As far as I can recall it was 1 AprilWhen you were choosing your AC date, what was the last date available?
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 HereAs far as I can recall it was 1 AprilWhen you were choosing your AC date, what was the last date available?
I wouldn’t lose hope regarding PH bc i know someone who got an interview invite in the last 2 weeks of april last year.Vantage + AllHires >>> CvMail. I don’t know how to work CvMail, especially the work experience entries. Those tiny text boxes are a nightmare and pain to navigate. Whoever designed the layout needs to go outside and touch grass. 🥲
I have yet to get past the application stage for a firm that uses CvMail as well. If Paul Hastings do get back to me with an interview invite, that might change things. That seems unlikely at this point though. It’s been 3 weeks. 🥲
Hi Ram! I was wondering how you would structure the SWOT analysis. Would you recommend using short bullet points, a paragraph for each Swot portion, or a mixture of both (i.e. bullet point + 1-2 sentences)?Amazing job @loe!!! They're an excellent firm!
Assuming the written assessment is similar to the one I completed in 2023, it's a fairly standard commercial/business-style task designed to test both your commercial awareness and your communication skills. I think the key to the task is demonstrating your ability to understand and analyse business scenarios from a client's perspective and then clearly articulating your advice in a concise, client-friendly manner.
To prepare effectively, I'd strongly recommend familiarising yourself with the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis method. Practising SWOT analyses on various businesses or commercial scenarios can help sharpen your ability to quickly identify relevant factors influencing a business decision. This skill will be especially useful in assessing opportunities or risks in the assessment scenario CRS gives you. I'm not sure if the TCLA written exercises have exactly the same scenario, but you may want to look into any practice exercises that involve scenarios that require such analysis. In addition to strengthening your analytical skills, I'd also take a stab at practising drafting memos or emails in clear, straightforward language (imagine you're addressing a client who might not have legal expertise). Aim for a balance of detail and simplicity, ensuring your advice is both professional and easily understandable.
Good luck with the written exercise!
Hi TCLA community, i've always been a lurker but decided to put out a post to untangle my thoughts for anyone happy to read it. I've graduated from uni last year and have been unsuccessful in the application cycle again this year - I got to two ACs but unfortunately did not get through with either but I got much further than last year (a win!). Of course, I'm not planning to give up and will be trying again in September but I am just at a loss at this point in time.
Although I still want to be a commercial solicitor, i'm very much interested in the media and entertainment industry and find it difficult to articulate 'why this firm' or 'why me' when a lot of my experiences lean towards hobbies linking to the creative industries and less so towards the main industries that many city firms cater to, like finance, real estate, energy etc and the creative sector is often not a main selling point of the firm (although I have applied to places like Harbottle and Wiggin - i was also unsuccessful or am still waiting). Does anyone have any advice on articulating this interest without the mistake of coming across too focused on only one sector? and any stories of encouragement would be appreciated tooor if anyone is up for a general chat navigating this process together
Why — has Paul Hastings sent out interview invites already?Vantage + AllHires >>> CvMail. I don’t know how to work CvMail, especially the work experience entries. Those tiny text boxes are a nightmare and pain to navigate. Whoever designed the layout needs to go outside and touch grass. 🥲
I have yet to get past the application stage for a firm that uses CvMail as well. If Paul Hastings do get back to me with an interview invite, that might change things. That seems unlikely at this point though. It’s been 3 weeks. 🥲
Vantage + AllHires >>> CvMail. I don’t know how to work CvMail, especially the work experience entries. Those tiny text boxes are a nightmare and pain to navigate. Whoever designed the layout needs to go outside and touch grass. 🥲
I have yet to get past the application stage for a firm that uses CvMail as well. If Paul Hastings do get back to me with an interview invite, that might change things. That seems unlikely at this point though. It’s been 3 weeks. 🥲
I think this whole fiasco actually will create a much larger problem of killing off social mobility.The top 20 is dominated by Magic and Silver Circle firms which all pay £100-£110k to their trainees and offer grants of £15-20k. It can’t be HL or NRF either as they offer similar amounts to future trainees. That’s at least 10 firms out of question, which leaves 10. 🤔
It is unlikely to be Addleshaw Goddard, CMS, Simmons & Simmons, Taylor Wessing, Osborne Clarke or Pinsent Masons as they also offer around £100k+ to trainees across their training contract. All these firms are top 20 UK headquartered law firms. The only exception is if OP’s TC was for a regional office, in which case it could be Osborne Clarke or Simmons & Simmons (Reading and/or Bristol). 🙂
The only firms it could be is one of these firms: Bird & Bird, Clyde & Co, Eversheds Sutherland or RPC. I suspect it’s probably Bird & Bird or RPC that the OP is referring to. These firms are all also in the top 20. 😮
It says the maintenance grant was in excess of 5 figures. I think this implies it was probably over £10k but below £15k, at least for the SQE grant itself. These firms have a SQE grant between that range, and/or trainee salaries above £90,000 but below £100,000 (see below):
1: Bird & Bird trainee salary is £47,000 (1st year) and £52,000 (2nd year). This adds up to £99,000. Their SQE grant is £15,000.
