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TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26
- Thread starter Ram Sabaratnam
- Start date
For anyone successful with Willkie post-app: do you reckon I should include my mooting and pro bono experience in the WE section? I would like to talk about my other achievements and positions of responsibility in the dedicated section. Or shall I include my experience there? Thanks!!
- Sep 9, 2024
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On Sidley's market position and strengths:
- Sidley is a Top 10 global law firm by revenue (sitting around the $3.5bn mark), is more international than most US rivals (with 20+ offices), with a large both New York and London presence (currently the 17th by London-generated revenue, having surpassed the $225m mark).
- The firm is known for its high-value transactional work, and is therefore uncontroversially deemed to be part of the newly formed group of "global elite" law firms (a group of highly-profitable firms with strong offerings in both London and New York, who are expected to increased their hold over the transatlantic deal corridor over the coming years).
- While sitting just bellow the traditional "Vault 10" group of firms (a US publication ranking the biggest US firms by prestige based on associate reviews every year) in terms of historical reputation and also profitability (most V10 firms are sitting around the $7 million average PEP figure, while Sidley's PEP is approx $5 million), the firm could be compared with the likes of Milbank and Paul Hastings in terms of its embrace of private capital work and its huge recent growth to catch up with the historical New York elite.
- Speaking of an embrace of private capital, while Sidley had historically been very strong in traditional banking, securitisation, and financial regulatory work, but, as this type of work took a hit post 2008, the firm has shifted to servicing the booming PE industry.
- In London, this is reflected in their practice area strengths, as the firm has top tier teams for PE Funds work and PE buyouts, and more recently has hired one of the best leveraged finance teams in the market from Latham. This move was very talked about last year as it is thought to demonstrate (i) Sidley's growing ambition in London; and (ii) its increasing clout, having been able to hire rainmaking partners from Latham, a larger and more profitable firm, that has traditionally been seen as more dominant in the private capital space.
- Finally, in London Sidley is also known for its regulatory work, being particularly strong in financial services and life sciences - a feature that differentiates it from most of its US rivals. This is apparently also helping Sidley secure work on PE deals that come with particular regulatory complexity.
I started a new legal role (and have now been there an month) after submitting an application over a month ago, and it’s been really strengthening my experience. Do you think it would be appropriate to email graduate recruitment to update them on this, or could that come across negatively?
should I assume DLA PFO as I haven't had a TI and found out I passed WG near to 3 weeks ago now?
My weakness: Resource and Work Management
My strenghts: Excellence and Commercial Thinking/Awareness
Not sure why both my best and worst were part of entrepreneurial outlook. Am I cooked 🤷🏻♀️ ? lolll
I can’t answer if you’re cooked or not but like I said to someone else there are worse things to get. The fact you got commercial awareness as a strength is top tier imo.
I do think resource and work management is the best one to get as a weakness. As looking at the others you wouldn’t want critical thinking, respect, integrity and motivation to be a weakness these are things a firm would want you to possess before coming to them through work and studying rather than learning them on the job.
I say this my own scores I’m happy with them. Yet to do the WG.
Strengths: working with others + respect
Weakness: leadership preference
Hi @Abbie Whitlock !!
How do you explain you want a career in commercial law if all your experience is IN commercial law, but abroad? In the sense that it is pretty obvious that I am committed to the career. Should I focus more on why London/UK, then?
Thanks!
How do you explain you want a career in commercial law if all your experience is IN commercial law, but abroad? In the sense that it is pretty obvious that I am committed to the career. Should I focus more on why London/UK, then?
Thanks!
hey, so from doing it last year, I believe it was just a SJT mainly - no VIs and I can't recall if there was verbal reasoning, but to my mind there wasn't anything but SJT exercises haha. Sorry if that's not so helpful! But genuinely I do remember it was one of the tests I enjoyed doing the most, so I think that says something!
Ah, also, for this question: Have you attended any virtual or in-person events with Willkie?
Should we elaborate? Or mere bullet points will do
Should we elaborate? Or mere bullet points will do
I referred to this and just listed the events I went to, didn’t elaborate on them.
Speaking of Willkie, has anyone heard back from them recently post app? The website says we can expect to hear back within 10-15 working days, but it’s been more than that now so idk whether to assume it’s a PFO.
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