TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[User123654]

I can only see it as an attempt to warm up candidates. By asking an easy question but saying "this will be reviewed", people will put effort in, and by the time the real question comes they may be more focused and less nervous than if you told them "this is junk, nobody will watch it".

Hi

What was the commercial awareness question like? Was it like a commercial news story?

thanks!

 

[lou1707]

any update from birketts today

 

[User123654]

I just did Gateley.

It was a little weird because there was a "starter" question, which they said would be reviewed but not marked!?

There were then two further questions were 3 minutes prep, 2 minutes to answer, one a "commercial awareness" and one a personality. Nothing Gateley-specific, although you could potentially link it to them.

Hi

What was the commercial awareness question like? Was it a commercial news story?

Thanks!

 

[baj5]

Has anyone heard from K&L or other people from Orrick?

 

[billyonthespeeddial]

Is anyone still planning to apply to SH? Before I start properly writing out essay-style answers to the questions... They're rolling but say they don't fill out spaces until after the deadline so just wanna check if it will be worth it

In my experience, firms that describe their process like this are always worth applying to, even up to right before the deadline

 

[fidrrygalka]

hey! i hope everyone is doing well here. for those who are about to give up my advice is to take a year off, focus on gaining some other experience and then come back to the race. It really helped me and I recommend taking a “gap year” after law school a lot.

other than that, to people who heard back from PW - did you apply to spring or summer scheme? simply wondering if they are maybe fast tracking the answers to the applications for the spring scheme

 

[BillSikes]

CRS rejection London

 

[desperateTCseeker1998]

Paul, Weiss theory:

They may be looking for applicants who also have a good amount of legal experience too, kinda like a direct TC applicant would. Would you think considering its their first ever cohort, they would want students fresh out of uni with no experience? Just a thought I might be wrong

Well this was something I considered when applying… I have legal experience so might match up

 

[Bread]

Well this was something I considered when applying… I have legal experience so might match up

Did you get an invite?

 

[emma.d]

CRS PFO - London Office

 

[desperateTCseeker1998]

Did you get an invite?

Nope, just no rejection yet hahaha

 

[lawstudenttt2003]

Just got Shoosmith's report feedback- Effective communicator, and detail as my strengths- adaptability as my weakness!

 

[g.cl.2020344]

Has anyone heard from K&L or other people from Orrick?

I got sent a WG from Orrick

 

[lolasparks]

Waiting on my Latham rejection …

 

[yasmars]

I got sent a WG from Orrick

How long do they give you to do the WG? And do you know whether invites for the AC are based on your score alone or a combination of your app and score. Tysm!

 

[g.cl.2020344]

How long do they give you to do the WG? And do you know whether invites for the AC are based on your score alone or a combination of your app and score. Tysm!

received it on monday, and have a week inc weekend to complete

 

[iliaserr]

How long do they give you to do the WG? And do you know whether invites for the AC are based on your score alone or a combination of your app and score. Tysm!

They said this in the email: The Watson Glaser assesses critical thinking skills and the results of this assessment will be used, in conjunction with your written application, to inform our decisions to progress candidates to the next stage of the process.

 

[Diana54]

Waiting on my Latham rejection …

Same. I went through the forum and from what I could see the last year the last AC invite that they gave was at the very beginning of February so I am pretty sure I will get a rejection. Really devastating as they were one of my top firms and I think my application was really strong

 

[sapphireoreos]

Is anyone still planning to apply to SH? Before I start properly writing out essay-style answers to the questions... They're rolling but say they don't fill out spaces until after the deadline so just wanna check if it will be worth it

I am! I've got my application 1/3 written and plan to apply at the last week because I'm so slammed with uni work over the next two weeks

 

[Chris Brown]

I haven't heard back from P,W yet but this was my answer. I focused on linking each paragraph back to the client and what it means for them.

Paul, Weiss’s full-service offering, underpinned by sponsor-side financial expertise, supports private equity clients from fund formation to IPO. Two-thirds of London lawyers specialise in private equity and debt finance, enabling Paul, Weiss to provide tailored, flexible financing strategies that balance stakeholder priorities. In TDR Capital’s acquisition of Acqua & Sapone, Paul, Weiss structured €400 million fixed-rate and €450 million floating-rate notes listed on the Euro MTF to attract institutional investors and secure competitive pricing alongside a €130 million revolving credit facility. This combination met the client’s unique needs by optimising the cost of capital and providing liquidity for funding the acquisition and post-transaction for strategic growth, exemplifying Paul, Weiss’s ability to deliver value-driven financing strategies.

Coordinating advice across London, New York, and Brussels for General Atlantic’s Kyriba investment exemplified Paul, Weiss’s “one-firm” culture. The absence of billing targets eliminates internal competition, prioritising knowledge sharing and high-quality advice over billable hours. This enabled Paul, Weiss to reconcile US-UK tax frameworks and structure equity and financing arrangements that safeguarded General Atlantic’s minority investment and advanced Kyriba’s treasury technology leadership. Additionally, a capacity manager ensures efficient resource allocation, keeping critical activities like due diligence and financing coordination on track. AI tools like Harvey enhance this process by identifying red flags early and facilitating informed risk and deal viability assessments. This enables Paul Weiss to manage accelerated auction timelines, mitigate cross-border tax inefficiencies and deliver enhanced investor protections, all while securing strategic market positioning for clients.


Expanding partnership by 54% with 16 strategic hires in 2024 exemplified Paul, Weiss’s ambitious growth trajectory. Recruiting former TDR General Counsel David Holdsworth, whose unique insight into sponsor priorities strengthens the firm’s ability to anticipate TDR-specific challenges, structure tailored financing, and drive long-term portfolio growth, reinforced Paul, Weiss’s position as a trusted adviser for transformative private equity investments.

Seeing this has cemented my belief that I am officially cooked for Paul, Weiss. My answers are nowhere near as good as this. 🥲​