TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[Cookiemonster]

Does anybody have any tips on how to write about a different firm's vacation scheme that you have completed in the work experience section of job apps?

Hi, I’m a bit late to this message but hopefully I can shed some light 💡

I was in a similar position. I completed two vacation schemes in my first cycle and didn’t convert either, and I was definitely apprehensive about including them in my next round of applications.

What helped was keeping it factual and reflective, rather than defensive. Focus on:​

• the teams or practice areas you sat in​
• the type of work you did (research, drafting, due diligence, etc.)​
• what you learned about how firms operate and what kind of work you enjoy​

You don’t need to mention non-conversion or justify anything. Firms expect people to have prior schemes, and not converting is very common.

Used properly, previous vacation schemes show that you understand the role and have tested your interest in commercial law, which is a positive rather than a negative.

Good luck 😄​

 

[Amgrad]

Sooo… does anyone have any tips on not being nervous and feeling like time is running out as a graduate LOL?! 😀

I experienced this before joining TCLA last year, I was the only student at my college to pass through the screening stage at JPMC Geneva to an interview. I got invited to unsolicited app through DMs by many MNCs (10+ offers) through LinkedIn, yet I've experienced some burnouts and imposter syndrome.

For me of course being an underdog isn't that easy, but ikr it's hard if your closest one and surroundings can't understand you. Just said that we're all here for you even though it's far away and virtual, don't hesitate to ask anything as it could comfort you or gaining your confidence back. Many people in the same boat.

 

[Saloman_Dormeus]

A bit of a silly question... for Cooley's summer programme, one of the questions is 'Please tell us about interests and activities you pursue and positions of responsibility that are relevant for the role.' I was wondering if I should place advising at my university's legal clinic in this section instead of the work experience section as I have done previously? Also, would this count as a position of responsibility?

I ask this because its probably my strongest point, but I don't want to repeat what I have said in the work experience section. My other positions of responsibility largely come from my paid employment, so I don't want to mention them in this question. I also have a couple of positions of responsibility from Year 11 but I am very reluctant to use these seeing as it's been four years since then and it seems a little juvenile... 😓​

Hi Ilikelaw,

Don't worry, it is Not a silly question at all – this is actually a really sensible thing to be thinking about, and it comes up a lot with many other firms wording.

If I were you, I wouldn’t move the legal clinic experience out of the work experience section if it’s already there. Advising in a university legal clinic is very clearly work-experience-type content, and Cooley will expect to see it there. Moving it risks making the work experience section look thinner, and it can also feel a bit like you’re forcing it to fit a different box just because it’s strong.

That said, yes – legal clinic absolutely does count as a position of responsibility. You’re dealing with real clients, managing confidentiality, giving advice under supervision, and often taking ownership of matters. That’s exactly the sort of responsibility firms like value.

The key thing here is not repetition, but how you decide to angle it.

What I would do is:​

• Keep the legal clinic in the work experience section, where you focus on what you did and what you learned.​
• In this “interests/activities/positions of responsibility” question, you can briefly reference it from a responsibility/skills angle, but without rehashing the same description.​

For example, instead of explaining the clinic again, you might say something like:​

• taking responsibility for client interviews,​
• managing competing deadlines,​
• exercising judgement in advising clients,​
• being accountable for the quality of your work.​

That way, you’re adding new information, not repeating yourself.

On your other point, I agree with your instinct not to use Year 11 positions – four years on, may certainly to feel a bit juvenile at this stage.

I hope this helps! Feel free to DM me for anything relating to this.​

 

[Amgrad]

Hmm sorry correct me if I’m understanding you incorrectly …

But yes, Skadden is very much known for their transactional practice areas I would say, so perhaps mentioning other areas might be a weaker link. And absolutely, the rule is to never use contractions (it’s, I’m etc) and abbreviations unless you’ve expanded on it once beforehand (e.g. Clifford Chance (CC)).

In terms of aligning with what the question asks or with the firm’s expectations, I would say you can choose to pay for services if you wish to, but I personally don’t. Honestly, whenever I don’t fully understand what the question is asking of me, I put it into ChatGPT or something and discuss it with them to ascertain what the question is trying to get at (sometimes questions can have implicit expectations as well).

Don’t worry about Kirkland - I haven’t heard back either 😂 hopefully we’ll hear back favourably soon!

