TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[milo]

You won't need to attach a CV for this - your application form will be sufficient. You also won't need to submit a cover letter as the application form covers the motivational questions the firm is asking for.

Sorry if this has already been mentioned but what about transcripts? Those are mentioned on the careers page but not explicitly asked for on the application form.

 

[Izzy1026]

Dechert's VS app asks for Company/Organisation referee, does anyone know if I can put down my internship supervisor? Or are they looking more for references from employers that candidates have worked for on a full time basis (in which case I do not have any)?

 

[TCchaser24]

just received an email from NRF subjected 'next steps' inviting me to their online test, however, I have already completed the firm's online test for their winter VS and received confirmation of completion. What should I do? and has anyone else had this? is it just a workdayjobs error? Thanks

 

[Lalis]

just received an email from NRF subjected 'next steps' inviting me to their online test, however, I have already completed the firm's online test for their winter VS and received confirmation of completion. What should I do? and has anyone else had this? is it just a workdayjobs error? Thanks

I got this too - assuming it's their workday error

 

[Apple]

I got this too - assuming it's their workday error

Lol i got it too. Obviously they tried to invite us all to an AC and clicked the wrong button.

 

[Maddy]

I read in a discussion about Jones Day that the firm selects applications on a super rolling basis and that if you don't apply within the fist few weeks for winter scheme it's better to apply for the spring. I was planning to apply by the beginning of next week. Is it too late to apply toJones day winter scheme?

 

[Andrei Radu]

I read in a discussion about Jones Day that the firm selects applications on a super rolling basis and that if you don't apply within the fist few weeks for winter scheme it's better to apply for the spring. I was planning to apply by the beginning of next week. Is it too late to apply toJones day winter scheme?

I would not say it's too late. While Jones Day definitely has a reputation of emphasizing early applications, I would not expect them to reject a great application submitted one month before the deadline just because you didn't send it one or two weeks before that. A friend of mine applied roughly a month before the deadline of their spring scheme and was still invited to an interview.

That said, if you want to maximize your success chances (and unless there are other reasons why this isn't a viable option for you), I do not see why you couldn't submit an application for their spring/summer vac scheme. We are still a few months away from those deadlines, so your application would likely be classified as an 'early' one.

 

[0livia.pope]

Just got another A&O email saying they are reviewing...

 

[tomsmitg]

If an application recruits on a rolling basis until january but i would hve a chance to attend a firm event in a months time, is it worth waiting till that to submit my application or better to submit now??

 

[Andrei Radu]

Dechert's VS app asks for Company/Organisation referee, does anyone know if I can put down my internship supervisor? Or are they looking more for references from employers that candidates have worked for on a full time basis (in which case I do not have any)?

Unless Dechert makes a clear distinction between an academic referee and a company/organisation referee, I would guess your university counts as an 'organisation'. Every law firm I applied for which asked for references primarily wanted an academic reference. Some also gave the option to put down referees from work experiences, but this was not a mandatory field.

Regarding your question (whether it is ok to put down your internship supervisor), I would say yes, provided you obtain their consent first. The general practice is first speak with any person you want to put down as a referee - whether it is an academic or professional one. You do not want a referee to be caught by surprise when called by a potential employer and take on the risk that on the spot they may not remember you/not have anything positive to say about you. So I advise you to send an email/LinkedIn message to your ex supervisor asking them to be your referee, they are unlikely to reject you. However, in the off case that this happens, I would go ahead and put down someone from your university as an organisation referee.

 

[Andrei Radu]

If an application recruits on a rolling basis until january but i would hve a chance to attend a firm event in a months time, is it worth waiting till that to submit my application or better to submit now??

Hey Tom - I think the answer depends on how much emphasis the firm places on early applications and how much emphasis it places on attending events, how much you think attending that event might improve the quality of your application, and level of interest you have in this particular firm. I've recently answered a very similar query (someone asked whether they should wait for an open day taking place only two weeks before the deadline of a rolling application) where I explained in more detail how I think you should consider these different factors. I've quoted it bellow as I believe this is the same problem you are interested in, but do let me know if you have a different question.

