TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[Amgrad]

I saw someone receive an open day invite ages ago

Really For October? I guess it was September lol.

I didn't apply to their open day, only VS but i've heard last year was quick, they came back in the promised timeline, within couple of weeks.

Maybe for this cycle is couple of weeks of business days? Then it should be Wed/Thu this week.

I came across their LinkedIn post the deadline, they were busy creating reels and new dedicated page for European office. Wondering it has resulted in slow respond.

 

[msclm]

Really For October? I guess it was September lol.

I didn't apply to their open day, only VS but i've heard last year was quick, they came back in the promised timeline, within couple of weeks.

Maybe for this cycle is couple of weeks of business days? Then it should be Wed/Thu this week.

I came across their LinkedIn post the deadline, they were busy creating reels and new dedicated page for European office. Wondering it has resulted in slow respond.

From what I understand from last years process, invites to interview and rejections were sent out 2 weeks after apps closed

 

[User2640]

For app forms that include only a Work Experiece / Work History section, do I have to tailor the description of each work experience to the specific firm? Or they will assess the why firm question on the vi stage and we don't have to include these in the Work Experience section. Additionally, is there any general tips for writing the Work Experience section? Beyond skills, what else should I include, and how should I structure it under different word limits (250 words vs 50 words)? Any advice would truly be much appreciated!!

 

[Bread]

Really For October? I guess it was September lol.

I didn't apply to their open day, only VS but i've heard last year was quick, they came back in the promised timeline, within couple of weeks.

Maybe for this cycle is couple of weeks of business days? Then it should be Wed/Thu this week.

I came across their LinkedIn post the deadline, they were busy creating reels and new dedicated page for European office. Wondering it has resulted in slow respond.

It might have been October, deffo was not September
I think the fact that they’ve removed SJT might mean they’ll take longer to shortlist people to interview for VS

 

[Amgrad]

From what I understand from last years process, invites to interview and rejections were sent out 2 weeks after apps closed

Yep, that was I meant, now it's already 2 weeks after the deadline, it should be last night, fingers crossed!

 

[msclm]

Yep, that was I meant, now it's already 2 weeks after the deadline, it should be last night, fingers crossed!

I’d imagine it might be slightly delayed this year bcus there is no additional test between application and interview! Grad team will have to narrow it down themselves. Hope we hear back end of this week, as I’d imagine things need to get moving soon.

 

[htrizzy100]

Is anyone else having a problem with freshfields app - it only lets me input 3 classes per year in the education section??

 

[Amgrad]

I’d imagine it might be slightly delayed this year bcus there is no additional test between application and interview! Grad team will have to narrow it down themselves. Hope we hear back end of this week, as I’d imagine things need to get moving soon.

Wew. I do agree. They don't get used to it to screen candidates without test or VI like Sidley. I appreciate their turns as transitioning to simplify the recruitment process is not that easy, especially when most firms doing the other way around.

 

[Andrei Radu]

Hi everyone, I have a quick question about the Hogan Lovells application, if anyone is able to help @Andrei Radu . When they ask “Tell us about experiences outside of your work and study that have allowed you to develop skills relevant to this role,” can I mention previous work experiences like vacation schemes or legal/non-legal internships that are outside my degree?

Unfortunately since the firm specifies "outside of your work", any paid positions will be automatically excluded from the scope of the question. As such, I would advise you not to include any vacation schemes or paid internships. Even unpaid internships would be in a somewhat of a grey area, as some recruiters may interpret any role in the context of a workplace as constituting work experience. To be on the safe side, I would likely only include extracurricular activities and hobbies here.

 

[nonlawstudent98]

Does the White & Case cappfinity test include any video responses?

 

[Amgrad]

Happy Monday!

Just to add to the above (which are all topics I would look over!), I would also have a look at a few broader areas such as:

• Interest rates and inflation: how the Bank of England's recent decisions are affecting businesses, investments, and consumer spending.
• Energy transition & ESG: the shift towards renewables, how firms are adapting to net zero targets, and the regulatory / compliance side.
• Geopolitical risks: especially UK-China and UK-US trade dynamics, and how ongoing conflicts (Ukraine, Middle East) impact global markets.
• M&A and Private Equity trends: who's buying what, and how deal volumes are recovering post-interest rate hikes.
• Sector-specific news: I would have a look and focus on industries that the firm you are interviewing at specialises in, and read about up-to-date topics in those sectors!

Don't worry about knowing everything - it's more about being able to discuss a few topics in depth and link them back to the legal / commercial implications. I would make sure that you have a rough idea of the main commercial factors that are affecting the specific firm's clients, as this shows that you have tailored your commercial research to the firm.

Best of luck with your interview!

I'd add UK's recent HNWI reforms as well, where affluents global net worth are taking account into UK tax systems. Dovetailing to educational tax for elite schools and stricter investment/asset policy for anti laundering practice.

