TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[lawgical]

Just received Milbank AC (spring). At 9pm on a Saturday. Strange ...

anyways any advice?

Congratulations! I did the Milbank AC + VS in 2023, my favourite AC experience hands down. The Grad Rec is especially very involved in your interests and progress, making it a nice experience. Here are some insights:

1. I received a WG link a few days before the AC, so they also used that as an assessment metric. Keep an eye out for that if they are still using WGs.

2. The written exercise was fairly standard, and they didn't grade it either it's just marked as Pass/Fail. We were given a booklet with different tasks, like drafting an email, correcting errors etc.

3. I received the name of the partner who was going to interview me before the AC. As Milbank was undergoing a merger at that time, this affected the partner's work directly so I was able to research how his work was going to be affected + ask questions along this line, and he seemed happy to talk about this in detail which let me find out more about the firm. Also, in the icebreaker session at the beginning, the same partner had said that "quiet confidence" was the overarching culture of the firm so we could talk more in-depth about that too.

4. We were marked out of 20 for the Group task, and it involved a fictitious scenario where we either had to merge or acquire certain companies (based on market size, employee count, locations covered etc.). There were indications of real-world elements in the fake companies - the assessors liked when I identified these correctly. For instance, one of the "fictitious companies" was a Milbank clone with hints like "first US law firm with an office in Japan", etc.

This was my first ever AC and I enjoyed myself greatly, I hope you can have a good experience too. Again, this was 2 years ago so things might be vastly different this time. Either way, let me know if you need more details. Good luck!

 

[Amma Usman]

@Amma Usman @Jessica Booker do recruiters look at how long it took you to finish an untimed assessment? I just finished my trowers assessment in about 2 hours will that be looked down upon ?

Hey @tcla02 ,

It depends on the firms and the nature of the assessment. I know for some assessments it usually says at the pre-amble/instructions that the time taken to complete it will be used in scoring. You will also usually find this in the email GR sent you inviting you to take the assessment. I can’t remember the name of the firm exactly, but when I was applying, I had also spent about two hours taking a test (for a firm which didn’t take the time taken to complete it into scoring) and had gotten to the next stage.

 

[Amma Usman]

Does anyone have any tips for writing a memorandum of understanding during an AC?

Hey there @isTeapp ,

This is a very good question actually! I had no clue what it was prior to you mentioning it. So I did some research and came up with the below to help;

I’ve also linked a few websites which have very useful guides on how to write one -

Guide to writing a memorandum of understanding (MOU)

www.gov.uk

How to write a Memorandum of Understanding

Create a memorandum of understanding easily with Docusign.

www.docusign.com

From what I’ve gathered…

A memorandum of understanding, or MOU, is kind of like an agreement between two or more people or groups, but it’s not legally binding. It’s a document that says, “Hey, this is what we’re planning to do together,” without actually making it an enforceable contract.

Think of it as a way to put everything on paper, like what each person or group is responsible for, what the goal is, and how you’re planning to work together. It’s often used in situations where people want to make sure they’re on the same page before getting into a formal agreement.

For example, if two companies are thinking about partnering on a project, they might use an MOU to outline their intentions, like who will handle what part of the work or how they’ll share resources. It’s not set in stone, but it’s a good way to have a clear understanding before committing to anything more formal, like a contract.

It’s also pretty flexible and can be used in all kinds of situations like business deals, research projects, or even between governments working together on something. The important thing is that it helps everyone involved know what’s expected and what the plan is, even if it’s not legally enforceable.

Hope this helps, and best of luck on the AC!

 

[g.cl.2020344]

Just got the Milbank AC. Can't quite believe it, but here we are.

For those who are wondering, I applied on the 31st at 2:30am, so just less than 24 hours before the deadline.

Also, the ACs are full days THIS WEEK, which I guess is why they are doing it over the weekend, lol.

congrats! did u apply for spring or summer? I'm assuming spring?

 

[Amma Usman]

Hi @ashwright , I understand your concern, and I think it’s great that you’re putting so much effort into preparing. However, don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed with so much content, especially when aiming to remember it all. Memorising entire sections, sentence-by-sentence, may not be the most effective approach for an Assessment Centre (AC). Rather than focusing on cramming, I’d suggest shifting your approach to understanding the key themes and ideas from the Stoakes book.

For ACs, the goal is not to know one resource in depth but to demonstrate a broader understanding of the industry and how it functions. It’s more valuable to grasp the big picture and be able to discuss key points confidently.

Consider prioritising quality over quantity. You’re already reading the FT and keeping up with news – that’s exactly what will help build your commercial awareness, which is crucial for ACs. So instead of trying to master everything in one source, focus on:

1. Summarising key themes from the Stoakes book and using them as a foundation.

2. Following market trends through articles and news briefings, which will give you a well-rounded perspective.

3. Practicing articulating your thoughts on various topics, as what matters most is how you communicate your understanding.

