New Threads

Hi everyone! I was wondering if people knew/understood how A&O's SJT report works? I just finished mine and it's given me areas in which my results were good but areas in which I could improve. I was wondering if applied verbal/numerical intellect were the key things examined or were they also examining skills like drive, resiliency, etc? What is considered a good result and how do I know if I've failed?

Hi TCLA members

My name is Helen and I am just beginning to properly navigate the platform. I am keen to make new connections as I am sure we are all finding the application process overwhelming, but we can do it!!

Happy to connect, here is also my linkedin

Hello! My name is Jasmine I am currently a paralegal hoping to secure a training contract!

I have been a long time lurker of TCLA’s threads but now I decided to make this thread to finally hold myself accountable and keep track of my applications.

Submitted application:

A&O direct Training contract —> to do SJT and VI

Applications drafts made and to be reviewed:

White & Case - draft nearly done

Latham & Watkins - draft to be reviewed and amended.

Applications not started yet

Linklaters - spring vacation scheme

Weil - vacation scheme

Shearman & Sterling - open day and vacation scheme

Baker McKenzie - vacation scheme

Hogan Lovells - direct TC

Skadden - vacation scheme

Best of luck to everyone going through the application cycle. Hope we will all be successful!!!

Hey,

I'm a non-law student moving into law and somehow (???) I'm really struggling to get the SJT "correct". Does anyone have any tips to prepare for this? Are there any packs on JobTestPrep that might be useful? I didn't really see any law focussed ones. Any other websites? It's weird that this is the pitfall of my application. For example, in one assessment I got "didn't ask for help enough - didn't collaborate enough" and then the next page said "asked for help too easily", so I'm pretty stumped on why I'm tripping up on this!

Any help would be useful!
Thank you!

Hello, i currently live up north but i would like to apply for firms in London. I'm from London but i don't live there anymore. Would it be okay for me to apply for firms there and if i am successful then how likely is it that i can still live up north, complete my LPC/SQE up north but work for the firm as a trainee in London? Of course closer to the time, i may re-consider.

Opening this up to feedback from anyone on the forum:

- I want to make it personal and genuine and this is pretty much the main reason for interest
- Please let me know any feedback

I am interested in a career as a commercial lawyer because it requires application of the law to solve business issues. More interestingly, the law is applied in the context of understanding the client's specific commercial challenge. Today, clients are operating in a challenging world. Responding to this challenge means a good commercial lawyer contextualises their advice by taking into account geo-political, economic, regulatory, environmental and technological factors when assisting clients in achieving business aims. Therefore, commercial lawyers remain adaptive to the world around them when advising clients. The aim is to mitigate risk and maximise business value. This intersection of law and commercial activity was evident in supporting X with a privacy project prior to their IPO listing on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. I provided data privacy advice for the business operating in 50 countries by working with local general counsel. However, China was out of scope due to data localisation issues. The IPO worth $X billion faced multiple hurdles but was motivated by Chinese fears of food security and US-China trade tensions meant the IPO was listed in Shanghai where there are protectionist measures for reducing foreign investor involvement. The combination of data privacy issues, regulatory barriers, US-China geopolitical challenges and understanding the global power struggle is an example of what makes commercial law feel “alive” to me. It ensures I remain engaged in advising clients by understanding the world they operate in to build an advisory relationship.

I have a TC starting in Sept 2025 where I would need a Skilled Worker Visa. The firm gave me an option to start the LLM SQE at Uni of Law in Sept 2024 which I then chose. 2 months ago, Grad Rec told me that I'd have to start the course in March 2024 instead. Their reason is due to the uncertainty of exam results, so the firm is looking to get ahead of any potential hiccups by asking all international students to complete the SQE earlier, this would allow an onboarding period where all visa elements can be completed. This avoids the risk any trainees not being able to start on their proposed start date

It is very important for me to stick to my original plan of starting the SQE in Sept 2024 due to personal, family + financial reasons (something distressing happened to my family this year so I had made plans to travel in summer 2024 to be with family. this situation has also impacted my financial situation, warranting a need for me to continue my current employment until next Sept).

