TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[Chris Brown]

Also just got my PW test invite and have never done an Amberjack before! Anyone able to share broadly what these are like? Is it an SJT?

It will be 12 SJT questions, 5 numerical reasoning and 5 verbal reasoning questions.

Paul mentioned this on the Paul, Weiss thread on TCLA a few weeks ago! 🙂

Best of luck for Paul, Weiss!

 

[greenonblue]

It will be 12 SJT questions, 5 numerical reasoning and 5 verbal reasoning questions.

Paul mentioned this on the Paul, Weiss thread on TCLA a few weeks ago! 🙂

Best of luck for Paul, Weiss!

any link to this post?

 

[cwhite233]

It will be 12 SJT questions, 5 numerical reasoning and 5 verbal reasoning questions.

Paul mentioned this on the Paul, Weiss thread on TCLA a few weeks ago! 🙂

Best of luck for Paul, Weiss!

Thank you! Oh god...numerical reasoning - that'll be...a journey.

 

[Chris Brown]

Hi @legal18

Yes, the test will be online and will consist of:

• 12 SJT questions
• 5 Applied Verbal Reasoning questions
• 5 Applied Numerical Reasoning questions

I hope that explains.

Thanks,

Paul

any link to this post?

This is Paul’s comment on the Paul, Weiss thread. 🙂

I think if you click on his name it takes you to the Paul, Weiss TCLA thread!

 

[SamiyaJ]

It will be 12 SJT questions, 5 numerical reasoning and 5 verbal reasoning questions.

Paul mentioned this on the Paul, Weiss thread on TCLA a few weeks ago! 🙂

Best of luck for Paul, Weiss!

I don’t understand… It sounds so simple- 12 SJT questions but will take around 60 minutes which probably means 90 minutes?!

The questions written in morse code or something? 😭

 

[Chris Brown]

I don’t understand… It sounds so simple- 12 SJT questions but will take around 60 minutes which probably means 90 minutes?!

The questions written in morse code or something? 😭

I imagine the numerical reasoning questions will involve quadratic equations or the pythagoras theorem for it to take 60 minutes. 🤣

I hope it isn’t too difficult because it sounds relatively simple. 🥲

 

[Andrei Radu]

Hi everyone! I'm preparing to attend my first-ever AC after 3 application cycles🥶. This AC includes an Individual Presentation, and I have no idea what to expect so would be grateful for any further insights!

Here's what I know:

• Format:
  • Total duration: 45 minutes
  • 20 minutes prep, 25 minutes to present + Q&A with partners
  • Split into two parts:
    • Part A: 10 mins presentation + Q&A
    • Part B: 5 mins presentation + Q&A
• Preparation:
  • No prep required beforehand—info will be provided on the day.

The other AC components are a strength-based interview and a group exercise. Since neither of those components seems particularly technical, could this presentation be about a commercial topic? What kind of presentation topics can be broken down into 2 parts like this? Could Part A involve synthesizing information, and Part B about proposing solutions or recommendations? Will the firm assign the topic or let me pick from a few options?

This is all complete hypothecation on my part, so if anyone has any experience with this kind of presentation, I’d really appreciate any tips or insights to help me prepare. Also asking @Jessica Booker @Andrei Radu. Thanks very much in advance😊

Hey @ghostyb, first of all huge congratulations for the AC, it is a big achievement! I have had presentations included in my VS/TC interviews before, though in my case I received the details of the exercise one or two days prior to the assessment and I got to use a power point presentation. In terms of your questions about what it could look like, the only one I can properly address is the first, as I think (based on my experience and that of others) that it is quite likely the presentation will be on a commercial topic. This way, firms get to test both your ability to digest and synthetize information and your general commercial awareness. As to the split - there could be many reasons for it and many ways to divide a topic in two parts; it could be something as simple as there being two different questions they want you to answer based on the same research material. Finally, I believe it is somewhat more likely that there will not be a choice of topics involved, as having a single topic is simply easier administratively and arguably leads to a more objective performance assessment.

