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An opportunity to undertake a vacation scheme at the firm, commencing in 2023.

Scheme dates: 4 - 15 December 2023.

Apply here by 27 October 2023.

An opportunity to undertake a vacation scheme at the firm, commencing in 2023.

Scheme dates: 4 - 8 December 2023.

Apply here by 25 October 2023.

An opportunity to undertake a vacation scheme at the firm, commencing in 2023.

Scheme dates: 11 – 15 December 2023.

Apply here by 23 October 2023.

An opportunity to undertake a vacation scheme at the firm, commencing in 2023.

Scheme dates: 11 – 15 December 2023.

Apply here by 22 October 2023.

An opportunity to undertake a vacation scheme at the firm, commencing in 2023.

Scheme dates: 4 - 15 December 2023.

Apply here by 15 October 2023.

An opportunity to undertake a vacation scheme at the firm, commencing in 2023.

Scheme dates: 4 - 15 December 2023.

Apply here by 13 October 2023.

An opportunity to undertake a vacation scheme at the firm, commencing in 2023.

Scheme dates: 11 - 15 December 2023.

Apply here by 15 October 2023.

An opportunity to undertake a vacation scheme at the firm, commencing in 2023.

Scheme dates: 11 - 15 December 2023.

Apply here by 20 October 2023.

An opportunity to undertake a vacation scheme at the firm, commencing in 2023.

Scheme dates: 4 – 15 December 2023.

Apply here by 5 October 2023.

An opportunity to undertake a vacation scheme at the firm, commencing in 2023.

Scheme dates: 27 November - 8 December 2023.

Apply here by 1 October 2023.

An opportunity to undertake a vacation scheme at the firm, commencing in 2024.

Graduate recruitment for the firm have stated - "We review on a rolling basis, yes. But the third stage of the application process (the written exercise) takes place in the same two week period for everyone, which will be in Jan/Feb. We won't fill up places before the deadline."

Scheme dates: TBC

Apply here by 12pm GMT 20 December 2023.

An opportunity to undertake a vacation scheme at the firm, commencing in 2023.

Scheme dates: 4 December – 15 December 2023.

An application for a 2023/2024 vacation scheme is also an application for a training contract commencing September 2026 - the firm does not offer direct training contract applications.

Apply here by 20 October 2023.

An opportunity to undertake a two day work experience workshop at the firm, commencing in 2023.

The winter workshop will take place from Tuesday 12 December 2023 – Wednesday 13 December 2023.

Apply here by 23:59 GMT on 13 October 2023.

An opportunity to undertake a vacation scheme at the firm, commencing in 2023.

The firm will be running a one-week vacation scheme from 4 December to 8 December 2023.

Apply here by 12pm GMT on 29 September 2023.

An opportunity to undertake a vacation scheme at the firm, commencing in 2023.

The scheme will take place from 4th to the 8th December 2023.

The firm are accepting applications on a non-rolling basis.

Apply here by 5pm GMT on 22 September 2023.

Hi everyone,

I have a final stage interview for an antitrust paralegal role at major US firm next week... The first stage was submitting the application and I had my first interview a few days after (which was an interview with a HR representative as well as the head of the paralegal team at this firm). I was recently told that I was successful and now I have a final interview which is with a partner and an associate from the competition/antitrust department.

Most of my friends who are paralegals have only had to do an application and 1 interview so I'm wondering if anyone on TCLA would have tips/insight as to how this final stage interview would differ in comparison to the first one and perhaps what questions/information I should prepare? For additional background, I actually did my masters in law with a Specialism in Competition and Antitrust Law. I also have a few vacation schemes under my belt, where I always sat in a contentious group (i.e. fraud, employment, commercial litigation, etc).

For the final interview, I'm expecting a lot more commercial awareness questions and perhaps what I learnt during my LLM and my vacation schemes rather than inquiring into what I did? But I'm not sure. The first interview with the HR person and the head of paralegals was a mix of competency questions, why this firm/why law and pointing out interesting things from my CV (leadership roles, extracurriculars, etc). For now, what I know for sure that the final stage interviewers will also have access to my CV and I won't be asked to do a case study or something of that nature during the interview as I asked about this last week.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated!!!

Hi!

I need to pick my electives soon for the ulaw lpc part time course that I've just started. I haven't got a TC yet, but I'm keeping my options open as to what area I want to go into.

At the moment, I am interested in commercial property/real estate, employment, and commercial law.

I was thinking of picking employment, advanced commercial litigation and I havent made my mind up of the third.

Is it bad for my career if I keep my elective choices wide ranging like this?

Also, i did commercial property during undergrad, so that's why I don't want to pick a property module again for lpc. I thought this would be enough if I were to decide down the line that I want to go into this area. Would it hinder my chances of that if I were to not choose it as an elective as well?

Thank you for any help you can provide

Hello,

If you are re-applying to firms this cycle would you still need to give completely new answers in the application stage even if you were rejected later on in the process, for example at video interview or assessment centre?

Thank you

Hi there,

Has anyone used Job Test Prep to prepare for Vac Scheme SJTs? My concern is that they are not law focused, so might not mirror a law SJT. Is this the case?

On that note, are there any other resources to practice SJTs?