Unless if I met them in person maybe I could understand them better, virtual OD is lack of this detailed anyway. My additional resource is coming from my American friends which is quite different to London office, yet there is very prestigious ranks highly on Amlaw and Vault, especially after advising Netflix. This year Skadden' London has gained more popularity than before, so the application pool is skyrocketing!

And yeah I did ask LLM for feedback post written by my own to generate authentic ideas before submitting my app! I used Grammarly to proofread my app too. I think I should add extra prompt to avoid contractions!

 

[elle woods]

Hi, I’m a bit late to this message but hopefully I can shed some light 💡

I was in a similar position. I completed two vacation schemes in my first cycle and didn’t convert either, and I was definitely apprehensive about including them in my next round of applications.

What helped was keeping it factual and reflective, rather than defensive. Focus on:​

• the teams or practice areas you sat in​
• the type of work you did (research, drafting, due diligence, etc.)​
• what you learned about how firms operate and what kind of work you enjoy​

You don’t need to mention non-conversion or justify anything. Firms expect people to have prior schemes, and not converting is very common.

Used properly, previous vacation schemes show that you understand the role and have tested your interest in commercial law, which is a positive rather than a negative.

Good luck 😄​

Hiii, thanks for sharing your experience! Do you have any advice as to how to convert a vac?? And maybe what not to do, or any insight as to why people might not convert one? I’m super nervous for mine and not sure what to expect and how to act lol 😭

I’m a little scared that my written work/ tasks won’t be up to standard, or if I will know how to even approach the task in general (I guess the best approach is to clarify with the supervisor, but still)

I’ve done a one-week vac at a smaller firm but I wasn’t too nervous for it since it wasn’t convertible anyways and it was quite informal.

But since this vac is one with a much larger firm and one I really want, I’m just extra jittery! Any advice would be appreciated!!

 

[Saloman_Dormeus]

I experienced this before joining TCLA last year, I was the only students at my college to pass through the screening stage at JPMC Geneva to an interview. I got invited to unsolicited app through DMs by many MNCs (10+ offers) through LinkedIn, yet I've experienced some burnouts and imposter syndrome.

For me of course being an underdog isn't that easy, but ikr it's hard if your closest one and surroundings can't understand you. Just said that we're all here for you even though it's far away and virtual, don't hesitate to ask anything as it could comfort you or gaining your confidence back. Many people in the same boat.

Sooo… does anyone have any tips on not being nervous and feeling like time is running out as a graduate LOL?! 😀

Hi Novaa,

Honestly, this feeling is incredibly common, even if it feels like everyone else is somehow calmer or further ahead. A lot of the pressure comes from comparing yourself to the loudest voices, the people posting about offers or multiple interviews, when in reality most graduates are quietly feeling the same uncertainty. The legal career timeline is much longer than it feels right now, and even those with offers will not qualify for years, so not having everything wrapped up as a graduate does not mean you are behind, it just means you are still in the process.

What really helps is narrowing your focus to what you can control in this cycle and taking things one application, one deadline and one improvement at a time rather than spiralling about the future. Feeling nervous does not mean you are failing either, it usually just means you care, and that level of investment is something firms value when it is channelled well. It is also worth remembering that there is no shame in stepping off the conveyor belt for a bit if you need to, as plenty of strong candidates secure offers later, often when they are calmer and more confident. You are not running out of time, you are just in the uncomfortable middle, which almost everyone goes through even if they do not talk about it.

 

[EMB]

CMS Bristol AC invite

 

[S1kumo]

gosh I just did my Hogan Lovells test and found the video questions so hard and unnatural. I spoke about the topic of the third question in my second question so it felt a bit too repetitive too, though I did shift focus. I am usually a good speaker but it feels too artificial

Hey @Madison Pinewall,

Firstly, congratulations on reaching the job simulation stage at Hogan Lovells, as I'm aware many people failed at the first assessment stage!

As a future trainee at Hogan, I thought it would be useful to offer some advice here. I had some of my mentees in a similar situation, where they ended up discussing the same topic across both questions two and three due to the similarity between them. Despite this, they still managed to reach the assessment centre stage for the winter vacation scheme, so this isn't something to worry about at all.

I recently spoke with graduate recruitment at my university's law fair, and they mentioned that they understand how artificial it can feel during a video interview, speaking to a screen. They also mentioned that candidates are looked at holistically across their performance on all the different stages, so you have nothing to worry about!

