TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[Andrei Radu]

what are some good questions to ask at the end of an interview?

Hi @member7830 I have discussed this topic in more depth in a recent post, I will quote it bellow. But just to list a few questions that I think in general are ok to ask:

• What is your firm's business strategy over the next few years?
• What is the strategy for the London office?
• Which firms do you most often find yourself pitching against?
• What are the firm's selling points from a client's perspective?
• What qualities are most important for making a trainee succeed at the job in your experience?

I would say what is best to ask depends on (i) what your interests are; (ii) who is interviewing you; and (iii) what has previously been discussed in the interview:

1. Firstly, you want to ask something that you actually care about. Whoever is interviewing you likely has significant experience with the process and will therefore be able to see whether you are being genuine or just asking a question for the sake of it. Thus, when you think of a potential question, first ask yourself why do you think the answer might matter to you. In fact, I think it would be good if in the interview you mention the reason why you care about the question before you actually ask it - this will directly show the interview that you have put thought into it. An example of questions that you may choose to ask could be questions relating to your 'Why the firm' motivations. For instance, if a a strong reputation in one practice area, you may ask: how has the firm managed to build such a strong practice? what are plans for the future of the practice? are there any relevant challenges and opportunities in that practice's market, and how is the firm planning to respond to that? how can the firm's practice be differentiated from competitors with similar reputations? etc.
2. Secondly, you want to tailor your question to the audience as much as possible. Some questions may be more appropriate for an associate, some for a junior partner, and some for a senior partner. For instance, questions relating to junior culture and training experience are great for associates, questions around progression and the different tasks and responsibilities at different seniority levels in the firm would be great for a junior partner, while questions about the firm's strategy, client base, and market reputation when compared to competitors would be great for the more senior partners. Moreover, you may not want to ask a disputes partner about the firm's strategy to increase market share in PE, and you may want to avoid asking a transactional partner about details of the firm's newest competition litigation mandate. If possible, tailoring your questions around your interviewer's expertise is optimal.
3. Thirdly, you want for your questions to feel natural - you don't want to seem like you came in with a pre-prepared list which you were going to ask regardless of how the interview went. Of course, it is good to show that you have done your research and came prepared. However, you also want to make this section of the interview feel as conversational as possible, as for once you are playing the role of the person doing the asking. The more you can link your questions with what has been touched upon in the interview, the better. Some questions could just be follow-ups to the interviewer's answers to your pre-prepared questions. Some could be just about asking the interviewer to elaborate on some points they touched upon beforehand. However, take care to not be repetitive. Thus, only ask a question if you think it is likely there is a lot more that the interviewer could have to add to the previous discussion.

 

[billyonthespeeddial]

Thanks to Hogan Lovells being so quick back in November, I now get anxious if I hear nothing only a few hours after the AC lol

 

[YS391]

That's interesting because a recent post here a few hours ago said the last one is 24 Feb!

It’s possible that the person who mentioned they only saw bookings up until February 24 is because AG wasn't making the ACs available for dates further out.

 

[James Wakefield]

It’s possible that the person who mentioned they only saw bookings up until February 24 is because AG wasn't making the ACs available for dates further out.

They have a large intake and have the same application form for Spring/Summer so I would be surprised if there’s just 3 AC dates for London, even if there are multiple time slots on each.

 

[avocadob]

They have a large intake and have the same application form for Spring/Summer so I would be surprised if there’s just 3 AC dates for London, even if there are multiple time slots on each.

Mind if I ask when did you do the VI? As well as @YS391? Thanks!

 

[Samridhi Jain]

Any idea if Ropes & Gray sponsors visa for internationals students for their vacation schemes? I would really appreciate the info!! TIA

 

[CG_101]

White and Case Interview! Anyone have any insights? Thanks in advance

 

[Chris Brown]

Thanks to Hogan Lovells being so quick back in November, I now get anxious if I hear nothing only a few hours after the AC lol

Did you have your AC recently?

