-
Join Premium →Get Everything You Need to Secure a Training ContractNow half the price. Join TCLA Premium for £30/month and get step-by-step application support, daily commercial awareness practice, and 700+ successful examples of past applications and interview experiences. Plus so much more.
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26
- Thread starter Ram Sabaratnam
- Start date
Yeah same, the website has been so glitchy the past few weeks.
Also not sure if the event is being held on a system backed by AWS but they have outages impacting a bunch of cloud services.
Hi!
I totally understand how you feel - the SJTs can be super frustrating and don't always reflect how you actually work or think in real situations.
From what I've seen, firms such as Reed Smith and Mayer Brown tend to look at the process holistically rather than rejecting people just for lower SJT scores. The VI will carry real weight, especially if your verbal and numerical went well too! For my Reed Smith SJT, I scored 6766, mid verbal intellectual and high numerical intellect.
Cappfinity scoring can feel a bit unpredictable, so try not to read too much into one section. You've still got a chance - and it sounds like you performed strongly, so don't give up hope yet!
Hey!
I haven't previously competed in the Aspiring Solicitors competition, however, I did compete in BIUCAC last year so I have included some of my general tips for preparing for commercial awareness competitions below. Some of the advice relates to later stages in the competition, but I hope they assist! Best of luck with the quarter final interview
Know your content inside and out
Don’t just memorise terms or concepts - make sure you truly understand them and how they apply to law firms and businesses. Read the news daily in whatever format suits you best (for me, this was a mix of the Financial Times, LittleLaw, and BBC News). Highlight any sectors or topics you’re particularly unsure about and read about them in detail in advance. Before the competition, ensure you can confidently explain key concepts and how they would apply to a business setting, as they may ask you follow-up questions. It might be worth having your friends quiz you!
Master the basics
A strong grasp of the fundamentals is essential. I found it helpful to use Investopedia and the Finimize glossary to review terms I wasn’t confident in. Whenever I came across an unfamiliar word, I’d note it down and revisit it later to make sure it stuck. Focus on understanding core concepts such as bonds, equity, securitisation, and derivatives - and keep an eye on topical versions of these (for example, green bonds came up in BIUCAC!).
Understand law firms as businesses
Commercial awareness in the legal context isn’t just about knowing the news - it’s about understanding how law firms operate and how they bring value to clients. I’d make sure you understand:
- How law firms make money and attract clients, and
- The business climate and challenges faced by their clients
When reading a commercial news story, I always found it helpful to think about where a law firm might be instructed and which practice areas would be involved. This dual perspective shows that you understand both the legal and commercial dimensions.
Stay up to date
Make sure you are engaging with the news regularly - ideally daily. If reading articles isn’t your style, you could try podcasts such as FT News Briefing, BBC Business Daily, or Watson’s Daily for quick, accessible updates. You don’t need to know everything, but aim for a broad understanding across industries (unless you are told the focus in advance).
Have a go
If you’re unsure about a question, don’t panic - give it a go! It’s better to say something like “I’m not entirely sure, but here’s how I’d approach it…” and then explain your reasoning and thought process. This shows confidence and analytical thinking, which is often valued quite highly.
Additionally, if an assessor challenges your opinion, don’t immediately change your mind. Talk them through your thought process and how you arrived at your conclusion, and if they do bring up a point you had not considered, be open to altering your answer then.
Analyse articles and sectors effectively
If you’re given an article or sector in advance, ask yourself:
- Why is this happening?
- Why does it matter?
- What does this mean for law firms and their clients?
Group Tasks
If you are assigned a group task, I would remember that often they are not only assessing your legal knowledge, but also how you work with others. It can feel very tempting in such a high-pressure environment to speak as much as you can; however, I would aim to be neither the quietest nor the loudest in the room! Try to build on your teammates' ideas and encourage them to share their opinions on topics you have brought up. I would also try to summarise ideas as you go along, which shows that you are listening and can help track progress.