If you think it might be useful, I'd be happy for you to reach out and share what you remember from your answers, and I can provide you with some helpful feedback.

 

[S1kumo]

Does HL second test have VI?

Hey @tball,

The job simulation for Hogan Lovells does, in fact, have a video interview, and you'll be tasked with answering three questions within a 2-minute time period for each. You'll also be required to complete a situational judgement test and a written task.

I'd advise you to look at the candidate preparation hub on the firm's website for the practice tests, as I'm aware many people have found it useful, but if you do have any other questions, then feel free to reach out!

 

[Cookiemonster]

Finally a human response 🤯

How did you overcome rejection after your vacation schemes?

Hi Trophy!

Honestly, I won’t sugarcoat this. Being rejected after a vacation scheme really hurt.

My first non-conversion hit me hard. I struggled with imposter syndrome throughout the scheme and put an enormous amount of pressure on myself to convert. When I got feedback, it was clear that nerves and lack of confidence came through in my interview, even though I knew the content. Hearing that was devastating at the time, and I did need space to process it.

What helped, eventually, was allowing myself to step back. I took time away from applications, LinkedIn, and constant comparison. That distance mattered more than I realised. When I came back the following cycle, I was clearer on what I needed to work on and less consumed by the fear of failure. I ended up securing further two vacation schemes as a result.

One thing I’ve learned is that rejection after a vac scheme doesn’t mean you weren’t good enough for the profession. Often it comes down to timing, confidence on the day, or very fine margins between candidates. Putting “everything” on converting can actually make it harder, because the pressure can stop you performing as you normally would.

What grounded me most was perspective. I’m the first in my family to go to university, from a low-income background, with no real understanding of the legal process around me. Getting to university, completing my degree, and even being in the position to do vacation schemes were achievements in themselves. I couldn’t let one firm’s “no” be the thing that ended a career I’d worked years towards.

I understand winter vacation schemes are slowly wrapping up so If you’re going through this now, be kind to yourself. Take time if you need it. Rejection feels personal, but it doesn’t define your ability or your future in law. 🤗​

 

[qaz99]

For everyone asking regarding the CMS AC, it is for the London office, and I completed the VI on the 26th nov

 

[S1kumo]

Any tips for a written exercise? What can we expect?

Hey @CharlesT47,

In my experience with assessment centres last year, written exercises tend to fluctuate between drafting emails and proofreading exercises. If you're lucky, you'll get the latter, which will ultimately be a test of your SPAG skills.

Some key things to look out for when it comes to the email tasks are getting the basics right, eg have I addressed this email to the correct person? Another key metric that's tested is your structure. When working in law, it's usually good practice to include an executive summary at the top of your email, which should be two bullet points summarising the key points of the email, in case the partner you're working for wants a quick answer before reading through the entire email.

I actually failed the Latham AC last year due to my performance in the written task. However, the feedback I received from graduate recruitment suggested that, for practice, I should consider using ChatGPT to generate draft written tasks and then provide feedback on my performance. I was a little sceptical at first, but decided to try it out, and in the end, it helped massively, and I ended up landing two training contract offers!

 

[S1kumo]

DLA Piper TI invite, if anyone has any inisghts I would

Hey @janiicemyla,

One of my mentees did the DLA telephone interview the other day, and it seemed quite straightforward!

Some of the questions that came up were:

Why Commercial Law?
Why DLA?
Why Manchester?
What do you think you'll gain the most from the Manchester internship?

I'd advise you prepare for some questions about yourself too such as the typical tell us about a time you demonstrated X but otherwise, you should be fine and I'm sure you'll do well!

 

[S1kumo]

Anyone know when we should hear back from Latham post stage 2 Tests?

Hey @JasmineM9,

If this is regarding applications for the summer vacation scheme, last year I received the invitation in mid-December for an assessment centre at the start of January. So, if things are working the same way this year, you should hear back soon.

I'm aware they run ACs for the first-year scheme students and campus ambassadors who get fast-tracked first before the end of the year, and then progress onto the general applicants after the new year!

 

[Shaky_Pete]

Applied to Simmons & Simmons last night for the summer scheme, and 40 minutes later I received an email saying: "In addition to the application form you have already submitted, the second part of this stage of our recruitment process is an online judgement test" with instructions on how to take the test via the CVMail platform.

