TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[Wannabe_Lawyer]

Has anyone heard back from Debevoise following the Open Day?

I think some people heard back last week. I haven't heard back yet, not sure if that means I should be expecting a pfo lol.

 

[BillSikes]

Anyone heard from WBD? Hopefully we hear soon!

Nah and they didn’t say when we’d hear back either.

Neither did Mishcon for those waiting post-VI

 

[Wompycapy]

Also, if I still haven't heard back from W&C post VI and Latham post-app I guess it's reasonable to assume a PFO from both, right?

Well the thing is we also haven't seen many (if any at all) people get offers or AC invites from Latham or W&C, maybe except for the earlier ACs Latham conducted but that was only for fast-tracked candidates like campus ambassadors. I'm still waiting for Latham and I don't have my hopes up, but I also won't assume the worse...Good luck!

 

[TCpleasex]

Nah and they didn’t say when we’d hear back either.

Neither did Mishcon for those waiting post-VI

At the bottom of my email from WBD with the test invitation it says they aim to get back during the week of 3rd March. I’m assuming they need a bit longer as it doesn’t seem anyone had heard back yet!

 

[Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha]

Reed Smith Post AC pfo. I don't get it, I answered all the questions well except maybe 1. I addressed all the issues in the case study. Is it worth putting in a DSAR?

 

[Chris Brown]

Best of luck to everyone waiting for Paul, Weiss and Willkie (post interviews). Hopefully we all get good news this week! 🙂​

 

[Andrei Radu]

is ur grade/ percentile score for a Watson Glaser determined by how fast you do it? should I be looking to use the full time or complete it quickly?

I think normally it is not. For the majority of WG tests I did either did not have any time cap and weighing of time taken in scores; or it had a time limit (of around 30-45 minutes) but it only meant the test would automatically stop at the end. I know there are some tests which do not have any time cap but the time you take is recorded by the platform and seen by the firm, who will then take it into account. However, I do not think it has any direct impact on your score. Rather, I believe the percentile is simply determined by the number of right answers you get as compared to a predefined reference class; and that the firm will take completion time into account in a less-formal and more holistic assessment process.

Firms may be doing this to give people an opportunity to think their answers through and analyze the scenarios in more depth without a strict time pressure, while also minimizing risks of cheating. Thus, I expect the scores to matter more than the exact amount of time taken, as long as the completion time is more or less within the average range.

 

[Andrei Radu]

Hi everyone,

I just discovered in my spam folder that I was invited to the next stage (HR call) for Howden's vacation scheme! The invite was sent on February 21st from their graduate recruitment email, but unfortunately, it ended up in my spam folder and I only saw it this morning.

Today, I also received a PFO in my regular inbox from a generic Workday email. I've already reached out to graduate recruitment to inform them of this frustrating situation.

@Jessica Booker - Do you think there’s any hope of still moving forward with this?

Hi @Ali2020 I am sorry to hear about this, it is a uniquely frustrating situation. Some firms have an expectation that constant monitoring of inbox and spam folders is an applicant's responsibility; while others will be more understanding (as missing a spam-classified email happens to anyone from time to time) but still unwilling to accommodate you for administrative reasons. However, there is a third category that may be both understanding and flexible if you are lucky.

As such, I think it is definitely worth a shot trying to convince them to allow you to do the call, and there is most certainly no harm in doing so. I would just emphasize your own flexibility to work around their schedules and also your flexibility in relation regarding other opportunities - they may not be able to accommodate you on the same process for the same vacation scheme you originally applied for, but perhaps they could do one of the following:

• Give you an HR call for another VS happening at a later date
• Fast track you to the HR call phase for a direct TC application
• Keep you on a reserve list in case of any dropouts from the AC/final stage interviews

 

[jta227]

Reed Smith Post AC pfo. I don't get it, I answered all the questions well except maybe 1. I addressed all the issues in the case study. Is it worth putting in a DSAR?

Commiserations - if you're not going to reapply there then yes I would say it's worth it. Maybe ask for feedback first though - and see if what they tell you is helpful.

 

[FCL25]

Does anyone know when we can expect to hear back from WBD? Also, how did people find the online test? Idk why I struggled with the basic maths-related questions that I would have aced when doing my GCSEs lol.

 

[marisachr]

Anyone heard from Taylor Wessing post-AC?

 

[Andrei Radu]

Hi Ram,

Apologies if this has been asked before, but would you recommend someone with no legal experience yet to apply for DTC?

