New Threads

Hi all, any insight would be much appreciated on the above. Anything would be helpful, but in particular:

• How did you prepare for the AC, and looking back, how would you prepare differently?
• What did you learn about the firm on the day?
• What kind of content did the written and/or group assessments contain?
• Was there anything unexpected about the AC?

Thank you very much!

Hi

If I complete a TC at a regional firm, is it possible to move firms, say to a national firm or mid-market firm in london? Or am I limited by qualifying in a regional law firm.

Thanks!

Has anyone done the final Training Contract interview (post AC) for Burges Salmon? I've been invited in next week so keen to find out more about the style of the interview from those who've done it previously.

Hello!

What is the best way to go about researching firms? I'm struggling to find a starting point because there is just so much information. I would really appreciate if anyone could let me know their researching methods?

Hi everyone,

With a new recruitment cycle starting in the next few weeks, we thought it best to start a new master thread to discuss direct training contract applications for the 2024-2025 application cycle.

You can find the 2023-24 cycle thread here.

Best of luck to everyone for this upcoming cycle

Thanks,

Jess

With some firms opening their applications for winter, spring and summer schemes in the coming weeks, we thought it was time to open a new thread for a new application cycle.

Please use this master thread to discuss anything related to vacation scheme applications for the 2024-2025 application cycle. This can include everything from application and interview queries to news from particular law firms.

If you want to check last year's thread you can find it here: TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

Wishing everyone the best of luck for the upcoming cycle.

Thanks,

Jess

Hey!


I have decided to create a thread to document my journey to getting a TC!

I think this will help hold me accountable and will motivate me! ATM I am all talk and so I'm hoping by regularly updating this thread I will be able to force myself to do the work.

Facts about me:
I am going into my third year of my law degree at a Russel Group university. I am state school educated. This would be my second application cycle and I plan to use the entirety of August getting ready for this year.

What firms I am interested in applying to?
Linklaters
Covington
HSF
Baker Mckenzie
NRF
Freshfields
Hogan Lovells
White and Case
Latham
Wilkie
A & O Shearman
CC
Maybe:
Reed Smith?

Commercial Awareness:
Does anyone have any tips on how I should be consolidating any commercial stories/podcasts I have been reading/listening to?

AIMS:
- Start listening to FT everyday and a firm podcasts.
- Start a FORAGE work exp - maybe CC first?
- Begin research!!!


I would appreciate any tips/ motivating words

I will try to update daily if not weakly!

Signing off,
Me

I am currently applying for Paralegal positions, as I am intending to work as a paralegal throughout my gap year. Most positions are Permanent Contracts. Should I mention that I currently hold multiple TC offers and will likely accept one of them, to make my application competitive?
If not, what are experiences I can mention to make my application competitive? @Jessica Booker

Thank You!

Hi everyone,

I'm interested to hear what everyone is doing to prep for the next recruitment cycle. How many firms are people applying for and how do you narrow down the firms you're interested in?

I'm personally going to aim for 10 next year (for the vac schemes at least) & trying to target 'friendly', full-service law firms which have an element of international work (and ideally, international offices also).

.

Hi has anyone heard back from Travers Smith summer vacation scheme 2024?

Is it appropriate to cold email somebody using their firm email on the internet if you are specifically interested in their work?

Hi! I have recently received a disappointing set of results for second year law and I am in the process of working out what my plan should be going into third year, so some advice would be greatly appreciated.

For context, I did pretty well in my first year. I received three firsts, with the exception of Contract Law, which I got 56 in, and my average for the year was 67. Second year, unfortunately, has not gone as smoothly and I have ended up with a 2:1 in just one module, with the rest being 2:2s. So I'm barely averaging a 2:1 for the two years combined now. Annoying that first year counts for nothing!

I am not too worried in the grand scheme of things because I know that I didn't engage with the degree as well as I should have in this past year, and with second year only counting for 1/3, if I get back to achieving results like I did in first year, then I should at least be able to graduate with a 2:1 still.

My immediate concern now is whether it is worth doing applications again during my third year? I don't want to put the time and effort into applications if my second year results will mean that I almost automatically fall into the reject pile at the first hurdle.

I went into my second year clueless about a career in commercial law. I had next-to-zero knowledge of the whole process and I didn't really have a strong idea of what career path I might be interested in. I had so little knowledge that I was actually blown away just by how many commercial law firms there are in London!!

Anyway, I didn't start the process of applying for firms until right at the end of November, when deadlines for many firms were already approaching. I had no strategy for the kind of firms I wanted to apply for, meaning I went in completely blind to it all. My earlier applications were awful but they gradually improved, and I ended up progressing past the first stage for around 6-8 very reputable firms (mostly American), three of which I reached the final stage for.

Considering I went into my second year with no knowledge of the whole process and the fact that the first half of my applications were no-hopers, I am pretty pleased with the progress I ultimately made. I feel like I would be in a good place to build on this progress now, especially since I feel that I now have even stronger extra-curriculars than I did this time last year, including an open day with an international firm. I would also have a much more focused strategy for applying to firms, meaning I wouldn't be chasing deadlines and cramming applications in, which I think played a big part in not engaging with my course properly last year.

I am just really concerned that my poor results from second year would make the decision to turn me down an obvious one. If that is the case, I would much rather hold off until after I hopefully have some stronger results in third year. Any advice would be massively helpful, thanks!

Hi All,

Has anyone completed Simkins' work placement previously or going to this year's one? Do you have any advice for preparation, particularly regarding the presentation?

