TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[applicant457]

you will find out tomorrow ! you get the results in a day I think, i did last year. my report was really bad and i sitll passed the benchmark

cool, thats reassuring thanks! so u also got 2 weak ?

 

[Dannie]

cool, thats reassuring thanks! so u also got 2 weak ?

i got like all weak lol

 

[Jaysen]

When will the links for the Willkie event in an hour be sent out?

I received my link after I registered so it’s likely it is somewhere in your inbox. Might be worthwhile checking the junk folder incase it’s there.​

I hope you found it useful!

 

[Andrei Radu]

@Abbie Whitlock @Andrei Radu Hi both, would you have advice on how to approach this question? Thanks!
What are the commercial advantages of Lewis Silkin's sector-focused approach, and how might it support the firm's growth in a competitive legal market (200 words).

A few commercial advantages of a sector-focused approach that come to mind are:

1. Ease of service: essentially, a sector-focused firm will deliver legal services in a way that is a lot easier for the client to use. Firstly, if a firm organizes teams more around sectors than practice areas, it looks and is a lot more similar to the client's business. Businesses perceive themselves as players in a certain industry and do not neatly separate their legal needs between the different workstreams of different practice areas. Thus, the legal service of sector-focused firms seems a lot more tailored to the client. Secondly, industry-focused firms tend to have partners with significantly broader expertise. Hence, the firm can provide a 'one-point-of-contact' system to clients, which is easier to navigate administratively.
2. Strategic advice: the idea is that if you spend years and years working on matters in a single industry, by the time you become a more senior practitioner you will have almost as much technical expertise in the sector as the client themselves. Having this kind of deep insight and knowledge of the industry will not only mean that you can give better advice to clients on particular mandates, but it will also mean you will be in a better position to form a client-lawyer relationship which goes beyond that. This way, you will have a good chance of getting to know all the insides of the client's business and becoming their go-to strategic advisor. Thus, the client gets the benefit of exceptional business and legal advisory services simultaneously.
3. Industry reputation: if the firm generally does a lot of high-end work in a particular sector, it will become very reputable with businesses in that sector. The fact that firm will simply be a very well-known name definitely helps in terms of shaping advantageous negotiations dynamics with opposing counsel. A great example of this is Kirkland in the PE sphere. Simply because of the firm's reputation in this area, it is able to obtain advantageous terms for clients by insisting they are "market terms". Because nobody does as many deals as they do in PE, it is sometimes difficult for the other side's counsel to counteract Kirkland's claims.

 

[badmintonflyinginsect]

Can someone let me know ASAP that for Links VS app - the professional qualifications section is NOT for GSCEs/A-levels?

 

[Andrei Radu]

Hi guys,

I'm currently going through the Bird & Bird application form, and I had a few queries - if anyone has any tips, I'd be really grateful!

1. On the Work Experience section, candidates are asked:

"Please list any experience(s) where you feel you've developed your skills or knowledge, this could include paid or unpaid work, legal or non-legal internships, volunteering, societies/clubs, and attending events."

How detailed do you think candidates should be in this section - after all, it appears to cover not only work experience per se, but also a wide range of extra-curricular stuff (e.g. attending events). For instance, would it be relevant to talk about doing Bird & Bird's online Virtual Experience Programme? Moreover, do you think candidates would be expected to mention any work experience they've done (even, for instance, a short volunteering role at a local charity several years ago?). I'm quite anxious about failing to write down something which I ultimately should have written down; but at the same time, I'm aware that if I interpret Bird & Bird's definition of "work experience" too broadly, then I might end up writing down about so many events that it actually ends up having a detrimental effect on my application!

2. I took some time out of my degree due to unforeseen circumstances, and so although I took exams at the end of three academic years, it took me more than the usual three years to graduate from university. The problem is that the application form assumes that if, for instance, your degree lasted four years (i.e. there was four years between the start date and end date of your degree), then you received academic results for each of those four years - the form doesn't allow me to leave "Year 4" blank, and so I've had to resort to typing in "N/A" in the "module name" and "module grade" section. Does this sound okay?

3. The application form asks candidates to give their "Overall university average score/GPA". Is this literally just a case of adding up all of my module scores (as a percentage), then dividing them by the amount of modules I took? Or do I have to take weighting into account? To be honest, I'm not even entirely sure how my university grade are weighted - all I know are my marks for each module, the grade I received at the end of each year, and the final grade I was awarded!

4. The application form asks: "Why do you want to be a trainee solicitor at Bird & Bird?" - would it be valid to include some reasoning explaining why I am thinking of becoming a commercial solicitor (in other words, why I'd like to go into commercial law), or is best just to focus on "why Bird & Bird?"

