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TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25
- Thread starter Jessica Booker
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Hello, I was wondering if anyone knows any experiences of international students - Aka those that did their bachelor's abroad but are trying to secure a training contract in London. I am wondering, are people with outside bachelor's disadvantaged?
I know law firms group graduates in Oxbridge and Russel group etc, but I am not entirely sure about the international status. Does anyone have any input they could share?
I know law firms group graduates in Oxbridge and Russel group etc, but I am not entirely sure about the international status. Does anyone have any input they could share?
- Sep 9, 2024
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I think a 65% is a very borderline case - the firm used language like 'strong' or 'high' 2.1 without describing exactly what this translates to numerically. On forums, I have seen people describe grades in the 60-63% region as low 2.1, 64-66% as middle 2.1 and 67-69% as high 2.1. However, I have never seen firms use the term of so-called 'middle' 2.1s, so I'm not sure the same scale is used by recruiters. They may be operating with a simple low/high distinction, where 65% sits just at the middle.
My personal view is that if you like the firm and can write a great application in a time-efficient manner, it is still worth a shot. Even if a 65% ends up not being counted as a 'high' 2.1, it will be very close to it, and generally recruiters have some discretion for such situations - especially if you also have any mitigating circumstances.
If you look at the firms you like on Legal Cheek you will be able to see the % of current trainees that are international. There is a surprisingly high number if you consider the number of trainee recruits.
- Sep 9, 2024
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For shorter/less substantive work experiences (say, a Forage course) I think a few sentences describing the nature of the main tasks you completed will suffice. For longer/more substantive experiences (say, a part time job or internship) I think you would ideally use the STAR structure: describe the situation of the job (how you applied, context etc), tasks you were assigned, actions you took to complete them, and any results in terms of feedback or performance metrics. I would also sparingly make some inferences as to skills this demonstrates.
As for your other question, I think you can connect the experience with the firm, especially if there are any overlaps with your 'why the firm' motivations or the firm's USPS. However, I would only do so where there is a natural way to connect the two instead of pulling at straws. The other point I wanted to make here is to be mindful of how you make use of the work experience in application form answers to avoid being repetitive.
For your use, I copied here one of my more substantive work experience answers I used in one of my successful applications. I did not make use of the full STAR structure because I already explained the context and my feedback in one of the application form, but I thought the example may still be useful:
During my one month at X firm, I mainly worked in the Litigation and Corporate departments. In litigation, I gained experience in complex cross-border disputes by conducting extensive legal research into the validity of choice of court clauses, workplace discrimination and fictitious accounting. I also honed my public speaking skills by preparing and delivering a 30-minute presentation in front of the entire firm. Together with a fellow intern, I discussed the cases in which a lawyer can be legally obligated to testify as a witness against his own client.
In corporate, I improved my attention to detail by researching and then drafting client emails about the validity of powers of attorney issued before a change in a company’s management. I also enhanced my understanding of complex M&A deals by conducting research on the legal implications of a subsidiary acquiring the parent company with a consequent reduction in share capital.
Finally, I developed my organisational skills by completing cross-departmental tasks, such as sending weekly emails to the entire firm with a summary of recent legislative and regulatory changes for each practice area.
Wait you asked for your score and they just gave it no questions asked? How long after you took the test did you ask for your score?
- Sep 9, 2024
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For these questions I think it is normally not necessary to speak a lot from your own experience. The aim of the interviewer is more to see if you have structured way of considering an action plan when dealing with a problem or situation you have not encountered before and if you are generally aware of the resources and support you can use in the firm. It is also meant to test out a number of skills, such as thinking on the spot, problem-solving, initiative, and collaboration. I would thus simply focus on doing the best job of walking the interviewer through my thought process while showcasing these desired attributes. To the extent any points you are making can be further supported by something you have learnt from an actual experience, that is of course helpful to add, but I would not be continuously searching for these examples while answering the question.
- Sep 9, 2024
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I do not have any advice specific to Kirkland, Willkie, or Weil, but since a number of people have been asking for VI advice I thought it may be useful to link again my Guide to Competency Interviews. It is based on my and other successful candidates' experiences and includes a step by step VI preparation guide and a list of top tips to keep in mind as you are completing it. In my experience, most VIs are quite similar, and by following this approach I got progressed 4/5 times.
Does anyone have advice on this BCLP question?
"Please describe a time where you showed courage in the face of adversity. What was the situation and how did you react?"
I'm not really sure what the firm means by "show courage". Would this just be a resilience response or are they looking for something more?
"Please describe a time where you showed courage in the face of adversity. What was the situation and how did you react?"
I'm not really sure what the firm means by "show courage". Would this just be a resilience response or are they looking for something more?
@Andrei Radu
Hi Andrei, I had two quick questions about Davis Polk application form.
First, in terms of why we are attracted to the work DP carries out, how would you go about it to make sure your answer is persuasive enough?
I was told that DP requires a CV for partners to use during interview, but I cannot see anywhere in the application form a section for uploading our CV. Is this something you prepared later?
Thank you
Hi Andrei, I had two quick questions about Davis Polk application form.
First, in terms of why we are attracted to the work DP carries out, how would you go about it to make sure your answer is persuasive enough?
I was told that DP requires a CV for partners to use during interview, but I cannot see anywhere in the application form a section for uploading our CV. Is this something you prepared later?
Thank you
Congratulations on getting so many ACs at great law firms first of all! I wondered if you had legal experience? And if you went to a RG or Oxbridge university? If you dont mind answering
Congrats!! Out of curiosity what are the next steps i.e when does the written exercise take place/due for?
Same here! how are you planning on preparing? I was considering the written exercise tcla bundle, but that looks like a 48-hour turnaround from booking to actual feedback, and the exercise is at 9:30 on Friday, so probably not enough time.
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