Oh that’s a shame, considering I just submitted my application on Friday and the deadline is the 25th of Oct
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TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25
- Thread starter Jessica Booker
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I'm not sure if they will be holding more but some people on here have definitely already done AC's for the WVS either last week or the week before. This is a firm which recruits on a rolling basis so its possible (although I cannot say whether this is actually the case) that they have already filled up the vac scheme.
Hi @Aspiringsolicitor01
If it’s been nearly a week and you haven’t received the online test link yet, I’d recommend reaching out to the graduate recruitment team. It’s a good idea to let them know that you’ve submitted your application and haven’t received the link, just in case there’s been a technical glitch or delay.
Best of luck with your application!
Hiya @KSV
So great you're applying to Covington - they're a great firm 🥳
While it wouldn't necessarily be wrong to include a section on why you want to pursue commercial law, I’d recommend focusing directly on the question: why Covington, and how you see yourself contributing to the firm’s success. You can still show your commercial awareness by discussing Covington’s specific work and the commercial or legal impact it has in areas you’re interested in.
By addressing the question head-on, you’ll be able to make better use of the word count to highlight your knowledge of the firm. For example, you could mention particular cases, deals, or practice areas that resonate with you and explain why you find them interesting or significant. This will also give you the chance to do what the question is asking you to do - show how your skills, experiences, and interests align with the firm’s work and culture.
Rather than try to give an answer to why commercial law in this question, you can incorporate your understanding of Covington's clients, sectoral expertise, and market position to demonstrate your commerciality. It’s about weaving that insight into your reasons for wanting to join Covington specifically.
Hope this helps, and best of luck with your application!
Hiya @TC seeker
From previous experience and the firm's website, I don't think you will need to submit a cover letter. They mention this here in the FAQ section. Best of luck with the application!
4/5 firms i've applied to have already given out ACs and i've heard nothing! that's so great for me yay 
massive sigh
massive sighI think they mean the first Open Day, for which the apps have closed.
Howdy @Bread
Amazing job on reaching your first AC! I still remember how nerve-racking my first one was in January 2023, so I completely understand how you might be feeling. You’re already doing great by preparing ahead! @Amma Usman and @Andrei Radu will undoubtedly have more to say, but here are some insights based on resources and support I received here at TCLA.
Understand What You're Being Assessed On: Assessment centres at commercial law firms evaluate various qualities, including attention to detail, teamwork, motivations for commercial law and the firm, problem-solving skills, adaptability, commercial awareness, and cultural fit with the firm. If you know which tasks you'll face (e.g., case study, partner interview, written exercise, negotiation, or group exercise), think about which skills each task is likely to assess. This can guide your preparation so that you can focus on relevant areas. For instance, if you’ll be doing a case study, practising similar exercises beforehand can be really helpful (I had to practice several case studies with TCLA to really understand the types of skills these tasks typically involved). Likewise with written exercises and specific types of interviews.
Get the Basics Right: Having a strong grasp of the basics will go a long way. Motivational interviews often come up, so be sure you can confidently answer “why law,” “why this firm,” and “why you.” While I definitely faced unexpected or curveball questions, knowing my answers to these very basic questions helped me navigate the rest of the interview more smoothly. Think about structuring your responses in a way that shows off your thought process, motivation, and research into the firm. To help you answer these sorts of questions, I'd skim through these links here, here, and here. If there's any particular questions about sectors/industries or a firm, feel free to ask them here and we'll try our best to give you support.
Reflect on Your Experiences: Prepare examples from different aspects of your background that demonstrate qualities such as teamwork, resilience, communication, and initiative. One mistake I made in my early ACs was relying too much on a narrow range of experiences, often from my current role or legal work. This limited my answers and sometimes made them sound repetitive. As a career changer, I failed to appreciate that my varied background is a strength, not a weakness. I'd recommend drawing on experiences from different areas of your life—whether that’s from previous careers, volunteer work, or even hobbies.
Interviews: Be ready to discuss why you’re pursuing a career in commercial law, why you chose this specific firm, and (if relevant) why you’re interested in working in the UK. Have examples ready that demonstrate your motivation and make sure your answers are backed by your research into the firm’s work, values, and culture. Practise discussing these points naturally to avoid sounding rehearsed. I'd often ask my partner and friends to ask me questions from this INCREDIBLE interview question bank on TCLA. Also, @Jaysen once gave me excellent advice - if you make a mistake or notice that your answer isn't quite the best, it's perfectly fine to ask the interviewers if you can start again or let them know that you'd actually like to change your answer entirely. This can actually show a level of thoughtfulness and maturity!