Hi @pfoapplicant just to add to the great response from @wooliewoo I wanted say that based on the firm's prompt, you can definitely include a wide range of experiences that go beyond contract-based roles that would formally be classified as "work experiences". That said, as I see it, if you have attended many commercial law-related events, you should not make a separate entry for each of them and provide a detailed description. Instead, I would advise you to have one big "Careers events" entry, where you list the events you attended and also explain how these events/any particularly impactful event shaped your motivations. If you have completed multiple virtual experiences or short volunteering activities (or, really, any less substantial experiences that can be easily grouped together based on a set of common features), I would advise the same thing (although, of course, you can also draw connections to skills/abilities they've helped you develop).

As for your more general worry on including too many or two few of your experiences: I think you want to find a right balance and not overwhelm recruiters with dozens of long entries, but, at the same time, you want to add as much value to your application as possible by including many experiences that formed relevant skills. Sometimes, it is true that "less is more" in that if you have way too many long entries, your most impressive and substantive experiences may make less of an impact on a recruiter than they could have had if they had not been drowned in a sea of other information. As such, I would advise you not to feel like you have to include everything and anything that could possibly go in. That said, generally, people err more often by being under-inclusive rather than over-inclusive, and recruiters constantly try to emphasise that a very wide range of experiences can be included in the work experience section.

As such, I would say that as long as you do not have more than 7-8 entries, you should not worry about this issue; while if you have 8+ lengthier ones, you should start considering the overall value add of each new entry vs the cost of adding more information for a recruiter to get through.

 

[Jessica Pearson]

@Andrei Radu @Abbie Whitlock and anyone else, please, how do I approach answering this question: Describe a recent commercial news story that interested you and explain how it relates to Trowers & Hamlins (max 250 words). Does it have to be a deal the firm has worked on/been involved in? Also, how do I go about structuring it to make it as tailored as possible? I appreciate any tips!

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Hi @Abbie Whitlock!

For RS, would talking about the SQE intern be discouraged in my reasons for why RS?

Hello!

This wouldn't be discouraged at all - in fact, I really would encourage you to talk about it! It's a feature that is unique to Reed Smith, and if you can tie this to other elements of your background (i.e. your working style, previous experiences, etc.), this can help make your answer tailored and well-researched

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Are there any resources for practicing written exercises or case studies? thank you!

Hello!

A few resources below that I used / might be useful:

• Definitive Guide to Law Firm Case Studies (something I found super useful last cycle!)
• TCLA Written Exercises (a good way to practice if you are able to pay to access resources)
• Some law firms upload example written exercises online - I believe DWF has one available!

Hopefully they help as a starting point (particularly Jacob Miller's post!)

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Does anyone have any tips for answering Macfarlanes' VS Q:

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

For example, should I connect my own experience's to the firm's values, or more their strategy / work e.g., private client work, buddy firm strategy etc.,? Thank you!

Hi!

You're definitely thinking along the right lines! The key is to use your story to show why you and Macfarlanes are a good match, rather than just describing the firm back to them. They want to get a sense of who you are, what has shaped you, and how that connects to what makes Macfarlanes distinctive.

A good structure tends to involve:

1. A personal narrative: I'd pick 1-2 experiences that genuinely shaped your interest in law, and built your working style. This doesn't need to be dramatic - just something that shows growth, curiosity, initiative, drive, resilience, etc.
2. Link those experiences to Macfarlanes in a specific way: aspects such as values are important (e.g. long-term client relationships, individual responsibility early on, etc.). However, I would go further and connect your story to what the firm actually does as well. This could be: the "single office" model and collaborative culture, their private client work, complex and multi-disciplinary matters for entrepreneurial clients, etc. You should show them that you don't just want a training contract, but their training contract in particular
3. Make the connection feel natural and authentic: rather than listing attributes of the firm, try to weave them into your story in some way. Show how your experiences and interests led you towards the kind of work that Macfarlanes does, or the culture it offers.

I hope that helps as a starting point - best of luck with your application!

 

[wooliewoo]

Hi!

You're definitely thinking along the right lines! The key is to use your story to show why you and Macfarlanes are a good match, rather than just describing the firm back to them. They want to get a sense of who you are, what has shaped you, and how that connects to what makes Macfarlanes distinctive.

