TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[Legalstalker]

Can imagine how frustrating these would be
Ngl, wondering if sending a Dechert application at this point would just be a waste of time. I too attended the open day (where they said to apply end of Nov/early Dec) but then got COVID right after which put me out of action for a long while. I'll probably just focus on non-rolling deadlines after reading what you've written

When I was at the open day they said submit in November and do not apply to winter, do spring or summer. Most of the trainees I spoke to did their summer vs. I then spoke to one of them individually and they asked which intake I planned to submit for as they‘d “keep a look out“ yeah keep a look out to bloody reject me 😐😂 you may as well apply nothing to lose really. They have given some written exercises already. Maybe email them as it seems they’re still working and explaining your situation x​

 

[tomtom1]

Anyone still waiting to hear from DLA post VI London?

yep, i've been waiting for a while now

 

[corporatelore]

Question - why is that some firms choose to have smaller teams when they could afford to expand?

 

[helloj]

Anyone waiting for DLA just heard back with them saying all spaces for London office ACs are now filled

 

[corporatelore]

Same
After WGT
London Office

Applied end of Oct
Passed online assessment end of Oct
Was not given a VI

Same, and I scored highly on WG . Tbf, I can see a lot of room for improvement in my written application so fair play to them.

That said, I've had the most success with firms where I've attended their events in person. I feel that this has been the most significant factor in whether my application succeeds or not.

 

[Alex Woodhouse]

Weil PFO
Unfortunately no feedback at all.

 

[futuretrainee!]

I don’t normally post on the forum as much but I am absolutely fuming. I thought that friday would be the last day before Christmas that we’d be hearing back from firms it was nice to not constantly be on my emails checking. I’ve received 3 rejections in 1 hour. What the hell. Rejections are nothing to me but when I sit there for days researching and writing your application, getting on trains and tubes to attend open days missing classes/income as well as sitting and watching online webinars for 1 firm it really boils my blood.

DLA Piper rejection after passing the WG why give it on the 23rd December?? They already knew we were not good enough so why wait 2 days before Christmas I passed the beginging of October. They already gave VS offers very very cruel.

Dechert rejection, I went to the open day, met them at a law fair and kept in contact after said open day. I was invited to an event from one of their trainees via LinkedIn as I built such good relationships with them all. I put this all in my application. I made a very good application not to sound cocky. I SPOKE to grad rec last week!! And they reject me today like wtf. Fair enough reject me but why on the 23rd? Why 2 days prior to Christmas next thing you know I’ll be getting rejections on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day. Why said your last day is the 20th then continue to send communications after? Day is ruined.​

Honestly! I applied to Dechert on the 21st Dec (yup two days ago on a Saturday) AND chose the firm for my AS commercial awareness competition AND spoke to grad rec, MET with all their trainees and associates AND the team sent an email asking me to apply after the AS competition... and I still got rejected - I have a feeling that my application was not read because they already accommodated assessments for their previous applicants which again really unfair since the application was still sent within the deadline...

 

[BonanzaBih_]

if a question asks to talk about an issue a client is 'currently facing' how current is current? can I talk about an issue that began earlier this year say April-July? or does it have to be around now in December, thank you! @Jessica Booker @Andrei Radu @Amma Usman

 

[NCTC2025]

DLA PFO post WG!

Scored above average in every WG band but app was pretty bad so been waiting for this one for quite a while. Good to get some closure. Better things coming in the New Year!

 

[kokoprep]

Hi TCLA Community, Thank you for being such a huge support system. Wishing everyone a very happy holidays szn, I'm manifesting we all get offers in the new year 2025!

 

[gazdgazd11]

2 rejections today. Depressing but we have to keep going.

This leads me to the next question - what firms have the the biggest trainee intake (except Magic circle)? I feel like US firms are too competitive (

 

[plshireme]

2 rejections today. Depressing but we have to keep going.

This leads me to the next question - what firms have the the biggest trainee intake (except Magic circle)? I feel like US firms are too competitive (

If you have a look on legal cheek's most list then they tell you the firms offering the most training contracts and how many

 

[Lizzy]

Has Latham and Watkins, started sending AC invites or PFOs?

Yes.

 

[desperateTCseeker1998]

Yes.

RIP had neither, thought I was safe over Christmas

 

[desperateTCseeker1998]

For this Reed Smith q, are people writing about 1 or multiple issues?; Focusing on one of Reed Smith`s sectors, what current issues, aside from the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), do you think will impact this sector? What opportunities or challenges could this present Reed Smith or our clients?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Question - why is that some firms choose to have smaller teams when they could afford to expand?

Maybe they are investing in other ways rather than hiring more people?

They may also not want to expand - it maybe that their team size is serving a particular section of that market well and that to expand they would effectively have to find other types of clients or areas of law that maybe they are not so knowledgeable about.

It can often also be that as a whole the firm is focused on other strategic aspects of expansion, whether its other practice areas or other offices.

But it can often down to profits - why expand the number of people you need when you are already profitable?

 

[Jessica Booker]

2 rejections today. Depressing but we have to keep going.

This leads me to the next question - what firms have the the biggest trainee intake (except Magic circle)? I feel like US firms are too competitive (

Mainly the larger international firms - DLA, Baker McKenzie, Hogan Lovells, Herbert Smith Freehills, Eversheds, Pinsent Masons

The Legal Cheek "most list" allows you to filter by number of TCs offered - https://www.legalcheek.com/the-firms-most-list/?metakey=_cmb_training_contracts

 

[Jessica Booker]

if a question asks to talk about an issue a client is 'currently facing' how current is current? can I talk about an issue that began earlier this year say April-July? or does it have to be around now in December, thank you! @Jessica Booker @Andrei Radu @Amma Usman

Is it still a current issue? It is fine to use something from anytime in 2024, but it should be something they are still facing now rather than something that has been finalised/resolved.

 

[FutureTraineeMaybe]

Yes.

Is this for spring?

 

[Shandy101]

For this Reed Smith q, are people writing about 1 or multiple issues?; Focusing on one of Reed Smith`s sectors, what current issues, aside from the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), do you think will impact this sector? What opportunities or challenges could this present Reed Smith or our clients?

I did one main issue, one sector: The rise of environmental litigation underscoring the interrelationship between climate change and human rights law and targeting corporations for global environmental harm is a critical issue impacting the energy and natural resources sector. Got a VI and online assessment.