TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[Gr33n]

Vac schemes are so draining can I just get the tc already 😭💀

 

[Atam!]

yes i didn't apply or speaking to them but it did make it reasonably clear that it's intended to help students and career changers specifically understand about a legal career - an outreach effort more than a recruitment process.

no idea about pay though.

I just checked their website for this opportunity and I’m not seeing it, has the application closed please? I’d really like to apply.

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

What were the questions for Ashurst's VS last year please?

Hiya @Lastseasonwonder

I've just looked at this and it seems the questions from the last cycle included the following:

• Please use this section to tell us about yourself, your skills, achievements and why you want to train as a solicitor and work at Ashurst. (750 words max)*
• Tell us in 250 words why you are applying to Ashurst and what you know about the firm. (250 words max)*
• In 250 words tell us what a commercial lawyer does. (250 words max) *

Please just bear in mind that their application form questions do tend to change slightly year on year. Nevertheless, this should give you a good flavour of what the questions will look like in the upcoming cycle.

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

Is there any point reapplying to firms that rejected post-AC during this cycle? (But my grade level went up from 2.1 to 1st, and a new internship experience was added)

Hiya @TCLA0322

Yes, I think this is a good idea. Reapplying can be a smart move, especially if you’ve strengthened your profile since the last cycle. In your case, having gone from a 2:1 to a First and gaining new internship experience are both clear improvements that you can clearly point to in your application.

That said, the key to making a reapplication work is reflecting meaningfully on what happened during your ACs the first time and showing that you’ve taken steps to improve. During my first cycle, I got to AC at several firms but wasn’t successful; commercial awareness and written exercises were my weak spots. Before the start of my second cycle, I focused on sharpening that through consistent reading, mock interviews, and application feedback and eventually received offers from some of those same firms I’d been rejected from. However, a couple of things to keep in mind:

• Some firms won’t allow reapplications post-AC; so double-check their policy first.
• Others will allow it but expect to see clear evidence of growth; I think you should be fine on this front.
• If you do reapply, make sure your application isn’t just a rehash of last year’s; your new experience should be front and centre, and you should aim to see what else you can do to improve your profile since the last process (especially in areas where you struggled at AC).

The insight you’ve gained from going through the AC are valuable, so don’t let them go to waste. If anything, it potentially gives you an edge at those very firms going into the next cycle. Best of luck!

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

hi guys, i got 2 TCs this year and had to make the hard choice between them. any advice on how to email the firm I didn’t choose? I find it very awkward

Hiya @mariistm

Congratulations on both your offers! That's fantastic!

I think a brief, professional email thanking them for the opportunity/offer, but stating that you'll be declining the offer is perfectly fine. Grad rec deals with these sorts of emails all the time, so I wouldn't worry too much. You can say something to the effect of:

Dear X,

Thank you so much for the offer and for all your support through this process. Having given the matter a lot of thought, I've decided to accept a training contract elsewhere and will therefore be declining the offer at [insert name of the firm]. I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity and wish you and the team all the best moving forward.

Best regards,

[Insert name]

Hope this helps and well done again!

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

Hi guys,

what would you say is the best way to spend a summer before applications, to be fully prepared!

Hiya @applicant457

Glad you asked this and are starting to prepare now. Way too many people leave their preparation for the next cycle too late. The summer before applications open is one of the best windows you’ll have to prepare properly, without the pressure of deadlines or competing priorities during term time. If you use it well, you’ll put yourself in a much stronger position when the next cycle starts.

• Make a Work Experience Table: The work experience section is typically the first part of your application that graduate recruitment reads, and it's often pivotal in helping them quickly gauge whether your experience suggests the right transferable skills for a trainee solicitor. Many candidates underestimate its value and end up treating it like a CV entry (i.e. a list of jobs, with vague descriptions) rather than an opportunity to reinforce their credibility and insight. A practical way to build this section is to create a table listing each of your roles (both legal or non-legal) along with a short description of what you did (250 words max for each). For each entry, try to highlight one or two key skills you gained (and how developed them), which can give the reader a glimpse of the skills you have to thrive as a trainee. Do NOT overlook non-legal roles when drafting the table (e.g. mention any retail experience, customer service work, volunteering, etc). If you're unsure whether your work experience entries are demonstrating adequate reflection and elaboration, I’d highly recommend submitting them to the TCLA application review service for feedback. Doing this early can save a lot of time and uncertainty later in the process.
  
