energy. At the same time, even sector-focused have a limit as to the variety of work you do in one sector. Generally, you will not work on huge M&A deals and cross border litigations simultaneously.

I think the best way to try to ascertain which side of the spectrum a firm is on is to look at their seats offerings. You should be able to find that out either on the firm's website or on publications like the Chambers Student Guide. After you have looked at the list of seats, try to judge whether they seem to more related to practices or sectors. Then, check on the firm's website whether there are any further subdivisions of practices. If after this and the rest of your general research your results are still inconclusive, I would assume the firm is organized on a practice area basis. This is the traditional model which the vast majority of firms use and the firms that do not will normally heavily advertise this as an unique selling point.

 

[Andrei Radu]

The PFO's are getting to me send help......

Hey @B2025 I know this is really hard and I can sympathize with what you are likely feeling right now. But please try not to feel too disheartened - I am 100% convinced that the one trait which enabled me to succeed was my ability to use the frustration and anxiety caused by rejections as a source of renewed motivation to work harder for my goals.

Also, do not see these results as any indicator for your ability to succeed - only two years ago, I was ending the cycle having been rejected at first stage in every single one of my applications. I subsequently struggled a lot with self-doubt and at times I was convinced I simply am not good enough to get a TC. However, I stuck by it and here I am today.

Finally, know that if you work on making yourself the best candidate that you can, you will eventually succeed even if the present outcomes do not look promising. I was telling the same thing recently to a friend who was getting instant rejection after rejection for the first few months of the cycle and they were finding it difficult to believe me. Nonetheless, their efforts eventually paid off and they received 4 AC invited and a VS offer in the space of less than three weeks.

 

[User5678]

anyone who has applied to kennedys and can guide me if they have entered module/a levels grades subject wise? The form seems to be confusing and only asks for overall grades and whether they are predicted or achieved? Thanks in advance

 

[B2025]

Hey @B2025 I know this is really hard and I can sympathize with what you are likely feeling right now. But please try not to feel too disheartened - I am 100% convinced that the one trait which enabled me to succeed was my ability to use the frustration and anxiety caused by rejections as a source of renewed motivation to work harder for my goals.

Also, do not see these results as any indicator for your ability to succeed - only two years ago, I was ending the cycle having been rejected at first stage in every single one of my applications. I subsequently struggled a lot with self-doubt and at times I was convinced I simply am not good enough to get a TC. However, I stuck by it and here I am today.

Finally, know that if you work on making yourself the best candidate that you can, you will eventually succeed even if the present outcomes do not look promising. I was telling the same thing recently to a friend who was getting instant rejection after rejection for the first few months of the cycle and they were finding it difficult to believe me. Nonetheless, their efforts eventually paid off and they received 4 AC invited and a VS offer in the space of less than three weeks.

Thank you for this insightful guidance and kit is really reassuring to hear and I guess these setbacks will pass. I will look at these rejections in 2 months time and will be like was I really at such a low point and we got to keep on going. This is really inspiring to read and the motivational boost that I needed.

 

[Andrei Radu]

Hi , I just wanted to check if the Kennedys tc is open to final year law students or is it only for graduates?

@Ram Sabaratnam @Jessica Booker @Andrei Radu please can you kindly assist

Thanks very much in advance

I have taken a look on their website and they do not explicitly state one or the other. However, based on the language used by the firm to describe the training programme in its Chambers Student Guide profile (which you can access here) I would infer that it is open for final year law students as well. The firm said "Our SQE programme takes the form of a Graduate Solicitor Apprenticeship and allows you to start working and earning at Kennedys immediately after university", but this would only be possible if they allow applications from final years.

 

[RonRod13]

Has anyone heard back from Gibson Dunn’s Abu Dhabi office?

 

[KBanana]

There's an interesting Law.com article (which you can access here) arguing that Latham is struggling with a lack of clear strategy. Essentially, over the last couple of years the firm has struggled in keeping up with the increased profit margins of rivals like Kirkland and Skadden. The firm's equity partnership has actually shrunk over this period. Simultaneously, the firm's average partner compensation (so accounting for non-equity partner compensation figures as well) has also decreased.

Some commentators argue that this is in due to: (i) insufficient concentration on its core New York office, as the firm was slow to keep up with the superstar 20+ million compensation packages offered by its rivals to attract and retain top partners - which is particularly concerning since NY is by a distance the most profitable legal market in the world; and (ii) lack of a clear vision for its European offices, as the firm is neither focusing solely on the highly profitable PE/cap markets niche, nor is it fully committing to offering a Magic Circle-like full service offering. This could be a worst of both worlds scenario, as it puts the firm in a worst position both when pitching against its more focused US and UK rivals.