One thing that especially helped when I was competing was to play to each team member's strengths. For example, we had to complete a negotiation, and this involved drafting the heads of terms and negotiating them with another team. As a team, we divided this up to our strengths - for example, I led the drafting, one team member led the research, and the other team member had experience negotiating, so he gave us advice on best practices. This was the best use of our time, and it meant that every team member was contributing in some way.
Hi!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
for the W&C question, does it have to be a deal (in the transactional sense like m&a, debt finance etc)? or could it be a sovereign restructuring case? the latter isn't necessarily a deal so I'm not sure if that could work
Hi!
It won't necessarily put you in a negative spot - it is definitely advantageous to apply earlier in the application window, but the most important thing is that you submit a strong and tailored application. If you feel that you can do that by the deadline, I would encourage you to apply.
However, if you feel you would benefit from some extra-time to refine your application (and the opportunity to apply earlier in the window), it might be worth waiting for the spring or summer scheme
Hi guys! Lots of people asked me about the Macfarlanes Simulate assessment, and while I will not breach the intregity guidelines issued, I can give you guys some general advice.
1. If you enjoy problem-solving, this is a great assessment for you! I personally found it quite challenging but quite exciting and rewarding, so you should just go in with your thinking caps on.
2. Be sure to have your commercial awareness READY, get used to using commercial and analytical jargon in your every day life, it WILL really help you.
3. This assessment is AI proof, so if you're trying, don't even. You should not anyway, but seriously don't.
4. This assessment is a great opportunity for you guys to re-evaluate whether commercial law is for you or not, more than the other assessments I've done. So do try to absorb as much as possible from it and come to your own conclusions.
That's basically it! Be proud that you made it to this stage (that's what I'm trying to do, I don't think my assessment went particularly well) But it did motivate me to continue applying!
1. If you enjoy problem-solving, this is a great assessment for you! I personally found it quite challenging but quite exciting and rewarding, so you should just go in with your thinking caps on.
2. Be sure to have your commercial awareness READY, get used to using commercial and analytical jargon in your every day life, it WILL really help you.
3. This assessment is AI proof, so if you're trying, don't even. You should not anyway, but seriously don't.
4. This assessment is a great opportunity for you guys to re-evaluate whether commercial law is for you or not, more than the other assessments I've done. So do try to absorb as much as possible from it and come to your own conclusions.
That's basically it! Be proud that you made it to this stage (that's what I'm trying to do, I don't think my assessment went particularly well
) But it did motivate me to continue applying! Hey! I haven’t heard back yet - would you mind sharing your assessment feedback?
Hello!
In this context, "deal" usually refers to transactional work, so things like M&A, private equity, project finance, or capital markets (e.g. IPOs). Those are typically the types of matters that firms highlight as "deals" on their website. Areas such as litigation and arbitration usually won't fall under "deals", since those are contention matters rather than transactions.
That said, a sovereign restructuring could still work if you frame it well. It might not be a "deal" in the strict sense, but it does involve complex negotiations, strategic considerations, and cross-border coordination - all of which align with White & Case's strengths. The key is showing that you understand the commercial and strategic elements of the matter, not just the legal side.
CappFinity test - so SJT + Critical Thinking.
On this, with CappFinity, have people found the critical thinking part a bit samey? Or is that just me?
Bird & Bird Trainee Solicitor Open Day pfo. Worded like a proper app rejection so that one hit a nerve 🙈 I’m hoping it was due to applying on the deadline
Just to say I did their Vac Scheme after getting rejected for their open day, so it’s still worth applying!
Do their Forage scheme instead!
I got a rejection but it wasn't clear if it was for the OD or the VS. I'm guessing both in my case, as it doesn't expressly say.
Oh that’s frustrating. Did you/could you apply for both on the same form? Wonder if it’s worth checking with GR
Similar threads
- Sticky
