-
📅 Vacation Scheme Applications 2025–26
Planning to apply for winter, spring or summer vacation schemes? Join our dedicated threads for support, deadlines, and discussion:
-
2025–26 Vacation Scheme Deadlines
Includes winter, spring and summer deadlines + a handy rolling/non-rolling checklist. -
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread
Ask questions, share tips, and support each other through the application cycle.
Let’s make this your strongest application season yet 💼
-
2025–26 Vacation Scheme Deadlines
TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2024-5
- Thread starter TCLA Community Assistant
- Start date
i emailed them to ask if rejections will be issued too since people have received invites to the AC . i will keep you updated if i hear back.
After countless applications, I continue to be rejected.
I know rejection is something everything goes through, but honestly, and without sounding overly cocky, I’m quite shocked I’ve not had a single Vac Scheme offer, ever.
Quick summary:
I sometimes wonder what else I can even do!
If they said bad grades, I would say fine, but I couldn’t have done better at undergraduate and GDL.
If they said, no work experience, I would say fine, but I have 3 different ongoing legal roles, including my paralegal role in a London city law firm, which clearly shows my experience - quite frankly, my paralegal role has given me some experience that even being a trainee would not.
I got to 2 AC’s last year. But got rejected after both.
This year, I still have a couple applications in the pipeline, but I’m honestly not hopeful at all. I will mention that an American firm which I attended their AC last year, this year failed me on the first round. Which, tbh, I don’t see how that makes any sense. With 1 year extra experience, suddenly I can’t get past the first stage, but last year I reached the last stage ? That to me makes no sense. I don’t mean to be rude, but I think that is BS!
What’s stopping me from giving up, after spending years studying and working in law?
If I did any other profession, I’d be so much further along, but I made the terrible mistake of wasting my time with law.
@Jaysen
@Jessica Booker
I know rejection is something everything goes through, but honestly, and without sounding overly cocky, I’m quite shocked I’ve not had a single Vac Scheme offer, ever.
Quick summary:
- Corporate paralegal in London for 2 years
- 1st class degree at undergraduate from Russell group.
- Distinction in GDL
- fluent in multiple languages
- Multiple post grad degrees both from LSE in Corporate Law and in M&A. Bear in mind, these gave me the academic knowledge necessary to bridge the gap between theoretical academic law from the GDL to real work in a commercial law firm.
- pro bono advisor at a legal clinic for a year, and still do.
- Other legal roles including for trusts and for barristers
I sometimes wonder what else I can even do!
If they said bad grades, I would say fine, but I couldn’t have done better at undergraduate and GDL.
If they said, no work experience, I would say fine, but I have 3 different ongoing legal roles, including my paralegal role in a London city law firm, which clearly shows my experience - quite frankly, my paralegal role has given me some experience that even being a trainee would not.
I got to 2 AC’s last year. But got rejected after both.
This year, I still have a couple applications in the pipeline, but I’m honestly not hopeful at all. I will mention that an American firm which I attended their AC last year, this year failed me on the first round. Which, tbh, I don’t see how that makes any sense. With 1 year extra experience, suddenly I can’t get past the first stage, but last year I reached the last stage ? That to me makes no sense. I don’t mean to be rude, but I think that is BS!
What’s stopping me from giving up, after spending years studying and working in law?
If I did any other profession, I’d be so much further along, but I made the terrible mistake of wasting my time with law.
@Jaysen
@Jessica Booker
TCLA Community Assistant
Legendary Member
TCLA Moderator
Gold Member
Graduate Recruitment
Premium Member
Forum Team
- Aug 1, 2019
- 15,526
- 21,760
Anything from a couple of days to a couple of weeks.How quickly do law firms tend to get in contact with the written offer letter and terms after making the phone call? Thank you
You can ask the graduate recruitment team as to when you should expect the paper work.
Omgggg so sorry to hear😭😓!! I applied first week of Nov and still nothing…
If you failed to progress 2 ACs, then it’s not your profile on paper that’s lacking. It’s your ability to perform well on the tasks at the ACs which requires improvement.
Also, if you’re not passing application stages with your profile then your application writing skills need improvement.
Perhaps arrange for an application review from TCLA or a mentor and if you have an AC coming up arrange a mock interview.
Writing applications and passing ACs is a skill in itself that is almost entirely separate from the quality of your profile on paper
Linklaters is so bafflingly slow… there’s nothing on those applications to review!
I’m not too sure about their process but maybe they fill out the vacation schemes first and then TCs ?
But tbh other than work experience idk what else they look at😭
Hi all, I have been invited to Fieldfisher AC and just wondered if anyone is able to share their experiences either from the previous years or this? This is my first AC so looking for any specific or general advice. It includes a group/paired exercise, an individual case study (I believe to be a written exercise) and an interview.
For the interview, I feel confident I can prepare for it. But the other two exercises are new to me so any advice would be most appreciated. I think I have seen some case study practice exercises for AC on here before, would these help? Thanks
This is for the Direct TC.
For the interview, I feel confident I can prepare for it. But the other two exercises are new to me so any advice would be most appreciated. I think I have seen some case study practice exercises for AC on here before, would these help? Thanks
This is for the Direct TC.
Similar threads
- Sticky
- Sticky
- Locked
- Sticky
- Locked
