TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[tcla02]

is calibri font size 10 fine for my NRF cover letter or should it be size 11 at least?

 

[Amgrad]

It's 8am Saturday and I'm watching videos and practicing how to pronounce a law firm name correctly for the video interview...

Some names sound so different from how it's written and confuses my non-Englih brain 😶‍🌫️😶‍🌫️😶‍🌫️😶‍🌫️

Even for Weil, Macfarlanes, I kept pronounce it incorrectly. Swapped my American Valley & British RP accents lmao

 

[abc124]

Even for Weil, Macfarlanes, I kept pronounce it incorrectly. Swapped my American Valley & British RP accents lmao

As a German speaker Weil always gets me haha

 

[lawstudent2]

Also does anyone know what time the Latham and NRF deadline times are tomo?

 

[user55998384]

Also does anyone know what time the Latham and NRF deadline times are tomo?

latham is 23:59

 

[TheSlapDotCom]

I have passed the benchmark but I haven't received any report .... im scared ... another PFO for me

noo dont even worry, u passed and ig thats all that matters😭so well done!!

 

[Lawlawland]

As a German speaker Weil always gets me haha

All along, I was practicing the same "While Gotcha(l) Man/gis"🙈🙈🙈🙈...

 

[Lawlawland]

Even for Weil, Macfarlanes, I kept pronounce it incorrectly. Swapped my American Valley & British RP accents lmao

It's Weil and Weiss for me.

I had a 45 minute long one-to-one insightful conversation with someone from Paul, Weiss, only for them to correct that at the end of the conversation with a laughter...

I just wanted to bury myself 10 feet deep and never come up to apply for the firm lmao.

 

[lawstudent2]

latham is 23:59

Thank you!

 

[FutureTraineeMaybe]

For this question - If applicable please state any additional information which you think is relevant to your application or which you think has not been covered adequately in this form.
Can i split the answer between extracurricular activities and my visa conditions. The question they ask about visa conditions in the beginning is "Do you require permission or a visa to work in the office to which you are applying?' with a YES/NO option - with no room to explain. Would it be okay to use this space to tell them I have a visa for the VS but not for the TC?
But I'm not entirely sure if this would be right.
Any advice would be appreciated @Abbie Whitlock
Thank you in advance!!!

 

[badmintonflyinginsect]

It's Weil and Weiss for me.

I had a 45 minute long one-to-one insightful conversation with someone from Paul, Weiss, only for them to correct that at the end of the conversation with a laughter...

I just wanted to bury myself 10 feet deep and never come up to apply for the firm lmao.

While got-shul manjeez. Paul wise.

 

[Amgrad]

As a German speaker Weil always gets me haha

It's German surname isn't like Weiss too? Idk it's funny when American pronounce them, British would say it similar like German. Loll.. in fact more Americans bear more German than British surnames nowadays, yet they can't pronounce it correctly like supposed to be originally.

 

[Harvey Specter - Presiding Partner]

Even for Weil, Macfarlanes, I kept pronounce it incorrectly. Swapped my American Valley & British RP accents lmao

The ones that I always struggle with are Perkins Coie and Debevoise. I was under the impression Debevoise had a French pronunciation lmao. The ending actually just rhymes with noise.​

 

[FutureTraineeMaybe]

For those who applied to DLA Piper
I don’t see anywhere on the application form where they ask for a breakdown of module grades or work experience — is that right? And should the grades also be included in the CV?

 

[Lawlawland]

The ones that I always struggle with are Perkins Coie and Debevoise. I was under the impression Debevoise had a French pronunciation lmao. The ending actually just rhymes with noise.​

NGL I feel so relieved to realise I'm not the only one struggling to get the firm pronunciations right...

 

[Amgrad]

The ones that I always struggle with are Perkins Coie and Debevoise. I was under the impression Debevoise had a French pronunciation lmao. The ending actually just rhymes with noise.​

They should've been written on the website or LinkedIn how to pronounce their names. I saw Dechert says "Deck-ert" is written on their website 😅

 

[CamilaPG]

Grad Rec confirmed in an online event that there are a few numerical questions based on datasets. The provider is Amberjack too so it would make sense

How do you know the provider is Amberjack?

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

is calibri font size 10 fine for my NRF cover letter or should it be size 11 at least?

Hi!

I would say that font size 10 is slightly too small - I would aim for at least size 11 if possible, as it makes it easier to read for the graduate recruitment team

 

[johnsmith]

For those who progressed to the VI portion of Latham's application, what were your top strengths and your professional development points?

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Thanks.

How would I approach the other question about a personal experience?

Hi!

I have quoted my original post on this question - if you have any further questions, just shout!

Hey! I think the best way to approach these questions is to treat them like mini personal statements. I would keep them personal and tailored to DLA Piper, and reflective of your own experiences when you can.

Here is how I’d break it down:

Personal Experience and Motivation for Law

This question is asking you to go beyond generic motivations (like problem-solving or liking to debate) and focus on something that genuinely developed your interest. This is ideally something that you personally experienced or were actively involved in.

The typical structure I would follow is:

1. Briefly explain the context - what was the experience, and why was it relevant?
2. Reflect on what you realised from this experience - did it change your perspective? Did it spark an interest in a distinct area, such as regulation?
3. Link this to your long-term career ambitions - how did it lead you to pursue a career in law? Why does DLA Piper align with that?

This doesn’t have to be a legal experience! It could be something like helping someone navigate complex systems, a moment that taught you analytical thinking, or a personal situation with a legal element. The main thing is that you have to clearly link it back to your motivation for law!

I know that there aren’t a lot of words available due to the word limit, so you should aim to be as concise as possible. Hope this helps!