 

[medy]

White and Case Interview! Anyone have any insights? Thanks in advance

Hiya, when did you hear?

 

[YS391]

Mind if I ask when did you do the VI? As well as @YS391? Thanks!

I havent done it yet still waiting post app

 

[Samridhi Jain]

Any idea if Ropes & Gray sponsors visa for internationals students for their vacation schemes? I would really appreciate the info!! TIA

and just a follow up to this - Does Gateley sponsor?

 

[Amakaa]

Akin AC 🥹

 

[nathan5996]

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

Hi, I'm sorry to hear about the struggles! Unfortunately nothing in the industry is really taken for granted, even if you think you're the best luck will have a different view. However, I may have some pointers that might help. I spoke with a 20+ year partner at a large city firm (international and just outside the SC), who made it clear that certain processes may actually be a disadvantage when on the outset it seemed necessary. For context, I'm finishing my final year of an LLB, getting absolutely nowhere with applications. Please bear in mind that my advice to you is merely a repetition of what I've been told, and I really don't mean to pour salt on the wound.

Firstly, the advice he gave to me is to throw as many applications as you possibly can into different firms, as moving laterally post qualifications is easier than entering the profession at the top. He recommended 20+ annually. Grades don't particularly matter in the context of minimum entry, some firms are snobbier than others but all seem to accept a range of both 2:1 and 1st level candidates. It is often more down to the personality of the candidate than it is their academic achievement. Try to make your application broad. Given your experience doing multiple specific post grads, you run the risk of appearing too tunneled into a section of the legal profession. This can often leave a sour taste in grad recruitment's mouth because you are requried to sit more than just a corporate law / M&A seat.

Secondly, the main question partners will likely wonder that potentially undermines your otherwise strong application is why didn't you self fund the LPC? Either directly or through the LLM LPC, surely if you wanted to be a lawyer, you would've made every step to qualify ASAP. I was initially considering to do a specialist masters in Arbitration and DR, but was heavily discouraged due to the overwhelming stress of the SQE. Unfortunately the sad reality is that post graduate degrees do little to bridge any gap between theory and profession. In the eyes of a firm, you will have to convince them that your multiple post grads are of more benefit than the practical knowledge you would've otherwise have gained by directly going down the path of qualification. As it stands, you are competing against candidates far younger and far more maleable as a result of their relative inexperience. My point is that it can often come across as delaying the inevitable, especially when stacked onto the GDL, as you have spent a considerable amount of time outside of the legal profession persuing other paths.

Thirdly, please don't feel too discouraged. This path is not an easy one, and you will never be able to guarantee your future in the career. But, resilience and genuine passion for the field really distinguish you from other candidates. You have more professional experience and more academic experience than 90% of other candidates and it is something you need to lean on heavily. Finally, I have friends who were paralegals for 7+ years prior to being offered a seat at the table. They saw second year students recieve the prized TC they had failed to secure 7 years running. You DO have what it takes, it's a matter of serving that on a platter that is shinier than everyone elses. Perhaps an adjustment of expectation is required? Perhaps not. Only you can decide what left you have in you to continue working in the field, and any decision you make is an honourable one that has not been without much contemplation.

Hope this helps, best of luck to you.

 

[RandomFlyer]

Freshfields AC invite!

 

[Andrei Radu]

Any idea if Ropes & Gray sponsors visa for internationals students for their vacation schemes? I would really appreciate the info!! TIA

and just a follow up to this - Does Gateley sponsor?