2: Clyde & Co trainee salary is £47,000 (1st year) and £50,000 (2nd year). This adds up to £97,000. Their SQE grant is around £10,000.
3: Eversheds Sutherland trainee salary is £46,000 (1st year) and £50,000 (2nd year). This adds up to £96,000. Their SQE grant is £7,000.
4: RPC trainee salary is £46,000 (1st year) and £50,000 (2nd year). This adds up to £96,000. Their SQE grant is £12,000.
Whichever firm it is, I think it’s really unfair to not give the person at least 1 chance to retake the SQE. To then demand the cost of fees back despite being such a major UK firm, is pretty surprising tbh. 🫤
Hi guys! I’ve been lucky enough to secure a summer vacation scheme this cycle. I’m quite new to the UK, and while I’ve done commercial law internships back in my home country, I have very little idea about how vacation schemes work. I get that you’re assessed on the work you do as well more formal assessments such as interviews, groups tasks, etc. My question is, what are the more subtle, unspoken things I’ll be assessed on/should keep in mind/ will help me stand out?
I’m particularly intrigued by the whole concept of “coffee chats”. How do you go about them? Is it strictly mandatory?
Is there anything else similar I should keep in mind?
I was rejected yesterday for the summer scheme at SH - hopefully there is still hope if you haven't heard back yet
DLA Piper London Vac scheme offer!
Thanks so much to the entire TCLA team for your help, really appreciate everyone’s support![]()
Solicitor apprentices, whether degree or graduate level, won’t have to pay back their fees. Employers cannot reclaim costs back from apprentices.I think this whole fiasco actually will create a much larger problem of killing off social mobility.
If someone can’t or won’t self-fund, having funding vs having funding IF you pass is one hell of a distinction especially if it could lead to serious financial problems.
Furthermore, getting a TC means having to study at BPP and live in London, both of which will add a lot of costs, especially as I have been told that the largest firms ban part time working while studying the SQE and even one of the smaller internationals (80k or so NQ) have told me that they would require approval.
I do wonder how it will work for the grad sol apprentices
I think this whole fiasco actually will create a much larger problem of killing off social mobility.
If someone can’t or won’t self-fund, having funding vs having funding IF you pass is one hell of a distinction especially if it could lead to serious financial problems.
Furthermore, getting a TC means having to study at BPP and live in London, both of which will add a lot of costs, especially as I have been told that the largest firms ban part time working while studying the SQE and even one of the smaller internationals (80k or so NQ) have told me that they would require approval.
I do wonder how it will work for the grad sol apprentices
was the second stage the video interview and questions or an ACHey did anyone apply to the summer legal internship for bbc and heard anything back after the second stage?
Interesting, I wonder if that puts off law firms from moving to GSAs or if the 95% is sorted regardlessSolicitor apprentices, whether degree or graduate level, won’t have to pay back their fees. Employers cannot reclaim costs back from apprentices.
I would say that the amount of time the firm has taken to respond to applicants despite having already organized ACs would be surprising if they did not have some type of waitlist or some further round of ACs - perhaps @Chris Brown or other forum members that have done PW ACs have more information on that. Thus, I would not necessarily infer you have already been rejected. Regardless, I do not think emailing them could have any negative impact on your progression chances. As such, if this is something that would give you more peace of mind, perhaps it is worth doing.Is it even worth emailing PW at this point, when you haven’t heard back yet post- app? (Summer)
The pass odds may be higher but it is not something that can be guaranteed, so it creates a risk.It’s pretty ironic considering the SQE was supposedly introduced to broaden access into the legal profession, yet it seems to be having the opposite effect lmao. I think the exam fees have gone up again recently as well! 🥲
Why would a firm need to approve a future trainee working whilst studying the SQE? How exactly do they expect (socially mobile) future trainees to afford the cost of living in London with a grant that is less than £20,000? 🥲
To be fair, I read somewhere that future trainees studying the SQE with their cohort(s) together in London have a higher chance of passing first time than people self-funding and studying the SQE independently. 🫤
I think in general firms give at least a one week notice prior to a scheduled interview. Unless you have other significant commitments, that should be more than enough time to ensure you are well-prepared. In my opinion, intense preparation for more than 4-5 days can actually have diminishing returns. As such, unless you have information to the effect that PH sometimes makes interview invites only a few days in advance, I believe investing lots of time in interview preparation may be premature. However, you could try to keep up with the news and generally work on your commercial awareness more in the coming days/weeks - that is a skill you can best improve a more extended period, as it can take quite a bit of time. This should also reduce your workload if you end up invited to interview with a shorter notice.Guys this might sound like a daft qs but should I be preparing for a potential PH interview even tho I have heard nothing from them since my initial app?
I don’t really know how long you have between the interview invite and the interview itself. I also don’t want to tire myself out by preparing in advance if I don’t have an interview to begin with 😭