  
• Start Drafting Some Applications Now: I’d recommend starting to draft some of your applications now, especially for firms that tend to keep their questions or format consistent year-on-year. Clifford Chance, Freshfields, Jones Day, and Travers Smith, for example, often rely on cover letters or personal statements rather than changing application questions each cycle. For these firms, there’s no real need to wait for applications to open; you can begin shaping tailored drafts now. Other firms do change their application question forms year to year, but you can use the TCLA application database to look at past questions to give you a sense of the sort of questions they normally ask. This also ensure that, when the cycle does open, you’re not starting from scratch. Overall, the more you can front-load this stage of the application process over the summer, the more you can ensure that you're not submitting rushed or weakly researched applications closer to the deadline.
  
  
• Develop a Stronger Understanding of the Legal Market in London: If you have a decent summer break, I think now is also the right moment to start deepening your understanding of the legal market. Spend time with the Chambers UK and Legal 500 directories. I think Legal 500 is especially good, since it often provides a clearer breakdown of firms' positioning in terms of more granular practice areas segments. This can help you not only understand how firms differ from one another, but also refine your language when talking about their practice strengths or competitors. Global Legal Post and Legal Business are also worth browsing regularly to stay current on news and trends, particularly in areas you're interested in.
  
  
• Read Through Past TCLA Threads and Posts: If you haven’t already, I’d also encourage you to go through some of the core threads and posts on the TCLA forum. Doing this was critical in helping me ensure that I understood and set goals for myself between my first and second cycles. The following threads are excellent for building both strategy and structure around your preparation:
  • Andrei’s guide to a winning application strategy
  • Foundations of commercial law
  • How to differentiate law firms
  • Why law vs why commercial law?
  • Researching practice areas
  • Amma on researching firms

I should also emphasise here that the goal over the summer isn’t to do everything perfectly. It’s to give yourself enough of a head start that when applications open, you're not figuring things out on the fly.

Really hope I'm not rehashing anything you already know, but hope this is helpful. Good luck with building an application strategy!

 

[Alturistic whale]

Hiya @lawyersum

Absolutely - feel free to DM me!

Piggy-backing of this, @Ram Sabaratnam Am I okay to send a message on mitigating circumstances too?

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

Piggy-backing of this, @Ram Sabaratnam Am I okay to send a message on mitigating circumstances too?

Hiya @Alturistic whale! Absolutely

 

[ashwright]

Hi, guys!
I hope you’re all having a fantastic summer break.
I was looking for advice regarding whether firms would reject me straight away because of my poor first-year results (low 2:2), although I managed to get a First Class in my second year.
I know grades form only one part of the whole application, and although I have legal and non-legal work experience and have attended many open days with leading law firms, where they emphasize strong communication, teamwork, and resilience skills, no one seems to answer my question on whether I could be a strong candidate just because of one setback in my first year of law school.

Hey, @Charles Leclerc
I had some similar worries last year because I had poor first-year results but good second-year results (in fact, your first class + work experience puts you in a much stronger position). I can promise you that a lot of firms will not reject you 'straight away'. Whilst some firms (e.g., Slaughters) are notorious for being less forgiving about grades, the vast majority of other firms will be a lot more understanding.

I've even heard some GR explain that certain metrics (like grades) decrease in significance as you progress through the application process. In other words, your initial written application (which usually consists of personal details, grades, & a few 'why' questions) is when your grades matter 'the most' - once you get past that initial stage & are invited to ACs/VIs, grades are no longer a 'key' metric.

Since grades are most scrutinised at the first hurdle (i.e. written application), it's vital that the other parts of your written application stand out. Top tip -make the most of your experiences & write about them using concrete examples, rather than flowery & ambiguous language. To make sure you do so, I strongly recommend TCLA's application review service. Jaysen & the team provide second to none feedback, providing you with actionable advice & holistic support (and at a speed that would make Bezos jealous!)

You'll smash it, trust me (and good luck for Spa on Sunday!) 😁🐎

 

[ashwright]

Hiya @applicant457

Glad you asked this and are starting to prepare now. Way too many people leave their preparation for the next cycle too late. The summer before applications open is one of the best windows you’ll have to prepare properly, without the pressure of deadlines or competing priorities during term time. If you use it well, you’ll put yourself in a much stronger position when the next cycle starts.