Hi @Samridhi Jain, @Jessica Booker might be able to tell you more about this but I think the general rule is that firms will not normally be willing to sponsor visas for vacation schemes - as from their perspective, the costs which range from 3000-5000 pounds are not justified given the duration of the work experience. Paul, Weiss and Slaughter and May do cover flights for international students, and while that might suggest they could be easier to convince to sponsor VS visas when compared to other firms, I would not make a strong inference in this regard. The only way to find out is to email/send a LinkedIn message to the graduate recruitment team to ask. Based on a previous discussion on the forum in 2021 (which you can find here), people who spoke to graduate recruitment only identified two firms that are willing to sponsor VS visas: Macfarlanes and Mishcon de Reya. Besides that, @Jessica Booker said that sometimes firms are willing to make exceptions in the case of US/Indian/Australian nationals, but I am not sure whether this applies to anyone else.

However, if you are an international student and the vacation scheme falls outside of term time, you will not need a visa sponsorship. Your student visa allows you to work full time outside of term time and up to a maximum of 20 hours during term time, so as long as the vacation scheme takes place during the spring/summer break you should be fine.

 

[billyonthespeeddial]

Did you have your AC recently?

Not Hogan Lovells, another one. HL was for Winter

 

[pleasepleaseplease]

Kennedys PFO post VI

 

[Chris Brown]

Freshfields AC invite!

Congrats 🥳

 

[PFOenthusiast]

Osborne Clarke virtual AC!

 

[lolasparks]

Hi, I'm sorry to hear about the struggles! Unfortunately nothing in the industry is really taken for granted, even if you think you're the best luck will have a different view. However, I may have some pointers that might help. I spoke with a 20+ year partner at a large city firm (international and just outside the SC), who made it clear that certain processes may actually be a disadvantage when on the outset it seemed necessary. For context, I'm finishing my final year of an LLB, getting absolutely nowhere with applications. Please bear in mind that my advice to you is merely a repetition of what I've been told, and I really don't mean to pour salt on the wound.

Firstly, the advice he gave to me is to throw as many applications as you possibly can into different firms, as moving laterally post qualifications is easier than entering the profession at the top. He recommended 20+ annually. Grades don't particularly matter in the context of minimum entry, some firms are snobbier than others but all seem to accept a range of both 2:1 and 1st level candidates. It is often more down to the personality of the candidate than it is their academic achievement. Try to make your application broad. Given your experience doing multiple specific post grads, you run the risk of appearing too tunneled into a section of the legal profession. This can often leave a sour taste in grad recruitment's mouth because you are requried to sit more than just a corporate law / M&A seat.

Secondly, the main question partners will likely wonder that potentially undermines your otherwise strong application is why didn't you self fund the LPC? Either directly or through the LLM LPC, surely if you wanted to be a lawyer, you would've made every step to qualify ASAP. I was initially considering to do a specialist masters in Arbitration and DR, but was heavily discouraged due to the overwhelming stress of the SQE. Unfortunately the sad reality is that post graduate degrees do little to bridge any gap between theory and profession. In the eyes of a firm, you will have to convince them that your multiple post grads are of more benefit than the practical knowledge you would've otherwise have gained by directly going down the path of qualification. As it stands, you are competing against candidates far younger and far more maleable as a result of their relative inexperience. My point is that it can often come across as delaying the inevitable, especially when stacked onto the GDL, as you have spent a considerable amount of time outside of the legal profession persuing other paths.

Thirdly, please don't feel too discouraged. This path is not an easy one, and you will never be able to guarantee your future in the career. But, resilience and genuine passion for the field really distinguish you from other candidates. You have more professional experience and more academic experience than 90% of other candidates and it is something you need to lean on heavily. Finally, I have friends who were paralegals for 7+ years prior to being offered a seat at the table. They saw second year students recieve the prized TC they had failed to secure 7 years running. You DO have what it takes, it's a matter of serving that on a platter that is shinier than everyone elses. Perhaps an adjustment of expectation is required? Perhaps not. Only you can decide what left you have in you to continue working in the field, and any decision you make is an honourable one that has not been without much contemplation.

Hope this helps, best of luck to you.

I really appreciate when people reply so extensively, it is so lovely to see the encouragement and genuine advice!