TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[Aspiringsolicitor01]

PWC VI messed that up big time and if I get their AC it will be a miracle. For anyone wanting advice be prepared for scenario based situations and how you will react. Also it is so annoying you can't look at your notes during prep time as they notice when you switch screens. They notice when you switch screens and a pop up comes up. The worst VI but will wait for my PFO soon.

I messed it up too. That they state you shouldn’t use examples of previous experience really threw me off. I struggle to fill the time on the scenario based questions without talking about previous experience.

 

[Tintin06]

If we haven't heard from W&C, is it a rejection by now? Heard nothing after sending the application. Applied to a couple of firms this cycle where I've done VIs and/or ACs before and not sure it's honestly worthwhile. I have had the opposite experience where I applied to Travers three times before getting an interview and then got the WVS in 2020. Not feeling optimistic about W&C at this point. If this logic also holds true, I don't expect to get another AC at Latham either.

 

[legallady123]

Evening 🙂 I plan on applying to Taylor Wessing and have completed all of my answers in a word doc. I note that their Spring VC application closes on the 1st of November, and the summer one closes on December 1st. Seeing as they recruit on a rolling basis, would I be at a disadvantage to apply to the spring VC seeing as there are only 8 days left? Thanks in advance.

 

[JLaw56]

Which scheme did you apply for?

Winter

 

[RSK]

W&C WVS AC - any tips / advice would be appreciated . I did the VI on Sunday and was notified today

 

[Andrei Radu]

Thank you @Jessica Booker @Andrei Radu !

As a follow-up to this, if I have a section dedicated to various open days, and the application instructions state that I should list my work exp from most recent to least, is it ok to place this open day section at the very end (even though it now includes future open days)? Thanks!

I think this will be fine. Since you have not yet attended it, I do not think recruiters will expect you to list it among the first - 'most recent' implies that the experience in question has already come to pass. Beyond the linguistic interpretation point, I think the recruiters should also be able to observe your rationale for putting upcoming experiences last. Hence, even if for some reason they would have expected to put it first, they will infer from your failure to have done so that you were careless. It is very unlikely that this will be an issue and I think you should therefore not worry about it too much.

 

[bella98]

I just attended a two-hour event with Macfarlanes, only to discover I can't apply to them EVER again!

So, I had an AC for the direct training contract last year and was planning to reapply this cycle. I understood that reapplying in the same cycle wasn't allowed, but I didn't realise it meant I couldn't ever apply again. Grad rec said that if you've been unsuccessful at the vacation scheme assessment centre, you could still apply for the direct training contract. When I asked about my situation, having been to the direct training contract assessment centre, they said I couldn't apply again. Does this mean I'm also ineligible to apply for the vacation scheme? I'm really confused 😭

 

[Andrei Radu]

Evening 🙂 I plan on applying to Taylor Wessing and have completed all of my answers in a word doc. I note that their Spring VC application closes on the 1st of November, and the summer one closes on December 1st. Seeing as they recruit on a rolling basis, would I be at a disadvantage to apply to the spring VC seeing as there are only 8 days left? Thanks in advance.

Hi @legallady123 I think that if there is any disadvantage, it will be only a very slight one. In many cases, for myself included, a sufficiently high-quality application was progressed although it was only sent in the last day of the rolling period. Moreover, rolling firms also receive the vast majority of applications in the last 3-4 days before the deadline. Thus, your application should still stand out from the crowd in the right way in regards to the submission time.

However, if you are just concerned with absolutely maximizing success chances, you could also consider just submitting the application for the summer scheme - that way, you would be sure to count as an 'early bird'. However, this success chances calculus is further complicated by the claim that, all other things being equal, winter/spring schemes can be slightly less competitive than summer schemes because (i) some international students cannot apply for them; (ii) some students who can apply might choose to prioritize summer schemes instead because those will not take away form the exam revision time; and (iii) that the summer schemes application deadlines are later in the cycle and thus allow for more applications from people who procrastinated or just started their applications later.

My personal opinion is that there is no sensible or even potentially accurate way of trying to calculate such abstract odds. If I were in your place, I would simply apply for the period that is more convenient for me.

 

[Andrei Radu]

Anyone who applied to slaughters- how much pre firm contact did you have.

The presentation evening is all booked up for my uni and I’m worried I won’t have enough personal insights for my application.

I had only attended one event (a presentation evening with my university) before applying in the last cycle and still received a VS offer. I would say that if you have at least one interaction (whether in person or virtual), you should not worry too much about this. There is definitely a point of diminishing returns in seeking out more and more interactions, and as far as I know Slaughter and May is not know to place particularly high emphasis on this criterion.

 

[Andrei Radu]

Does anyone know when we will hear back from DLA post video interview? I was told I passed and that I would be shortlisted for the AC. This is the first time I have seen something like this haha. I just expected to get to the AC if I passed the VI.

I remember I was also quite surprised when I saw the 'shortlisted' email last year and I remember I felt very restless in the period between that and the moment I received the actual AC invite. I think for me that was a roughly 3-4 week period, although this included Christmas time, which might have influenced timings. However, this can vary between years and can depend on when the firms plans to schedule the ACs. As such, if in your case it takes longer to respond, I would not necessarily interpret that as a likely rejection.