However, an hour after that, I received another email, this time saying: "The next stage in the application is to complete our online blended assessment which combines situational judgement, applied intellect and video interview questions. You will receive an invite to the assessment with full instructions within two working days."

Did everyone get these two emails? So you have to take the "online judgement test" first, and then the "blended assessment"? Or is it just the one test, the blended assessment, and the first email was an error?

Cheers!

 

[S1kumo]

Skadden rejection 😔

Hey @DavidJC,

I wanted to drop a few words of encouragement and just say congratulations on submitting the application in the first place!

From my experience, I've found that every application submitted and every rejection is genuinely a stepping stone to the acceptance email that you'll eventually receive, so hold on to the hope that acceptance is coming soon!

It might be worth reflecting on the application and identifying where you may have fallen short to ensure you build yourself up for the next firm you apply to. However, last year I went through multiple rejections before securing four assessment centres in a row, so keep pushing!

Wishing you the best

 

[Cookiemonster]

Hiii, thanks for sharing your experience! Do you have any advice as to how to convert a vac?? And maybe what not to do, or any insight as to why people might not convert one? I’m super nervous for mine and not sure what to expect and how to act lol 😭

I’m a little scared that my written work/ tasks won’t be up to standard, or if I will know how to even approach the task in general (I guess the best approach is to clarify with the supervisor, but still)

I’ve done a one-week vac at a smaller firm but I wasn’t too anxious for it since it wasn’t convertible anyways and wasn’t a firm I was too interested in pursuing at that time.

But since this vac is one with a much larger firm and one I really want, I’m just extra jittery! Any advice would be appreciated!!

Hey Elle,

Completely normal to feel this nervous, especially when it’s a firm you really want.

A few practical things that really helped me, especially with written tasks:

Written work / tasks
One big thing: set your own timers. Don’t rely on just the final deadline.

For example:​

• 10–15 mins to read the brief properly​
• a few minutes to identify exactly what you’re being asked​
• then plan before you start writing​

A lot of people panic because there’s loads of information, but not all of it is relevant. Take time to work out what actually matters for the question. Also, make sure you’re answering every part of the question. Often one question has multiple elements, and people accidentally only answer one.

If you want to practise, Forage tasks are genuinely useful for getting into the habit of structuring answers and working under time pressure. Even just doing one or two helps.

On converting generally
Try not to treat the scheme like a competition or fixate on conversion the whole time. That pressure can make nerves worse. Focus on learning, asking questions, and being yourself. You got the vac by being you, so don’t suddenly try to act like someone else.

Keeping a daily log of what you’ve worked on, who you’ve spoken to, and what you’ve learned can also be really helpful. Firms often ask what you’ve taken away from the scheme, and it’s much easier to answer when you’ve reflected as you go.

You already have vac scheme experience, which is a big plus. Feeling nervous doesn’t mean you’re unprepared, it just means you care. That’s very normal.

Good luck and I’m sure you’ll smash it in the summer 🙌​

 

[adh3]

Hey,

Just to add another perspective here, because I recognise this mindset and I fell into it myself.

I also had part-time retail experience and for a long time I avoided using it in competency answers. Whenever I was asked about challenges, initiative, or teamwork, I’d default to my legal experience because I assumed that’s what firms wanted to hear.

Interestingly, feedback I received from one firm was the opposite. They said I was diminishing my non-legal experience, and that they actually wanted to see candidates who valued all of their experiences, not just the “legal” ones. Retail roles can show resilience, communication, problem-solving, and handling pressure far more convincingly than some vac scheme examples, if they’re reflected on properly.

That doesn’t mean retail experience magically levels the playing field, and I completely get why it feels weaker when you’re comparing yourself to candidates with internships. But firms are often more interested in how you extract learning and insight from an experience than how prestigious it sounds on paper.

I know it’s frustrating when effort doesn’t translate into outcomes, especially as a graduate, but I wouldn’t write off your experience or your potential on that basis. A lot of people reading this will be in the same position, even if they don’t say it out loud.​

I hope this helps

Hi,

I wouldn't really say this is a "mindset", as opposed to it actually being my reality.

I'm not avoiding using my part-time retail experience in my application/competency answers. In fact, it's one of the only (good) experiences I have for many key competencies (i.e. teamwork, leadership, etc.). It's just a simple fact that it's very hard to "spin" an answer to "why X firm" or "why commercial law" on the back of academics and retail experience.

