TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[Ram Sabaratnam]

After countless applications, I continue to be rejected.



I know rejection is something everything goes through, but honestly, and without sounding overly cocky, I’m quite shocked I’ve not had a single Vac Scheme offer, ever.



Quick summary:

• Corporate paralegal in London for 2 years
• 1st class degree at undergraduate from Russell group.
• Distinction in GDL
• fluent in multiple languages
• Multiple post grad degrees both from LSE in Corporate Law and in M&A. Bear in mind, these gave me the academic knowledge necessary to bridge the gap between theoretical academic law from the GDL to real work in a commercial law firm.
• pro bono advisor at a legal clinic for a year, and still do.
• Other legal roles including for trusts and for barristers

I sometimes wonder what else I can even do!



If they said bad grades, I would say fine, but I couldn’t have done better at undergraduate and GDL.



If they said, no work experience, I would say fine, but I have 3 different ongoing legal roles, including my paralegal role in a London city law firm, which clearly shows my experience - quite frankly, my paralegal role has given me some experience that even being a trainee would not.



I got to 2 AC’s last year. But got rejected after both.



This year, I still have a couple applications in the pipeline, but I’m honestly not hopeful at all. I will mention that an American firm which I attended their AC last year, this year failed me on the first round. Which, tbh, I don’t see how that makes any sense. With 1 year extra experience, suddenly I can’t get past the first stage, but last year I reached the last stage ? That to me makes no sense. I don’t mean to be rude, but I think that is BS!



What’s stopping me from giving up, after spending years studying and working in law?



If I did any other profession, I’d be so much further along, but I made the terrible mistake of wasting my time with law.

@Jessica Booker
@Jaysen

Heya @CHLTC

I'm sure @Jessica Booker and @Jaysen would have much more insight here, but completely understand how frustrated and disheartened you must feel. I’ve had several paralegal friends express very similar thoughts to me. You clearly have some experience under your belt and good grades, so it’s completely understandable that you feel stuck trying to figure out what else you can do.

One thing I’ve noticed is that the requirements for training contracts can differ significantly from what firms value in paralegals. Training contract recruitment often tests a broader range of skills - not just technical knowledge and experience but also how well you craft tailored applications, perform in interviews, and demonstrate softer skills like teamwork, negotiation, and effective communication in group settings. This can make the process feel much more unpredictable (and onerous), even for experienced candidates. I struggled with this myself, and it took support from friends working in the City and the TCLA community to learn how to write better applications that hit the mark and present myself effectively in interviews.

Your experience is a real strength, so I’d encourage you to focus on framing it in a way that aligns with what firms look for in trainees. From speaking to paralegals who successfully transitioned to training contracts, I’ve noticed that the challenge is often not the experience itself but how it’s presented in applications and interviews. Additionally, I’d encourage you to keep seeking feedback, whether for applications or interviews, and find a way to action that feedback in future applications or assessment centres.

You’re clearly doing all the right things, so don’t lose hope. This process can feel opaque, but the cycle isn’t over yet, and I really hope you’re pleasantly surprised soon. We’re here to help if you have questions about tailoring applications or refining interview answers. Good luck and don't give up - you DO have what it takes!

 

[Tintin06]

After countless applications, I continue to be rejected.



I know rejection is something everything goes through, but honestly, and without sounding overly cocky, I’m quite shocked I’ve not had a single Vac Scheme offer, ever.



Quick summary:

• Corporate paralegal in London for 2 years
• 1st class degree at undergraduate from Russell group.
• Distinction in GDL
• fluent in multiple languages
• Multiple post grad degrees both from LSE in Corporate Law and in M&A. Bear in mind, these gave me the academic knowledge necessary to bridge the gap between theoretical academic law from the GDL to real work in a commercial law firm.
• pro bono advisor at a legal clinic for a year, and still do.
• Other legal roles including for trusts and for barristers

I sometimes wonder what else I can even do!



If they said bad grades, I would say fine, but I couldn’t have done better at undergraduate and GDL.



If they said, no work experience, I would say fine, but I have 3 different ongoing legal roles, including my paralegal role in a London city law firm, which clearly shows my experience - quite frankly, my paralegal role has given me some experience that even being a trainee would not.



I got to 2 AC’s last year. But got rejected after both.



