TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[pleasepleaseplease]

Is this before or after you hear back from them on the test? I’ve still not had general feedback (I.e. pass/fail to the next round) from the test yet…

I asked them after receiving my rejection, not sure if you can do it before

 

[pleasepleaseplease]

Hi all, I checked with AG regarding their ability to sponsor work visa for TCs as their application form says they may not be able to sponsor. Grad rec replied saying we would need right to have right to work as the applicable going rate is for 'solicitors and lawyers' (£52,300). They do still consider graduate visa and new entrance discounts. From what I heard and read on this forum, it should be 'legal professionals not elsewhere classified' (£30,960). @Jessica Booker May I ask which going rate applies for trainee solicitors? Thanks

Hi but wouldn't it be lower for recent graduates and people aged under 26 as per https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/when-you-can-be-paid-less

 

[kokoprep]

Discuss a topic that you are passionate about. How did you become interested in it, and how has it influenced your personal or professional life. (300 words max) - @Jessica Booker @Andrei Radu - Hi, I would really appreciate your inputs on this question on the Bakers Application, should this for sure non law to reflect your personality or can it be a law topic?

Others who have had experience with the application for BM, also please share your views!

 

[suhana]

Hi all, I checked with AG regarding their ability to sponsor work visa for TCs as their application form says they may not be able to sponsor. Grad rec replied saying we would need right to have right to work as the applicable going rate is for 'solicitors and lawyers' (£52,300). They do still consider graduate visa and new entrance discounts. From what I heard and read on this forum, it should be 'legal professionals not elsewhere classified' (£30,960). @Jessica Booker May I ask which going rate applies for trainee solicitors? Thanks

I asked them about this too because they are the only firm that raised this in the job advert. i think they are misunderstanding the new visa rules?

 

[eleven14og]

Hi but wouldn't it be lower for recent graduates and people aged under 26 as per https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/when-you-can-be-paid-less

Hi yes that's the new entrant discount I mentioned above. AG said they are aware of this. But if they use the £50k going rate, they may not meet the 70% salary threshold for some or all of their offices.

 

[Tintin06]

Caught COVID at the end of last month (must've been while attending a firm's open day ironically) and I'm just getting back to not being bedridden now, that's about 2-3 weeks behind on Forage VIs and applications 😭 going to have to put in a herculean effort to make up for it towards the end of the year. Also wondering whether I should even apply to that firm at this point because at their open day they said to apply end of Nov/early Dec to have a chance of the application being successful (deadline January but rolling)

Check if they are non rolling. Some will be but some won't. I think you still have time.

 

[FutureTrainee100]

I just completed the Dechert written exercise, and I am SO panicked. First of all, there was no confirmation that my submission was successful; all I received was a message saying the session had expired.

Second, I struggled with the formatting. I wanted the bullet points to be evenly spaced, but for some reason, the gap between the first set was much larger than the gap between the second set. Topscore was NOT cooperating with me at all.

Third, I italicised two definitions but forgot to do the same for the third (or even define it at all).

Fourth, I bolded one phrase but forgot to do the same for another, which makes it look inconsistent.

While I am quite confident about the content, I am terrified that these minor mistakes might get me rejected. ((

 

[pleasepleaseplease]

Hi yes that's the new entrant discount I mentioned above. AG said they are aware of this. But if they use the £50k going rate, they may not meet the 70% salary threshold for some or all of their offices.

Ah okay but it should meet the threshold for the London office, right? Honestly it is so disheartening to see how difficult it is now to get a work visa

 

[tarty23]

CMS VI received this morning

 

[fcac98]

Caught COVID at the end of last month (must've been while attending a firm's open day ironically) and I'm just getting back to not being bedridden now, that's about 2-3 weeks behind on Forage VIs and applications 😭 going to have to put in a herculean effort to make up for it towards the end of the year. Also wondering whether I should even apply to that firm at this point because at their open day they said to apply end of Nov/early Dec to have a chance of the application being successful (deadline January but rolling)

No harm in applying anyway, it's not too late and also I bet a lot of people will be applying towards the end of the deadline anyway! Good luck! ☺️

 

[kanchitcla]

88% percentile for Linklaters! Does anyone know whether they put more weight for the WG or their assessment?

Hi, how do you find out what you got, do they email you your result?

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Is 81 percentile for Linklaters good?

This is likely to be good enough. I haven’t seen a benchmark above the 80th percentile for any organisation.