Thank you!!

Gibson Dunn requires a 650-word cover letter to be submitted in a text box on their application form. Should I include the standard formalities of a cover letter (address, salutations, sign off etc.)? Thanks.

Hi all!

As a background, I'm about to begin my third cycle to try and secure a VS. I generally do fine in the written application stages but fall short after that, which I think is predominately down to my commercial awareness.

I've started to read the news frequently, am trying to wrap my head around topics like inflation and have done Bright Network's Commercial Awareness Course to understand the facets of an M&A deal. It's just dawning on me that if I were asked anything in an interview or given a case study, I would really struggle. It takes me a while to fully understand the concepts and even the basics confuse me and if I was asked to do it on the spot, while having to think of what clients and firms would want identified, I would not do well.

If there was anyone in a similar position, is there anything you did to really feel confident about discussing commercial awareness? I'm listening to podcasts and reading the BBC Business section daily, but would anyone suggest anything in particular or just how to feel more confident? Thanks!

Hi everyone, how would you approach this question and what sub-questions should I consider?

'What would be a good area for this firm to expand into?'

Hi!

I have recently graduated and have managed to secure a position as a paralegal in a decently sized international firm in my hometown. I know I'm very fortunate to secure a paralegal job so soon after graduating, but I am also not sure I want to practice at this firm long-term and am still interested in applying for Vacation Schemes.

However, in my contract, it states that you are not allowed to take paid or unpaid work elsewhere, unless written permission has been secured. This obviously puts me in a bit of a precarious position regarding a VS. I would be happy to use my holiday time if I am fortunate enough to secure a VS, or even unpaid leave if necessary. Is it likely the firm would allow me to take a VS though due to the potential conflict of interest there? As a TC (if I'm successful) wouldn't start until 2026, I would be happy to remain at the firm afterwards but imagine they won't be happy if I used them practically as a stepping stone.

I'm only looking to apply for summer schemes as think I need to have worked for a good number of months beforehand. Any advice?

Hi everyone,

I am extremely excited to be starting as the new Community Assistant and I am here to answer all your questions regarding getting a training contract in the City, especially as an international student. As someone who was not very familiar with the UK legal system, I know how hard it is to start the application process and getting swamped by a lot of pieces of information thrown at you all at once, so I am happy to help in any way that I can.

I suppose I should start with a quick introduction about myself. I am Axel and I am a future trainee solicitor at Goodwin Procter LLP starting in September 2025. I obtained my training contract after the spring vacation scheme back in April 2023.

My journey towards a career in law

My journey to securing a training contract was a bit different compared to others. I was born and raised in Milan, Italy where I did all my schooling until university. Despite wanting to study law in the UK after high school, my financial circumstances did not allow me to study abroad and so I unfortunately had to postpone my dream of studying in the UK and accept a full-tuition scholarship at an Italian university in Milan.

I studied International Relations and Global Affairs, undertaking two exchange semesters in France. Driven by my dream of studying in the UK, I subsequently applied to a masters at the London School of Economics and Political Studies where I studied Development Studies. This decision was crucial as I think it gave me the confidence to follow my goal of becoming a lawyer in London. However, as many of you would know, the application process can be very daunting, especially at the start, and so I was very intimidated to apply to law firms. Inspired and pushed by many mentors and friends I found along the way, I got the courage to apply and use my different experience and background to highlight how good of a commercial lawyer I would be. Funny enough, some firms were convinced! I am hoping that by taking up this role at TCLA I am able to inspire, motivate and help people that can relate to my story in every capacity.

What did I learn from this process?

The path to become a commercial solicitor in the City is not for the weak, we can all agree on that. However, what I have learned from the process are three valuable things that I hope I can be of help to someone:

1. Trust the process

I am a firm believer in the fact that everything happens for a reason and you will get everything you want even if it is not in the form you wanted. Whenever I started my application process I was expecting the process to be hard but not that hard. From learning about how to fill in basic information about grades to answering specific law firm questions, I thought I would have never been able to get a TC. I was also discouraged by the lack of diversity in the legal field which made me question whether I would get a TC just based on where I come from. During the process, I had to learn how to trust the process and that everything would have worked out the way it was supposed to, and my story is a true testament to that.


2. Be confident in your uniqueness

One thing that I feared was being rejected based on the fact that I did not study law in my undergraduate degree or because I studied and was educated abroad, or because English isn’t my first language. I quickly learned that your uniqueness will be your biggest strength in the applications to law firms. Your unique background is what sets you apart from other candidates, so never be afraid of it and always cherish it because it could make a huge difference.


3. Remember your why

I think that the chaos and stress that comes with application seasons can make us forget our reasons why we want to be lawyers in the first place. I remember that during my application cycle I was struggling with applying to many firms and it was only when I actually remembered my true reason to becoming a lawyer I was able to deliver the best applications.

Feel free to reach out me or tag me (@axelbeugre) in any threads, I hope I can help you and reassure anyone who feels like they can’t succeed in this process for whatever reason, you can and you will!

Hi everyone! If an application question is asking for an example of a non-academic situation where you left your comfort zone, can I use living abroad as the example, even though the reason I was living abroad was academic (year studying abroad as part of my degree)?

Thanks