One's name is truly reflective of one's abilitiesSidley offer! First ever application wow- i’m in shock. Thanks everyone and the TCLA team for all the help!
One's name is truly reflective of one's abilitiesSidley offer! First ever application wow- i’m in shock. Thanks everyone and the TCLA team for all the help!
I sent my application on Friday 4 Oct and received the WG on Monday (7 Oct) afternoonHow long have people typically waited to receive the WG for HL WVS?
A&O PFO just now. Applied 16.09
Hi @LawLawLawLawLaw! The short answer is that you should still apply mostly for vacation schemes. This is is what I advised even candidates who had more than one prior VS at large firms and/or many other legal work experiences. The reason is that the vast majority of firms either (i) recruit solely through the VS track, or (ii) have a strong preference for recruiting solely through the VS track. Notwithstanding how impressive your performance may be, it will be exponentially more difficult to convince a firm to make a substantial investment into you in the form of a TC offer after only meeting you for the day of the AC. I have actually heard some horror stories of candidates who seemed brilliantly gifted in their interviews but were unable to function in an office setting in the VS at all. That is why firms have increasingly looked to assess applicants on more than their CV and interview performance, by looking holistically as to how well they fit in their teams. As such, even if a firm has a direct TC track, I would encourage you to apply for a VS unless one of the caveats bellow apply:Hi there! I'm applying for a host of vac schemes, open days, training contracts etc as a non-law grad starting my conversion in January. I did a small vac scheme for a boutique firm over summer and I don't know whether its better to apply straight for training contracts or to vac schemes? Any advice would be amazing, thanks!!
You're welcome! I'm by no means an expert but the application also requires you to give a 400 word personal statement, so that would ideally be the best chance for you to take some of your experiences/skills and tailor them to the firm. I'm sure @Jessica Booker could provide some more accurate advice
Thank you so much Jessica!90%+ of your CV will not be tailored to the firm as it should just show the best evidence of your experiences to date.
However, the 10% that can be tailored can be done by:
- Prioritising content that is more focused on elements that align to the firm's work - e.g. if you did a vacation scheme where you worked in both private client and litigation departments, it would make sense to prioritise the litigation bullet points over the private client ones in your CV (literally putting them first)
- Thinking about highlighting the skills the firm is looking for. For instance, Freshfields say they look for "determination, enthusiasm, time management, flexibility, attention to detail, an interest in business, willingness to work as a team, and resilience". If it was me, I'd try to make references to time management, attention to detail and team working in my CV.
I don't think it is worthwhile doing SQE1 on top of the LPC. You'd still have to declare your LPC results for most firms.I have completed my LPC, however even-though I passed all my exams, I didn’t pass as well as I hoped for. This was down to several personal mitigating circumstances. I obtained a 1:1 during my undergraduate degree. I know most law firms do not state if they have a threshold for LPC grades but I am assuming if it is anything less than a commendation they might not look favourable on this. Please could someone advise if law firms have threshold and if I should be looking to take the SQE 1 instead.
have you done it yet?if anyone has done the DLA VI pls pm me
Not yet, probably will do it tomorrowhave you done it yet?
Does Bristows sponsor international students?
Hi there! I'm applying for a host of vac schemes, open days, training contracts etc as a non-law grad starting my conversion in January. I did a small vac scheme for a boutique firm over summer and I don't know whether its better to apply straight for training contracts or to vac schemes? Any advice would be amazing, thanks!!
same, good luck!Not yet, probably will do it tomorrow