• How confident are you in your knowledge of the core LLB/PGDL subjects, including Contract, Tort, Trusts, Land, Criminal, and Public Law?

    TCLA is teaming up with BPP for a free interactive event designed to refresh your fundamentals, especially for those interested in or planning to take the SQE. We'll practise multiple choice SQE questions, with prizes for the highest scoring participants!

    Register Here

TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

Jessica Booker

Legendary Member
TCLA Moderator
Gold Member
Graduate Recruitment
Premium Member
Forum Team
Aug 1, 2019
15,304
21,389
Honestly is this even real or is the bloke just engagement farming?

Literally zero reason not to name the firm.
Very likely real - I know Chris too and he wouldn’t make this type of stuff up.

These policies are very real. I have seen them, actioned them, and heard about them through people who have contacted me about them.

Having to pay back immediately is ridiculous - most people couldn’t do that. But claw backs are common. I have even seen them for people who have qualified but who choose to leave their firm upon qualification.
 

Jessica Booker

Legendary Member
TCLA Moderator
Gold Member
Graduate Recruitment
Premium Member
Forum Team
Aug 1, 2019
15,304
21,389
Clifford Chance and Macfarlanes have rescinded offers in the past. Last year, I’m sure there were people who were told that they had failed the SQE but they had actually passed. Despite that, their TC offers were rescinded. They were future trainees at big city law firms. I think it’s a policy that TC offers get rescinded, but most law firms are generally lenient about it and allow at least 1 retake. @Jessica Booker will know more about rescinding offers and whether it’s common.​
I wouldn’t say “most” firms at lenient on resits. There are enough out there that do not allow resits and will rescind offers - whether they then clawback money is another matter though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chris Brown

Jessica Booker

Legendary Member
TCLA Moderator
Gold Member
Graduate Recruitment
Premium Member
Forum Team
Aug 1, 2019
15,304
21,389
They were probably applicants who flunked it hard - unless we are saying these firms rescind all TC offers?
Discretion is often applied based on circumstances.

But I wouldn’t say it’s only people who are flunking the SQE badly that are getting their TCs rescinded. Heard from enough people who failed only one of the FLK assessments and others who have only been a few percentage points off passing.
 

Jessica Booker

Legendary Member
TCLA Moderator
Gold Member
Graduate Recruitment
Premium Member
Forum Team
Aug 1, 2019
15,304
21,389
I received an offer for a vacation scheme last Thursday afternoon, and the firm asked me to reply before Monday. I replied the same day confirming my attendance, but I haven’t heard anything back since. The scheme starts on 14th April. Should I follow up today or it’s normal not to receive a response yet?
If you mean you replied yesterday, I would wait until the end of the week before chasing up. If it is was last Monday, then it’s okay to follow up.

Generally give HR at least three working days between emails unless it’s super time urgent (eg something is happening that week).
 

Jessica Booker

Legendary Member
TCLA Moderator
Gold Member
Graduate Recruitment
Premium Member
Forum Team
Aug 1, 2019
15,304
21,389
What is a commutable distance for travelling during a VS? Is there a set time that determines if you are within a commutable distance for a law firm? @Jessica Booker
There isn’t a set time but I’d generally say around 90 minutes each way is commutable distance. Many people working in law firms are doing that type of commute anyway.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rapunzel

👩🎓

Legendary Member
Premium Member
Oct 31, 2023
140
68
Hiya!

I think @Jessica Booker and @Amma Usman would have more to say, but hoping this helps before they come back to you.

I think it's difficult to say exactly how you should change your application without seeing it, but it might help to take a step back and critically assess a few key areas. Ask yourself whether your answers to the application questions were effectively tailored to the firm. If not, I'd recommend having a think about how you can make them more specific. If the questions are motivational, I'd have a think about whether your motivations have been clearly articulated and how well you've aligned your experiences with the firm's major practice areas. Another section you should comb through is your work experience section. Have you clearly highlighted the tasks you handled, any achievements, and the skills you relied on? Sometimes, small tweaks in how you present your experience can help get the application through the initial stage.

Since you have time before the deadline, I'd encourage you to find someone who could possibly offer you a second opinion. Someone from your university’s careers service or even a fellow applicant here at TCLA could provide some insight. There's also TCLA's application review service, if you feel like you need someone to really carefully review what can be done to improve. Given that you feel your answers are strong but aren't sure what to change, I think this sort of external feedback could help you identify areas for improvement (particularly in ways that that aren’t immediately obvious to you). Best of luck with the application!
Hi @Ram Sabaratnam

Thank you so much, this is really helpful!
 

NJS

Legendary Member
Premium Member
  • Aug 21, 2021
    379
    636
    Hi @Jessica Booker I'm looking to move roles from my current legal administrator role to paralegal, I currently work at an international firm, but I have an interview with a regional firm for a paralegal role, I'm only really wanting to move because there does not seem to be any opportunities to move up here and the travel to London is starting to really impact my finances as the pay is not good.

    My question is: do you thinking moving from an international firm to a regional firm will impact my chances of securing a TC at an international firm, or am I "moving down" with a regional paralegal job? I've have secured 8 ACs over two cycles (all with international firms) with this current job, and I think having that "international" experience helped. Alternatively, I would hopefully be moving to a paralegal role, so my quality of work would ultimately improve which may make me more competitive? It's just very hard to secure a city paralegal job without real "paralegal" experience.
    Hi @Jessica Booker just following up on this if its not too much trouble? Thank you!
     

    About Us

    The Corporate Law Academy (TCLA) was founded in 2018 because we wanted to improve the legal journey. We wanted more transparency and better training. We wanted to form a community of aspiring lawyers who care about becoming the best version of themselves.

    Newsletter

    Discover the most relevant business news, access our law firm analysis, and receive our best advice for aspiring lawyers.