TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2024-5

[toad92]

Bates Wells wg invite zoinks

Peak final year exam season rn and having to balance TC apps and wg too 😭

 

[adrian_nlh]

Has anyone heard anything from Foot Anstey following VI?

Nope. I wonder what's taking them so long.

 

[Gin]

Hi! Question here again. Is it wise to apply for Stephenson Harwood's DTC without legal experience in the UK? Since the deadline is 31st July, I suppose people who failed to convert their VS will also apply. Does anyone know if SH places a high value on legal experience? Is it still worth giving it a go?

 

[trainee4u]

I was offered a training contract at quite a large firm. In my application, I stated that I was working part-time as a paralegal at a small law firm. Between sending my application and being invited for interview, they fired me (it was a very small firm and it was not particularly personal). During my training contract interview I verbally said I was still working there but was planning on quitting. Do you think this will come up in my pre-employment screening checks that I will have to complete in over a year's time (I will likely have a new job in the meanwhile).

This is definitely something to avoid doing.
Firstly, when it comes to ending employment, it's usually preferred to resign rather than be fired, and perhaps it's something that you could have asked for from the firm (not sure what is meant by "not particularly personal"), and again you'd probably want a reference from them.
Secondly, it's not really clear what you mean by "between sending my application and being invited they fired you" - normally you'd have a notice period, but perhaps it was only one week; if you were still in your notice period then you were in fact still "working there", so this in that case would not be untrue. However if you told then that you were still working there after your employment had in fact ended then this would be dishonest and is the kind of thing that can get people banned from the solicitor's profession on top of losing a TC.

It's not a given that you will be found out assuming that the employment ended after you initially applied. But worth bearing these issues in mind...

 

[lawzade02]

Just got invited to Ashursts written case study. Does anyone have any tips as this is the stage I struggle with the most? 🙏

Congrats! May I ask when you submitted your TC application?

 

[TCseeker101]

Hi everyone! I've reached the final AC stage for a DTC. The previous stage was a virtual interview with a partner and a member of HR. At the AC, I will also have an interview with two partners. Is it a good idea to ask for feedback from my previous interview to help with my preparations, or is this generally avoided?

 

[Andrei Radu]

Hi @Andrei Radu @Ram Sabaratnam

I have a written case study with Ashurst next week. The email says that I will be asked to justify a recommended course of action.

How do you suggest I prepare for this? I’ve been using ChatGPT to give me mock acquisition, JV, and market entry case study so I can practise writing answers. Is there anything else I should do to prepare?

Hi @B101 I have quoted below a post with some further resources for you to take a look at.

Besides that, I advise you to generally work on your commercial analysis skills in the coming week by engaging with commercial awareness material in a more critical and active manner. Thus, when you next read an article or listen to a podcast, instead of doing so passively, only aiming to improve your stock of background knowledge, ask yourself questions like:

• What are the essential points about this story I would mention if I had to summarize it quickly and clearly?
• What are the causes for the events in the story?
• Who are the different stakeholders, and how does this impact them?
• What are potential responses in light of the story, and what are the arguments for each? What is my view, and how would I substantiate it?

This kind of thinking will develop your ability to analyze commercial topics better, which is the key skill case studies assess.

Hi @CHLTC I really empathize with your struggles, as case studies/written tasks were always the hardest part of ACs for me as well. I don't think there is a specific method you can prepare, since as you mentioned, they come in a wide variety of formats. In my view, the only way to prepare is by developing the underlying skills every case study will seek to test: time-management and work under pressure, clarity of writing and structure, commercial awareness and analysis, ability to digest large amounts of information, etc.

To do that, I think it is useful to both practice actual case studies and to read more widely about the commercial matters that might be relevant for them. A particularly helpful resource for me was the course offered by TCLA on the matter (which you can find here). It includes a number of mock PE and M&A case studies, recordings of two hour long sessions explaining how to think through written/interview style M&A case studies, and a number of questions that are analyzed in depth by the TCLA team. To link a few useful free resources on TCLA:

• An amazing guide for M&A case studies by @Jacob Miller, which includes both a mock case study and a model answer with detailed explanations of how you should think through the materials (which you can find here).
• A mock written case study offered by TCLA here.
• An excellent article written by @Jaysen Sutton, which explains the process, types, structures, and general terms of an M&A transaction (which you can find here).
• A glossary of M&A terms by @Amma Usman here.