I was wondering if there was any way around this? From my understanding, other firms have allowed international students to start their LLM SQE in September the year before the start of the TC...

any help would be very much appreciated!

Thank you!

An opportunity to undertake a training contract at the firm, commencing in August 2026/February 2027.

Assessment dates: w/c 15 and 22 January 2024.

Assessment process: One interview inclusive of a written element, and a group exercise.

Apply here by 23 November 2023 at 11:59pm.

Hello My journey to a TC and hope 6 is the lucky number for me. I am in my 6th cycle and have made applications to so many law firms over the years from US firms to MC firms to SC firms. I have never passed the application stage for applications and hope this year is my year. Will update on my application journey here. Hope I get a VS/TC this year.

Hi all,

Given it's been nearly a week since Kirkland's Open Day applications closed, has anyone received a response?

I thought it was worth setting up a thread to discuss the application process & OD in general, when it rolls around.

Hi everyone!

I have seen a few of these threads and decided to create my own since I noticed that I struggle with holding myself accountable for putting as much work into my training contract journey as possible.

I am a postgraduate student studying my LLM Intellectual Property Law. I previously graduated with a LLB Law degree. Outside my studies, I am committed to working pro bono with two legal advice providers as a student volunteer (admin tasks, helpline,..) and enjoy being involved backstage with stage crew for performances at my university or taking lessons with my university's fencing club. I started getting serious about applications last year, but because I suddenly struggled with medical issues (which required surgical intervention in the summer), my efforts were pretty much shut down. Nevertheless, I managed to get a vacation scheme and completed it! I try to take this as a motivation that I can do it, no matter what a disaster the last six months have been for me personally.

My goal for this year is plain and simple: get a training contract through vacation schemes! To get there, I want to complete one application and one TCLA course per week, as well as dedicate 30 minutes each day to practising critical thinking tests + commercial awareness, respectively.

To hold myself accountable for actually completing the work that I set myself to do, I will update the thread with an update every week.

Win!:
Baker McKenzie Open Day - accepted

Currently I have the following applications pending:
Taylor Wessing
Bird & Bird
Bristows
Hogan Lovells
Mishcon de Reya
Reed Smith

I have heard back from:
Linklaters Open Day - Rejected
A&O Vacation Scheme - Rejected
HL Lift Off - Rejected

Thank you so much for checking on my thread Feel free to stay around!

Hey all, I am coming on here for some advice please. I am currently studying an undergraduate degree in Accounting & Financial Management with Economics at a Russell group University. However, becoming a lawyer and attaining a training contract has forever been a dream of mine. I am predicted to attain a first class grade in my degree.

Could people please advise me on whether it is worth me pursuing this dream? And the firms that are most likely to take on board non-law graduates? I would need to attain a training contract to finance the PGDL and SQE

I also have a wealth of work experience in both the legal and financial sectors that I could draw on in my applications and interviews

Is there a compiled list of firms that prefer the WE section to be written in prose and firms that prefer bullet points? If not, could we start one? Thanks

I am trying to prepare for an an AC but feel like I have so much to learn before I'm ready. I have nailed my motivational and competency questions and am confident in answering almost anything on this. However, to what degree do I need to understand practice areas to participate well in a case study? For example, should I understand the basic principles of private equity, litigation etc etc.

With limited time to prepare, where do you recommend I allocate my time in preparation?

Hi guys!

Inspired by everyone’s posts, I’ve decided to document my journey to getting a training contract to track my progress and ultimately to hold myself accountable in achieving this goal.

A little about me, I am a recent law graduate working as a legal assistant at a private practice firm and am focussing on submitting applications to the spring and summer VS/ TCs this cycle. After being rejected from every scheme I applied to in my first year, I felt completely deflated and burnt out. And so I decided to prioritise my mental health by focussing the rest of my time at university enjoying studying law, volunteering at my university’s legal advice clinic and taking up new interests and hobbies to boost my extracurriculars.

To meet my goal, I hope to complete one application per week, complete a TCLA course per week, spend at least 20 minutes a day reading a news story and create a daily news summary to build my commercial awareness over time.

