TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[Arv_329]

Has anyone else heard from Cleary yet? Did they send ACs in batches?

 

[ChambersLoading]

Hi @FutureTrainee100 I empathise with you and I know how disappointed and disheartened you must be feeling right now, having been in a somewhat similar position. As a fellow international student, I also completely "moved life" here and made a substantial investment in education in hopes of pursuing a successful career in commercial law. At the end of my first application cycle, I ended up with no progressions past the application stage. After also getting very strong academic results, my second cycle started off quite similar to yours, and I was also increasingly feeling like I had to come to terms with the fact that I may simply not be "good enough" or the "right type" for this career. Nonetheless, I persisted and ended up finishing the cycle with 3 TC and 4 VS offers from elite US/MC firms.

My story is also not at all a unique one or full of empty words of motivation - there are many people who have experienced a similar progression. A good friend of mine who I was guiding through the process last year was feeling like he was facing a similar problem, starting their 3rd application cycle worse than the previous two ones with several straight rejections. Of his first 10-15 applications they heard back from, only 2-3 were progressions, which was significantly bellow their prior rate. I advised them to persist, and within the space of a month or so they had several AC invites, while by the end of the cycle they received 7 VS offers.

Now, besides wanting to inspire you not to lose heart and to keep pushing forward, I mentioned these stories because I wanted to give you two concrete pieces of advice, which I think could end up having a substantial impact on your chances of securing a TC:

1. Firstly, you should submit many more high-quality applications: an AC progression rate of 3/7 is incredibly high, so the quality of your writing does not seem to be an issue. Nonetheless, in my opinion 7 applications is without any doubt too few to make given how competitive this job market is, even if you are a very qualified candidate. While it may end up working out for some, I would advise you not to go with the "quality over quantity" approach if you want to minimise the impact of luck and maximise success chances. Both me and the friend I mentioned were rejected in 15+ application during our incredibly successful cycles even though we made sure that the writing and research for every firm was high quality. Had we only applied to 7-10 firms, it could have easily been the case we would have ended the cycle with no VSs/TCs. I have written a significantly longer guide elaborating on the cost and benefits of the "numbers game" vs "quality over quantity" approaches and explained what I think is the ideal application strategy, which is to submit as many high quality (albeit perhaps somewhat imperfect) applications as possible (which should result in 15-20 on the lower end) - I would highly encourage you to take a look here.
2. Secondly, you may want to refresh your approach to AC preparation: while this is not an issue that you should be very concerned about right now, and while it is possible to have just been unlucky with your 3 prior ACs, my guess is that if there is any part of the application process for which you could improve quality-wise, it is this stage. I would highly encourage you to take a look at the Complete Competency Interview Preparation Guide I wrote here, as it explains in detail the step-by-step approach I took which was successful 4/4 times I implemented it.

Hi @Andrei Radu,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience and for your encouraging words. It genuinely means a lot to hear from someone who has been through something similar. I also appreciate the guide you shared — I’ll definitely take a closer look and try to apply the advice.

I’ve spent a lot of time refining my interview skills over the past year, but given that I haven’t even been invited to a single AC this cycle, I’m starting to worry that all that effort might have been for nothing. Recruitment also feels completely different this year — I was finally starting to feel like I understood the process last cycle, and now suddenly it’s a whole new landscape with constant tests and VIs. Do you have any advice for handling those?

So far I’ve submitted 5 applications, with 3 more planned for this week, and 16 more lined up over the next couple of months. Would that be enough? I’m trying to balance a job to pay my bills alongside all of this, and nothing seems to be progressing. With rolling deadlines, I also feel like I’m racing against time — it’s starting to feel really overwhelming.

 

[TCchaser]

A&O Shearman AC invite!!!!!!!!

Congrats!! Which scheme is this for?

 

[abc124]

How bad is a 3/9 on grit and creative force (amberjack)…I’m happy with the other scores but the language the report uses for the 3/9 scores indicates this is really far from good performance in these two pillars and I’m scared Reed Smith really won’t like that

 

[AngelB]

Congrats!! Which scheme is this for?

It’s for spring/summer

 

[cheeseontoast]

CC London Open Day PFO, oh well :/

 

[Dannie]

Anyone heard back from King & Spalding for the Nov Open Day?

 

[BM99]

CC insight day invite

 

[sal44]

Baker McKenzie open day invite and CC insight day PFO

 

[M_m]

Has B&B responded to anyone post-app in the past few weeks? I'm starting to think I applied too late (Oct 22nd)

 

[l789]

If anyone receives an invite for CC open day please could you comment. I never received any confirmation regarding my application being under review.

 

[Trophy]

Hi I have a few questions,

Does A&OS take a healthy amount through direct TC?