This year, I still have a couple applications in the pipeline, but I’m honestly not hopeful at all. I will mention that an American firm which I attended their AC last year, this year failed me on the first round. Which, tbh, I don’t see how that makes any sense. With 1 year extra experience, suddenly I can’t get past the first stage, but last year I reached the last stage ? That to me makes no sense. I don’t mean to be rude, but I think that is BS!



What’s stopping me from giving up, after spending years studying and working in law?



If I did any other profession, I’d be so much further along, but I made the terrible mistake of wasting my time with law.

@Jessica Booker
@Jaysen

Have you done Subject Access Requests? They might be a last resort. Try asking for some more info. Failing that, the SAR can help.

Often it’s hard to stand out. How are you selling your experience? Some will be more useful, obviously. Multiple postgraduate degrees aren’t necessarily essential.

Others can probably offer better advice. This is just my perspective here.

 

[James Wakefield]

Have you done Subject Access Requests? They might be a last resort. Try asking for some more info. Failing that, the SAR can help.

Often it’s hard to stand out. How are you selling your experience? Some will be more useful, obviously. Multiple postgraduate degrees aren’t necessarily essential.

Others can probably offer better advice. This is just my perspective here.

I was considering whether to look at SARs to get scores/feedback firms wouldn’t otherwise give. Is this a good idea though or just likely to annoy the companies?

Has anyone gained useful information by doing these that has helped with applications, or are they just a distraction?

 

[CallumJR]

After countless applications, I continue to be rejected.



I know rejection is something everything goes through, but honestly, and without sounding overly cocky, I’m quite shocked I’ve not had a single Vac Scheme offer, ever.



Quick summary:

• Corporate paralegal in London for 2 years
• 1st class degree at undergraduate from Russell group.
• Distinction in GDL
• fluent in multiple languages
• Multiple post grad degrees both from LSE in Corporate Law and in M&A. Bear in mind, these gave me the academic knowledge necessary to bridge the gap between theoretical academic law from the GDL to real work in a commercial law firm.
• pro bono advisor at a legal clinic for a year, and still do.
• Other legal roles including for trusts and for barristers

I sometimes wonder what else I can even do!



If they said bad grades, I would say fine, but I couldn’t have done better at undergraduate and GDL.



If they said, no work experience, I would say fine, but I have 3 different ongoing legal roles, including my paralegal role in a London city law firm, which clearly shows my experience - quite frankly, my paralegal role has given me some experience that even being a trainee would not.



I got to 2 AC’s last year. But got rejected after both.



This year, I still have a couple applications in the pipeline, but I’m honestly not hopeful at all. I will mention that an American firm which I attended their AC last year, this year failed me on the first round. Which, tbh, I don’t see how that makes any sense. With 1 year extra experience, suddenly I can’t get past the first stage, but last year I reached the last stage ? That to me makes no sense. I don’t mean to be rude, but I think that is BS!



What’s stopping me from giving up, after spending years studying and working in law?



If I did any other profession, I’d be so much further along, but I made the terrible mistake of wasting my time with law.

@Jessica Booker
@Jaysen

Get your application reviewed by TCLA. This is an amazing service and helps to improve your application. The feedback they provide is extremly insightfull!

 

[future_traineesolicitor]

How to best research how a firm differentiates from its competitors and its position in the market? Would appreciate any insights @Ram Sabaratnam @Amma Usman @Andrei Radu @Jessica Booker

 

[KBanana]

Anyone have any insights for Bakers VI? Thank you in advance! 😊

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

if i havent heard from cooley, do i assume pfo now?

Hi @elizabethkate

I wouldn’t assume a PFO just yet. While they mentioned aiming to get back to all candidates by today, it’s not uncommon for firms to take a little longer due to various reasons. There have been plenty of times when firms set a specific date but only manage to respond a few days later. I had a similar experience with Cooley once, where the delay was simply down to the volume of applications they’d received that year.

I’d say hang tight for now. In the meantime, if you have the capacity, there are still some other firms with open applications that might be worth considering. Fingers crossed for you!

 

[Maddy]

After countless applications, I continue to be rejected.



I know rejection is something everything goes through, but honestly, and without sounding overly cocky, I’m quite shocked I’ve not had a single Vac Scheme offer, ever.



