TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2024-5

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Hiya @Szofi66

Just before @Jessica Booker and @Amma Usman get back to you, I wanted to quickly share my thoughts. I don’t think it's necessary to tie back your entries to the firm. Having gotten past their application stage myself, I’d suggest focusing on clearly setting out your experiences and making sure you describe each role in enough detail. When I was filling out my applications, I did make a point of highlighting the specific tasks and skills from certain roles that were particularly relevant or transferable to a legal career. That said, I’d really encourage you to focus on what you actually did in each role rather than trying to tie everything back to the firm.

Hope that helps, and best of luck with your application!
Thank you!!
 

Andrei Radu

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Sep 9, 2024
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Hi everyone, @Jessica Booker , @Amma Usman , would appreciate some help with Mayer Brown! Is it necessary to tailor each work experience to the firm and/or highlight skills developed in the work experience section? considering that the word count is only 150. (same Q for the Additional Info/Extracurriculars section). At the same time, they don't have any additional questions on the app form so i suppose they'd like to see some kind of link with the firm besides just listing tasks and responsibilities. Thank you in advance!
Mayer Brown's application process is known to be quite idiosyncratic and I do not think they have much of an expectation for you to make many links to your 'why the firm' reasons at this stage. That said, I think if you have any good opportunities to do so (ie. where there is a clear alignment between a skill/experience and a differentiating feature of the firm) you should take them, as it can't do anything but elevate your application.

However, I definitely think you should not seek to tailor each work experience to the firm. The connections and resulting reasoning would likely look weak as a result, and you do not want to seem like you are pulling at straws. Moreover, it is generally thought that writing in the work experience section should be quite descriptive and to the point; if you consider Mayer Brown's tight word limit as well it's difficult to imagine they might have a different expectation. As such, I would say the same applies for inferences about skills: you can draw them, but do so sparsely and only where the link is very clear - you do not want to have a repetitive writing style.
 

rapunzel

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Jan 10, 2023
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Hey, I wanted to ask generally if you haven’t got a vac scheme offer, training contract or paralegal offer in your final year of university. Would you still do the SQE by itself? If you still apply to law firms on the SQE will they question why you’re not working at a firm whilst doing the SQE as a paralegal? Would it be a less favourable position you put yourself in compared to other candidates who are doing that?

I was just wondering as I’ve been struggling a lot in my final year of university with extenuating circumstances. I just haven’t gotten a lot of time time to spend on sending many applications and fear I may just have to go down this route :(
 
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RaniaH062002

Star Member
Feb 27, 2025
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Is anyone else applying to Ashurst having issues with their application? On section 4 of academic details it’s marked as having not been done at all even though I filled all the sections and I’ve gone in and out of the application and it has saved. I’ve even deleted and re-added it to see if that’s the issue.

I’ve emailed the application support team so I hope it gets resolved! I’m just wondering if anyone else has encountered this issue too?
 

Amiyrerose

Star Member
Nov 29, 2024
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Is anyone else applying to Ashurst having issues with their application? On section 4 of academic details it’s marked as having not been done at all even though I filled all the sections and I’ve gone in and out of the application and it has saved. I’ve even deleted and re-added it to see if that’s the issue.

I’ve emailed the application support team so I hope it gets resolved! I’m just wondering if anyone else has encountered this issue too?
YES ! this was happening to me i just thought it was an error on my part
 


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