TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[jojo23]

I can’t believe I’m writing this but I managed to convert my 2nd VS into a TC offer! In addition, I converted both of my DTC ACs into TC offers, meaning I now hold 4 US firm TC offers!

At the beginning of this application cycle, I did not think I had what it takes to secure a single TC, mainly because I come from a lower socio-economic, working-class background.

To anybody who comes from a background like mine, I hope me sharing my journey over these past 6-7 months on the forum, has inspired and encouraged you to chase your dreams!

I will be posting a breakdown of my entire cycle as well as some useful tips I learned along the way shortly. I now have the very difficult decision to make of choosing which TC offer to accept.

Thank you to everyone on this forum for all the support and guidance, I appreciate you! I also want to thank @Amma Usman, @Andrei Radu and @Ram Sabaratnam for their insights! ​

The homies generational run must be studied

 

[jojo23]

This is not a bad idea at all. I’d just be mindful that requirements/application questions may change. Regardless, the below will be asked at several stages and across several firms, so prepping for them will save you time come September!

• Work experience section.
• Why commercial law.
• Why law - notice the difference to the above.
• Why X firm.
• Why you.

I'm trying my best to go through them all
The commercial questions are the worst part though

 

[Kakaboo]

Gateley rejected post vacation scheme

 

[Kakaboo]

If someone turns down a TC offer does it go to someone else?

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

If someone turns down a TC offer does it go to someone else?

Hiya @Kakaboo

Not necessarily. If the firm has a waitlist/reserve list, then an offer will normally be made to someone on that list. However, if there is no one on the waitlist, the firm will often bring someone forward in a subsequent application cycle.

Good luck if you're still waiting to hear back!

 

[pax]

Gateley PFO Post Vacation Scheme. Next cycle here we come lol

 

[V2002]

Hi has anyone done the Burges Salmon AC? Please, can you help me understand what a group exercise is?

 

[Eros]

I have upcoming interview for the LBA program with Perkins, and I know they have collaborated with TCLA. Is there any firm insight or workshops they have run that I can revisit for research proposes ?

 

[traineedreamer]

I've taken some time to bask in the news, and I'm still in shock that I'm able to write this, but after 7 years of applying, I have FINALLY been offered a TC!
I had kind of mentally prepared myself that this would be my last cycle before I had to start seriously thinking about a Plan B, but I knew deep down that this was all I wanted to do. All the struggles have paid off though, and I have achieved my dream!
Honestly to anyone who is thinking about giving up, if this is truly what you want then push a little more, your offer could be just around the corner!
This forum and website has been invaluable. I truly do not believe I could have gotten as far as I did without it. Thank you to everyone who has offered advice, insight, encouragement and even just the laughter and jokes. The legal community has some amazing people in it!

 

[zonnonomo]

I've taken some time to bask in the news, and I'm still in shock that I'm able to write this, but after 7 years of applying, I have FINALLY been offered a TC!
I had kind of mentally prepared myself that this would be my last cycle before I had to start seriously thinking about a Plan B, but I knew deep down that this was all I wanted to do. All the struggles have paid off though, and I have achieved my dream!
Honestly to anyone who is thinking about giving up, if this is truly what you want then push a little more, your offer could be just around the corner!
This forum and website has been invaluable. I truly do not believe I could have gotten as far as I did without it. Thank you to everyone who has offered advice, insight, encouragement and even just the laughter and jokes. The legal community has some amazing people in it!

YESSSSSSS congratulations !!!! so many Ws in the forum recently this is awesome

 

[Boating]

I've taken some time to bask in the news, and I'm still in shock that I'm able to write this, but after 7 years of applying, I have FINALLY been offered a TC!
I had kind of mentally prepared myself that this would be my last cycle before I had to start seriously thinking about a Plan B, but I knew deep down that this was all I wanted to do. All the struggles have paid off though, and I have achieved my dream!
Honestly to anyone who is thinking about giving up, if this is truly what you want then push a little more, your offer could be just around the corner!
This forum and website has been invaluable. I truly do not believe I could have gotten as far as I did without it. Thank you to everyone who has offered advice, insight, encouragement and even just the laughter and jokes. The legal community has some amazing people in it!

This is the news we like to hear, 7 years is incredibe determination and real journey you should be proud of, that's charactersitcs that will make you a great lawyer, congratulations!

 

[sibs23]

I've taken some time to bask in the news, and I'm still in shock that I'm able to write this, but after 7 years of applying, I have FINALLY been offered a TC!
I had kind of mentally prepared myself that this would be my last cycle before I had to start seriously thinking about a Plan B, but I knew deep down that this was all I wanted to do. All the struggles have paid off though, and I have achieved my dream!
Honestly to anyone who is thinking about giving up, if this is truly what you want then push a little more, your offer could be just around the corner!
This forum and website has been invaluable. I truly do not believe I could have gotten as far as I did without it. Thank you to everyone who has offered advice, insight, encouragement and even just the laughter and jokes. The legal community has some amazing people in it!

HUGE CONGRATULATIONS from a fellow 7 cycle applicant!! It's an amazing feeling when the hard work pays off!! Enjoy this moment for as long as you can.

 

[traineedreamer]

YESSSSSSS congratulations !!!! so many Ws in the forum recently this is awesome

This is the news we like to hear, 7 years is incredibe determination and real journey you should be proud of, that's charactersitcs that will make you a great lawyer, congratulations!