• Make a Work Experience Table: The work experience section is typically the first part of your application that graduate recruitment reads, and it's often pivotal in helping them quickly gauge whether your experience suggests the right transferable skills for a trainee solicitor. Many candidates underestimate its value and end up treating it like a CV entry (i.e. a list of jobs, with vague descriptions) rather than an opportunity to reinforce their credibility and insight. A practical way to build this section is to create a table listing each of your roles (both legal or non-legal) along with a short description of what you did (250 words max for each). For each entry, try to highlight one or two key skills you gained (and how developed them), which can give the reader a glimpse of the skills you have to thrive as a trainee. Do NOT overlook non-legal roles when drafting the table (e.g. mention any retail experience, customer service work, volunteering, etc). If you're unsure whether your work experience entries are demonstrating adequate reflection and elaboration, I’d highly recommend submitting them to the TCLA application review service for feedback. Doing this early can save a lot of time and uncertainty later in the process.
  
  
• Start Drafting Some Applications Now: I’d recommend starting to draft some of your applications now, especially for firms that tend to keep their questions or format consistent year-on-year. Clifford Chance, Freshfields, Jones Day, and Travers Smith, for example, often rely on cover letters or personal statements rather than changing application questions each cycle. For these firms, there’s no real need to wait for applications to open; you can begin shaping tailored drafts now. Other firms do change their application question forms year to year, but you can use the TCLA application database to look at past questions to give you a sense of the sort of questions they normally ask. This also ensure that, when the cycle does open, you’re not starting from scratch. Overall, the more you can front-load this stage of the application process over the summer, the more you can ensure that you're not submitting rushed or weakly researched applications closer to the deadline.
  
  
• Develop a Stronger Understanding of the Legal Market in London: If you have a decent summer break, I think now is also the right moment to start deepening your understanding of the legal market. Spend time with the Chambers UK and Legal 500 directories. I think Legal 500 is especially good, since it often provides a clearer breakdown of firms' positioning in terms of more granular practice areas segments. This can help you not only understand how firms differ from one another, but also refine your language when talking about their practice strengths or competitors. Global Legal Post and Legal Business are also worth browsing regularly to stay current on news and trends, particularly in areas you're interested in.
  
  
• Read Through Past TCLA Threads and Posts: If you haven’t already, I’d also encourage you to go through some of the core threads and posts on the TCLA forum. Doing this was critical in helping me ensure that I understood and set goals for myself between my first and second cycles. The following threads are excellent for building both strategy and structure around your preparation:
  • Andrei’s guide to a winning application strategy
  • Foundations of commercial law
  • How to differentiate law firms
  • Why law vs why commercial law?
  • Researching practice areas
  • Amma on researching firms

I should also emphasise here that the goal over the summer isn’t to do everything perfectly. It’s to give yourself enough of a head start that when applications open, you're not figuring things out on the fly.

Really hope I'm not rehashing anything you already know, but hope this is helpful. Good luck with building an application strategy!

Ram, I just want to say that you are most definitely not rehashing anything. This post was so helpful that I am attempting to resurrect my printer just so I can print this out to hang above my desk. Thank you so, so much!
Adding a bookmark is not enough - I need to wake up to this post in front of my face every day 🙏

 

[Law10]

Hi all, I have an upcoming strength-based video interview for Eversheds Sutherland TC. Would really appreciate some tips from anyone who has done it before.

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

Hey guys, what are your opinions on pursuing a master's degree? i've got a solid academic and non-academic background (i.e multiple work experiences, part-time jobs, leadership positions). Funding wise, I anticipate to get relief from some bursaries, so I'm not too worried about that. I want to do it out of genuine interest and the uni has a great history of a startup producing, innovative culture, which I want to get involved in. The only thing is I'm not sure whether a masters is viewed negatively on your application. I mean I will be supplementing my time there with non-academic things to develop my profile further but idk there's a stigma attached around a masters which i keep thinking will negatively impact me. (For context, I'm not an international student). Thoughts and experiences are welcome

Hiya @lawyersum

Really great question and this sounds like a fantastic opportunity. I also think there’s still a lot of confusion around how a master’s degree is viewed by law firms, and it’s worth addressing properly.

