TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[FutureTraineeMaybe]

Anyone else not able to submit TW application?

Hey! I made a new account in incognito mode and i was able to submit it

 

[affidavid]

what have people written about for the 'introduce a topic you know about' on the HSF app? I have a rather niche one I plan to discuss but I think it might be too academic. What are they actually looking for? I mean obvs non-boring, somewhat curious and well-read people who can enthuse and inform ppl about things. wondering what some successful candidates might have put in the past.

 

[Andrei Radu]

@Andrei Radu @Jessica Booker @Amma Usman @Ram Sabaratnam Hi guys, I just wanted some advice on the 'why this firm' element of a question. Do you think it is acceptable to talk just about for example training or do you think it could be quite generic. Would you suggest for the 'why this firm' aspect to link it back to a practice area or deal

Hey @Unknowncabbage just to add to @Jessica Booker's response and to give you my thoughts before @Ram Sabaratnam and @Amma Usman come back to you: I think for a great 'why the firm' answer you want for your reasons to (i) only apply to the particular firm, as opposed to applying equally to a a large number of firms; and (ii) be particularly relevant for you; as opposed to every other applicant.

For (i) I think you want to identify a firm's unique selling points (USPs). These are features of a firm that differentiate it from most other law firms in a relevant manner, and can be anything from the training approach and seats selection to practice area reputation and business strategy. While it is not necessary for a USP to be completely "unique" in that it does not apply to any other single firm, when taking in conjunction all the USPs you want there to be no other firm to which they apply to to the same extent as the firm you are going for.

For instance, if I were applying for Latham, three USPs I could think of are (a) the firm being a PE powerhouse; (b) making a significant dent in UK corporate M&A market; and (c) developing a full service offering. (a) distinguishes Latham from many firms, as it only applies to the same extent to the likes of Kirkland, Simpson Thatcher and Weil; (b) distinguishes Latham from all the aforementioned three but not from a firm like Skadden; while (c) distinguishes Latham from all US firms with the exception of a White & Case or Jones Day, who however are not equally strong players in the M&A/PE space. As such, taking (a), (b), and (c) together they will only apply to Latham.

For (ii), as Jessica explained, you want to make a link between the firm feature and your personal experiences, motivations, skills, and interests. Essentially, you should show that you have particular reason to care about the identified USPs.

Now, coming back to your initial question, talking about the training could be insufficiently specific as I cannot think of many firms where particularities of the training approach distinguish it from every other competitor. As such, I would consider doing some more research to see what other USPs I can find.

 

[A worried graduate]

Wait - ACs for the SVS have taken place? But the deadline isn't for a month and a bit 😭 😭 I hate rolling deadlines

Someone else here mentioned it unless I got the seasons mixed up

 

[A worried graduate]

I think it is still worth applying. Many firms run ACs through a period of multiple months, and all the people I know who did a Simmons & Simmons AC were applying for a WVS. As such, I definitely think this should not deter you from making a Spring/Summer VS application.

Thanks

 

[A worried graduate]

Someone else here mentioned it unless I got the seasons mixed up

Yeah it was for summer in London around the 11th

 

[BillSikes]

Is anyone going to apply to Bird & Bird? i went to an event with them and they said that if we submit now we might not even get screened, don't really want to waste my time...

This is true they did this last year.

 

[hanz123]

Any advice on this question?

The legal industry is evolving rapidly with advancements in artificial intelligence, particularly in generative AI, which has the potential to revolutionise legal research, document drafting, and even client interactions. At Shoosmiths, we’ve been working with AI for years and know a thing or two about what responsible AI can do in the real world. We lead the conversation on innovation and use our expertise to help drive change where it matters. It’s why we don’t ban the use of AI in trainee solicitor application forms.

Effective communication and being detail oriented are essential skills for succeeding as a trainee at Shoosmiths, and an application form is the first opportunity you have to communicate as your authentic self. You may choose to use generative AI as a tool to assist you in developing your own original and thoughtful responses, but you should never simply copy and paste answers from the internet.