While firms who recruit on a rolling basis place different levels on emphasis on the time at which you submit your applications, I know many candidates (including myself) who progressed despite submitting very close to the deadline. As such, I think it makes sense to prioritize the quality of your application more than the timing. Since for most firms attending an open day will significantly improve your chances of progressing past the application stage in a VS/TC application, I think it is worth waiting for.

However, there are some caveats to this. Firstly, I do not believe it is feasible to implement this approach with a high number of firms. The reason is that most firms with competitive open day application processes will host the event in late October/November/early December. Most firms also have VS application deadlines in December/early January. As such, if you try to attend open days at many firms before writing your applications, you might end up completely overloaded come December, with several deadlines every week. This will likely mean you will have to compromise on the time you spend on each application and therefore on the quality of your research and writing - and my view is that quality of writing and research is the one thing you should not compromise on if you want to maximize your success chances. To ensure you can submit a high number of high quality applications, I think it is better to try to space out your efforts throughout the next three months. Thus, it is only feasible to change your application writing schedule around maybe 4-5 open days. This is why I would only wait for the open day outcome if this is one of those 4-5 firms that you would like to prioritize.

Secondly, there are some firms that are outliers in terms of how seriously they take the timing at which you submit your application - anecdotally, firms like Jones Day and Gibson Dunn would be among them. Therefore, I think before you decide on whether to wait for the open day application deadline or not, it is worth having a look around this forum to see if the firm you are interested in is in this category. You should simply type the name of the firm in the TCLA Forum search bar, alongside some key terms like 'offer', and see if last year there were any people being progressed despite submitting the application later in the cycle. Alternatively, if you are comfortable sharing the name of the firm, you can post this question about it here. Someone who has had experience with applying for that firm might know more about the issue and get back to you directly.

 

[Andrei Radu]

Sorry if this has already been mentioned but what about transcripts? Those are mentioned on the careers page but not explicitly asked for on the application form.

I doubt you need transcripts if they are not asked for specifically. I did not add any transcripts in my DLA application and was still invited to the AC. I can only think of one application form I completed which asked for transcripts (I think it was V&E's) and even then it was not a mandatory field. As I didn't have my transcripts at that time, I submitted my application without them and still progressed. I think in general the policy most firms have is to only ask for transcripts after they make you a VS/TC offer.

 

[tomsmitg]

Hey Tom - I think the answer depends on how much emphasis the firm places on early applications and how much emphasis it places on attending events, how much you think attending that event might improve the quality of your application, and level of interest you have in this particular firm. I've recently answered a very similar query (someone asked whether they should wait for an open day taking place only two weeks before the deadline of a rolling application) where I explained in more detail how I think you should consider these different factors. I've quoted it bellow as I believe this is the same problem you are interested in, but do let me know if you have a different question.

thanks

Hey Tom - I think the answer depends on how much emphasis the firm places on early applications and how much emphasis it places on attending events, how much you think attending that event might improve the quality of your application, and level of interest you have in this particular firm. I've recently answered a very similar query (someone asked whether they should wait for an open day taking place only two weeks before the deadline of a rolling application) where I explained in more detail how I think you should consider these different factors. I've quoted it bellow as I believe this is the same problem you are interested in, but do let me know if you have a different question.

Thanks Andrei - super helpful as always !

