TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[Jessica Booker]

@Jessica Booker

Hi Jessica,

I’ve progressed to the written assessment stage with a firm after completing an extensive application and online test. However, all the available time slots for the assessment fall during the working hours of my winter vacation scheme. I reached out to request a transfer to their summer application cycle, which has a later timeline, but they refused simply saying “due to timing issue”.

Is there anything I can do in this situation? I feel quite disappointed, as I wouldn’t have applied if I had known this in advance, especially considering the effort I put into writing over 1,000 words for their application.

Thanks for your advice!

The assessment may fall into working hours as they may need to be available for when the assessment is being done, and therefore they can only do it within working hours themselves.

Is there any possibility of you getting time off work or working around the written assessment timings?

Edit - just seen your other posts. I think it is tricky if you have got a vacation scheme elsewhere and I would personally suggest focusing on that - you will have a strong chance of converting that scheme and so is likely to be worthwhile your effort. It is a shame the other firm is not being flexible but I would take that as a sign of their general culture anyway. If they cannot accommodate this, there is a decent chance they won't accommodate other needs for flexibility.

 

[Andrei Radu]

I've seen a few people do 'suggest firms for me' posts recently and I thought it would be fun and helpful to hop on the trend!

There are some non-negotiables for me - decent/good firm culture, international opportunities and supportive/well-structured training. I understand they are largely subjective but they are still important for me to say at the outset because at some firms, these qualities might categorically not be present (e.g., narrow focus on one market). Also, by 'culture', I don't mean work-life balance, just that the people are friendly.

Other fun facts: very interested in the US, interested in IP and life sciences (but happy to explore anything else - I am far from committed to a specific sector), I have decent language skills.

Academic record is strong (GCSEs, sixth-form, second year uni), but with a bad blip in first year (with mitigating circumstances). Non-Oxbridge; RG.

No VS, no open day experience

I appreciate any thoughts

In terms of culture, I will only recommend to you firms I have done vacation schemes with, as I feel open days/other firm events do not suffice to make a strong inference in this regard. I have done 4 VS and the two firms that stood out to me in terms of how friendly people there were are Davis Polk and Willkie. For both of these firms the training style is not particularly structured, but after speaking to many trainees I believe they are well-supported. As for the other criteria, Davis Polk has exceptional reputation and history in the US, and guarantees all trainees the opportunity to do a six month secondment in their New York office (unless you want to qualify in competition law, in which case you would be expected to go on a Brussels secondment). Willkie arguably offers a broader training experience than other US rivals. While it has a great PE practice, it not solely focused on corporate and finance and has more established advisory and contentious teams.

 

[MayaM0921]

@Jessica Booker

Based on your experience, is it ever acceptable to request time off during a vacation scheme to complete an assessment? I had assumed that doing so, especially at a US firm, might require a degree of discretion beyond what’s afforded by the vacation scheme. I’d really appreciate any advice on how to navigate this situation professionally!

 

[futuretrainee2503]

Can you withdraw your existing application? If so withdraw it and reapply.

It’s on AllHires and there is no withdraw option.. Should I email them and apply from a diff email?

 

[tarty23]

@Jessica Booker @Andrei Radu

Thank you both, much appreciated

 

[Jessica Booker]

@Jessica Booker

Based on your experience, is it ever acceptable to request time off during a vacation scheme to complete an assessment? I had assumed that doing so, especially at a US firm, might require a degree of discretion beyond what’s afforded by the vacation scheme. I’d really appreciate any advice on how to navigate this situation professionally!

Its okay to ask whether it may be possible. But if the scheme is only a week, I would generally say it is better to focus on the scheme itself as taking even two hours out is effectively 5% of your time on the scheme and could have an impact even if you do stay late or work around it.

 

[Jessica Booker]

It’s on AllHires and there is no withdraw option.. Should I email them and apply from a diff email?

