TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

[abcedfglawyer]

Irwin Mitchell AC

 

[lawvac]

Has anyone gotten a PFO from Hogan? and has anyone heard back from Travers?

 

[NikkiT]

Cooley AC!! Any advice would be super appreciated

Second this!

 

[AnonKn635]

Latham Spring VS offer!! Thank you TCLA. Szn Over

 

[Miss Chocolate]

@Jessica Booker @axelbeugre

Hi, I had a question about how much is too much to include in an application form. I am writing an application form and the work experience section has pretty much unlimited entries. I currently have 12 entries (I have grouped together voluntary roles and open days/workshops). Is this too much?

Would it also be wrong to include extracurriculars under the work experience section given there isn't a question asking to include those?

Thanks!

 

[Arf1309]

Irwin Mitchell AC

Congrats!! 🥳 🥳 What office was this for?

 

[LawAspirer]

Anyone that heard from Goodwin? I applied in December for the vacation scheme and I've seen some people on here get their rejection or interviews on 24th of January. Is this usual or am I just worrying for no reason and I should just keep waiting ?

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Does anyone have experience, maybe from speaking with grad rec or through their own applications, that gives them some reassurance that grad rec do actually consider mitigating circumstances *in a meaningful way*?

I spend so much time and emotional energy rehashing my mitigating circumstances in each app and sometimes I feel firms couldn’t care less or worse, they think I am making excuses. I get a lot of rejections post-app and I just feel slightly frustrated at times because I have worked really hard to get where I am, and I feel a bit demoralised if everything I worked for is undone because of unavoidable things outside my control.

So would just be good to hear from others that have had their uni grades affected by mitigating circumstances - and specifically, if anyone knows how exactly law firms consider them? And if there are firms people would recommend I apply to that are a bit better in dealing with mitigating circumstances? Perhaps any that are a bit more holistic in their approach. Or conversely, any firms they’d recommend I’d stay away from in the future?

Please feel free to PM me and I can help with how you are detailing your mitigating circumstances. I wouldn't expect the need to rehash these from application to application, and I can help so the wording does not come across as making excuses.

 

[Prabs]

HI, I applied for the vacation scheme at Addleshaw Goddard, completed the critical thinking test, but have not heard anything back regarding the assessment centre?

Has anybody else heard back?

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

@Jessica Booker I was hoping you or someone that knows about this could help out. I've been offered 2 VS with large firms, but they're both at the same time. I've already signed my contract with Firm 1 (their offer came 1 month before Firm 2) and they only do one VS a year. Firm 2 is an access scheme rather than a VS although it's the same experience and TC offer at the end. What should I do in this instance as I don't want to miss out on one? (can't believe I got any at all!). I was thinking of asking Firm 2 to maybe move me onto one of their VS dates but also don't want it to sound like they're a 2nd choice. Thanks!

This is one of the downsides of success (unfortunately)!

As firm 1 has only got one scheme, you can only really ask Firm 2 whether they can move you. If Firm 2 can't, then I think you have to consider which firm you would prefer to do your TC with in the first instance and prioritise the firm you most want to work for long term. However, if one of the two firms has a much stronger history of making direct TC offers, this could influence your decision making too, but I think it is always best to accept the firm you most want to work for, even that means reneging on a firm you had accepted previously.

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

@Jessica Booker @axelbeugre

Hi, I had a question about how much is too much to include in an application form. I am writing an application form and the work experience section has pretty much unlimited entries. I currently have 12 entries (I have grouped together voluntary roles and open days/workshops). Is this too much?

Would it also be wrong to include extracurriculars under the work experience section given there isn't a question asking to include those?

Thanks!

If you have 12 work experience entries, definitely don't add your extracurriculars to this section.

Some firms do not care about extracurriculars - it just isn't important to them, and so forcing it into other sections can work against you.

Plus you have lots of work experience to leverage anyway.

I wouldn't worry about there being 12 entries but I would aim for collectively those entries to not be more than 2500 words.

 

[axelbeugre]

DLA Piper Insight Scheme VI (final stage) invite received on Fri

Congratulations!!!

 

[Deleted member 32324]

anyone else heard back from Baker Mckenzie post-video interview?

