TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[congrades]

anyone waiting on Latham svs still?

 

[Legallylaw]

Has anyone heard from RPC? Its almost end of Feb so PFO at this point?

 

[g.cl.2020344]

please can some1 offer some advice for written assessments, been a while since I did one In person! Thank you! @Andrei Radu

 

[DolphinShades44]

Huge congrats. 🥳​

Thank you so much! You're a TCLA forum icon so I really do appreciate the support 🙌🏼

Rooting for you as well ofc

 

[NCTC2025]

anyone waiting on Latham svs still?

Pretty sure its just a matter of time before the PFO. I submitted all the way back in October and it was a p bad app looking back.

 

[wqueens8]

I have got some uni grades back today - what is the done thing in terms of updating applications? I am still waiting on updates for some and wondering if it's useful to let grad rec know?

I could be wrong but I think generally it's not necessary. Just at the point of any application you tell them what you have achieved at that point. Upon any kind of offer they may ask you to update them, but even then it would usually be upon a TC offer at the end of a vac scheme, rather than a vac scheme offer.

 

[Paul Jules Steullet]

My friend SAR’d them post-AC, as you can’t re-apply anyway. Comments were v insightful they just cba to give honest feedback aha

😂😂 I would do the same tbh. Not providing feedback is absurd and cruel. Apart from the lack of transparency, people spend so much time on those applications only to be unceremoniously rejected without any feedback. I won’t waste my time applying. Same for those firms with silly tests like NRF, MB, RS that make people jump through hoops for low pay just to work equally as hard as the higher paying US firms for pay that pretty much ensures that you’re working for less than minimum wage and cannot get on the housing ladder or afford to live anywhere inside zone 4. Hard pass!

 

[User5678]

Where have you seen this? I think it may be automatic - or they have extremely poor AI screeners!

I think I saw someone out here get a PFO post app so I think it is not automatic but I may be wrong

 

[Andrei Radu]

Hi @Andrei Radu @Amma Usman @Jessica Booker @anyone else (sorry if you're not supposed to tag multiple Forum helpers),

I recently received feedback from LL post-AC. Please can you advise on how you would implement the following advice, based on your experiences? It was explained clearly but as a non-law student from a first-generation background, I want to check that I'm not missing anything 😅

For context, there was a HR competency-based interview and a technical interview with Partners. I didn't perform quite well enough in either of them to progress.

1. Succinctness - an issue in both. In the Hr interview, I used the STAR technique but gave too much backstory and the interviewer didn't have enough time/was unable to ask follow up questions and build a rapport. The content itself was strong though and they could tell I prepared/put effort in.
2. Technical interview - evidence of ability to interpret (the legal points) of a term sheet - there were points I didn't pick up on/this was the weaker point even though I had high-level commercial thinking. This is what I REALLY am unsure of how to develop as a non-law student - beyond the (v helpful) case studies the TCLA subscription provides, what else would you advise?
3. Building a rapport - honestly I am such an introverted person (and I think I may be a masking autistic!) but feedback emphasised that they could see I was nervous but wanted a genuine conversation with me.

Honestly that's all there is, I'm still a bit confused on what else to do, because nothing explicit on my answers to motivational questions was given or how well I did do at picking up legal concepts, just that it wasn't good enough. Is it worth messaging them again to ask or should I not?

LL was really nice though in terms of the feedback

Hi @floral.tcla I will first of all say that you are definitely taking the right approach in asking for and reflecting on feedback. I know how disappointing a post-AC rejection can feel, and showing this attitude in the face of it is no small feat. My advice on how to act on the feedback is the following:

1. For succinctness: I think you should avoid the trap of thinking that every single experience you reference has to be explained in a fully-fledged STAR-structured manner. For some important experiences that may be the case. But if you reference three or four different experiences in one answer, you can see how this could lead to both an information overload and an inefficient use of your airtime. To improve on this front, I would advise you to practice reformulating answers to fit different time limits. For instance, say you have a 'Tell me about a time you demonstrated teamwork skills' answer that normally takes you around 3 minutes; the, practice trying to formulate a 2 minute and 1 minute version of that answer. This will teach you to discern essential from non-essential information and express yourself more concisely when you need to. In order to judge whether there is a need for you to reduce the length of your answers in the interview, try to both ask yourself: (i) how is the interviewer responding to my answers, do they seem to be engaged throughout, or do they seem to become impatient after a given point?; and (ii) how much of the important ground has been covered up to this point, and how much time is there left to be asked other questions?

2. For technical exercises: in my opinion basic legal knowledge is definitely an advantage. What I would advise you to do is the following: (i) try to research and understand some basic concepts in contract law (offer/acceptance, consideration, frustration, etc); (ii) research the most important terms that go into an M&A transaction (warranties and indemnities, conditions precedent, disclosure schedules, NDAs, governing law clauses etc); and (iii) take a look at and practice trying to spell out the meaning of provisions from documents such as SPAs and Equity Term Sheets.

3. For building rapport: I can definitely empathize with your difficulties in building rapport with someone you have never met before and in a circumstance as stressful as an AC. However, I think this is also a skill you can work on. Of course, different people will have different inclinations and talents, and some find it easier than others to navigate new types of social situations; but this equally applies to any other ability. I am also a quite introverted person by nature and I never particularly enjoyed the dynamics of trying to build a connection with lawyers in a networking context. Nonetheless, I recognized this as something I could become better at. As such, I put myself in as many such situations as I could at firm events and did my best to learn from people who I saw were able to do this with more ease. As time passed and to a great extent without me even realizing it, I found I had become a lot better at it.

 

[Katy12345]

omg SPB AC!!!

Congrats! Which office

 

[Gday33]

HL PFO - applied 31/10, WG early Dec, received today 11:54 🫣

 

[OliverTwist]

for anyone waiting for mischon- i just received a mischon spring vacation scheme offer following the AC last week

How long did it take you to receive an AC invite post VI, I have only done mine this morning, and applied on the deadline so I am not expecting a fast turnaround, I just want a rough idea!

 

[Gflow0211]

I got a virtual assessment centre invite last week!

How did it go!

 

[LawJourney101]

Ropes PFO. Guess I got a bit optimistic with that one! One more and I have to start grinding on TC apps.

 

[Olivialee15]

Does anyone have any insights on the Goodwin zoom interview? Is it case study based or more centred around HR type questions or kind of both?

 

[xanderlawyer]

Ropes PFO. Guess I got a bit optimistic with that one! One more and I have to start grinding on TC apps.

You’ll get there mate! You get that just now?

 

[x_lauren112]

Paul Weiss breaking my heart, scored high verbal and high numerical with 22 score. Must’ve been my app that let me down . No PFO but seems likely

 

[LawJourney101]

You’ll get there mate! You get that just now?

Yes, I might be the only one tbf; guess they're trimming the fat before sending out ACs.

 

[summerk27]

Has anyone heard from Gateley post the VI. The email said they will reach out this week and my overthinking is over the roof.

 

[lawyergirl2903]

Has anyone with an NRF assessment centre tomorrow not yet received the link to register for the assessment platform before tomorrow?
I have also been reaching out to them for a few days because I require extra time, but no one has responded. @Jessica Booker , what do you suggest I do about this second bit, please?