TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[g.cl.2020344]

Osborne Clarke pfo woohoo!!

Hey sorry to hear this, which stage is this after?

 

[Legallywhatever]

Hey sorry to hear this, which stage is this after?

Hey, it's just after the initial app!

 

[NCTC2025]

Hi, I have an AC next week and have also just have been invited to a final stage virtual interview however the date and time in the email for this interview is during when my AC is.

Do I reply asking for the date to be changed because of my AC? Should I just be honest? @Jessica Booker

Personally was in this situation two weeks ago and I just emailed back politely to say that I already had an AC with another firm booked at that time and whether there was any alternative dates/times available. They were happy to shift me but not sure about other firms!

 

[tcchaser2]

is Skadden vs offer based on written exercise and partner interview or just the partner interview?

I think based on the interview only as the exercise was the previous step...Have you received any offers from them?

 

[Amma Usman]

Is king and Spalding direct TC rolling? Thanks

This is unspecified from their website. Where this is the case you can either email GR to confirm, or submit as soon as you can to avoid any issues.

 

[Anonymous3444543]

Really messed up my time management lol but the exercise itself wasn't bad, the info was easy to digest and respond to. Obviously can't take your sweet time though.

Some typos in mine 😭😭

 

[jta227]

Osborne Clarke PFO post-app, thought my app was pretty good actually so I probably messed up their test. Oh well

(for VS, applied on deadline day)

 

[EA95]

OC PFO- it really is a cycle of me not getting anything.

 

[ish12345]

Personally was in this situation two weeks ago and I just emailed back politely to say that I already had an AC with another firm booked at that time and whether there was any alternative dates/times available. They were happy to shift me but not sure about other firms

Thanks for your reply! The interview is with CMS, do you think it would be okay to say prior commitments or should I be specific with AC? thank you x

 

[Aspiringsolicitor01]

OC PFO. Another one bites the dust 🎶

 

[congrades]

Got 7447 on the Paul Weiss test and high numerical ability but mid applied verbal intellect I really do dread these tests

 

[shana]

After receiving my final rejection for this year’s VS cycle, I've quickly realised that I underestimated just how competitive it really is. I only applied to four firms (all extremely competitive) and assumed that my extensive experience with two of them would be enough to secure an AC invitation. Looking back, I see that this was a naive approach, but this was my first real taste of rejection at this level.

I would really appreciate any advice, especially from @Amma Usman , as your daily commercial updates have been incredibly helpful.

I want to make sure I prepare as effectively as possible for the next VS and TC cycle. Im currently in my penultimate year, so I’ll be entering my final year in September. My key questions are:

1. How should I balance my applications between vacation schemes and direct training contract applications? Ie should I split it between 10 VS applications and 10 TC or is it based on other factors?

2. Where can I find someone who can provide detailed, constructive feedback on my applications? I found that the person I previously relied on did not offer the most helpful insights.

3. How do I strategically select firms to apply to? I am still keen on the MC firms and US firms

4. For those who secured VS or TC offers after rejections in previous cycles, what changes did you make that had the biggest impact?

Any guidance would be massively appreciated!

I had the same experience of underestimating the competitiveness, getting shocked by the rejections, and recalibrating - so I thought I'd share what worked better for me.

3. I spent a lot more time understanding different firms' key practices and USPs before I started my next application cycle. I figured if I applied to firms with similar practice areas and similar application styles, I'd get a lot better at writing. So I figured for instance, that I liked US firms and private equity -> narrowed down to the ones with fewer practices and offices because I also liked the 'leaner' outfits, etc. This helped me (1) articulate my motivations for the firm and for one of their practices (private equity) a lot better, and also (2) get better at the apps generally because they were quite similar. I didn't for instance need to spend time practicing Watson Glaser because none of my firms had it.

It might work to apply to both MC and US firms, I'm sure many have done it, but its still really helpful to understand the USPs - even among MC firms and US firms there's a lot of differences. For example, at the Kirkland AC the partners outright said 'we're not Latham' and asked us which other firms we're applying to, I think to precisely to see how well we understood these differences.