 

[Andrei Radu]

For app forms that include only a Work Experiece / Work History section, do I have to tailor the description of each work experience to the specific firm? Or they will assess the why firm question on the vi stage and we don't have to include these in the Work Experience section. Additionally, is there any general tips for writing the Work Experience section? Beyond skills, what else should I include, and how should I structure it under different word limits (250 words vs 50 words)? Any advice would truly be much appreciated!!

Hi @User2640 for the first question, I do not think you need to tailor each work experience to the specific firm. If the firm wanted a "why the firm" answer, they would have asked that in the application form. The fact that this question was not included at this stage reflects the firm's conscious decision to assess you on different criteria. As such, I would just focus on having well-written descriptions of your work, and only draw links to the specific law firm if there is a clear and very direct point of connection - i.e. say if you have completed some corporate M&A related work experience and are applying to Skadden, it could make sense to have a short concluding remark that the experience confirmed your interest in this practice area and thus motivated your application to the firm (which is know as a global market leader in the field).

As for general tips for writing the work experience section, for dealing with different word count limit, and what to include beyond skills, I would say the following:

• If you have a very restrictive word count limit, focus on what were exactly your tasks and how you went about completing them. Importantly, the focus should be on what you did as an individual, rather than on what the team you were part of did.
• If you have more space, describe your work experience using a full STAR structure, providing more context as to how you ended up in the respective role in the first place, background to your tasks and how they fitted in with the team's broader work, and details of any concrete results and feedback you received. Nonetheless, you should still ensure you write in a very concise, structured, and to-the-point manner, as recruiters will still assess your writing skills and penalise you if they find it verbose.
• Beyond skills, you can draw links to practicer area/sector interests and also to any connections to a broader interest in commercial law. That said, such links should be drawn sparingly (to avoid seeming like you are answering a different question than the one you were in fact asked) and only when the connection is clear and direct.

 

[mhjl]

Is Mishcon rejection from in-person Open Day but invite to virtual a polite PFO?

 

[johnsmith]

Is Mishcon rejection from in-person Open Day but invite to virtual a polite PFO?

I read it as such! But will gauge on the day based on the numbers that attend - I also wonder logistically whether there is just a cap on how much they was to refund travel costs. Those further from London are quite cost prohibitive for them.

 

[Bbhu19]

Hi if anyone has any insight into Hogan Lovells Job Sim please let me know kindly!

Hey could I ask if you received it today?

 

[applicant3000]

Does anyone have insight on what's included in the second Macfarlanes assessment? Would really appreciate any advice because the description is quite vague!!

 

[Andrei Radu]

Does it matter if you go above the recommended prep time in a VI interview? And number of takes? Is it likely to count against you?

To add to @Abbie Whitlock's great answer, from what I know unless the firm limits the number of takes or tells you about a recommended limit to the number of takes, it will not be a very important factor in their decision-making process.

 

[an03]

Any news from HSF?

 

[User2640]

Hi @User2640 for the first question, I do not think you need to tailor each work experience to the specific firm. If the firm wanted a "why the firm" answer, they would have asked that in the application form. The fact that this question was not included at this stage reflects the firm's conscious decision to assess you on different criteria. As such, I would just focus on having well-written descriptions of your work, and only draw links to the specific law firm if there is a clear and very direct point of connection - i.e. say if you have completed some corporate M&A related work experience and are applying to Skadden, it could make sense to have a short concluding remark that the experience confirmed your interest in this practice area and thus motivated your application to the firm (which is know as a global market leader in the field).

As for general tips for writing the work experience section, for dealing with different word count limit, and what to include beyond skills, I would say the following:

• If you have a very restrictive word count limit, focus on what were exactly your tasks and how you went about completing them. Importantly, the focus should be on what you did as an individual, rather than on what the team you were part of did.
• If you have more space, describe your work experience using a full STAR structure, providing more context as to how you ended up in the respective role in the first place, background to your tasks and how they fitted in with the team's broader work, and details of any concrete results and feedback you received. Nonetheless, you should still ensure you write in a very concise, structured, and to-the-point manner, as recruiters will still assess your writing skills and penalise you if they find it verbose.
• Beyond skills, you can draw links to practicer area/sector interests and also to any connections to a broader interest in commercial law. That said, such links should be drawn sparingly (to avoid seeming like you are answering a different question than the one you were in fact asked) and only when the connection is clear and direct.

Thank you so much for your detailed advice which is very helpful!

 

[tjeya26]

Unfortunately since the firm specifies "outside of your work", any paid positions will be automatically excluded from the scope of the question. As such, I would advise you not to include any vacation schemes or paid internships. Even unpaid internships would be in a somewhat of a grey area, as some recruiters may interpret any role in the context of a workplace as constituting work experience. To be on the safe side, I would likely only include extracurricular activities and hobbies here.

Thank you so much Andrei. To double check, do you think this also excludes part-time work in retail and a research internship that was separate to the requirements of my STEM degree?