Remember, you’re already doing so much, and that in itself is impressive. Don’t worry about knowing everything. Instead, aim to feel comfortable discussing a few topics well. You’ve got this! 😊

Hey @futuretcholder . First of all, congratulations on securing the AC. You have done very well to get to that step.

With negotiation exercices, I would say the first tip is being mindful of how one comes across. It’s a negotiation -you‘re trying to meet a middle ground, so ensuring that the discussion is fruitful and not argumentative is a key skill. This is quite difficult to master, but with the right tone, approach, and demeanor, you’ll do great on this area.

The next is acknowledging both sides of the argument. A lawyer needs to understand their client, but also the client on the other side. This makes you appear as a well-rounded candidate. Briefly throw in a few pointers which show that you acknowledge and understand the other side too.

Structure, structure, structure! I can’t emphasize the importance of this enough. You need a clear structure to appear as a candidate with well-organized thoughts. This does so many things. For example, it shows the interviewer that the set preparation time for delving into the facts was more than enough for you to come back in with a reasoned position.

Above all - confidence. The more confident you are in your position as a negotiator, the more confident your answers will come across. This aspect of an AC tests things beyond your commercial acumen - it tests those soft skills that are often unspoken about.

Hope this helps, and let us know if you have any more questions

Hey @sjr22 , well done on getting the AC. In terms of preparations, I remember fishing out several articles when I had ACs coming up. After reading them, I’d make a summary of the main issues and their impacts on law firms and their clients. The reason this is a good starting point is because any written element will essentially require you to demonstrate an understanding of those two core elements, as well as an ability to summarise information adequately. You may not necessarily be asked about the legal and commercial implications in a written assessment, but this knowledge will serve you well one way or another.

So, practicing using random articles on the FT, for example, would aid your preparations. Hope this helps!

I also understand all the nerves, so take a moment before your assessment to recharge

Yay! Great news! I’ve included a few tips below. It’s a mix of technical and soft tips, and I believe both are equally important for success;

• Relax the night before. I don’t recommend preparing hefty content the day before as it tends to stir one‘s nerves up before the assessment.
• Research on how to ace the key components of the AC. Usually, this tends to be motivational, competency, and situational interviews, as well as commercial awareness interviews (CA). CA should be weaved in at any of the other interview types I mentioned, as it‘s a skill that should be highlighted naturally. Law firms value this heavily, as you can imagine. Lawyers in the commercial world are business advisors as well as legal advisors. Notice how the commerce part comes first in the term ‘commercial lawyer’ ?
• As a transactional focused law firm, I suspect the case study to be a corporate one. I also know this has been the case at A&O in the past. However, I am not completely certain about this. On tips to prepare for corporate case studies, see the two links below;

(NEW) Corporate Case Study Analysis

Hi everyone! I hope you’re all having a wonderful Sunday. As we get closer to more interviews and assessment centres (AC’s) I thought it would be helpful to include a new fictitious Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) case study analysis. Hope you enjoy the read, and feel free to pop any questions...

www.thecorporatelawacademy.com

Mock M&A Case Study: Analysis

Hello everyone! I hope you’re all having a fantastic day. We’re entering the season of assessment centres (ACs) at law firms, and a hot topic for many of these ACs is Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)! So, in this thread, I’ll be guiding you through a short fictitious M&A case study and highlighting...

www.thecorporatelawacademy.com

• Confidence. I appreciate this may sound a bit flowery, but if you’re confident on your abilities to excel at the AC, it will reflect in the responses you give. You didn’t get the AC by chance, they saw potential in you. All that’s left to do now is to calm yourself and showcase those abilities.
• Know your motivations. When I was applying, I fell into the trap of only knowing what I put in my application form. As you can imagine, this is very bad as your motivations for why law, or why X firm, shouldn’t be solely contained in 300 words or less. I took time out to understand what was driving me and why. This solid understanding made communicating those passions at length in an interview very easy. So, understand these drivers of yours. On this, avoid talking about personal experiences too much. By personal, I mean attributing your passion for Big Law to rather generic things like a person, or the international reach, etc. Focus on being specific to your experiences. For example, started a business or worked in one? Done legal work experience? Why the business side of law, and not family or immigration? Literally differentiating between the various forms of law in the interview to say ‘I liked this cause.. I didn’t like this cause..’, helps craft a solid answer. Basically.. show your journey. Nobody woke up one day and decided to go into the profession - there would be drivers. Some will be more specific and professional than others, so focus on those.
• Presentation. This is a given, but coming in professionally dressed in a smart suit goes a long way. At the end of the day, it’s a clientele role.