Besides these, I have also found a few external resources you may want to take a look at:

• A great LSE article giving an overview of case studies and preparation methods for each element
• An article with tips from the Oxford Careers Service
• A Next City Lawyer case study available on a fee basis

Finally, I quoted bellow a recent post I wrote which I think you could find useful - it includes my top tips for any written task:

 

[Andrei Radu]

Hi everyone! I've reached the final AC stage for a DTC. The previous stage was a virtual interview with a partner and a member of HR. At the AC, I will also have an interview with two partners. Is it a good idea to ask for feedback from my previous interview to help with my preparations, or is this generally avoided?

I do not think asking for feedback from previous stages is something that is commonly done by candidates who successfully progress past them, but I also do not believe asking for it can have any negative impact on your progression chances. If you feel there are aspects of your performance you could have clearly improved on, and that your interviewers might have valuable input, I think it makes sense to try to get it.

 

[emay7]

Does anyone have any advice for the Ashurst Case Study - Written Exercise? Many thanks!

 

[B101]

Congrats! May I ask when you submitted your TC application?

March 17th

 

[millieplatt1]

Hi, I haven’t sent in my application for my PGDL as of yet, I am applying to both BPP and uni of law birmingham campuses but im paranoid the slots will have all filled up, is this likely to be the case?

 

[norothrow324]

Does anyone have any advice for the Ashurst Case Study - Written Exercise? Many thanks!

When did you get the invite?

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Hi, I haven’t sent in my application for my PGDL as of yet, I am applying to both BPP and uni of law birmingham campuses but im paranoid the slots will have all filled up, is this likely to be the case?

Highly unlikely. GDL courses are regularly unfilled by quite a substantial amount:



Nothing much will have changed about this in the last 3 years.

 

[millieplatt1]

Highly unlikely. GDL courses are regularly unfilled by quite a substantial amount:

View attachment 7129

Nothing much will have changed about this in the last 3 years.

Brilliant thank you so much!

 

[👩🎓]

Has anyone heard anything from Foot Anstey following VI?

I have just had two emails in the past couple of weeks stating that they are still reviewing applications and will be in touch in due course. (But nothing to do with next steps etc)

 

[lawzade02]

Hey everyone! Is it worth applying to rolling TC deadlines of firms like Dentons and BCLP a month in advance of the deadline?

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Hey everyone! Is it worth applying to rolling TC deadlines of firms like Dentons and BCLP a month in advance of the deadline?

Yes - I would say so, especially for the summer deadlines as most people are not applying at this time of year due to exams.

 

[lawzade02]

Yes - I would say so, especially for the summer deadlines as most people are not applying at this time of year due to exams.

Thanks Jess, this is very helpful! I sent you a question via the Conversations Inbox on TCLA, so I was also wondering whether you have received it.

 

[AS24]

Hi @Jessica Booker,

I trust you are well.

I would like to ask your opinion on a matter. I completed my AC on April 1st, and the GR team said that we would hear back by the 1st of May.
I know that they made a bunch of offers, which also means that I probably did not get the VS, so my question is, how can I get a response from the firm? I do not want to sound rude, but I have to request annual leave and deal with HR.

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Hi @Jessica Booker,

I trust you are well.

I would like to ask your opinion on a matter. I completed my AC on April 1st, and the GR team said that we would hear back by the 1st of May.
I know that they made a bunch of offers, which also means that I probably did not get the VS, so my question is, how can I get a response from the firm? I do not want to sound rude, but I have to request annual leave and deal with HR.

If you haven’t heard by Wednesday afternoon, I would send them an email asking when you may hear back - this wi be nearly a week from their original deadline but give them some additional time to respond on Tuesday/Wednesday morning.