To ensure I stay on track, I will post updates every week outlining my goals for the upcoming week and reporting my accomplishments from the previous week

This week’s goal:
- Complete application to DLA Pipers Summer Internship
- Start my research for Clifford Chance
- Complete TCLAs Watson Glaser Course
- Create daily news summaries for this week

Hi all -
Just wondering if anyone has any experience with this. I am due to do a paid VS but work full time. I am doing the VS during an annual leave period. There is nothing in my current contract which says I cannot hold another job so I'm not worried about that, but I am curious what happens re. my tax situation? Will this be a case where my current 'main' employer will see something askew in my tax credits after I'm paid for the VS? Even if I convert the VS to a TC, I will still be working at that firm for a few months after so would want to keep it discreet. Thanks

Hi TCLA Team!

I just got a VI invite for Mishcon. Really nervous as I have only ever done one VI before and it went horribly. Has anyone done the Mischon VI before and know what kind of questions they ask and what the time limits are? The email says it's a strengths-based VI. General tips will also be appreciated.

Thank you!

Hello! I have just been invited to an AC with HSF (15th November). I would be grateful if anybody has any tips to prepare for the AC in 1 week. Thanks!

Hello everyone, today i created a Linkedin profile. I did attend the Legal Cheek event today so made some wonderful connections and will be asking some of the attendees more questions about their experiences. I am a recent Law with International Business & Management graduate and if anyone would like to connect with me, i will share the link below.

Thank you & have a great day!

Morning all

A question for you regarding CC's direct Training Contract application question.

The question reads: In no more than 500 words, please tell us about your extra-curricular activities, positions of responsibility and an achievement of importance which you are most proud of. How will these experiences help you excel as a Clifford Chance lawyer? Please note your interviewers will have access to this answer only at interview should you be invited to an assessment day. The rest of the assessment process is entirely CV blind.

Whilst this should seem entirely self-explanatory, it leaves some questions.

1) Does this mean to say - only include positions of responsibility and importance in extra-curricular activities - i.e. not from a workplace or volunteer work setting? and do not talk about the items we've listed in our work experience? That is very limiting!

2) It states the interviewers will not see our CV. If this is the case, that means most of our achievements (as noted in the work experience section) will not be visible to them, correct? That makes me WANT to mention workplace accomplishments in this essay.

The accomplishments that most demonstrate my adherence to CC's core competencies all took place within professional or volunteer settings. (Those competencies are business awareness, leading and managing, problem solving with commercial insight, relationship building and networking, strong oral and written communication skills, and the ability to identify legal and business issues.) I hate to be limited to just my hobbies!

Perhaps I have crossed wires, but would you push the boat out and risk talk about workplace accomplishments? Any steer here would be most appreciated.

It seems this was newly added this year. Can any kind individual who has taken the test give any advice, or let me know what kind of questions were asked? Thank you!!

Hi, all. Hope you are doing well. Could anyone explain why the merger will benefit, let's say someone, who wants to do M&A at A&O. I get that the merger will allow A&O, the access to the US market but I'm not sure how that would benefit trainees/associates in the M&A teams at A&O. What is it about getting access to the US market that's so lucrative? Thanks in advance.

Hi everyone,

I have decided to apply to vacation schemes with the next cycle, because I think (I'm fairly certain) that I haven't done enough in terms of anything that would actually allow me to have a strong application. I just wanted to post here to ask if anyone can offer some advice.

I'm pretty stuck on having extracurriculars and achievements that are worth talking about. I know that these things are of course dependant on many individual factors, but if anyone has any general advice on the best way to look for and gain these opportunities that would make my application stronger, I would really appreciate it. I'm aware of things like virtual internships on forage, and I know that LegalCheek do talks with firms that we can take part in, but I wonder if taking part in these two things is favourable in an application?

I would also like to raise my commercial awareness - I have purchased a bronze level subscription for Watson Daily, but I'm kind of struggling with it. I wonder if anyone can give some guidance on the best way to read the newsletters in order to actually gain commercial awareness, especially in terms of it being related to commercial law.

I would be grateful for any advice!!!