To be clear: doing a master’s won’t disadvantage you (and it won't automatically put you at an advantage either). There’s no stigma attached to it in the way that some candidates fear. What matters (as with most things in applications) is how you use the experience and how you present it.

From what you’ve described, it already sounds like you’re approaching the opportunity in the right way. You’ve got a solid academic and non-academic background, you’re funding it sensibly, and you’re drawn to a programme that offers more than just classroom learning, specifically, a startup and innovation culture that you’re keen to get involved in. That’s the kind of environment that can help you build commercial awareness in a much more practical, applied way than many law applicants ever get the chance to do. And if you’re able to reflect on that during interviews (e.g. what you learned, what you became involved in, how you collaborated, how you developed your understanding of business, etc.), then that’s highly valuable.

Personally, I came from a political science and economics background, and that deeper foundation gave me a lot to draw on in interviews. It helped me engage with commercial issues more confidently and link legal work to wider political and economic contexts. I was also able to pursue my masters degree on a full scholarship. I found that firms really valued my overall degree and the impact it had on my thinking, precisely because of the insight it allowed me to bring into the room.

Again, to be clear, you don’t need a master’s to get a TC. But if you’re doing it out of genuine interest, and you're not taking on significant debt to do so, it can be a great opportunity. It can help you develop in ways that allow you to stand out during the application process. It certainly won't be frowned upon if you can showcase how it's made you a more interesting applicant once you come around to applying to law firms.

Hope that helps, and best of luck whatever you decide!

 

[DisciplineTC2526]

Hiya @Lastseasonwonder

I've just looked at this and it seems the questions from the last cycle included the following:

• Please use this section to tell us about yourself, your skills, achievements and why you want to train as a solicitor and work at Ashurst. (750 words max)*
• Tell us in 250 words why you are applying to Ashurst and what you know about the firm. (250 words max)*
• In 250 words tell us what a commercial lawyer does. (250 words max) *

Please just bear in mind that their application form questions do tend to change slightly year on year. Nevertheless, this should give you a good flavour of what the questions will look like in the upcoming cycle.

Thanks so much for your help @Ram Sabaratnam !

 

[DisciplineTC2526]

I feel I am in a little bit of a pickle, but I can't be the only one, right? Does anyone else work full-time?

I am a few years since graduating and despite a few vac schemes, I have no TC offer. I am in a legal role now but it is not permanent and I have recently found myself worrying a lot about next steps.

Last cycle, I was quite burn out for multiple reasons and didn't apply to many, but I said to myself that I want to give applications a strong go this cycle and see what happens, but I'm not sure what job I will take up after my current one.

I have tried for paralegal roles at law firms, but they always want very specific experience in X practice area. And even then, would this be a good idea? Working long hours and little time to apply for TCs.

It feels very crushing doing such jobs because you know your heart is not fully in it (no progression) and you know what you want is a TC to progress your career. What should I do please? Should I apply for Master's degrees? Should I continue working full-time? I have spent so much time and energy since graduating thinking about this odd situation (honestly, there is nothing like being a law grad!) and even thought about alternative careers because of lack of progression and development. But I think I still want to do a TC and qualify as a lawyer.

Would really appreciate any advice, and if you are in a similar situation, feel free to DM me. Let's talk!

 

[ashwright]

Question for anyone who is subscribed to Watson's Daily - what device/browser/medium do you tend to read it on? I really want to subscribe, but when I used it on a trial basis, I found the UI on its app a bit hard to read/use. I'm not sure whether it's better to view it as an email, on the iPhone app or the website? It might just be a me-problem, so please lmk either way 😅

Similarly, I'd appreciate if anyone has had any experience with Finimize - the price is a bit prohibitive & I don't think I understood how to use it properly during the trial. If anyone thinks it's worth getting, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

 

[Future Trainee 2027 secured]

I feel I am in a little bit of a pickle, but I can't be the only one, right? Does anyone else work full-time?

I am a few years since graduating and despite a few vac schemes, I have no TC offer. I am in a legal role now but it is not permanent and I have recently found myself worrying a lot about next steps.

Last cycle, I was quite burn out for multiple reasons and didn't apply to many, but I said to myself that I want to give applications a strong go this cycle and see what happens, but I'm not sure what job I will take up after my current one.

