TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[billyonthespeeddial]

anyone heard positively from NRF?

I would assume not, as this is probably pfos based purely on Arctic Shores

 

[fitzer401]

Sure, I did mine last Tuesday. They said at the time that we might hear back sooner than others since we were an early slot

Okay that's great. Thank you very much for replying!

 

[legal18]

Hiya @suhana

@Andrei Radu and @Amma Usman would definitely have more to say here, but I just wanted to chime in beforehand.

I think this is a really good question. It's easy for discussions of “commercial" and "legal" factors to overlap significantly when drafting a written exercise. That said, I think the most straightforward way to conceptualise the difference is by thinking of "commercial factors" as including, more broadly, the financial, strategic, or operational implications of a business decision (whether an acquisition, a restructuring, or investment). When law firms ask applicants to discuss commercial factors, they want to see that you’re able to think about such factors when drafting your answers.

I've generally found that econ and business students are more likely to have come across the factors below, but it's worth bearing in them in mind when completing an exercise that's testing your commercial awareness. The factors below are just some of the things you'll want to think about:

1. Financial Factors

• Revenue Growth: Will the decision lead to sustainable increases in the company's income?
• Profit Margins: Does the decision help maintain or improve profitability?
• Cost Efficiency: How effectively are resources being used? Does it reduce costs or at least do the costs lead to measurable improvements in a client's operational efficiency?
• Return on Investment: Are the financial returns worth the cost and risk of the decision?

2. Strategy and Market Factors

• Goal Compatibility: Does the acquisition/investment decision align with the company’s long-term goals and vision?
• Competitive Advantage: Will the business decision strengthen the company’s position in the market (e.g. allowing the client to differentiate itself)? Is the client likely to be competitive in the particular industry or will it struggle to keep up as a result of the business decision?
• Market Expansion: Does the decision create opportunities to enter new markets or grow market share in existing ones?
• Market Needs: Does the decision address current or emerging customer demands effectively?
• Opportunity Cost: If you advise the client to pursue one option over another, what other opportunities are being foregone, and is this preferred decision the best use of resources by comparison?
• Timing: Is the decision being made at the right time to maximise impact or capitalise on opportunities?

3. Operational Factors

• Scalability: Can the decision be scaled up effectively if needed?
• Efficiency Gains: Does the business decision streamline processes or improve productivity?
• Integration Feasibility: If it involves merging or acquiring, how easily can the new entity be integrated?
• Risk Mitigation: How well does the decision anticipate and address potential challenges?
• Employee and Cultural Impact: Does the decision improve employee satisfaction, retention, or productivity? Are there cultural tensions that emerge as a result of the merger/acquisition that might need to be addressed?

In an M&A case, any of these factors could be discussed depending on the scenario you've been given. To ensure there's sufficient clarity, I'd encourage you to focus on the structure and organisation of your written work. You can simply signpost within the written exercise itself to indicate that you're moving from one set of commercial considerations to another, and then clearly state when you're discussing the more legal elements at play. This can help you easily distinguish the commercial from the legal in your answer. Apologies in advance for the length of this reply but I hope it helps!

For a question like this what sort of structure would you recommend? Would you take a factor and then look at both companies and compare?

Also more broadly do you have any advice for structuring written exercises?

 

[VacSchemer]

FINALLY! EVERSHEDS SVS OFFER!😭🧿🩵

 

[chrisbrown]

FINALLY! EVERSHEDS SVS OFFER!😭🧿🩵

Congrats 🥳

 

[LB24]

Anyone heard anything from AG post-test for Manchester?

 

[futuretrainee8482]

anyone got sidley austin spring summer AC? Is it virtual for you guys if you are overseas?

 

[manifestingthetc]

V&E VI!

 

[bibss]

V&E VI!

 

[Wannabe_Lawyer]

To anyone who has applied to these firms (Gatelely, Browne Jacobson and Womble Bond Dickinson, Simmons & Simmons), do you receive the online assessment immediately after your application? And how much time do they give you to complete the assessment? Need to draft some last-min apps and don't want to waste time doing SJTs (since I seem to be awful at them).

 

[Ricky]

V&E VI! I would appreciate any insights if anyone has done one in previous years. Thank you.

 

[TCpleasex]

To anyone who has applied to these firms (Gatelely, Browne Jacobson and Womble Bond Dickinson, Simmons & Simmons), do you receive the online assessment immediately after your application? And how much time do they give you to complete the assessment? Need to draft some last-min apps and don't want to waste time doing SJTs (since I seem to be awful at them).

I have applied to Gateley & WBD.

For Gateley it took around a week after submitting my app to get the test & I done it today. It took me around an hour, it is a pretty big test tbh.

For WBD, I applied a couple of weeks ago & I haven’t received the test yet. From my understanding they will send the test out once apps close at the end of the month.

 

[Wannabe_Lawyer]

I have applied to Gateley & WBD.

For Gateley it took around a week after submitting my app to get the test & I done it today. It took me around an hour, it is a pretty big test tbh.

For WBD, I applied a couple of weeks ago & I haven’t received the test yet. From my understanding they will send the test out once apps close at the end of the month.

Fabulous - thanks so much!

 

[T_03]

Does anyone have insights on RPC AC?

 

[bsh]

Hi @Jessica Booker @Jaysen I was just wondering why the new written exercise is more expensive than the others - is it more substantial? I also see two options: 'exercise' and 'exercise + feedback'.. I thought that we always got feedback on purchased written exercises or is this not the case in this instance? Please let me know!

 

[annad]

Hi! Does anyone know approximately how many vacation scheme participants there are in total for Ropes & Gray (across both spring and summer)? @Tintin06 would you happen to know by any chance?
I’m mainly interested in their VS/TC conversion rate thanks in advance

 

[Gr33n]

Does anyone have insights on RPC AC?

Hey when did u get this and when did u do the WG?

 

[annad]

Has anyone applied for the BCLP Academy with aspiring solicitors? Or BCLP in general? Have to do a blended assessment and not sure what to expect x

From what I can remember BCLP’s online test is essentially SJT, SPAG check (attention to detail exercise), some WG style questions.

 

[Chouette]

Congratulations to all those who received the V&E VIs! From past years - did they send them all in one go or over several days? Thank you!

 

[bibss]

Do Hogan Lovells have a direct TC application window in the summer or just one in the winter?