TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[Jessica Pearson]

What does PFO mean?

It basically means a rejection (please f*ck off).

 

[baj5]

when did you apply?

Wednesday!

 

[1136PX0]

Does anyone have any advice on approaching this CMS question?

"What impact do you want to make at CMS?"

 

[i-want-a-tc]

First of all, Congrats! Would you mind giving a bit of info on your background for example overall grade, RG, non-RG. I understand if you don't wish to share. I achieved similar scores but have not received yet a VI that's why I was wondering. Thank you

of course. I went to non RG uni, I got 2.1 with majority of my grades 2.1 and above. I also did the test last year and passed but I failed at the video interview stage. Last year my results were a lot higher so I don't know if that changed anything for me. Hope this helps!

 

[A worried paralegal]

I got an AC invite today

When did you apply as I did my Job Sim a few weeks back and have heard nothing

 

[SBD total 1000lbs (and an applicant)]

Congrats on making it to the AC! That is amazing. Please may I ask when you completed the simulate assessment?

i did it on the 7th september, applied on the 25th of august

 

[A worried paralegal]

Hogan Lovells REAHL open day invite and Davis, Polk & Wardwell open day waitlist! ​

I got on the DP waitlist too. Did you hear anything?

 

[i-want-a-tc]

But isn't that stage 2?

stage 1 does not have video interview but stage 2 does

 

[a0]

When did you apply as I did my Job Sim a few weeks back and have heard nothing

Almost a month ago, September 13th

 

[A worried paralegal]

Almost a month ago, September 13th

I did mine before then, interesting

 

[sooae]

DLA Piper summer internship PFO

Hey! Sorry to hear. May i ask when you applied

 

[Deleted member 41929]

I did mine before then, interesting

Same! And didn’t hear anything this week.

 

[e_turbo2]

are the CMS apps only for TC? I am not able to find the apps for VS on their website??

 

[whywhy88]

Just did HL's first test and I feel like I need a nap why is it so long??

 

[Dannie]

Which law firms other than Gibson Dunn, Slaughter, CC, Cleary, and Davis Polk are coverletter-based?

 

[berocca567]

Which law firms other than Gibson Dunn, Slaughter, CC, Cleary, and Davis Polk are coverletter-based?

CC are cover letter??

 

[summersun]

Hi
I have a short presentation to prepare for an interview (I don't know the details of the topic yet). I was wondering if anyone had some advice as this is my first time doing this type of assessment.

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

hey guys, quick question about the White and Case VS app: there seems to be no space for submitting individual module grades, except in the postgraduate section? It says "
Please use the space below to list all your individual modules and the percentage or letter grades you achieved in each." but in the postgrad section?
Anyone else encounter this?

Hello!

I've just had a look at the White & Case Application Form, and as there is a separate section for including your overall grade for each year, it seems that you do not need to list individual module grades for your undergraduate degree.

If you are still unsure of whether these should be included somewhere, it might be worth emailing the graduate recruitment team as I'm sure they'd be happy to confirm

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Thanks Harvey, and also wanted to seek advice from everyone here. For ease of ref, here is the question:

If someone were to read your story so far, what would make them think, ‘This person belongs at Macfarlanes’? (Max 300 words)

I will approach it with explaining how my competencies, skills, and interests in the practice areas they excel in align with them. However one thing I struggle with is that unlike some other firms, they don't list on the website any specific skills / competencies they look for, like Hogan Lovells. Does anyone have any insights into what makes them unique in terms of their culture, working styles, or anything beyond their practice areas?

Hi!

Great question - I've wondered the same thing before, as it can be tricky to get a clear sense of what they value from things listed online!

A lot of insight can come from how they describe themselves and what trainees say. It might be worth:

• Checking out the Macfarlanes graduate site, especially the "Training Programme" section - this gives a good feel for their emphasis on quality, responsibility, and teamwork
• Their "Meet Our People" profiles are great for seeing how current staff talk about the culture - the common themes are independence, approachability, and variety of work
• The Chambers Student and Legal Cheek profiles are also very helpful - for Macfarlanes, they mention a mix of a "collegiate, small-firm feel" with "City-level work"
• If you want to dig a big deeper, you could have a look at Macfarlanes' annual review and responsible business report (on their website) which can give a sense of their values and long-term mindset.

From my quick browse at that information, a few traits seem to come up, such as independence of thought, intellectual rigour, and curiosity. It would be worth having a look yourself and finding ones that relate to your own values and experiences

When you write your answer, you can connect your story to those - show how your experiences reflect curiosity and independence, or other relevant traits you find!

I hope that helps, and best of luck with the application

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

hi, i just wanted some advice, i recently was lucky enough to be invited to an AC for macfarlanes. I am just looking for some advice on what to do and how to prepare from now, its in about a months time. on the email they mentioned that the day will include a group negotiation exercise, a written exercise, and a competency and case study interview. I am fairly confident on preparing for the competency interview, and the group negotiation exercise sounds similar to things I have done at uni, but how would I best prepare for these elements?

Hello!

Huge congratulations on getting an invite to the Macfarlanes AC - that's a fantastic achievement!!

It sounds like you've already got a good handle on the competency interview, which is great! For the group negotiation, I'd recommend practicing staying calm and structured under pressure - try to balance contributing your ideas confidently while also showing that you can listen, build on others' points, and bring the group towards a practical consensus. Sometimes they are mainly assessing how you work well with others in the team, so I would focus on remaining professional at all times and working with the rest of your group. One thing that always used to help me was to summarise what had already been agreed at points throughout the negotiation - this shows that you are ensuring everyone is on the same page, and that you have been listening!

For the written exercise, it's usually about clear and logical communication under time pressure. If you can, I'd have a go at practising summarising complex information into concise recommendations - think about structuring your writing and being clear on what your rationale is. Structure was always really vital for me - it might be beneficial for you to have a read on the formatting of various types of documents (e.g. report, memo, client email, client letter, etc) to have an idea of what they will be expecting. Additionally, reading a few business case summaries can help you get into that concise and professional writing style.

For the case study interview, I would try to practice analysing unfamiliar information quickly. It might be worth reading through all of the documents first, and then going back to look at the fine details and identify the issues / opportunities. I would try and use a set framework to help you structure your thinking out loud - for example, what's the problem, what information do you have, what do you need, and what's your recommendation? You may be challenged on your thoughts, and remember to try and stay calm - show your thought process, and be open to changing your mind if they introduce a point you hadn't thought of.

Finally, I would also give yourself some time to do some more research into the firm. I know that it can feel like no amount of research will be enough, but I would try and bring your own perspective to discussions and show how you are a great fit for the firm!

Good luck! You've got plenty of time to prepare, and it sounds like you're approaching it in exactly the right way. I'm sure you'll smash it