TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2022-23

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Hey everyone, hope you are all well!

I had a quick question about applications. I have a couple of TC apps under review at the moment. I completed the work experience section a couple of months ago, however since then I have started work as a paralegal and hence I did not include this in the work experience section on these applications.

Should I inform graduate recruitment of my employment or would this be unnecessary?

Thanks

It’s not necessary to update the firms in question. However, if you can log back into the application and update it, you could do that.

 

[Momo]

Anyone who did the Ashurst online test knows where I can find their values? Is it the competencies graduate recruitment is looking for?

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Anyone who did the Ashurst online test knows where I can find their values? Is it the competencies graduate recruitment is looking for?

These are the firm’s values

 

[Momo]

These are the firm’s values

View attachment 4932

Thank you so much!

 

[blaker12]

I am a career changer coming from a tax/accounting background at a Big4 firm. Would my tax experience fall within law-related work experience on an application form or would it be more appropriate to include it as non law related?

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

I am a career changer coming from a tax/accounting background at a Big4 firm. Would my tax experience fall within law-related work experience on an application form or would it be more appropriate to include it as non law related?

This most likely falls under non-legal work.

 

[turtlebrownrice]

anyone heard from curtis?

 

[Maham]

Anyone heard back from Freshfields today?

 

[blaker12]

I thought that Weil reopen their direct TC route as and when it’s needed, last year it reopened in June

I'm hoping they reopen as well. The website says they will open in June and close end of July fo 2024/25 start dates. Would they only be looking for those you have sat the SQE done to start in 2024 as the July deadline wouldn't give much time to start a prep course in Autumn.

 

[Momo]

Does anyone know when we will get our scores for our Ashurst online test for the direct TC app?

 

[Tcpls]

Hi guys, I have a TC offer from Freshfields for the 2026 Feb intake. Ideally I’d have liked an offer for the 2025 September intake - I have to move city for the PGDL and CCP and my friends are getting a flat in September, and I wanted to move in with them. Does anyone know how flexible they are with intake dates? Would I be able to ask to switch around, or will that annoy them? Don’t want to make a bad impression before I even accept the offer. I also have in interview with slaughters which I was planning on cancelling after the freshfields offer, but if they aren’t flexible with intake dates I might go for the slaughters tc anyway. Does anyone have any advice/experience? Thanks!

 

[sxw517]

I am a career changer coming from a tax/accounting background at a Big4 firm. Would my tax experience fall within law-related work experience on an application form or would it be more appropriate to include it as non law related?

I always put my accounting experience down as non-law related.

 

[StemGrad2020]

Has anyone heard back from Bristows after their final interview?

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Hi guys, I have a TC offer from Freshfields for the 2026 Feb intake. Ideally I’d have liked an offer for the 2025 September intake - I have to move city for the PGDL and CCP and my friends are getting a flat in September, and I wanted to move in with them. Does anyone know how flexible they are with intake dates? Would I be able to ask to switch around, or will that annoy them? Don’t want to make a bad impression before I even accept the offer. I also have in interview with slaughters which I was planning on cancelling after the freshfields offer, but if they aren’t flexible with intake dates I might go for the slaughters tc anyway. Does anyone have any advice/experience? Thanks!

You can ask - it won’t be annoying, it’s a very common question they will get. They just might not be in a position to move you, and might only be able to offer a waiting list position to move you if the opportunity comes up later down the line.

 

[SuccessfulSolicitor]

Hi! I’m a 2nd year law student and I was unsuccessful in my vacation Scheme applications this year but I made it to the final stage for W&C.

I want to ensure that I’m successful this winter for their vacation Scheme so I’m going to spend the next few months applying for direct TC’s so I can get really comfortable with interviews and written assessments.

However, even though I don’t think it would happen, if I somehow got offered a direct TC, how long do you have before you have to give them a response because I’d want ideally 3 months so I can hear back from W&C @Jessica Booker

 

[rohit301099]

Hello everyone! I was wondering if someone has had an S&M interview? If so how did you find it? I have an interview in a few days so just wondering if someone was willing to share some advice

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Hi! I’m a 2nd year law student and I was unsuccessful in my vacation Scheme applications this year but I made it to the final stage for W&C.

I want to ensure that I’m successful this winter for their vacation Scheme so I’m going to spend the next few months applying for direct TC’s so I can get really comfortable with interviews and written assessments.

However, even though I don’t think it would happen, if I somehow got offered a direct TC, how long do you have before you have to give them a response because I’d want ideally 3 months so I can hear back from W&C @Jessica Booker

Most likely it would only be four weeks or until mid-September unfortunately.

Firms are unlikely to hold out on recruitment processes for other opportunities. They tend to only hold out offers if you have already secured the vacation scheme, and even then it is not unknown for firms to say you have to decide on whether to accept/renege one VS offer over their TC offer.

Ultimately you can choose to accept a TC offer and then renege it at a later date though - the only time that gets tricky is if you receive any financial support from the firm or have started the process of signing up to law courses (LPC/SQE etc). That is really a point of no return with accepting an offer.

You have to be mindful though that the VS law firm's offer may also state you cannot complete the scheme if you have accepted a TC offer elsewhere.

 

[John Doe]

Question relating to Squire Patton Boggs’ London Vacation Scheme:

Does anyone know what the conversion rate is from the Vacation Scheme?

Thanks in advance!

 

[HopefulLawyer99]

Does anyone know when we will get our scores for our Ashurst online test for the direct TC app?

do we defo get them?

 

[newtothis]

do we defo get them?

I received mine straight after doing the test.
It’s a report telling you where your strengths and weaknesses lie, it doesn’t really contain scores as such.