Again, very well done on getting to this stage. I’m sure you’ll ace it!

Hi, congratulations again on your first virtual AC invite!

For the group exercise, focus on presenting your views in a way that’s both respectful and collaborative. Express your ideas confidently, but also engage with and encourage others’ contributions to showcase your ability to work effectively as part of a team.

Since this is for an in-house role, it's essential to understand how the advisory scope differs from private practice. In-house lawyers are typically specialists in the specific industry they serve, providing expert advice tailored to the business's needs. However, when matters require niche expertise or go beyond their scope, they may seek support from private law firms. I have usually been asked about this difference in past ACs I’ve been to, so it’s helpful having some points under your belt on the advisory-related differences.

To prepare, familiarise yourself with the industry the company operates in and think about how their legal team might approach commercial and operational challenges. During case studies or group discussions, focus on offering practical, solution-oriented advice that balances legal compliance with business priorities.

Best of luck, you’re going to do great!

Hey @Amakaa ,

Very well done on getting to both stages. My tips are more on soft skills.

For the telephone interview, I recommend knowing your competencies very well and avoid preparing too heavily on verbatim answers. This is because you want your answers to sound very natural. The best way to do this is to know your passions for commercial law and Akin well, such that any question you’re asked would not necessarily trip you off.

For the AC with RS, perhaps I’ll be able to provide more guidance on that once they inform you what the AC is comprised of.

My general few interview tips are as follows;

• Smile and be confident. At the end of the day, law firms are not just hiring for lawyers, they are hiring for people.
• Keep building your commercial awareness up until then. As you would have heard many times, this is a skill that needs constant developing. You do not need to spend hundreds of hours every week doing this as that would even be counter-effective. Take little strides every day to learn something knew. It would amaze you how those little industry trends or buzz words would be weaved into your interview by you, without you even knowing it. You want your commercial awareness journey to be a natural one, not a forced one as this is what would help out more through the process and beyond.
• With regards what you can ask GR, provided you have any questions on the specifics of the stage or are not clear about anything, GR would be the best to speak to. Don’t hesitate to reach out when in doubt.
• With regards what to ask Partners, don’t ask questions just for the sake of it as most times such questions tend to be those you can easily get by deep-diving into the firm‘s website. The best questions at the end of interviews are those which talk about a topic discussed in the interview itself, or an area of your interviewers specialisation you want to learn more about and why.

Hope this helps, and best of luck!

Hey all, does anyone have any insight into the Simmons and Simmons AC? Would appreciate any tips!! - Would be happy to share tips for HSF, Macfarlanes, Weil, and Osborne Clarke

Hey @Shia,

I’ve quoted a few posts above to help. Best of luck with the AC!

 

[thelawnet]

congrats! did u apply for spring or summer? I'm assuming spring?

Yep, March 2025.

 

[EA95]

Hi guy, can anyone give me some tips regarding Open days? I’m attending one tomorrow, and quite nervous about what to say and do etc. Anything would be helpful.

 

[Amma Usman]

I have an interview coming up with Farrer & Co, and this is what they told me they will be testing: "In this interview, we will delve a bit more deeply into your motivations to pursue a career in law, which areas of law interest you, your understanding of the role of a solicitor, and your wider knowledge of the legal sector in the UK today (e.g., recent cases or trends in the industry)." For the wider knowledge part especially, asides regularly listening to the news, how else can I prepare, and what type of questions could come up?
@Amma Usman @Jessica Booker @Ram Sabaratnam any insights you have will be really helpful

Hey @Uch21 ,

This is a really good question. To help with wider commercial awareness beyond news reading, I usually spend some time learning new terms. This way, you can weave them in during interviews which sets you apart. Alternatively, doing so also helps make the articles/case studies make more sense. Since one will not have access to the internet, knowing certain terms unique to the industry/ finance world increase your comprehension and assimilation of the legal/business issues at hand, enabling you to more efficiently discuss it in the AC.

I have also come up with a few questions I’ve usually seen from my experience that tend to come up:

1. Why do you want to become a solicitor?

2. Which areas of law interest you the most, and why?

3. What inspired you to study law or choose it as a career?

4. How has your work experience confirmed your interest in law?

5. What specific skills do you bring to the legal profession?

6. What recent legal case or development in the UK has interested you?

7. How do your interests align with Farrer & Co’s practice areas?

8. What do you think are the key responsibilities of a solicitor?

9. How do solicitors contribute to resolving complex client issues?

10. Have you considered how your background might contribute to specific areas of law?

11. What excites you most about a legal career?

12. Are there any areas of law you’re less interested in? Why?

13. What skills do you think are essential for a successful solicitor?

14. How do you think a solicitor’s role differs from that of a barrister?

15. Why do you think attention to detail is critical in a solicitor’s role?

16. What recent development in a specific area of law caught your attention?

17. Are there any areas of law you’d like to explore further?

18. What first inspired you to consider becoming a solicitor?

19. How do you think the legal sector in the UK is changing today?

20. Why do you want to work at Farrer & Co specifically?

A few more challenging one’s I’ve seen…

1. How would you approach advising a client on a legal issue in an area of law you’re unfamiliar with?

2. Can you think of a recent piece of legislation or regulatory change that could significantly impact Farrer & Co’s clients?