I would contact the recruitment team first and get their advice on how best to approach it. It maybe that they can reset your application to incomplete so that you can edit it rather than submitting a new application.

 

[Solking456]

Do Latham send a feedback report after the online test/confirmation that the test has been submitted ? Also are we meant to have had only one VI question ?

 

[mrebeccafr]

Has anyone heard back from Bird & Bird following the VI? I completed it at the end of October and still haven't heard back, wondering if it is worth emailing.

I completed mine on 15/11 and haven’t heard anything back

 

[Andrei Radu]

@Andrei Radu

Hi Andrei,

Thank you for your detailed reply—I really appreciate it.

I’ve already disclosed the vacation scheme situation and offered to provide documentation to prove it, but they didn’t seem interested. The written assessment is a fixed 2-hour slot, so it’s not something I can complete at a time of my choice. My winter vacation scheme hasn’t started yet, so I can’t gauge whether it would be appropriate to ask my supervisor for flexibility.

I’m also sharing this to highlight to others that firms might reject candidates on this basis. It’s something I wasn’t aware of and think others should consider. 😞

No worries Maya! I can definitely emphasize with how frustrating that must feel, but unfortunately it doesn't seem like there's much you can do about it. I would still provisionally accept the invitation to complete the assessment and then see if my relationship with the supervisor allows for a request for this type of flexibility. I do not think you stand to lose anything by delaying the process until you get more clarity on that point.

In terms of general approach, I definitely agree with Jessica that you should prioritize the current vacation scheme. Don't worry too much about this other firm and focus on showing your best self, and I am sure in a few weeks you'll be announcing your TC offer here !

 

[Andrei Radu]

is it worth including a cover letter for DLA? I know it isn't a requirement

I did not and still progressed to the AC stage, as did a number of other people I know who progressed past the application stage. If you particularly like DLA and have the time to invest into writing a high-quality cover letter, it will definitely not hurt your chances. However, if there are many other firms that you are currently applying or intending to apply to, and if you think you might struggle to complete them by the relevant deadlines, I would simply focus on writing high-quality responses to the mandatory questions.

 

[gazdgazd11]

Lol still haven't heard back from DLA since passing the test...

 

[IntoLaw]

Hi, the CMS WG isn't automatic, so they review your app and then decide on sending you the WG invite

Does this mean that people will still be receiving WG invites after the deadline?

 

[lookingforaTC]

Someone take one for the team and cop ChatGPT pro for $200 and lmk if its worth it for writing law apps.

 

[lookingforaTC]

Lol still haven't heard back from DLA since passing the test...

Passed test like month and still waiting for regional app.

 

[Deleted member 37508]

Someone take one for the team and cop ChatGPT pro for $200 and lmk if its worth it for writing law apps.

I pay a premium for ChatGPT. It is worth it.

 

[jta227]

@Jessica Booker @Ram Sabaratnam

I graduated this summer from an RG university with a first in law and am currently applying for VSs/TCs while working part-time as a waiter and taking a language course. Will firms look down on me for doing this job after graduating? For more context, I completed a VS at a top firm in my last cycle and gained some admin experience at a financial services firm during university, so I am worried that recruiters may view my waiting job as a step-down.

Initially, I applied for paralegal/ legal secretary positions after graduating but was unfortunately unsuccessful (recruiters often call me after I upload my CV, but I never get invited to interviews). Concerned about leaving a gap on my CV, I decided that working part-time at a restaurant would be a good interim solution - filling my CV gap immediately, giving me time to focus on applications, and providing good material for competency-based questions (working in a team, client service, etc).

That said, I have started to doubt my decision and myself due to the reactions I receive from customers and colleagues when they learn about my educational background, often raising their eyebrows.

I plan to properly explore other options (e.g., consulting, admin) as a full-time job after most application deadlines have passed in January, but I wonder whether taking this waiting job has caused any damage to my CV.