At Shoosmiths, we place a high value on originality of thought, creativity, and innovation. Successful applications will be personal; you’ll demonstrate genuine effort and unique perspectives, as well as giving the reader a true sense of why you are applying for the role. You’ll also show how your strengths will help shape the future of the firm.

We view the responsible use of AI as something that can strengthen your abilities, fostering creativity and refining ideas, rather than a shortcut to replace authentic input.

How do you expect to use generative AI tools to enhance your effectiveness as a solicitor in the future?

If you have, you may also choose to include specific examples of how you have utilised generative AI to elevate part of your application to Shoosmiths, in this answer.

 

[BillSikes]

Taylor Wessing are an absolute disgrace

 

[SoonToBeTrainee]

Well there goes my application to Taylor Wessing…

Website has crashed an hour before the deadline lol

 

[BillSikes]

Well there goes my application to Taylor Wessing…

Website has crashed an hour before the deadline lol

create new account - tho it takes 20 mins to re-submit grade/work exp.

 

[cmarie123]

I have just realized that I accidentally inputed the wrong job description into the work experience section i.e. title and date of role doesn't match the description. Is it worth emailing grad rec and pointing it out or should I leave it and hope they don't notice?

 

[SerGo2507]

Thank you and for Spring!

Amazing! Congrats! When did you do your earlier assessment?

 

[aspiringsolicitor2025]

I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re scraping everyone’s applications. There’s even a LinkedIn post from the guy that shows he can see everyone’s prompts.

There’s 0 reason to use an AI model for law applications. There will be nothing unique it can add.

Everyone is better off doing their own unique research and just using ChatGPT for grammar edits etc.

Hey this is the student that built the app - thought I’d clear up a few things:

1) We didn’t scrape data - it’s based on our own apps.
2) We didn’t use ChatGPT, we used the API which allows us to fine-tune (you should research how the API works, especially for those that code too).
3) It’s an ongoing project because LLMs are so new and no one understands it. We spent the summer in Silicon Valley so can confirm this is true. Everyone’s learning.

Hope that dispels some myths floating around.

 

[Jessica Booker]

what have people written about for the 'introduce a topic you know about' on the HSF app? I have a rather niche one I plan to discuss but I think it might be too academic. What are they actually looking for? I mean obvs non-boring, somewhat curious and well-read people who can enthuse and inform ppl about things. wondering what some successful candidates might have put in the past.

Wary this might be quite late with the deadline in less than a couple of hours, but they are looking for you to present a topic with genuine enthusiasm and be able to structure an engaging, informative answer on a topic as if your reader has no knowledge or interest in it.

 

[bobjeff]

is there any point applying for Jones day summer VS - someone told me they are already doing ACs? thank you!

 

[BonanzaBih_]

Amazing! Congrats! When did you do your earlier assessment?

On the 7th of Nov!

 

[xxx]

Vantage crashed 15 mins before HSF deadline and would not let me submit my application. Emailed them and attached all of the application info required. Theres not much else to do but pray for the best.

 

[jta227]

Vantage crashed 15 mins before HSF deadline and would not let me submit my application. Emailed them and attached all of the application info required. Theres not much else to do but pray for the best.

Wow. I think I sent mine at like 11:30-something, glad to escape that

Something similar happened to me for a different firm that used Vantage - not a crash but my entire Uni results page glitched when submitting the application so all of the fields on that page got erased - I had to email their GradRec apologising with my entire module breakdown. Can't imagine that left a great impression haha

 

[kokoprep]

I had the exact same problem when I did my VI yesterday!! I could have done so much better on the first question, but they were all so loaded and I got nervous!! Bad thing is the nerves never get better for me... this is my 3rd CMS VI!! Hoping for good news

hey when did you submit your CMS app to be invited to the next stage?