HUGE CONGRATULATIONS from a fellow 7 cycle applicant!! It's an amazing feeling when the hard work pays off!! Enjoy this moment for as long as you can.

Thank you all so much!

 

[Harvey Specter - Presiding Partner]

I’m happy to share I have accepted a TC offer from my dream US firm! This decision was the most difficult one I have had to make in my life so far, but I am excited for what’s ahead in this TC and commercial law journey.

Over the past 6-7 months, a lot of people have asked me about my experience going through this application cycle. I figured I would make a few posts addressing this, with the first being a breakdown of my entire cycle (see below):

Vacation Scheme (‘VS’) offers:

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
Covington & Burling
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
Stephenson Harwood
Willkie Farr & Gallagher

Direct Training Contract (‘DTC’) AC offers:

Baker McKenzie
Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe

Winter VS PFOs:

A&O Shearman: PFO post SJT/VI
Ashurst: PFO post OT
Dechert: PFO post app
Jones Day: PFO post app
Linklaters: PFO post WG
Norton Rose Fulbright: PFO post OT
Simmons & Simmons: PFO post SJT/VI

Spring & Summer VS PFOs:

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner: PFO post VI
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer: PFO post OT
Hogan Lovells: PFO post WG
Macfarlanes: PFO post OT
Paul Hastings: PFO post VI
Ropes & Gray: PFO post app
Travers Smith: PFO post app
White & Case: PFO post VI

Direct TC PFOs:

Slaughter and May: PFO post app
Sullivan & Cromwell: PFO post app

To anybody who will be applying for VS or DTC in the upcoming cycle, I hope this offers some reassurance that rejection is 100% redirection. I received 17 PFOs this cycle, but remembered that it would only ever takes 1 yes.

Since so many of you have PM’d me asking for application strategy and interview advice, I will make a separate post for that. Best of luck to everyone who will be applying in the upcoming application cycle for VS/DTC. ​

 

[BillSikes]

Anyone know what the Stephenson Harwood test is? And also whether the test is automatic or not?

 

[BillSikes]

I’m happy to share I have accepted a TC offer from my dream US firm! This decision was the most difficult one I have had to make in my life so far, but I am excited for what’s ahead in this TC and commercial law journey.

Over the past 6-7 months, a lot of people have asked me about my experience going through this application cycle. I figured I would make a few posts addressing this, with the first being a breakdown of my entire cycle (see below):

Vacation Scheme (‘VS’) offers:

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
Covington & Burling
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
Stephenson Harwood
Willkie Farr & Gallagher

Direct Training Contract (‘DTC’) AC offers:

Baker McKenzie
Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe

Winter VS PFOs:

A&O Shearman: PFO post SJT/VI
Ashurst: PFO post OT
Dechert: PFO post app
Jones Day: PFO post app
Linklaters: PFO post WG
Norton Rose Fulbright: PFO post OT
Simmons & Simmons: PFO post SJT/VI

Spring & Summer VS PFOs:

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner: PFO post VI
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer: PFO post OT
Hogan Lovells: PFO post WG
Macfarlanes: PFO post OT
Paul Hastings: PFO post VI
Ropes & Gray: PFO post app
Travers Smith: PFO post app
White & Case: PFO post VI

Direct TC PFOs:

Slaughter and May: PFO post app
Sullivan & Cromwell: PFO post app

To anybody who will be applying for VS or DTC in the upcoming cycle, I hope this offers some reassurance that rejection is 100% redirection. I received 17 PFOs this cycle, but remembered that it would only ever takes 1 yes.

Since so many of you have PM’d me asking for application strategy and interview advice, I will make a separate post for that. Best of luck to everyone who will be applying in the upcoming application cycle for VS/DTC. ​

Can I ask what uni you went and what grade you got?

 

[jojo23]

Anyone know what the Stephenson Harwood test is? And also whether the test is automatic or not?

Amberjack which i think is a blended sjt. It's also not automatic

 

[Jaysen]

I have upcoming interview for the LBA program with Perkins, and I know they have collaborated with TCLA. Is there any firm insight or workshops they have run that I can revisit for research proposes ?

Hoping to post our podcast recording with Ian Bagshaw on Monday! Will be on LinkedIn and our YouTube: https://youtube.com/@20minutetc?si=yOsHjyqa_271SCxy

 

[Jaysen]

I've taken some time to bask in the news, and I'm still in shock that I'm able to write this, but after 7 years of applying, I have FINALLY been offered a TC!
I had kind of mentally prepared myself that this would be my last cycle before I had to start seriously thinking about a Plan B, but I knew deep down that this was all I wanted to do. All the struggles have paid off though, and I have achieved my dream!
Honestly to anyone who is thinking about giving up, if this is truly what you want then push a little more, your offer could be just around the corner!
This forum and website has been invaluable. I truly do not believe I could have gotten as far as I did without it. Thank you to everyone who has offered advice, insight, encouragement and even just the laughter and jokes. The legal community has some amazing people in it!

This is insane! A shout out to you for persisting. I can only imagine how tough that must have been. But you did it!!

 

[Jaysen]

HUGE CONGRATULATIONS from a fellow 7 cycle applicant!! It's an amazing feeling when the hard work pays off!! Enjoy this moment for as long as you can.

Both of you!