I have tried for paralegal roles at law firms, but they always want very specific experience in X practice area. And even then, would this be a good idea? Working long hours and little time to apply for TCs.

It feels very crushing doing such jobs because you know your heart is not fully in it (no progression) and you know what you want is a TC to progress your career. What should I do please? Should I apply for Master's degrees? Should I continue working full-time? I have spent so much time and energy since graduating thinking about this odd situation (honestly, there is nothing like being a law grad!) and even thought about alternative careers because of lack of progression and development. But I think I still want to do a TC and qualify as a lawyer.

Would really appreciate any advice, and if you are in a similar situation, feel free to DM me. Let's talk!

So I don't know if this helps but I worked full time as a paralegal and have just secured a TC. Working as a Paralegal is a solid back up plan as whilst the pay is extremely low and it is long hours after two years you can qualify as an NQ you don't actually need a TC under the SQE regime. You just need to choose a solid firm that has a history of converting paralegals to NQs - i.e. AG, Macfarlanes etc.

 

[lawyersum]

Hiya @lawyersum

Really great question and this sounds like a fantastic opportunity. I also think there’s still a lot of confusion around how a master’s degree is viewed by law firms, and it’s worth addressing properly.

To be clear: doing a master’s won’t disadvantage you (and it won't automatically put you at an advantage either). There’s no stigma attached to it in the way that some candidates fear. What matters (as with most things in applications) is how you use the experience and how you present it.

From what you’ve described, it already sounds like you’re approaching the opportunity in the right way. You’ve got a solid academic and non-academic background, you’re funding it sensibly, and you’re drawn to a programme that offers more than just classroom learning, specifically, a startup and innovation culture that you’re keen to get involved in. That’s the kind of environment that can help you build commercial awareness in a much more practical, applied way than many law applicants ever get the chance to do. And if you’re able to reflect on that during interviews (e.g. what you learned, what you became involved in, how you collaborated, how you developed your understanding of business, etc.), then that’s highly valuable.

Personally, I came from a political science and economics background, and that deeper foundation gave me a lot to draw on in interviews. It helped me engage with commercial issues more confidently and link legal work to wider political and economic contexts. I was also able to pursue my masters degree on a full scholarship. I found that firms really valued my overall degree and the impact it had on my thinking, precisely because of the insight it allowed me to bring into the room.

Again, to be clear, you don’t need a master’s to get a TC. But if you’re doing it out of genuine interest, and you're not taking on significant debt to do so, it can be a great opportunity. It can help you develop in ways that allow you to stand out during the application process. It certainly won't be frowned upon if you can showcase how it's made you a more interesting applicant once you come around to applying to law firms.

Hope that helps, and best of luck whatever you decide!

Thanks so much Ram for giving this valuable perspective, it will really help my decision-making process. You've definitely given me a fresh (and more positive) view on what the masters could add to my profile. You're a legend!!

 

[trainee4u]

So I don't know if this helps but I worked full time as a paralegal and have just secured a TC. Working as a Paralegal is a solid back up plan as whilst the pay is extremely low and it is long hours after two years you can qualify as an NQ you don't actually need a TC under the SQE regime. You just need to choose a solid firm that has a history of converting paralegals to NQs - i.e. AG, Macfarlanes etc.

Getting a paralegal role can be tough too though.

 

[baj5]

hi everyone, I just got rejected by the firm I completed a vac scheme with this summer. I am waiting to get feedback which I will of course incorporate into my next cycle but do any of you have any advice? Whether it's on how to keep going or anything else at all, it would be appreciated!

 

[Boating]

Question for anyone who is subscribed to Watson's Daily - what device/browser/medium do you tend to read it on? I really want to subscribe, but when I used it on a trial basis, I found the UI on its app a bit hard to read/use. I'm not sure whether it's better to view it as an email, on the iPhone app or the website? It might just be a me-problem, so please lmk either way 😅

Similarly, I'd appreciate if anyone has had any experience with Finimize - the price is a bit prohibitive & I don't think I understood how to use it properly during the trial. If anyone thinks it's worth getting, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Watson daily on a laptop, and worth for like £5 or whatever it is.

Finimize not really worth it, unless your'e into investing which is what its good for (even then most the stories can be found on free publications, money stuff, etc....)