There are a lot of firms (including some big ones) that have direct TC applications only. So I wouldn’t worry too much. One thing tho is that you have to convince the recruiters that you’re truly committed to a legal career and this can be demonstrated by attending open days, volunteering in clinics, shadowing, taking their free online workshops, etc.
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TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26
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ZNadeem
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Hi! That’s a really impressive background! I’d say that unless you’ve already done vacation schemes, it would be better to focus on those first. Most firms recruit mainly through their schemes, so applying would put you in the strongest position. You could try aiming for summer schemes where you can use some saved-up annual leave.
That said, if attending a scheme truly isn’t possible, then absolutely go ahead and apply directly for TCs—you’ve got relevant experience that you can highlight.
Hi @ew0513,
It definitely sounds like you have a lot of interesting commercial experiences! They will have the potential to become a solid foundation for answering questions about your motivations for transitioning into commercial law, substantiating your interest in real estate as a practice area, and illuminating the skills and qualities you'll bring to the role.
To answer your question, you will definitely have a shot at securing a training contract through the direct TC route, but you will need to be purposeful about crafting really strong responses to such questions as 'Why commercial law?'
I also think that firms do expect a higher standard of understanding of the world of commercial law from direct TC applicants - this would include the type of work commercial lawyers in different practice areas do, the role of a trainee, and key differences of working for a commercial law firm as opposed to in-house, etc.
Finally, the disadvantage of applying only to direct TCs is that your pool of firms will be smaller, and you will face competition from vacation scheme participants, to whom the firm might give preference.
In short, it is definitely realistic to secure a TC this way. I wish you the best of luck in your applications!
Hey there, @ashwright!
I love your positive mindset and fighting spirit - keep it up!
When it comes to writing great work experience entries, I would recommend focusing on describing the specific things that you did in each of your roles - this is the one part of the application where you don’t need to link your actions to the firm! I would actually advise against it, as it would take away the valuable space that you can use to describe each of your experiences in more depth.
You also don’t really need to use STAR unless you choose to highlight a specific situation that happened to you within a particular work experience. In that case, you would use STAR to structure a sentence where you would be highlighting the skills that you gained from a specific event or situation.
Here are some of my other top tips for writing a good work experience section:
I hope this helps
- Use metrics to showcase your achievements. For example, if you had a hospitality position, how many customers did you serve per day? You want to make sure that you include metrics in each of your work experience entries.
- Details and specificity will make your application stand out. For example, if you worked as a research assistant, you would want to specify what specific research you completed - I’m talking actual names of regulations/ procedures/statutes!
- Use simple and precise language and pay attention to the length of your sentences. You want to make it easy for the recruiter who will be reading your entries to understand exactly what you did in every single role. A good test is to have someone who is not familiar with your professional experiences to read through your work experience entries and explain back to you how they understood each of your roles!
Thank you guys so, so much!! I really appreciate your responses - I will make sure to prioritise specificity and concision when writing my responses. It's really helpful to know that I don't need to explicitly state skills (e.g., doing task X means I am organised!); I can imagine that GR would find it boring & artificial after a while.
Thank you for your kindness & support!
Is it worth reapplying to Slaughter and May with one more vacation scheme, a rewritten cover letter, and an earlier submission date? For reference, I had three legal placements last I applied and submitted late Oct. Or do they just not like my profile (3.84/4.0 GPA from US uni and 66% masters from top UK uni )
ZNadeem
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Hi! It’s definitely worth reapplying — Slaughter and May allow it, and I know of people who were successful on their second attempt within the same cycle. With the added experience, a stronger cover letter, and an earlier submission, you’d be showing real progression.
I checked online and they moved their application opening date to next week
If anyone has started their CC application, could you please let me know what the question(s) is/are?
Hi @rosedunn
Based on previous cycles, Linklaters hires mostly from their vacation schemes but they do have a consistently healthy direct TC intake.
I would say that whether you apply for the DTC or the WVS should be based on your background. For example, if you have done a vacation scheme before, have legal work experience (e.g. as a paralegal or similar), and feel confident that you can show your skills through an assessment centre, then a Direct TC could be a good option. This could also be the better option if you work full-time / part-time and would struggle to get time off for a vacation scheme.
However, If you haven't had much legal exposure yet, the WVS would be really valuable experience as you would see how the firm works firsthand, do real legal tasks, build relationships in the firm, get feedback, and often have a better chance of converting it into a TC.
Ultimately, it depends on what works best for you! If you can make time for the WVS, I'd recommend applying for that route to experience the firm directly. However, if the DTC is more practical for you, there is definitely still a solid chance of success
Hi @Abbie Whitlock if I previously done the Get Ahead scheme with Linklaters and have years of paralegal experience, would be okay for me to apply for the DTC instead of the WVS or SVS? 
hi everyone, I just wanted to some guidance on law applications this year. I sound like newbie because I very much am. for context I am a non-law student going into my third year. do I apply for vacation schemes or direct training contracts? when does sqe begin/do I need to factor that in when training contracts state they begin 2027 or 2028? I get so confused with the dates. sorry if I sound stupid, the entire thing is really stressful and I don't know where to begin or what to do.
also does slaughter and may and cc not have vacation schemes? am I eligible for all training contracts now? is there a general thing people know about certain firms and their VS and TC's when it comes to non-law and law students? do these firms always pay for my sqe and give me a law uni spot, is the sqe a full year programme of which if I pass I start the TC in 2027?
any clarification would be so helpful
also does slaughter and may and cc not have vacation schemes? am I eligible for all training contracts now? is there a general thing people know about certain firms and their VS and TC's when it comes to non-law and law students? do these firms always pay for my sqe and give me a law uni spot, is the sqe a full year programme of which if I pass I start the TC in 2027?
any clarification would be so helpful
Hi @JasmineM9 !Hi @Abbie Whitlock if I previously done the Get Ahead scheme with Linklaters and have years of paralegal experience, would be okay for me to apply for the DTC instead of the WVS or SVS?