 

[Andrei Radu]

Just got Capp report back from Linklaters, strengths were working with others and resilience, weakness was leadership preference. Anyone have any insights on this? Im worried scoring badly for leadership doesn't look good (i.e., lacking confidence/initiative), but not sure what to make of it

I would not be too worried about this. The very nature of these tests necessitates there will be one area that is classified as a 'weakness' - that tells you nothing about how close you are to the firm's desired personality profile. If anything, I am tempted to speculate that if there was one area where scoring lower would likely be less relevant, it would be leadership. In the day to day life of a trainee (and even a junior associate), leadership does not comparatively play a big role, as you will normally have tasks assigned by more senior practitioners and have very limited (if any) of your own supervisory responsibilities.

 

[Tintin06]

I just attended a two-hour event with Macfarlanes, only to discover I can't apply to them EVER again!

So, I had an AC for the direct training contract last year and was planning to reapply this cycle. I understood that reapplying in the same cycle wasn't allowed, but I didn't realise it meant I couldn't ever apply again. Grad rec said that if you've been unsuccessful at the vacation scheme assessment centre, you could still apply for the direct training contract. When I asked about my situation, having been to the direct training contract assessment centre, they said I couldn't apply again. Does this mean I'm also ineligible to apply for the vacation scheme? I'm really confused 😭

It would seem that way sadly.

 

[tosin4774]

Hi @Jaysen
I saw your post on LinkedIn about the open position for a law firm directory writer. Do you think it is possible for me to apply, even though I am currently in my first year at university?

 

[l789]

I had only attended one event (a presentation evening with my university) before applying in the last cycle and still received a VS offer. I would say that if you have at least one interaction (whether in person or virtual), you should not worry too much about this. There is definitely a point of diminishing returns in seeking out more and more interactions, and as far as I know Slaughter and May is not know to place particularly high emphasis on this criterion.

Thank you so much and for all your responses in general- they have been BEYOND helpful!

 

[legallady123]

Hi @legallady123 I think that if there is any disadvantage, it will be only a very slight one. In many cases, for myself included, a sufficiently high-quality application was progressed although it was only sent in the last day of the rolling period. Moreover, rolling firms also receive the vast majority of applications in the last 3-4 days before the deadline. Thus, your application should still stand out from the crowd in the right way in regards to the submission time.

However, if you are just concerned with absolutely maximizing success chances, you could also consider just submitting the application for the summer scheme - that way, you would be sure to count as an 'early bird'. However, this success chances calculus is further complicated by the claim that, all other things being equal, winter/spring schemes can be slightly less competitive than summer schemes because (i) some international students cannot apply for them; (ii) some students who can apply might choose to prioritize summer schemes instead because those will not take away form the exam revision time; and (iii) that the summer schemes application deadlines are later in the cycle and thus allow for more applications from people who procrastinated or just started their applications later.

My personal opinion is that there is no sensible or even potentially accurate way of trying to calculate such abstract odds. If I were in your place, I would simply apply for the period that is more convenient for me.

Thank you so much for your helpful response either date is convenient for me, I am just very interested in the firm so I would like to maximise my chance of success.

 

[Jessica Booker]

I am also really curious about this. Does it impact you if you don't complete this section (Rare context). I sometimes don't because I feel I don't tick the boxes per se (i.e. didn't have free school meals, not a carer at a young age etc).

@Jessica Booker - could you please opine here?

It shouldn't impact your application - I am unclear as to why it would also stop someone from completing an assessment too. I suspect that is a fault in the system.

If the firm is making you complete this form they should 1) be telling you at the point of application that not completing it will stop you from being put forward and then encourage people to use the "choose not to disclose" option or if they have it a "this does not apply to me" option.

 

[bella98]

It would seem that way sadly.

Are you in the same position? Did I understand this correctly? Because I might reach out again to Grad Rec to clarify - are we not allowed to apply again (like travers smith?!)

 

[TrainingContract2024]

I’ve heard nothing I’m afraid, sorry. Re direct TC, do you know if those who have heard back so far post WG were rejections or further assessment invites?

I think they got telephone interview invite post wg. If you don't mind me asking when did you take the wg? thanks.

 

[0livia.pope]

Are you in the same position? Did I understand this correctly? Because I might reach out again to Grad Rec to clarify - are we not allowed to apply again (like travers smith?!)

I emailed them about this in the summer and they said this;
Thank you for your email.



If you are successful with your application and get through to our assessment centre, you would no longer be able to apply for Macfarlanes. As we do not change our assessments frequently you would have an unfair advantage compared to other participants, if however, you have been unsuccessful and have not completed one of our assessments you would be eligible to reapply.



Best



Katie

 

[Lastseasonwonder]

It shouldn't impact your application - I am unclear as to why it would also stop someone from completing an assessment too. I suspect that is a fault in the system.

If the firm is making you complete this form they should 1) be telling you at the point of application that not completing it will stop you from being put forward and then encourage people to use the "choose not to disclose" option or if they have it a "this does not apply to me" option.

What do you mean by this bit here please? "I am unclear as to why it would also stop someone from completing an assessment too"?

I was curious whether not completing this section (i.e. opting out of answering the Rare contextual questions) because I don't think it will positively impact me given my background (no free school meals, not carer at young age etc), would impact my chances of moving forward in the application process?