TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[Brandon93]

Please use the space below to describe the reasons you want to be a solicitor.
Outline what first prompted your interest in the profession, your research on the profession, and particular areas of law that interest you. Max 300 words

Can anyone provide guidance on how to approach this question? Is this 'why commercial law' in disguise or do I need to just focus on the law aspect and leave out the 'commercial' bit?

 

[Filosof]

Hey @Parsorandini I think you should generally just stick to the facts. If you are sufficiently specific in your description of your tasks, it should be easy for recruiters to infer associated skills and attributes without your writing becoming very repetitive. However, you can also make a link explicit if (i) a given work experience has particularly strong connections with your motivations for why commercial law or why the firm; or (ii) if a given work experience has made you develop particularly relevant/unique skills. Nonetheless, I will emphasize that my advice is to only do so sparingly. The more links you explicitly draw, the less impactful will each particular connection seem.

Thanks, that is really helpful

 

[unknownnn7372]

do u think it would be safe to assume a PFO from white & case post-AC, given the scheme starts really soon?

 

[Andrei Radu]

For the NRF question how has your understanding of the role of a commercial lawyer developed, and motivated you to pursue a career at Norton Rose Fulbright? (350 words)*, how did people go about answering the first part about your understanding of commercial law developing? Any insights would be appreciated!

Hi @helloj I do not think there is a right or wrong way of approaching that question, but here's the way I would go about it:

1. Give a historical 'narrative' explanation of my engagement with commercial law - when did I start considering this field, which firm events did I attend, what Forage experiences, courses, and related work experiences/internships I did.
2. Within this explanation, integrate the substantive points you have learnt about the profession at various points - the type of work commercial lawyers do, why they are valuable for businesses, about how the commercial law landscape and what clients demand from commercial solicitors has changed over the years, and/or about the differences between the biggest practice areas. You do not need to mention all of these, but try to explain at least one or two that you feel you have gained most insight into.
3. If NRF does not ask this question explicitly in another part of the application form, how and why what you have learnt has motivated you to pursue a career as a commercial lawyer.

 

[Andrei Radu]

Hi,

Does anyone know if the duration you take to complete the SJT assessment from Linklaters matters? They say there is no limit but was just wondering.

@Ram Sabaratnam @Amma Usman @Jessica Booker

I do not know much more about this, other that when firms say there is no time limit, I believe the time you take to complete a test is generally not either recorded or taken into consideration when assessing your application. In my own experience, although not with Linklaters, I have taken several hours to complete SJTs/WGs at some firms and still ended up progressing.

 

[Andrei Radu]

Finally received tests from Mayer Brown! Any tips for them?

While I do not remember so much from the test since I only did it last year, I will mention two distinctive features and my related advice.

1. The Mayer Brown test was significantly longer and more varied than other firm psychometric assessments. I was honestly surprised of how much time and effort it took me to complete it. I would therefore advise you to choose a time and place to complete it when you are very well rested and comfortable with at least an hour or two of focused effort.
2. The test had a significant component of tasks assessing your attention to detail under time constraints, again a lot more than in other firm assessments. As such, I would take some time to practice online attention to detail practice tests. You can find an example of a free practice test here.

 

[Andrei Radu]

I applied to Slaughter and May last month (Oct 19) for the direct TC and still haven't heard back. Do I take that as a PFO since they recruit on a rolling basis and I don't believe they wouldn't have seen my application by now...

While I have only applied to Slaughter and May's VS, I think you should not assume a rejection just because of the long wait time. I applied earlier in October and only received an AC invite around the middle of December.

 

[Apyw]

hi @Andrei Radu @Ram Sabaratnam @Amma Usman

how would you go about answering this in an interview/app question?

"Imagine you have a lot of conflicting deadlines coming up, how would you prioritse and manage your time?"

 

[Andrei Radu]

Is being a campus ambassador for a law firm considered a position of responsibility or work experience? Or can it be both, allowing me to be flexible in my answers? Thanks!

I think it can qualify as both. It is a position of responsibility because you get to represent a firm on campus and assist them with their recruitment and marketing efforts - your name is thus associated with the firm's brand. It is also a work experience, as you are providing services to a business and in many cases are paid for it.

 

[Soprano]

Hello, I was just sent a telephone interview invite too. Did you manage to get an insight or give the interview yet?

Hey, my interview is on the 25th. I will let you know how it goes.

 

[andrecsaa]

Holding myself accountable again (another app).

CC* ✅
HSF ✅📝❌
NRF ✅📝❌
Weil ✅❌
Akin ✅
Sidley ✅❌
Orrick ✅
Willkie ✅🎥❌
Cooley ✅
Latham ✅
Milbank ✅
Kirkland ✅
Dechert ✅❌
Skadden ✅
Goodwin ✅
Covington ✅❌
Linklaters* ✅📝❌
Paul, Weiss ✅
Slaughters* ✅❌
Gibson Dunn ✅
Macfarlanes* ✅📝
White & Case ✅
Morgan Lewis ✅
Hogan Lovells* ✅
Cleary Gottlieb ✅❌
A&O Shearman ✅📝❌
Vinson & Elkins ✅
Arnold & Porter ✅
Baker McKenzie ✅
King & Spalding* ✅
Winston & Strawn ✅
Morrison Foerster ✅
Sullivan & Cromwell ✅

Key: ✅ = application submitted; 📝 = test received; 🎥 = video interview; ❌ = rejection.