I appreciate the kind words (and, frankly, the only reason I haven't written myself off as of yet is because of 'kind words' from people like you). Truly, the reason I am posing messages like this is because I understand that others are in the same position as me, but don't feel as if they can say it.

I saw (in another post) that you had completed two vacation schemes in your first cycle. I don't know when your first cycle was, but my belief is that firms like to see potential in their candidates. If you're a first- or second-year student who has retail experience, you can easily leverage this to show that you're a hardworking individual. But, once you're a graduate, (I have found that) it's harder to use low-level experiences to demonstrate your capacity to thrive in a professional environment. So, I'm not certain that we've experienced the same thing.

I want to leave things at this. All of my friends believe that I'll secure a TC. Honestly, they believe more in me than I do in myself. However, it's really demoralising to go through this process year after year, getting better and better at writing application answers, and ultimately realising that no matter how interested I am in certain aspects of commercial law this is simply meaningless without also having relevant experience to reinforce it.

 

[S1kumo]

could anyone please advise on this please on understanding what a firm is looking for in their video interview process?
- Format: 3 mins to prep 90 seconds to respond
- Told we are being assessed on skills and competencies, and the VI email invite explicitly stated that the VI assesses 4 competencies
- But the firm's video advises us to focus just on how we would approach the situation - to not bring in past examples - but to also show your unique perspective and how we would approach the situation.
- am I correct in thinking that this is what the firm is saying: your skills/past experience is not directly assessed, only how you would approach the situation (which can be informed by past experiences, no matter what that encompassed and how much you have).
- but if everyone is saying similar things and making similar points, how would the firm distinguish between candidates (this is the final stage before the AC)?

Hey @floral.tcla,

From my understanding, it seems that the firm wants you to focus on the specific situation in question rather than on a STAR structure based on a previous experience. For example, if the question is "How would you handle competing deadlines?" I'm assuming the firm wants to just hear the process you would take to handle these deadlines. A good way to stand out here would be to showcase knowledge of the firm, eg do they use Microsoft Teams? Do they have any AI tools which may be helpful? Is there a specific way you're trained by the firm to handle the situation? I'd say this is where you would distinguish yourself from other candidates, and I assume you might make reference to past experiences, such as saying I used a Gantt Chart during sixth form, and I'd follow the same approach not but the firm doesn't want a PEEL or STAR paragraph on how you used a Gantt chart during school!

Does that make a little more sense?

I also think that when everyone is making similar points, a big differentiator for the firm is the strength of your communication style. The approach that has worked for me is letting your personality come across during your video interviews. Don't be afraid to smile at the camera when answering the questions, and don't think you have to speak like a robot either! Amongst all the competencies and requirements, most firms just want to see that you're someone they can put in front of a client and be confident in your ability to represent them in an appropriate manner.

I hope that helps but if you have any follow ups then please reach out!

 

[elle woods]

Hey Elle,

Completely normal to feel this nervous, especially when it’s a firm you really want.

A few practical things that really helped me, especially with written tasks:

Written work / tasks
One big thing: set your own timers. Don’t rely on just the final deadline.

For example:​

• 10–15 mins to read the brief properly​
• a few minutes to identify exactly what you’re being asked​
• then plan before you start writing​

A lot of people panic because there’s loads of information, but not all of it is relevant. Take time to work out what actually matters for the question. Also, make sure you’re answering every part of the question. Often one question has multiple elements, and people accidentally only answer one.

If you want to practise, Forage tasks are genuinely useful for getting into the habit of structuring answers and working under time pressure. Even just doing one or two helps.

On converting generally
Try not to treat the scheme like a competition or fixate on conversion the whole time. That pressure can make nerves worse. Focus on learning, asking questions, and being yourself. You got the vac by being you, so don’t suddenly try to act like someone else.

Keeping a daily log of what you’ve worked on, who you’ve spoken to, and what you’ve learned can also be really helpful. Firms often ask what you’ve taken away from the scheme, and it’s much easier to answer when you’ve reflected as you go.

You already have vac scheme experience, which is a big plus. Feeling nervous doesn’t mean you’re unprepared, it just means you care. That’s very normal.

Good luck and I’m sure you’ll smash it in the summer 🙌​

Thank you sm! This is great advice - I’ll keep this in mind going forward!