Quick summary:

• Corporate paralegal in London for 2 years
• 1st class degree at undergraduate from Russell group.
• Distinction in GDL
• fluent in multiple languages
• Multiple post grad degrees both from LSE in Corporate Law and in M&A. Bear in mind, these gave me the academic knowledge necessary to bridge the gap between theoretical academic law from the GDL to real work in a commercial law firm.
• pro bono advisor at a legal clinic for a year, and still do.
• Other legal roles including for trusts and for barristers

I sometimes wonder what else I can even do!



If they said bad grades, I would say fine, but I couldn’t have done better at undergraduate and GDL.



If they said, no work experience, I would say fine, but I have 3 different ongoing legal roles, including my paralegal role in a London city law firm, which clearly shows my experience - quite frankly, my paralegal role has given me some experience that even being a trainee would not.



I got to 2 AC’s last year. But got rejected after both.



This year, I still have a couple applications in the pipeline, but I’m honestly not hopeful at all. I will mention that an American firm which I attended their AC last year, this year failed me on the first round. Which, tbh, I don’t see how that makes any sense. With 1 year extra experience, suddenly I can’t get past the first stage, but last year I reached the last stage ? That to me makes no sense. I don’t mean to be rude, but I think that is BS!



What’s stopping me from giving up, after spending years studying and working in law?



If I did any other profession, I’d be so much further along, but I made the terrible mistake of wasting my time with law.

@Jessica Booker
@Jaysen

I have a doubt. It's just a genuine doubt. I am an international student and this is my last application cycle. I am waiting to hear back from 2 more applications but if it's negative I am going to quit applying for TC. You mentioned you are a corporate paralegal. Is there any chance you can self fund sqe and become a solicitor after 2 years of work experience or is it really difficult to become a solicitor? It's just a question I have .

 

[paralegaltotrainee]

Get your application reviewed by TCLA. This is an amazing service and helps to improve your application. The feedback they provide is extremly insightfull!

How does one get their application reviewed by TCLA?

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

How to best research how a firm differentiates from its competitors and its position in the market? Would appreciate any insights @Ram Sabaratnam @Amma Usman @Andrei Radu @Jessica Booker

Hiya @future_traineesolicitor


I'm sure @Amma Usman and @Andrei Radu would have more to say here, but when researching a firm’s competitors I normally took the approach below and pulled from several different sources.

1. Industry rankings: My starting point is usually Chambers UK and Legal 500. They’re great for understanding what practice areas a firm is really known for and seeing how they rank compared to other firms in the same areas. It gives you a solid foundation to identify competitors. Chambers Student profiles are also golden in that they offer a broad overview of the sort work a firm is typically known for, while the rankings offer more granular insight into specific areas a firm excels in.
   
   
2. Legal publications: The Lawyer (a favourite of mine, and their podcast is FREE) and The Global Legal Post were pretty useful. They frequently covered major lateral hires, practice area expansion (or contraction lol), or geographic expansion and painted a more holistic picture of firms for me than was typical of Chambers UK or Legal 500. The Lawyer's podcast was also great, because they often discussed certain firms and their strategies, as well as important market shifts that allowed those firms to really stand out compared to their competitors. I also generally found their discussions quite accessible in terms of the level of detail. Worth noting, though, that some of these publications do require subscriptions and have articles behind paywalls.
   
   
3. Any awards: Looking at recent awards a firm has won can also reveal their strengths. If a firm regularly wins in a specific practice area or outperforms similarly ranked competitors, it’s a good indicator of their reputation in that specific area. The Lawyer Hot 100 was also fantastic in highlighting standout deals and lawyers at various firms.

Hope this helps, and good luck with your research!

 

[Chris Brown]

I have a doubt. It's just a genuine doubt. I am an international student and this is my last application cycle. I am waiting to hear back from 2 more applications but if it's negative I am going to quit applying for TC. You mentioned you are a corporate paralegal. Is there any chance you can self fund sqe and become a solicitor after 2 years of work experience or is it really difficult to become a solicitor? It's just a question I have .

Yeah you can still qualify as a solicitor without needing to have secured a training contract from a law firm. 🙂🙂

The traditional route to qualification was LPC + TC for 2 years. The SRA have changed this and introduced the SQE to increase access into the legal profession.

Now, in order to qualify, you need to pass the SQE (1&2) and have 2 years of QWE (qualifying work experience).

Firms have chose to frame their TC’s as QWE to meet the SRA requirements.