*Training Contract applications

What did you think about the difficult of the NRF and Linklaters tests? Similar to CC WG practice?

 

[Tintin06]

What did you think about the difficult of the NRF and Linklaters tests? Similar to CC WG practice?

NRF pretty much felt impossible, honestly. Linklaters uses Cappfinity. I quite like that test actually. Akin and Macfarlanes also use it. I've never passed a single test since I started applying in 2017, I don't think. Although I did get passed Latham's VI. All my interviews have been at firms that don't use tests. That may change this year.

 

[Andrei Radu]

hi @Andrei Radu @Ram Sabaratnam @Amma Usman

how would you go about answering this in an interview/app question?

"Imagine you have a lot of conflicting deadlines coming up, how would you prioritse and manage your time?"

Hi @Apyw I think you have a range of options in terms of the strategies that you can mention, but I would personally focus on some of the following:

• Estimating capacity: firstly, in order to assess whether you can deliver a high-quality work product for all of your deadlines, and to come up with a concrete plan to do so, you need to be able to estimate how long each relevant task will take you. To do that, you can ask the person who assigned you the work how long they expect it to take you to complete, but you can also use your own knowledge and the support of your supervisor or trainees who have worked on similar tasks before.
• Prioritization and flexibility: once you have a list with all the tasks, with the deadlines and the associated time it will take to complete them, you can start imputing time slots into your calendar. In doing so, you will prioritize (i) tasks which have a closer upcoming deadline; and (ii) tasks which should be prioritized for other reasons, such as importance to the client and impact on other workstreams, availability of others to work on it, and ability of firm to push back on the deadline. Should you have any doubts about (ii) or if you believe you will have to push back some deadlines or get other people to help on your work with them, you should communicate about this with your supervisor and possibly the person who assigned you the work.
• Improving efficiency: once you are ready to start working on the tasks, you want to be as efficient as you can with your time. You want to first of all not waste precious time with figuring out initial steps, so to the extent possible try to get as detailed of a list of step by step instructions from the person who assigned you the work at the moment at which they first approached you. Secondly, while you want to deliver a great work product, you do not want to waste time by being unnecessarily perfectionistic. Consider taking a look at firm resources or asking someone for a model work product for the assigned task. You can then look at it and have a broad idea of when your own work product has become 'good enough'. Finally, if you are struggling with any part of the work and cannot figure out a solution on your own in a time-efficient manner, consider approaching your supervisor or a trainee/junior associate who has done the same seat to ask for some advice.

 

[bella98]

Don’t use your brain. 🧠
Read it aloud as if you’re saying it to someone then contradict with the statement it’ll either make sense or not. Writing mind maps also helps. I’m not a Watson Glaser pro but these helped me.

Don’t use your brain is such a good advice!

Last year I used to ace Watson Glaser tests without much practice, but now that I’ve started practicing more, I’m overthinking everything and messing them up. The more I practice, the worse I seem to get ahaha How is that even possible?

 

[Audric_T]

OMG I won't say the firm name but they said I have to do their test even though I have been by pass from that same test by other firms. I have a neurodiversity and it is really annoying some firms still won't accommodate to make it fair for everyone and considering I spent 6 days on their application. I am just really annoyed with this and bet others will be feeling the same as me in this situation.

I also have neurodiversity however I have to do the tests - I get extra time that is how they make it fair why would they bypass you? also which firms bypassed you? Let me apply seems like a easy pass 🤔 Joking aside - Personality I rather do the test just with accommodations - In finance you don't get a pass for tests but they will give you the interview questions 24 hours before the interview

 

[jjsjsjs]

Has anyone not heard anything at all on Hogan Lovells WVS post Watson Glaser? No rejection or AC. I asked at Legal cheek Virtual law fair and they said I should hear back by the end of this week (today) but nothing. It starts in 9 days!

 

[Hana ♥]

Covington Corporate Legal Horizons Programme Offer! I thought they ghosted us

 

[LawyerUpPal]

Does anyone know how many days HSF gives to do its SJT after submitting an application?

You will have 7 days to complete the test which roughly takes 30 – 40 minutes to complete.

 

[andrecsaa]

NRF pretty much felt impossible, honestly. Linklaters uses Cappfinity. I quite like that test actually. Akin and Macfarlanes also use it. I've never passed a single test since I started applying in 2017, I don't think. Although I did get passed Latham's VI. All my interviews have been at firms that don't use tests. That may change this year.

Sorry to hear that and thanks for replying, this is my first cycle. I prefer to start in 2028 start, but hoping to secure something at first.

I thought WG pretty hard, even having passed the CC test. Watching YouTube videos has been the most helpful resource before taking the mock tests. Someone posted one yesterday, look for it. Not pretty sure about the Cappfinity results since I haven't received invitations to the next stages of other two firms.

I have just completed the Linklaters application and have two assessments (SJT and WG). Let's see if I can meet Linklaters' Capp benchmark to take the WG test and have my application reviewed. Will do it on Monday.

I saw you are focusing on US/MC/SC firms. Unfortunately these firm require WG tests. My priority list has 3 firms (MC, SC, national) requiring a WG test, and I think I've already failed one. Why don't you include other firms with strong corporate teams? I think you are keen on transactional, right? Perhaps qualifying elsewhere and later moving to one of these firms could be an option.

 

[User5678]

Hey, my interview is on the 25th. I will let you know how it goes.

Best of luck, I hope it goes well and thank you very much, I appreciate it