 

[Carrington Lane]

Still nothing from Latham post-app for summer vs…assuming is a pfo…

Same here. But I will try to remain some hope because it seems Latham is processing the Spring cohort atm. I have seen a few pfo and offers for spring lately but not any for summer

 

[axelbeugre]

When answering 'tell me about yourself', should you literally run through your experience or should you take it as an opportunity to do more of a hard sell?

The way I always tackled this question was:

• Talking about where I come from (especially if you are international or you have been raised outside of the UK as it is a good conversation starter)
• My educational background (so what I studied, why I studied it, briefly touching upon my interests)
• Sectors in which I have professional experience in (I personally use to mention 2/3 like start-up and consulting)

Those are the teams that I covered and then the interviewers asked me more in depth questions.

I hope this is helpful!

 

[Ghassen]

HI, I applied for the vacation scheme at Addleshaw Goddard, completed the critical thinking test, but have not heard anything back regarding the assessment centre?

Has anybody else heard back?

I am in the same boat, and I have seen few people were invited to AC. I don’t want to be pessimistic, but from a small experience, I realised that every time firms send ACs early and leave the rest to wait, it means they will reject whom didn’t receive anything later.
Hope I am wrong !

 

[Miss Chocolate]

If you have 12 work experience entries, definitely don't add your extracurriculars to this section.

Some firms do not care about extracurriculars - it just isn't important to them, and so forcing it into other sections can work against you.

Plus you have lots of work experience to leverage anyway.

I wouldn't worry about there being 12 entries but I would aim for collectively those entries to not be more than 2500 words.

Thank you, Jessica. That really helps. 😊

Just wanted to check if you think including open days/workshops and voluntary roles is OK. I have included them under a single entry separately and everything else is either paid work or work experience like law clinic.

Also, I have included two sections for open days/legal career research. One is for open days and workshops and the second one I have titled "Legal Career Research [Middle East Region]" -- I have done this mostly because of the wordcount limit under a single entry but also because I am a UK student so I thought it may make sense to show my motivations/research into the region separately. Under this section, I have included interactions I have had with lawyers who work in the region and webinars. Is that ok in your opinion?

 

[axelbeugre]

Hi, could I please get your thoughts on this? @Jessica Booker @axelbeugre

What skills do you think are needed to be a successful solicitor at our firm? (250)
For this question, I think focusing on 3 skills is pretty good amount given wordcount so that I can elaborate too. I do want to answer the question and not include what it isn't explicitly asking for but there's no "why you/what do you offer to us" question in the application form, so should I use this space to mention where I have demonstrated each skill I think is important?

thank you!

I would personally mention three skills, explain why they are important and link them back to an experience where I have demonstrated them. I would be mindful of the word count and so if you need more words I would only mention two skills which you think are more important.

As long as you answer the question exhaustively, linking back to your experiences, as you said, will give you another layer to your application.

I personally always tackled this question in this way when I was applying, even in interviews. Chances are that if you do not talk about your experiences, in an interview, they will ask you to do it immediately after this question anyway!

 

[tcplease2345]

Any updates on shoo smiths discover placement? I'm fairly sure we'll receive responses by the end of this week

The test email said by 28th February.

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Thank you, Jessica. That really helps. 😊

Just wanted to check if you think including open days/workshops and voluntary roles is OK. I have included them under a single entry separately and everything else is either paid work or work experience like law clinic.

Also, I have included two sections for open days/legal career research. One is for open days and workshops and the second one I have titled "Legal Career Research [Middle East Region]" -- I have done this mostly because of the wordcount limit under a single entry but also because I am a UK student so I thought it may make sense to show my motivations/research into the region separately. Under this section, I have included interactions I have had with lawyers who work in the region and webinars. Is that ok in your opinion?

Yes - it is okay to include those. If there is a "careers events" section, then move the open days/workshops to that section though and remove from your work experience.

Voluntary toles are ok to include in a work experience section too.

I am not sure what you mean by "Legal Career Research" - is this a title for a work experience entry? If so, it is likely to not be appropriate to include this there. What you are describing in terms of talking to people is not work experience.