A good structure tends to involve:

1. A personal narrative: I'd pick 1-2 experiences that genuinely shaped your interest in law, and built your working style. This doesn't need to be dramatic - just something that shows growth, curiosity, initiative, drive, resilience, etc.
2. Link those experiences to Macfarlanes in a specific way: aspects such as values are important (e.g. long-term client relationships, individual responsibility early on, etc.). However, I would go further and connect your story to what the firm actually does as well. This could be: the "single office" model and collaborative culture, their private client work, complex and multi-disciplinary matters for entrepreneurial clients, etc. You should show them that you don't just want a training contract, but their training contract in particular
3. Make the connection feel natural and authentic: rather than listing attributes of the firm, try to weave them into your story in some way. Show how your experiences and interests led you towards the kind of work that Macfarlanes does, or the culture it offers.

I hope that helps as a starting point - best of luck with your application!

Thank you so much Abbie! This is really really helpful!

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Hi Abby,


Thank you very much for this structure — it’s been really helpful.


I was wondering what your view is on “opportunity” and how we should present it. For example, I’ve identified a regulatory reform as my commercial issue, which is highly relevant to one of Ashurst’s core practice areas, but I’m not sure how to frame it as an opportunity.


What I’ve done so far is explain that Ashurst is already strong in this practice area, so they could use that as a platform to attract more clients and resolve the challenges they face. Do you think that’s the right approach, or does it need to be a completely new opportunity — for instance, investment in a new practice area? At the moment, I’ve focused on how their existing strength positions them well to support clients through these upcoming reforms but I am not sure if that is enough.

Would really appreciate your thoughts!

Kind Regards,
LB

Hey!

No problem, I'm glad it is useful!

An "opportunity" doesn't have to be something such as a brand-new practice area. It can absolutely be something that builds on Ashurst's existing strengths, especially if the regulatory reform you've identified will create increased demand for advice in a space where they already have strong capability. Framing it as how the firm can capitalise on this change is a perfectly valid (and often realistic) angle to take.

You could develop it by going into the specifics on where the opportunity lies. For example:

• New advisory work for existing clients navigating the reform
• Attracting clients who need expertise in that regulation but don't yet have counsel
• Potential for cross-practice collaboration (e.g. regulatory + finance / corporate)
• Positioning Ashurst as a market leader through early guidance of the changes

You don't need to propose an opportunity that is radically new - just show commercial awareness by identifying what is changing, why clients will need support, and how Ashurst is well-placed to benefit. As long as you're explaining the impact of the reform and linking it clearly to a potential growth area for the firm, you're doing exactly what the question is asking!

i hope that reassures you - it sounds like you're on a strong track already!

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

@Andrei Radu @Abbie Whitlock and anyone else, please, how do I approach answering this question: Describe a recent commercial news story that interested you and explain how it relates to Trowers & Hamlins (max 250 words). Does it have to be a deal the firm has worked on/been involved in? Also, how do I go about structuring it to make it as tailored as possible? I appreciate any tips!

Hi!

You don't need to pick a story that Trowers & Hamlins has directly worked on - it can be a deal they were involved in, but it is more likely to be a broader commercial development that connects their sectors or strategic strengths. The key is showing you understand the news, why it matters in the commercial world, and how it creates opportunities or challenges for a firm like Trowers & Hamlins.

A simply structure that I would follow is:

• Briefly summarise the news story: I'd keep this concise - what happened, who is involved, and why it matters.
• Explain the commercial impact: discuss the consequences for businesses and clients - this could be regulation, investment, growth, risks, market shifts / trends, etc.
• Link it specifically to Trowers & Hamlins: this is where you show that you have tailored your answer to the firm! You could connect it to: their practice area strengths (e.g. real estate, energy, etc.), the opportunities for advisory work arising from the development, and how the story relates to trends the firm is active in (housing, regeneration, etc.).

For example, if the story is about government housing policy or investment in infrastructure, you could discuss how it aligns with Trowers' strong public sector and real estate practice and what kind of client needs might emerge (that they could assist with).

You are essentially showing that you understand what is happening commercially, why this matters, and why Trowers & Hamlins is well suited to advise on those issues.

I hope that helps!

 

[tcla02]

it’s been more than 48 hours waiting for the mayer brown OA. someone here said they got it in 1-2 days. should i be worried? their deadline is rolling

 

[wooliewoo]

it’s been more than 48 hours waiting for the mayer brown OA. someone here said they got it in 1-2 days. should i be worried? their deadline is rolling

Hi! I wouldn't be too worried! I heard from grad rec that they send out all the invites manually, so it may just be a case of them being particularly busy right now. Good luck and I hope you get the OA invite soon!

 

[applicant3000]

Has anyone heard back since Simmons ACs? I know it's still early days