TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[Andrei Radu]

@Abbie Whitlock Hello, I wanted to ask for competency questions (VI), about handling feedback, I wanted to mention how I got 30% (failed) my module formative to then getting best in year - would this be alright to talk about, or would it look bad that I failed? Should I mention something else instead?

Also, is it appropriate to mention things from my A Level time (I just graduated) or is this too old (I was going to mention changing A Level subjects and mitigating circumstances)

Thank you

Just jumping in, I think the story of how you got from a fail mark in a formative to the best mark in the year in the summative is an amazing example of handling feedback well and I would highly recommend making use of it. I would definitely not be concerned with looking bad because you got a fail mark.

First of all, the entire purpose of the question is to showcase how you improve as a result of negative feedback - which requires you to mention something you had struggled with. This is because law firms are not looking for perfect "finished products" candidates; they are looking for people who demonstrate exceptional willingness and capacity to learn when given the right support, as they are the ones who will get the most out of a TC and become great practitioners. Secondly, even if there had been any downside to you mentioning the fail formative grade, it is completely outweighed by how impressive the achievement of getting the highest grade in the year is.

Finally, I think that while it is not ideal, it is certainly not prohibited to mention experiences that date back a few years, such as A-levels. Nonetheless, before mentioning that, I would firstly look to fill the answer time with a more in depth presentation of relevant recent experiences.

 

[Annabellekoll]

Hogan second test invite. Applied few days before deadline. Anyone know if they actually review the application before sending this test?

Congrats! Is this for WVS or SVS?

 

[Afuturetrainee]

I’m thinking it must be selective as I’ve only had the SJT so far.

Mine took two weeks to arrive so you may still get an invitation

 

[bh.sa]

Went to their open day and they said they only read after second test, and use that in conjunction with written application to decide AC slots.

Second test is automatic if you reach benchmark on the first.

I'm a campus ambassador for HL and on the induction day, they said the application and the 1st assessment (online immersive assessment) is stage 1. This needs to be passed to get to stage 2 (online job simulation). They did also mention, however, that they take a holistic evaluation, which may be what you're referring to?

 

[flower1]

Just jumping in, I think the story of how you got from a fail mark in a formative to the best mark in the year in the summative is an amazing example of handling feedback well and I would highly recommend making use of it. I would definitely not be concerned with looking bad because you got a fail mark.

First of all, the entire purpose of the question is to showcase how you improve as a result of negative feedback - which requires you to mention something you had struggled with. This is because law firms are not looking for perfect "finished products" candidates; they are looking for people who demonstrate exceptional willingness and capacity to learn when given the right support, as they are the ones who will get the most out of a TC and become great practitioners. Secondly, even if there had been any downside to you mentioning the fail formative grade, it is completely outweighed by how impressive the achievement of getting the highest grade in the year is.

Finally, I think that while it is not ideal, it is certainly not prohibited to mention experiences that date back a few years, such as A-levels. Nonetheless, before mentioning that, I would firstly look to fill the answer time with a more in depth presentation of relevant recent experiences.

Thank you for your response - very helpful

 

[TheLegalEdit]

Anyone attended Linklaters WVS AC today ? General insights will be helpful. How brutal or easy was it ?💀

How do you know it was on that day?

 

[bh.sa]

Do you mind sharing where you found this information? Thank you

They mentioned this at the HL campus ambassador induction day!

 

[jacobn04]

Wow congrats! Did you they call you at 9-ish pm or you were just telling us now haha

They called me about 5pm. Was a partner calling me directly which was cool!

 

[SS21]

I know what you mean. Tbh I think they might do semi rolling like Bakers do but I still think if you are rolling just state it as we are prioritising rolling apps. I spoke to them twice about this by email and at an event this cycle. Both occasions they said they are not rolling.

It is frustrating but I will try clarify this on my discovery day maybe third time accurate 😂

I think DLA is rolling because I've seen people post about doing the WG. Last year their WG was not automatic so if it's the same this year then they're actively screening and progressing apps

 

[Andrei Radu]

Hi @Andrei Radu and @Abbie Whitlock,

I was wondering how you would go about answering a question like "What are 3 challenges and 3 opportunities that you believe the legal industry is likely to face in coming years?"

I have answered this question in the past multiple times but was just looking for some non-generic input in case it shows up again.

Hi @confusedbird first of all, I think my approach would be to try to identify three key themes I can discuss both from the perspective of a challenge and from the perspective of an opportunity, since (i) the same situation can often be both a challenge and (if one responds to it the right way) an opportunity; and (ii) a 6-point discussion of separate challenges and opportunities may feel too segmented and may disable you from analysing them in detail.

Secondly, I think what is crucial to make your answer less generic will not depend on the topics you choose to discuss, but on how you go about discussing said topics. At the end of the day, there are a limited number of broad topic that represent clear challenges/opportunities for the legal sector as a whole, so it is hard to see what you may find to make your answer unique here. However, you can analyse the same topic from many different perspectives and defend many plausible views - this is where I think creativity and independent thought will play a bigger role.