I would appreciate an honest perspective on my situation and guidance on what I should do moving forward. After failing to convert my VS and not securing any legal positions after graduating, I feel very lost and unsure of myself. The worst thing about this all is that I genuinely enjoyed my law degree and saw myself as a lawyer. However, after so much failure at this point in the legal sector, I am starting to question whether I am suited for this career path.

Having a job is better than having no job, no matter what really. I don't think they will look down on this and ultimately you can draw transferrable skills from any job. The job market is tough and I personally feel that it shows humility to be willing to take what you can get despite the inevitable reactions from customers and colleagues that you alluded to. I also remember from one Open Day (I think it was Clifford Chance) one of the speakers said "everyone should work retail at least once in their lives".

As you said it's also way easier to write good applications in a job like that than e.g. working 9-6 in the Civil Service, getting home at 7 and being tired (although people do manage this too - your hours will be worse in biglaw after all)

 

[Tintin06]

@Jessica Booker @Ram Sabaratnam

I graduated this summer from an RG university with a first in law and am currently applying for VSs/TCs while working part-time as a waiter and taking a language course. Will firms look down on me for doing this job after graduating? For more context, I completed a VS at a top firm in my last cycle and gained some admin experience at a financial services firm during university, so I am worried that recruiters may view my waiting job as a step-down.

Initially, I applied for paralegal/ legal secretary positions after graduating but was unfortunately unsuccessful (recruiters often call me after I upload my CV, but I never get invited to interviews). Concerned about leaving a gap on my CV, I decided that working part-time at a restaurant would be a good interim solution - filling my CV gap immediately, giving me time to focus on applications, and providing good material for competency-based questions (working in a team, client service, etc).

That said, I have started to doubt my decision and myself due to the reactions I receive from customers and colleagues when they learn about my educational background, often raising their eyebrows.

I plan to properly explore other options (e.g., consulting, admin) as a full-time job after most application deadlines have passed in January, but I wonder whether taking this waiting job has caused any damage to my CV.

I would appreciate an honest perspective on my situation and guidance on what I should do moving forward. After failing to convert my VS and not securing any legal positions after graduating, I feel very lost and unsure of myself. The worst thing about this all is that I genuinely enjoyed my law degree and saw myself as a lawyer. However, after so much failure at this point in the legal sector, I am starting to question whether I am suited for this career path.

Nah. It’s a real job. Plenty of transferable skills there. I worked in retail before uni. It was during my gap year. Only ever found respect for it.

 

[ashwright]

In terms of culture, I will only recommend to you firms I have done vacation schemes with, as I feel open days/other firm events do not suffice to make a strong inference in this regard. I have done 4 VS and the two firms that stood out to me in terms of how friendly people there were are Davis Polk and Willkie. For both of these firms the training style is not particularly structured, but after speaking to many trainees I believe they are well-supported. As for the other criteria, Davis Polk has exceptional reputation and history in the US, and guarantees all trainees the opportunity to do a six month secondment in their New York office (unless you want to qualify in competition law, in which case you would be expected to go on a Brussels secondment). Willkie arguably offers a broader training experience than other US rivals. While it has a great PE practice, it not solely focused on corporate and finance and has more established advisory and contentious teams.

Thank you, Andrei! I really appreciate your thoughtful response. The six month NY secondment at Davis Polk sounds very interesting - the firm's stature in the US market is a huge attraction for me. If I may ask two questions:
1. What made you choose Davis Polk over the other three firms you received TCs for?
2. In your opinion, which aspects of your application were the most decisive in receiving a TC at Davis Polk? I haven't had the opportunity to interact with the firm at all so I'd feel hesitant for my first interaction with the firm to be an application. I've attended lots of online events for UK, US etc. firms (selective + non-selective) but I'm not sure if that (coupled with detailed research of Davis Polk, commercial awareness etc.) would suffice?

Thank you for your kindness + insight.

 

[safari3]

Bird & Bird Summer AC🤯🤩