Hypothetically, you could paralegal for several years to build up enough QWE, self fund and sit the SQE exams and if you pass them, become an NQ solicitor. 🙂🙂​

 

[Hana ♥]

CMS VI! I'm happy, but also equally tired of all these interviews (Any insights would be incredibly useful).

 

[paralegaltotrainee]

Yeah you can still qualify as a solicitor without needing to have secured a training contract.

The traditional route to qualification was LPC + TC for 2 years. The SRA wanted to change this and chose to introduce the SQE.

Now, in order to qualify, you need to pass the SQE (1&2) and have 2 years of QWE (qualifying work experience). Firms have chose to frame their TC’s as QWE to meet the SRA requirements.

Hypothetically, you could paralegal for several years to build up enough QWE, self fund and sit the SQE exams and if you pass them, you can become a NQ solicitor.

Are there any downsides of taking this route (other than having to self-fund the SQE)? For example, does taking this path affect your chances of being hired as an NQ at elite firms?

If I'm not mistaken - it seems many firms still favour the traditional training contract structure, so I’d like to understand if this route could create any disadvantages when it comes to securing competitive roles.

 

[Gr33n]

Anyone get RPC AC that applied on the deadline?

 

[aspiringlawer1212]

Hi all,

I am applying to K&L Gates and Orrick. While they both require a cover letter, they also ask questions such as:

'Why have you decided to pursue a career as a commercial lawyer working in an international law firm? What factors and influences have affected your decision?'

'Why specifically are you interested in training at Orrick? What makes us different to the other firms you have applied for?'


I would normally address these points in the cover letter itself, but that doesn't seem right in this case. Anyone know how to approach this?


Thanks

 

[Alessio1642]

Regarding people saying Weil will get back to us today, where did you find this as I can’t seem to find anything online. Also same for mishcon post app for summer VS! TYSM!!

 

[jacksollaf]

After countless applications, I continue to be rejected.



I know rejection is something everything goes through, but honestly, and without sounding overly cocky, I’m quite shocked I’ve not had a single Vac Scheme offer, ever.



Quick summary:

• Corporate paralegal in London for 2 years
• 1st class degree at undergraduate from Russell group.
• Distinction in GDL
• fluent in multiple languages
• Multiple post grad degrees both from LSE in Corporate Law and in M&A. Bear in mind, these gave me the academic knowledge necessary to bridge the gap between theoretical academic law from the GDL to real work in a commercial law firm.
• pro bono advisor at a legal clinic for a year, and still do.
• Other legal roles including for trusts and for barristers

I sometimes wonder what else I can even do!



If they said bad grades, I would say fine, but I couldn’t have done better at undergraduate and GDL.



If they said, no work experience, I would say fine, but I have 3 different ongoing legal roles, including my paralegal role in a London city law firm, which clearly shows my experience - quite frankly, my paralegal role has given me some experience that even being a trainee would not.



I got to 2 AC’s last year. But got rejected after both.



This year, I still have a couple applications in the pipeline, but I’m honestly not hopeful at all. I will mention that an American firm which I attended their AC last year, this year failed me on the first round. Which, tbh, I don’t see how that makes any sense. With 1 year extra experience, suddenly I can’t get past the first stage, but last year I reached the last stage ? That to me makes no sense. I don’t mean to be rude, but I think that is BS!



What’s stopping me from giving up, after spending years studying and working in law?



If I did any other profession, I’d be so much further along, but I made the terrible mistake of wasting my time with law.

@Jessica Booker
@Jaysen

I feel horrible that you have been dealing with this and wish you the best of luck! If you don't mind me asking, and if I understood correctly, you have passed the SQEs right? I don't mean to sound insensitive, and I truly hope it doesn't come across in a bad way because I mean it with good intentions, but if you have been a paralegal at a city law firm for 2 years, isn't it possible for you to speak to them and ask them to make you a trainee, or even take you as an associate? or do they tell you to apply through the normal cycle and stuff... ?

Once again, best of luck, you'll get there!!!

 

[JamesCCM]

Milbank PFO post-app. Applied October.
Gibson Dunn VI, applied late September

 

[James Wakefield]

Willkie Written Exercise after I did my VI 3 weeks ago and had given up hope. 😅

 

[Cool pigeon]

Milbank PFO post-app. Applied October.
Gibson Dunn VI, applied late September

when did you hear from milbank im so confused why they haven’t rejected me yet 🤣I wrote a shocker of an application