For instance, the increasing emphasis large companies and financial institutions place on firms having strong practices in both London and New York is both a challenge - as it disadvantages many firms who do not have such established presences - and an opportunity - as the firms who can establish themselves as transatlantic players will likely be able to win market share. When discussing this topic, you can consider a wide variety of talking points when deciding on the view you want to present:

• The financial costs of establishing a strong presence in these jurisdictions: London and New York are widely known to be the two most profitable legal markets in the world; as such, hiring leading partners and top associates in such places will involve huge upfront investments (for instance, Paul, Weiss is known to have invested over $200 million in London). Such investments will generally diminish profit pools and may make existing partners unhappy, which is a significant issue in a very competitive market for partner talent.
• Difficulties in integration: to hop on this trend, firms need to make many lateral hires from different firms, which can be problematic in that (i) they upset current power dynamics in the firm and cause political rifts; and (ii) they may simply take a while before they are fully integrated and can function together as a cohesive team, as the different firms they would have come from would have all done things in slightly different ways.
• Pace of expansion: you may contrast the different strategies of pursuing gradual growth, such as Kirkland and Latham did in both financial centres over the last two decades, or huge investments in short periods, such as Paul, Weiss and Sidley Austin recently did in London and such as Freshfields is currently doing in New York.
• Mergers: you could also explore how this trend ties into an increasing number of transatlantic mergers, such as A&O Shearman and HSFK; and whether this is something other UK and US players may seek;
• International office closures: you can look at how the increasing centralisation of high-end cross-border mandates in New York and London has led to a decreasing importance and comparative profitability of offices in other jurisdictions, which has led to firms like A&O Shearman closing shop in multiple jurisdictions.
• Practice area/sector spread strategy: you can also look at how this is largely a private capital-driven trend, but how different firms are implementing different strategies - some have a pinpointed focus on PE work, some aim for a more full service offering, others have a more niche-expertise and sector driven approach; some aim to service the needs of mainly existing clients, others aim to aggressively expand books etc.

 

[WeGotThis!]

Hogan second test invite. Applied few days before deadline. Anyone know if they actually review the application before sending this test?

Fantastic and good luck to you!🎉

When did you complete the first test?

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Hello Reed Smith">@Abbie - Reed Smith , I hope you're doing well! I was wondering how to answer this question in an interview - Two managers give you important tasks that are both due at the same time. How would you handle this situation?/ The partner asks you to take on more work when you’re already at capacity.

Hi!

I am well, thank you - I hope you are too!

When you get a scenario like this in an interview, the best approach is to show that you can prioritise, communicate, and stay professional under pressure. A clear structure could be:

1. Acknowledge that you’d assess the situation - what factors would you take into account (e.g. complexity, deadlines, etc.) and what method is likely to have the most impact in resolving the conflicting deadlines
2. Communicate - explain that you’d speak with the supervisor to clarify priorities and manage expectations
3. Problem-solve - show that you’d suggest practical ways to handle the workload (e.g. adjusting the deadline, seeking support, or reorganising tasks)
4. Reflect - emphasise what you would take away and learn from the situation in order to improve in the future

Throughout your answer, I would keep in mind the traits that are expected of trainees and how you could demonstrate those in answering the question. Your answer should demonstrate good judgement, self-awareness, and time management - all qualities that firms look for!

I hope that assists, and best of luck!

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

In Reed Smith test, after completing my SJT, can I close the tab and then join again for the VI the next day? Reed Smith">@Abbie - Reed Smith

Hi!

Unfortunately, I’m actually not too sure on this as I completed my SJT and VI in one sitting! However, if you have been able to do this for other firms’ assessments, I would say that it is likely also possible with the Reed Smith assessment.

It may be worth emailing the graduate recruitment team just to double check

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Hey all! HSFK AC today and received same day offer for WVS. So excited!

Congratulations!! That’s an amazing achievement, and so nice to hear back the same day - you must’ve really impressed them!

I hope you take the time to celebrate 🎉

 

[LawAspirer]

Do you guys think its OK to add mitigating circumstances when I had a 63% final grade? (Conversion from Dutch grades). My university had a specific teaching type which got screwed during the corona time. My point being that in the first 2 years I had more like 59% and 60% average, while in the 3rd (no corona), I brought it up to a 68% average. What do you think?

 

[johnsmith]

Do you guys think its OK to add mitigating circumstances when I had a 63% final grade? (Conversion from Dutch grades). My university had a specific teaching type which got screwed during the corona time. My point being that in the first 2 years I had more like 59% and 60% average, while in the 3rd (no corona), I brought it up to a 68% average. What do you think?

I think the firms are often quite firm that COVID disruptions impacted everyone, so they don't accept that as mitigating circumstances - I'm sure you could discuss it with the specific grad recruitment team, though, to get their thoughts, as your situation may be unique.

 

[FutureTraineeMaybe]

For this question, Select one article from DLA Piper Insights page on a client sector that interests you. How does it align with your personal and professional ambitions? - i chose a litigation-based article but now I'm not too sure if commercial litigation is a client sector? I mean, it does affect financial services and litigation funding - but im not sure if litigation funding is a client sector?

 

[oliviabeijing]

Hiya! I am going to their IRIS day Tuesday. I heard back two weeks ago.

Okay amazing! I applied for the disputes one, have the best time!

 

[SoonToBeTrainee]

Ashurst AC post-WE 🎉

 

[elizabethkate]

I am referring to the Summer vac

how long did it take for you to progress to the next stage? I applied to Reed Smith and HG both on the 13/10