 

[eleven14og]

I asked them about this too because they are the only firm that raised this in the job advert. i think they are misunderstanding the new visa rules?

Ah okay but it should meet the threshold for the London office, right? Honestly it is so disheartening to see how difficult it is now to get a work visa

I think London should meet the threshold? They probably don't do sponsor a lot hence the confusion.

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

I'd really appreciate if I can ask two questions to the TCLA team:

1. Can I check when the application review service closes for the festive period? When will it re-open?
2. I noticed that one of Jaysen's recent LinkedIn posts was about a new commercial awareness programme which is in development. Could I check how we can sign up for it?

Thank you guys 😊

1) closes at 4pm tomorrow and won’t reopen until 9.30am on 2 January.

2) if you comment on Jaysen’s LinkedIn post, you can be included in the test group and will get added to the mailing list about how the platform will progress.

 

[fcac98]

88% percentile for Linklaters! Does anyone know whether they put more weight for the WG or their assessment?

So good! How did you practice for WG?

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Hi all, I checked with AG regarding their ability to sponsor work visa for TCs as their application form says they may not be able to sponsor. Grad rec replied saying we would need right to have right to work as the applicable going rate is for 'solicitors and lawyers' (£52,300). They do still consider graduate visa and new entrance discounts. From what I heard and read on this forum, it should be 'legal professionals not elsewhere classified' (£30,960). @Jessica Booker May I ask which going rate applies for trainee solicitors? Thanks

I haven’t applied for a visa in sometime, so it maybe that categories have changed (this can often happen). So I can’t be 100% sure on this

Typically the “legal professionals not elsewhere classified” has been the code used (2419) as they use the old term of “Solicitor’s clerk” (old name for trainees) as the job title reference.

The lower rate for this category is £30,960 but candidates have to be under 26 and a recent graduate or hold a PhD. Because some candidates won’t meet this criteria, often firms will apply the upper rate of £38,700 consistently though.

 

[yeezyee]

Hi Jess! I’ve dmed you about mitigating circumstances/accomodations. Thank you @Jessica Booker

 

[Shandy101]

Willkie VI!!! Jesus, when it rains, it sure pours.

So that's HSF and Fieldfisher AC in Jan, Willkie VI, Skadden WE, RS VI, MB Life as a Trainee, Weil VI.

This is my second cycle. I did two applications last year and got rejected post partner interview for one and got the other at SH, which I didn't convert. I did like 30 this year- Post App PFO from JD, Sidley. Post AC W&C. Post online assessment: AG, CC, LL (I HATE WG). Still have 16 firms pending. My key was drafting a really good application which a friend who just started his TC at Weil helped me with and I was able to extrapolate (not copy-paste, although sometimes I did) from for every application I have done. Obvs I had to do in-depth individualised research about the firm for the Why the firm but other than that, the questions are mostly the same across apps where some firms have more questions, including ones about interesting topics which I discussed 2 main topics of significant interest to me- Russian Sanctions and a litigation trend related to the Energy Sector.

@Jaysen , please consider bringing him to the team so others here can benefit from his natural abilities. I'm not even sure he would want to with his schedule at Weil, but he is good! I owe every success this cycle to his work on that one application for me last year!

 

[big hot man]

Waiting for Mishcon response like a withered traveller in the desert, searching fruitlessly for water

 

[yasmars]

Willkie VI!!! Jesus, when it rains, it sure pours.

So that's HSF and Fieldfisher AC in Jan, Willkie VI, Skadden WE, RS VI, MB Life as a Trainee, Weil VI.

This is my second cycle. I did two applications last year and got rejected post partner interview for one and got the other at SH, which I didn't convert. I did like 30 this year- Post App PFO from JD, Sidley. Post AC W&C. Post online assessment: AG, CC, LL (I HATE WG). Still have 16 firms pending. My key was drafting a really good application which a friend who just started his TC at Weil helped me with and I was able to extrapolate (not copy-paste, although sometimes I did) from for every application I have done. Obvs I had to do in-depth individualised research about the firm for the Why the firm but other than that, the questions are mostly the same across apps where some firms have more questions, including ones about interesting topics which I discussed 2 main topics of significant interest to me- Russian Sanctions and a litigation trend related to the Energy Sector.

@Jaysen , please consider bringing him to the team so others here can benefit from his natural abilities. I'm not even sure he would want to with his schedule at Weil, but he is good! I owe every success this cycle to his work on that one application for me last year!

Congrats! What an amazing position to be in!