I’m yet to do the amberjack test as I know it’ll be time consuming.

On this I know Kirkland in the past have not run their VS and instead given TC’s is it wise to just apply for VS opposed to the direct TC?

I’m happy to trade/advise on law firms I’ve had success with in the past. I’ve attended multiple open days, ACs and VS but rather focus on firms I have a true interest in rather than doing what I did previously and applying everywhere and getting a TC at a firm I wouldn’t like to train at.

I’ve applied to 4 firms so far.

Thanks all

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

I am currently stuck on this question and i would appreciate some help on how to go about answering it- What impact do you want to make at CMS?- I have a few years of paralegal experiences at magic circle firms but I dont have anything unique about me that is enough to make an impact per say, i'm just an average law student (albeit i am an international law student). please any insight on how to approach this will be much appreciated Reed Smith">@Abbie Reed Smith @andreachai @TCLA Community Assistant

Hello!

I've quoted a post below that might assist in structuring your answer more generally. In terms of having something unique - the question isn't really asking about whether you have an extraordinary quality or a one-of-a-kind story. CMS will want to see that you've thought about how you would contribute to their culture, clients, or working style.

Since you already have paralegal experience at Magic Circle firms, that's a really strong foundation! You could frame your impact around the following ideas:

• Bringing a client-focused mindset: you could talk about how your experience has taught you to anticipate client needs, work efficiently under pressure, and contribute to smooth transactions or case management.
• Offering an international perspective: as an international student, you bring cross-cultural awareness and adaptability, which are both really valuable at a global firm such as CMS.
• Contributing to teamwork and innovation: as CMS puts a lot of emphasis on collaboration and forward-thinking legal services, you could mention wanting to contribute by helping the firm deliver practical, tech-driven solutions, etc.

You definitely don't need a world-changing story - just show self-awareness, enthusiasm, and a genuine understanding of CMS's values. Make sure to back up each example with references to your previous experiences, so that they can see how you have demonstrated these skills and traits before.

I hope that assists - best of luck with the application!

Hey!

That's a great question, and it can definitely feel open-ended! If I was approaching this question, I would think about it in two ways:

1. Personal Contribution - what unique strengths, experiences, or insights would you bring to the firm? For example, would you help foster collaboration, or do you bring in a global outlook?

2. Overall Impact - how does your contribution tie into CMS's wider goals and values? If the firm has a focus on innovation, you might discuss wanting to support the firm in delivering innovative solutions to clients.

It doesn't have to be something 'grand' - you could even focus on how you'd like to make a positive difference in your team or with clients, which shows self-awareness and motivation. I would make sure to link your answer back to both your personal qualities and CMS's culture.

Your answer could follow a structure such as:

1. Start with your motivation - why CMS? What about the firm has motivated you to apply there?

2. Discuss your strengths - highlight the qualities and skills that you gained from previous experiences that would allow you to make an impact.

3. Link this to the impact - show how these strengths translate into a positive contribution at CMS. This could be on a team level (e.g. supporting colleagues), on a client level (e.g. innovative thinking), or on a firm-wide level (e.g. championing diversity or sustainability).

4. Conclude - tie it back to the kind of professional you hope to become at CMS and the difference you'd like to make in the long run.

I hope that helps

 

[Dogecoin GC]

If anyone receives an invite for CC open day please could you comment. I never received any confirmation regarding my application being under review.

Got the Open Day invite now.

 

[l789]

Got the Open Day invite now.

Congrats! I haven’t recieved a PFO, I think my application was binned even though I passed the Watson Glaser last cycle

 

[JBM]

Has Gibson Dunn sent out interview invites to anyone for Spring?

My friend got summer offer today 30 mins post ac

 

[Trophy]

Congrats! I haven’t recieved a PFO, I think my application was binned even though I passed the Watson Glaser last cycle

The open day is pretty much the same as their online insight events just with free food and a group assessment mock. Only thing you won’t be able to do that others can is make a pointless LinkedIn post saying how insightful it was

Focus on your application for the TC, do a forage course and link your work experience and applications answers to the firm always!

You got this

 

[l789]

The open day is pretty much the same as their online insight events just with free food and a group assessment mock. Only thing you won’t be able to do that others can is make a pointless LinkedIn post saying how insightful it was

Focus on your application for the TC, do a forage course and link your work experience and applications answers to the firm always!

You got this

Thank you for your support and kind words!!!

 

[silonthesofa]

Has B&B responded to anyone post-app in the past few weeks? I'm starting to think I applied too late (Oct 22nd)

Last year, I applied the day before the deadline and got through. They're just known to take a long time.

 

[aspringlawyer25]

My friend got summer offer today 30 mins post ac

Not looking good that I haven't heard back for spring then.