It's great that you've already got the Get Ahead scheme and solid paralegal experience - that gives you a really strong foundation whichever route you choose. For context, I secured my TC through the Direct TC route at my firm after a year as a paralegal and completing a few vacation schemes, so I'd say it's definitely possible with your background.
When applying for the DTC route, it's important to be able to confidently draw on your past experiences and show how they demonstrate the skills and attributes that Linklaters will be looking for at the assessment centre. You'll likely have to complete a range of assessments at the AC as well (e.g. written tasks, group exercises, and case study interviews), so it's worth making sure that you feel confident with these - especially as DTC assessment centres can be more competitive.
The vacation scheme is really useful if you'd like to learn more about the firm and gain first-hand experience, but if the DTC fits better for you, I'd say go for it!
Thank you so much @Abbie WhitlockHi @JasmineM9 !
It's great that you've already got the Get Ahead scheme and solid paralegal experience - that gives you a really strong foundation whichever route you choose. For context, I secured my TC through the Direct TC route at my firm after a year as a paralegal and completing a few vacation schemes, so I'd say it's definitely possible with your background.
When applying for the DTC route, it's important to be able to confidently draw on your past experiences and show how they demonstrate the skills and attributes that Linklaters will be looking for at the assessment centre. You'll likely have to complete a range of assessments at the AC as well (e.g. written tasks, group exercises, and case study interviews), so it's worth making sure that you feel confident with these - especially as DTC assessment centres can be more competitive.
The vacation scheme is really useful if you'd like to learn more about the firm and gain first-hand experience, but if the DTC fits better for you, I'd say go for it!
Hi @annalise.joyn !
Welcome to the forum! First of all, don't worry - you definitely do not sound stupid! Everyone finds this process confusing at the start, especially as there are so many factors to take into consideration.
As a non-law student going into your third year, I would focus on applying for Vacation Schemes (VS). This will give you the opportunity to experience different areas of law and gain some legal experience, whilst learning more about the specific firm! I would say that Direct TC applications are more suitable for candidates who already have legal experience, or who are unable to complete Vacation Schemes.
Key Dates & The SQE
As a non-law student, you will need to do the PDGL (the law conversion course) before the SQE. This is typically why TC start dates are so far out (2027/2028). A typical timeline would look like this:
- 2026 - 2027: Following graduation, you will do the PDGL (the 1-year law conversion course)
- 2027 - 2028: You'll do the SQE preparation course and exams (the 1-year course, consisting of SQE1 and SQE2)
- 2028 onwards: You are able to start a TC from September 2028 onwards
Yes, most city firms will pay for your PGDL and your SQE fees. Additionally, most firms will also give you a maintenance grant to live on during that time as well. If you have a look at the 'The Firms Most List' on Legal Cheek, this should give you a rough idea of each firm's policy in relation to course fees / maintenance.
Specific Firms
To answer your queries in relation to Clifford Chance and Slaughter and May:
- Clifford Chance (CC): They do not have a traditional vacation scheme, as the SPARK programme is only open to first-year law students (three-year degree), second-year law students (four-year degree), and penultimate year non-law students. Therefore, if you are interested in applying for Clifford Chance, this would be through their Direct TC route.
- Slaughter and May: From what I can see on their website, as a final year student, you would only be eligible to apply for their Direct TC route. However, they offer Virtual Insight Afternoons for final year students and graduates, which would be a great way of gaining some insight into the firm without the traditional Vacation Scheme. Crucially, if you are a non-law student, you can apply for a training contract in the autumn of your final year or as a graduate.
Starting Point
As a starting point, I would do some research into firms and practice areas / sectors that you think you might be interested in and make a list of your top choices and their key deadlines. This could focus on Vacation Schemes and Open Days, as they will give you the best insight into each individual firm.
In preparation for making applications, I would see if you can get some legal extracurricular experience (such as in your university's Law Society) and work on your commercial awareness. This sounds like a big task (and something I struggled with a lot at first), but something as small as following the news, listening to podcasts such as The FT News Briefing, and reading resources on TCLA can really help build the foundational knowledge that will help you be successful in applications.
As a non-law student, you are in a great position as firms love diverse degree backgrounds. It's typically quite an even split between law and non-law graduates in intake years. The process between the two is nearly identical - you will just need to complete the PGDL as well.
I hope that all makes sense! This process is definitely a lot to wrap your head around when you start, so don't feel silly about asking any questions as everyone on the forum is more than happy to help. If you need me to clarify / expand on something, just shout!
Has anybody else applied for Gibson Dunn's Direct TC? Not sure how different the assessment process and timeline are from the summer vacation schemes.
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