3. If a client had a goal that conflicted with your ethical obligations as a solicitor, how would you handle it?

4. What role do you think technology and AI will play in transforming traditional legal practices, especially for a firm like Farrer & Co?

5. How would you explain a complex legal concept to a client with no legal background while ensuring they feel confident in the advice provided?


Goodluck on the AC!

 

[Lapistuskin]

hi does anyone heard from Latham?

 

[sapphireoreos]

Withers summer VS test invite!!!! Over the moon rn

 

[Meghna]

Hi I’ve just been invited to do a test for the Withers VS. Does anyone have any tips?

 

[jacksollaf]

Hey all, does anyone have any insight into the Simmons and Simmons AC? Would appreciate any tips!! - Would be happy to share tips for HSF, Macfarlanes, Weil, and Osborne Clarke

Congrats!!! Is this for the summer vs?

 

[Alessio1642]

Does anyone have any tips for Weil VI? Thank you very much!

 

[KBanana]

Hello! Does anyone have insights into Weil VI?

(Happy to offer insights into Goodwin VI, Slaughter and May AC, and Sidley AC (did it last year) in return!) Thank you 😊

 

[Simon Bisotto]

Hi, does anyone have any insights into the Clyde & Co digital assessment? Is it true that there are video recorded questions?

Happy to trade insights with Weil VI, Mishcon VI, White & Case VI and AC last year, and Jones Day AC and partner interview.

Thanks!

 

[Uch21]

Hey @Uch21 ,

This is a really good question. To help with wider commercial awareness beyond news reading, I usually spend some time learning new terms. This way, you can weave them in during interviews which sets you apart. Alternatively, doing so also helps make the articles/case studies make more sense. Since one will not have access to the internet, knowing certain terms unique to the industry/ finance world increase your comprehension and assimilation of the legal/business issues at hand, enabling you to more efficiently discuss it in the AC.

I have also come up with a few questions I’ve usually seen from my experience that tend to come up:

1. Why do you want to become a solicitor?

2. Which areas of law interest you the most, and why?

3. What inspired you to study law or choose it as a career?

4. How has your work experience confirmed your interest in law?

5. What specific skills do you bring to the legal profession?

6. What recent legal case or development in the UK has interested you?

7. How do your interests align with Farrer & Co’s practice areas?

8. What do you think are the key responsibilities of a solicitor?

9. How do solicitors contribute to resolving complex client issues?

10. Have you considered how your background might contribute to specific areas of law?

11. What excites you most about a legal career?

12. Are there any areas of law you’re less interested in? Why?

13. What skills do you think are essential for a successful solicitor?

14. How do you think a solicitor’s role differs from that of a barrister?

15. Why do you think attention to detail is critical in a solicitor’s role?

16. What recent development in a specific area of law caught your attention?

17. Are there any areas of law you’d like to explore further?

18. What first inspired you to consider becoming a solicitor?

19. How do you think the legal sector in the UK is changing today?

20. Why do you want to work at Farrer & Co specifically?

A few more challenging one’s I’ve seen…

1. How would you approach advising a client on a legal issue in an area of law you’re unfamiliar with?

2. Can you think of a recent piece of legislation or regulatory change that could significantly impact Farrer & Co’s clients?

3. If a client had a goal that conflicted with your ethical obligations as a solicitor, how would you handle it?

4. What role do you think technology and AI will play in transforming traditional legal practices, especially for a firm like Farrer & Co?

5. How would you explain a complex legal concept to a client with no legal background while ensuring they feel confident in the advice provided?


Goodluck on the AC!

Thank you so much. These questions are really useful!

 

[badmintonflyinginsect]

Have all Milbank AC invites been sent out already?

 

[johnnysins]

Have all Milbank AC invites been sent out already?

HAHA hopefully not, but seems quite unlikely given that Weil VI invites are still getting sent out as shown above. You never really know until the rejection email (fingers crossed not) comes in - or so copium tells me

 

[murm]

Are people under same impression as me?
We should hear from Weil this week if we were in the earlier batch of VI with 5th Jan deadline as email said we would hear in 2 weeks?

 

[C_AJH]

Congrats! Did you just get it? And was it also for the Lev-Fin track programme?

got it at 3am this morning. Applied for both LevFin and Ordinary vac scheme