Now, regarding preparation advice, I have two main pointers. Firstly, to improve your capacity for substantive commercial analysis, try to brush up on your commercial awareness. Listen to podcasts and read business news widely at first to ensure you are aware of all the important current issues, and then delve deeper into the stories that you think are more relevant for the firm's core practice areas. Secondly, to improve your communication and public speaking skills, do a couple of mock presentations following this structure. You can get a friend to select a few articles on a controversial commercial topic and then task you to read that under time conditions and then present a summary of the facts and your views on the issues. Ideally, your friend could then ask some follow up questions and argue against some of your points to also prepare you to defend your claims.

Finally, a bit of advice for how to manage the Q&A part during the day: it is quite possible that the partners will push back on your arguments and question your understanding of certain issues, but you need to be able to maintain composure and defend your views. This does not mean that you should never accept any criticisms or make clarifications when appropriate, of course you should. If they bring up relevant points, acknowledge that, and then seek to include them in a synthesis view combined with your points or explain why, despite being relevant, they do not carry as much weigh as the considerations you have brought up. It is important to show that you can argue for your viewpoint even when facing the pressure of an opposite opinion from someone more senior. This not only demonstrates desirable qualities like resilience and confidence, but is essential in commercial law, when many times you will find yourself negotiating or arguing on behalf of your client with someone more senior from the other side.

 

[Uch21]

I'm sorry to hear that When did you complete the test/vi if you don't mind me asking?

23rd Jan

 

[cwhite233]

I imagine the numerical reasoning questions will involve quadratic equations or the pythagoras theorem for it to take 60 minutes. 🤣

I hope it isn’t too difficult because it sounds relatively simple. 🥲

Jesus. I haven't visited this stuff in about 9 years.

 

[Katy12345]

AG AC Manchester, I’ve been through a lot to get here so I feel so happy 😀any advice would be really appreciated!

 

[MR10]

any spb responses?

 

[Chris Brown]

Jesus. I haven't visited this stuff in about 9 years.

I don’t think there will be anything difficult on the test. I imagine things like basic addition, multiplication, etc.

Hopefully there aren’t any formulas or complex maths questions. I haven’t done maths since GCSE’s. 🥲🥲

 

[cwhite233]

I don’t think there will be anything difficult on the test. I imagine things like basic addition, multiplication, etc.

Hopefully there aren’t any formulas or complex maths questions. I haven’t done maths since GCSE’s. 🥲🥲

Fingers crossed! I'm in even more trouble as I was educated in the US and finished school a very long time ago! Good luck!

 

[Newport@2008]

When answering an application question, should you refer to a law firm in a singular or plural sense (i.e. R&G are vs R&G is)?

 

[cwhite233]

When answering an application question, should you refer to a law firm in a singular or plural sense (i.e. R&G are vs R&G is)?

The latter

 

[Bread]

Where a firm does not have an education or work experience section and asks for a CV to be uploaded, is there an expectation that the CV be only one page long?
I know that some people for Slaughter sent longer CVs, was wondering whether there is a consensus, thank youu

 

[Jessica Booker]

Where a firm does not have an education or work experience section and asks for a CV to be uploaded, is there an expectation that the CV be only one page long?
I know that some people for Slaughter sent longer CVs, was wondering whether there is a consensus, thank youu

CVs can be two pages long.

 

[Bread]

CVs can be two pages long.

Thank you Jessica! Should they also include a full breakdown of University grades, or will a yearly average suffice?

 

[jacksollaf]

Does anyone know what the application process is like for King & Spalding, as they don't put anything online regarding that...

 

[Chris Brown]

Does anyone know what the application process is like for King & Spalding, as they don't put anything online regarding that...

UK Graduate Recruitment

<p>Emerging legal talent is needed to help us guide clients through the evolving challenges of the UK legal environment. Our London-based trainee program gives recent

www.kslaw.com

On their website, it seems to suggest there are 3 main stages: 1) submit online application, 2) AC and 3) final panel interviews. This is for the Sept 26 or Mar/Sept 27 entry.

Not sure if there are other stages for their application process. It says AC’s will run in March or April and final panel interviews are to be held in May.

It says the deadline is 1pm on 24th Feb. Best of luck in your application! 🙂🙂