 

[Andrei Radu]

Hey! Im doing research for HL and I'm really struggling to distinguish it from other firms. Would anyone be willing to share what the USP of the firm is and what makes it different

Hi, I've listed bellow some of the USPs identified by TCLA's writers in HL's profile:

• Formed of a highly successful US-UK merger: here you could discuss this USP in the context of the recent merger of A&O and Sherman Sterling, where it is unclear whether the newly formed A&O Sherman will be quite as successful. In terms of your motivations, you could discuss the benefit of having both US and UK cultural elements in the firm, or the benefit of a transatlantic client base.
• Sector-focused growth strategy: as opposed to dividing its teams solely across practice areas (as most firms do), HL has a more client-friendly split which accounts for sector expertise. This USP could be attractive if you have a specific interest in any of the sectors HL focuses on, or if you are interested to become more of a specialist rather than a generalist practitioner.
• Pursuit of alternative revenue streams and legal innovation: this USP could be of interest if you are interested in legal tech or in joining a firm with a more entrepreneurial strategy in a traditionally conservative legal industry.
• Strong regulatory and advisory work: as opposed to some US/MC rivals whose main focus is on a split of highly profitable transactional and disputes departments, HL also has very strong advisory teams. If you are interested in working in a more black-letter law focused practice area but in a non-contentious context, this could be highly attractive for you.

All of these headline USPs and more are explained a lot more thoroughly (also, with sources cited to enable you to further research them on your own) in TCLA's HL profile, which you can access here.

 

[BonanzaBih_]

Got a holding email from Ashurst saying they would get back no later than Nov 8 for the winter vac scheme

 

[Izzy1026]

Unless Dechert makes a clear distinction between an academic referee and a company/organisation referee, I would guess your university counts as an 'organisation'. Every law firm I applied for which asked for references primarily wanted an academic reference. Some also gave the option to put down referees from work experiences, but this was not a mandatory field.

Regarding your question (whether it is ok to put down your internship supervisor), I would say yes, provided you obtain their consent first. The general practice is first speak with any person you want to put down as a referee - whether it is an academic or professional one. You do not want a referee to be caught by surprise when called by a potential employer and take on the risk that on the spot they may not remember you/not have anything positive to say about you. So I advise you to send an email/LinkedIn message to your ex supervisor asking them to be your referee, they are unlikely to reject you. However, in the off case that this happens, I would go ahead and put down someone from your university as an organisation referee.

Thanks Andrei, very helpful!

 

[Andrei Radu]

Does anyone have advice on applying to Convington? I'm really struggling to communicate my genuine interest as they're really niche- my experiences don't match anything they're really good at; how do I go about this? This is for the first question:

• Why would you like to pursue a career as a solicitor at Covington, and how do you see yourself contributing to the firm's success? Word Count (Max 300 words)

Hi there! I've listed some of the headline Covington USPs identified in the recent profile TCLA published for the firm:

• At the intersection of law and politics
• Specialist focus in life sciences
• High-stakes, high-profilepro bono
• Experts in technology regulation
• Close-knit community focused on mutual accountability

Each of these points is explained in a lot of detail in the new profile (which you can access here). By reading it you might find more aspects you find an interest in.

Now, regarding your worry about the lack of alignment between your experiences and the firm: while ideal, I don't think you need actual experiences to justify interest in a firm's USP's. For instance, the fact that Covington advises many governmental bodies might be interesting to you simply because you are interested in being involved in headline-grabbing highly-political mandates. You can explain how such an interest arose out of related studies (perhaps a more politically-relevant module you did in univeristy or for A-levels), out of extracurriculars (like debating competitions, MUN etc), or purely because of you following the world of politics as a hobby. Another option is not to focus so much on your intellectual interests, but on what you think the best environment for you to learn and work in is - here you could mention the USP about a close-knit community, without needing to necessarily support that by referencing an actual work experience - one can observe the value and benefit of such an environment in many other areas besides the workplace.

 

[Hana ♥]

just received an email from NRF subjected 'next steps' inviting me to their online test, however, I have already completed the firm's online test for their winter VS and received confirmation of completion. What should I do? and has anyone else had this? is it just a workdayjobs error? Thanks

Got this too!

 

[lawyersum]

For Squire Patton Boggs open day it is asking 'What are our strengths in the legal sector?' How do I answer this without sounding super generic because quite a few firms have strong contentious practice, employment law like SPB...

 

[OrangeCherry1800]

How do you know if you passed or failed A&O SJT?