Just jumping in before @Ram Sabaratnam can also come back to you, I would say the default expectation is that you would have some legal work experience when applying for a direct TC, but that comes with two important caveats:

1. That experience can be a whole lot less substantial than you would think: I know multiple people who had no past vacation schemes or paralegal work experiences, whose CV was limited to one internship (bordering at the line of a shadowing experience) at a not very well-known firm from a foreign country, who still managed to get TC offers in the summer.
2. Absence of such experience is not an insurmountable obstacle, at least with some firms: I have also heard of cases of people with no legal work experience beyond Forage Virtual Internships getting TCs in the summer at lesser-known UK firms, so I think it may be worth a shot even if you do not have any. However, I would first take a look on the firm's website to see that they have not stated they expect applicants to have that prior experience.

 

[James Wakefield]

Just jumping in before @Ram Sabaratnam can also come back to you, I would say the default expectation is that you would have some legal work experience when applying for a direct TC, but that comes with two important caveats:

1. That experience can be a whole lot less substantial than you would think: I know multiple people who had no past vacation schemes or paralegal work experiences, whose CV was limited to one internship (bordering at the line of a shadowing experience) at a not very well-known firm from a foreign country, who still managed to get TC offers in the summer.
2. Absence of such experience is not an insurmountable obstacle, at least with some firms: I have also heard of cases of people with no legal work experience beyond Forage Virtual Internships getting TCs in the summer at lesser-known UK firms, so I think it may be worth a shot even if you do not have any. However, I would first take a look on the firm's website to see that they have not stated they expect applicants to have that prior experience.

Thanks Andrei. Would you recommend including upcoming vacation schemes on your direct TC applications to try and boost your ‘legal experience’ element?

 

[Andrei Radu]

@Andrei Radu Hi

Please could I quickly check something with you. Firstly, firms that are currently advertising for a TC commencing September 2027, will they want trainees to start SQE studies in 2026 or 2025? Secondly, do you know how likely it is that despite advertising for a 2027 intake, they may consider 2026 intake? Thank you so much!!

If they advertise a TC commencing in 2027, they likely want you to start the SQE in 2026, so as to study together with your trainee cohort and to be able to start the job immediately afterwards. For the second questions, they may be able to consider switching you to the 2026 cohort; but from my experience they will likely prefer not to and I would not raise my hopes too high in that regard. This is a situation firms often find themselves in when recruiting from different year groups and they know most people do not want any breaks between university, SQE, and the start of the actual TC. As such, to avoid "opening up the floodgates" of earlier start requests, they might have quite a strict policy in this regard.

That said, I know of multiple cases where people managed to successfully negotiate this. Factors that can help for that purpose are holding another TC offer (as this will give you significant bargaining power) or there being dropouts from the 2026 cohort. However, there is no harm in asking (so long as you do it in an appropriate manner) even in absence of that. Worse case scenario, if there is no possibility to start earlier, you will have a good chance of perhaps securing a paralegal opportunity for the free year.

 

[User5678]

if anyone has been successful with the withers test, please please can you pm me or reply to this thread with what strengths and weakness did you receive in your feedback report! many thanks

 

[3000to1shoteverytime]

If they advertise a TC commencing in 2027, they likely want you to start the SQE in 2025, so as to study together with your trainee cohort and to be able to start the job immediately afterwards. For the second questions, they may be able to consider switching you to the 2026 cohort; but from my experience they will likely prefer not to and I would not raise my hopes too high in that regard. This is a situation firms often find themselves in when recruiting from different year groups and they know most people do not want any breaks between university, SQE, and the start of the actual TC. As such, to avoid "opening up the floodgates" of earlier start requests, they might have quite a strict policy in this regard.

That said, I know of multiple cases where people managed to successfully negotiate this. Factors that can help for that purpose are holding another TC offer (as this will give you significant bargaining power) or there being dropouts from the 2026 cohort. However, there is no harm in asking (so long as you do it in an appropriate manner) even in absence of that. Worse case scenario, if there is no possibility to start earlier, you will have a good chance of perhaps securing a paralegal opportunity for the free year.

I assume for non-law grads the 2 years is to allow PGDL in year 1 and SQE year 2. So I always thought the law student might do their SQE in the second gap year so the trainees all starting together in 2027 would be studying SQE all together from September 2026?

 

[VVV]

Anything from White & Case Post AC for summer for those who did it w/c 17th Feb yet?

 

[A worried graduate]

Crazy, compared to the forum from last year some ppl got their VS offers for SPB from 15th March onwards

I applied for a work experience program for February and they never even bothered to reject me

 

[ironspears45]

Does anyone have any tips on how to go about reneging on a VS offer? Please private message me.

 

[Runsim]

Has anyone received an update from WFW post AC?