Written Exercises and Drafting: These exercises typically test your written communication skills and attention to detail. If you’re tasked with identifying mistakes in a document, aim to spot as many as you can within the time given. Don’t stress if you don’t catch them all—sometimes even a score that seems low to you can be above the group average. At one firm, I was told that I'd spotted 19/53 errors and apparently this was on the higher end. Alternatively, if your written exercise involves giving advice to a hypothetical client, focus on being clear, structured, and logical in your writing. The assessors are looking at how you communicate complex information, rather than testing your legal knowledge specifically. So the key for these sorts of written exercises involve ensuring you are concise, have good structure, and focus on giving advice or practical actions for the hypothetical client to consider.
Group Exercises: The key here is to contribute meaningfully while respecting and collaborating with others. Aim to make productive suggestions, listen to your teammates, and guide the conversation back on track if it starts to drift. Try to balance offering your ideas with encouraging quieter members to share their thoughts (In one of my ACs, we were all actually told that we hadn't done much to include a member of the group who was relatively quiet). I'd also recommend this link for further information about group exercises.
Case Studies: I really encourage anyone doing a case study to read this thread by Jacob Miller. Alongside practising in advance, it offered significant insight into what I was going to potentially face. I think the most important thing to remember is walking your interviewers through your reasoning step by step. This will show them how you would solve problems or analyse a question with the information you've been given.
Things Not to Worry About: ACs are already hard enough on their own, and so I'd encourage you to focus on your own performance. Everyone’s nervous, and your effort is what counts. In terms of your own performance, it's perfectly fine to make mistakes. For my first AC, I made tons of mistakes, and this was completely understandable as I'd never done one before. If you make a mistake, try not to dwell on it too much. Acknowledge the error if you feel like you must, but quickly shift your focus back to the task. Remember, assessors aren’t looking for flawless candidates, so give it your best.
Good luck 🫶
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Hiya @tarty23
Just building on what's already been said, I agree that there's no real right/wrong answer here. Given the limited word count, it’s usually more effective to focus on one, or at most two, practice areas. This approach allows you to provide a deeper and more compelling explanation of why they appeal to you, rather than giving a broad overview that might feel less specific to the firm. Focusing on 1-2 key practice areas also gave me the chance to use the word count more efficiently. I could then discuss other aspects of the firm that attracted me, including their client base, international or national presence, and the distinctiveness of the firm's training programme. I think this allowed for a more well-rounded answer.
When choosing which practice areas to highlight, I've also found it helpful to consider those that were more "core" to the firm’s London office (some lawyers at the firm might describe those practice areas as the "bread and butter" of the firm). This can help show your understanding of what really drives the firm's work. That said, if you’re genuinely interested in a more niche practice area, don’t hesitate to mention them. Just make sure you can clearly articulate why it interests you/motivates you.
Alternatively, as @Jessica Booker mentioned, there can be value in highlighting more than 1 practice area, or even noting the breadth of practice areas the firm excels in. Some applicants thus mention how the firm's rankings across various areas would provide them with a well-rounded training contract. As Jess mentioned too, many applicants end up specialising in areas they didn't initially find interesting and many big firms expect trainees to be open to a wide range of seats/practice areas.
I think @Amma Usman and @Andrei Radu would also have much more to add here. But these were just some initial thoughts!
Hope this helps!
@Jessica Booker Hi Jessica! I find the TCLA's application review is now closed, when it will reopen?
Hii when doing SJT tests that ask you to drag the slider to what you agree on the most, should you do it predominatnly towards the far left/right or can it be in between?
Hi @fingersarecrossed
SJTs can be tricky because there isn’t a single “correct” way to approach them. The best answer often depends on the specific question and the options you’re given - sometimes this means answering closer to the far left, at other times it will mean being towards the other end. Overall, SJTs are designed to assess whether your responses align with the values and behaviours the organisation looks for in candidates.
As Jess Booker previously emphasised to me, these tests often focus on screening out those who don’t align with the company’s values. When tackling SJTs, I found it helpful to understand the firm's values, which can usually be found on the firm's website. I tried to keep a list of this in mind when taking the test, as it served as a reference point to guide how I answered these questions. In particular, try to think about how the firm’s values might influence what they’re looking for in each scenario. For example, if a firm promotes an entrepreneurial mindset, then responses that show initiative or a proactive approach might rank higher. On the other hand, behaviours that seem overly cautious or reliant on others might be less favourable.
Ultimately, SJTs aim to see how well your judgement and actions align with the firm’s culture and expectations. There’s no need to always move the slider to the far ends or centre; your choices should reflect what you believe would be most appropriate given the firm’s ethos/culture.
Hope this helps, and good luck with the tests! 😊
Hi @billyonthespeeddial - from previous application cycles, I can safely say that it isn't. But things may have changed this year. Assuming they haven't, I think this is a great sign! Good luck with the WG! You got this 🥳
Hi @TC seeker
That's odd - as far as I know, they shouldn't be closed. Have you tried to purchased an application review from this link? Do let me know if that doesn't work, and I can get in touch with the team here
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