However, my personal opinion is that while these worries are sensible, they are also slightly exaggerated. A number of different leading partners at global firms and many commentators have argued this is a transformative period for the world of big law, which is naturally accompanied by an increased number high profile lateral hires. Simply because of its size, the firm is a natural target for rivals who look to poach top partners. To the point, Kirkland has arguably had a worse year in terms of partner departures, with over 20 partners (including Neel Sachdev, one of the architects of its growth) leaving for Paul, Weiss. Since some of the elite New York firms with historically smaller London offices have started looking to expand and are ready to invest significant sums, it is not at all unexpected for bigger players to suffer as a result.

Nonetheless, the lateral hiring wars are still ongoing and there is a lot of movement in between firms. Kirkland went on its own hiring spree after the Paul, Weiss raid and poached some star partners in a number of practice areas which had seen recent departures. Sidley Austin, one of the firms which recently hit Latham, was just a few days ago itself targeted by Davis Polk and consequently lost the co heads of its European restructuring practice. The point is, things are quite fluid on the lateral hiring scene at the moment and the poaching firms often become poaching targets and vice versa. Personally, I would be surprised if Latham will not seek to respond to the current headwinds in a manner similar to Kirkland's.

This was very insightful - thank you very much @Andrei Radu !

What a fascinating time in the legal market! I am really curious to see how and when the lateral hiring wars will start to cool down in London...

 

[Zaraa.x]

How would you go about answering this question- Which sectors do you think has the most potential for growth over the next 12 months, and why, and what opportunities do you see for NRF to maximise this potential.

 

[avocadob]

Hi guys, if I stuttered/ fumbled on 1 out of 2 points of a VI question, but the other two answers went alright, would it still likely be a rejection? :/

 

[Zi48]

Thank you! Did you apply? I just wanted to check if you added grades subject/ module wise or only an overall grade. It is a bit unclear from their application format! Thank you

I haven’t applied yet so I'm not sure, sorry!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi , I just wanted to check if the Kennedys tc is open to final year law students or is it only for graduates?

@Ram Sabaratnam @Jessica Booker @Andrei Radu please can you kindly assist

Thanks very much in advance

It depends which vacancy you are applying to. Some you will need to be a graduate and if a non-law graduate, have completed the GDL too. Which vacancy are you considering?

 

[Zi48]

Hello, @Jessica Booker @Andrei Radu @Ram Sabaratnam Do you know of any firms to which you can apply for Vacation schemes multiple times in one cycle?

NRF lets you apply again if you didn't make it to the AC, their FAQs say:

"If you’ve taken part in an assessment day and were unsuccessful, please wait 12 months from the date of your original application before reapplying. However, if you were unsuccessful at the application stage you can apply for another vacancy, within the same calendar year. If you reapply, we strongly advise rewriting your application."

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi guys, if I stuttered/ fumbled on 1 out of 2 points of a VI question, but the other two answers went alright, would it still likely be a rejection? :/

I doubt an interview would be determined on this basis alone

 

[Apple]

Hi guys, if I stuttered/ fumbled on 1 out of 2 points of a VI question, but the other two answers went alright, would it still likely be a rejection? :/

I was so nervous in my VI, I was stuttering and basically waffling for the last 20 seconds, but I got progressed to AC. Don't give up just yet 😂

 

[Tom smith]

How far back in the past can we give examples from in competency-based interviews, e.g. if I was in the last year of my degree, could I give an example from sixth form, for example?

 

[DesperateForVac]

Clyde and co summer PFO

Sorry to hear this, when did you apply and complete the VI?

 

[Bread]

Sorry if this is a really stupid question but how can you tell whether a law firm organises itself by practice group or sector? because they tend to have both sections on websites and i can't tell which one is the primary way they organise themselves...

Sectors are the industries in which they work (pharmaceutical, tech, life sciences, etc), practices are the areas of law that they specialise in, or practice(M&A, tax, antitrust, etc), but usually multiple practices apply to the same sector and viceversa

 

[DesperateForVac]

Clyde and Co TC pfo what a nice week am really enjoying the PFO's.

Sorry to hear this!

when did you apply?

 

[Mariyam_M]

What are the key traits/values/skills/competencies that Clifford Chance is looking for? I wanted to know how to tailor their application question to the firm.

 

[Mariyam_M]

What are the key traits/values/skills/competencies that Clifford Chance is looking for (apart from what's given on their website)? I wanted to know how to tailor their application question to the firm.