Thanks.

Hello.

Recently I have decided to do the Law conversion course LLM with SQE1 at BPP university, but I'm wondering if I should be doing it part time or full time. I was thinking about doing it part time as I have done a non-law degree so I can take my time learning everything without rushing to ensure I get the best grades I can and also work alongside it, but then I will be finishing the course at 2027 and that stresses me in some way because my plan after the course was to become a paralegal gain legal work experience and trying to get a TC, so me finishing at 2027 makes me wonder if I'm going to be left behind considering other applicants will have much more experience than me and I will have to rush if it makes sense?
But at the same time I know I will struggle heavily if I decide to do it full time, I know what's it like to do few years of studying in one year as I did it with one of my A levels. I know I will end up with the passing grade but I know it wont be my best and that I probably wouldn't remember much of anything afterwards, so I'm not sure where to go from here.

Is it possible for me to do part time for a year and the switch it to full time?

Any advise will help, thank you in advance

New listing rules come into effect on Monday and are intended to revitalise the LSE. Many companies are attracted to NYSE's huge pools of capital and London's not even the go-to destination in Europe anymore for IPOing.

Say a firm dabbles in public markets work but the vast majority of work is in private M&A, will they benefit if such changes to the listing rules are successful?

Hi there! I have secured a training contract with a firm which starts in Autumn 2025. However, I am now considering applying for an LLM (particularly, the Oxford BCL/Cambridge LLM). Although my grades seem to be good enough for these programmes, of course I may not get in. So, my question is, how much notice do I need to give my firm to defer my training contract? I do not want to defer my TC if I do not get into either of the two Masters courses. But I equally do not want to be rude asking my firm for deferral just a couple of months before my training contract starts (the BCL/LLM decisions come out sometime in March 2025). I know that ultimately it is up to the firm whether or not they will agree to the deferral.

I am also thinking of doing a Masters following the completion of my training contract, but I do not know how realistic that would be in practice.

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Hi, in 2023 I achieved CCC in my A-levels and decided to take a gap year to work and figure things out on what to do next as I knew that with my grades it would be difficult to find a decent university that would let me onto the LLB course. During my gap year I did apply to universities and firmed to study at University of Surrey (Law with foundation year). However, the more I research about law firms, the more concerned I am becoming of the fact that my poor a-level grades will prevent me from getting a training contract. Recently, I've been wondering if I should take another year out and resit my A-Level, as the foundation year at university will be a level 3 qualification anyways. However, I am aware of the fact that there is no certainty that I will achieve my desired grades and the grades that law firms want (ABB), so I am a little confused on what to do, especially as some individuals say that getting a good grade at LLB and relevant work experience etc will be more valued than my a level grades, but a person who recruits trainees had told me that in most cases law firms cut people with poor a-level grades. Any advice on what would be the best next step for me will be greatly appreciated.

Hi.

I really need some advice!

If I am self-funding my LLM SQE, does the course provider matter? I am leaning towards City but have noticed most firm-sponsored students go to UoL or BPP. If I go to City, will that impact my chances when applying for TCs?

I am also an international student - unsure if that makes a difference.

Hi

If I am self-funding my LLM SQE, does the course provider matter? I am leaning towards City but have noticed most firm-sponsored students go to UoL or BPP. If I go to City, will that impact my chances when applying for TCs?


Would really appreciate some guidance!!!

Hey TCLA users,

Which vacation scheme (Winter, Spring or Summer) is it best to apply to if a firm offers all 3? Is there any difference that you guys can think of?

Thanks

Hello,

I have a query regarding the routes to SQE qualification and what is advisable to do in terms of the course itself.
I am a recent graduate of the University of Birmingham and intend to qualify through the SQE route. I was unfortunately unsuccessful in securing a training contract during the last cycle of applications, and am now going to be working as a paralegal.

I am unsure on whether to apply for BPP University's LLM SQE course which is full time, or continue at my paralegal role and enter the application process for TCs again this next cycle. I am not sure which is more common or whether there are more merits to one than the other. I am just quite lost with it all essentially.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated,
Thanks in advance,
Scarlett.

Hey everyone,

Vacation Scheme application season is fast approaching! To make things easier for those of us preparing to apply, I have put together a list to track all the applications and their due dates for the Winter, Spring and Summer Vacation Schemes. I will keep this list updated! Please feel free to drop any suggestions to better utilise this thread.

Good luck in your application and please keep us posted on your progress!


Here are the firms that have announced their application opening and closing dates for Winter, Spring and Summer Vacation Schemes 2023/24 so far:

(This list is dynamic and will be updated as firms release their application windows)

Winter Vacation Scheme Deadlines 2024/25:​

Specific Dates Released​

​

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Spring Vacation Scheme Deadlines 2024/25:​

Specific Dates Released​

​

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Summer Vacation Scheme Deadlines 2024/25:​

Specific Dates Released​

​

Tentative Dates Released​

Additional Firms (TBC)​

The following firms are yet to release dates for their Vacation Schemes. We have included them below and would update them onto the above lists in due course.

I already have a TC offer and can't get the master's loan because I have already used, it is there any difference in the teaching for the SQE LLM course or should I just do the straight prep courses?

Will law firms be concerned if I've not been busy over the entire summer? I've been free since the middle of June but I've done a week of work experience and I started a job last week. Between those events, I have been trying to find short-time work but I had no success. Will the short gap be a concern?