In terms of how to understand the differences: virtual events/open days and then following up on LinkedIn with the solicitors at the event. I attended a lot of events and some were far more helpful than others (Willkie's for instance are really good) but if you also message trainees afterwards, some of them can be very kind with their time, and a conversation helps a lot. There's also some good gems on TCLA if you use the search bar wisely.

4. I still applied to only ~6 firms. Personally, I didn't believe its a number's game, because if I had more selective criteria for the firms I was applying to, I'd care more about them -> put in more time and effort -> could produce a tailored, high-quality application. So I made an entire spreadsheet comparing firms on my criteria and narrowed down. By the time I'd done this I was actually interested in writing apps for the firms I'd chosen.

But that's just my individual preference for deep-diving - if you feel you can do a lot more applications, it also helps because your application improves each time (and it is, to some extent, a number's game - I've seen many people apply to 15-20 and be successful because you just need the one). I'd say strategise based on how you work best and what will motivate you more.

2. There's paid detailed review services including at TCLA, CLA and NCL. I'm not an expert by any means but if you'd just like a fresh pair of eyes I'm happy to go through something on PM.

 

[vr36]

Anything from Katten?

 

[Chris Brown]

Got 7447 on the Paul Weiss test and high numerical ability but mid applied verbal intellect I really do dread these tests

I have very similar scores and tbh I think most of us also haven’t gotten rly high scores on the test so I hope the benchmark for the test isn’t high.

They will look at our applications and online test scores together so if the application is very strong I think they will factor that in. 🙂

 

[Amma Usman]

Hi @Amma Usman @Andrei Radu @Ram Sabaratnam
Hope you're doing well!
Would you have any advice on questions to ask partners after the interview that don't seem too generic?

It doesn’t have to be something too legendary to be honest. You could simply ask about something within the remit of their own work, that interests you/ you’re keen to learn more about and WHY - backed up from specific examples from your own experiences, eg something you’ve read or worked in. You could also ask for a follow-up on something discussed during the interview, such as their thoughts on a particular matter.

 

[jacksollaf]

Osborne Clarke pfo woohoo!!

same

 

[Amma Usman]

Anyone have advice for phone interview with Morgan Lewis?

Body language can’t be deciphered from phone calls. So, your confidence needs to be shown via your vocal intonation. Ask yourself, how confident are you in your responses? Is this communicated well? Are my answers to typical questions strong and well backed up? Are they generic? How long do I take to reply to a question? If you take too long, then this causes concerns since the interviewer can’t see you. If you rush and don’t take a moment to think about it, you may end up saying gibberish. I’d say practice solo or with someone to help, but naturally you should be fine! Best of luck, and I know you’ll do great.

 

[jacksollaf]

Joelson PFO 🤣🤣🤣

 

[paralegaltotrainee]

Does anyone know if the deadline for the Paul, Weiss test is midnight (5 days after you received the link) or the time you received the email? Would be very much appreciated!

 

[BBsharkk]

2018: Slaughter and May work experience
2019: Debevoise & Plimpton summer VS
2020: Travers Smith virtual vac scheme
2024: Ropes & Gray spring VS

When do these count against me? Is it worth more VS apps? Should I only apply for TCs? Will these even matter for TCs? Not boasting but feeling very confused. Also feeling like these were pointless.

I'm in the same boat. I personally feel that past VS experiences have not given me ANY advantage at all in my subsequent applications, and at times I might even argue that they are almost somewhat of a disadvantage...

All I'm going to say is that both the quality and quantity of applications have been inflated quite a bit especially for the past few cycles. This means that unless Grad Rec teams are expanding accordingly, there simply isn't enough human resources to fairly assess each and every application, especially when firms tend to invite as many people to apply as possible with ambiguous/loose eligibility requirements.

Luck is becoming a bigger and bigger factor imho....