TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[abhuzaifa02]

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 @BuddyingLawyer744

I would advise that if you had similar experiences during across different vacation schemes, you may wish to group those experiences together in one work experience entry rather than repeating it separately in a new work experience entry each time. You could title the work experience entry as “Multiple Vacation Schemes”.

Within the work experience description itself, you could discuss and structure your explanation according to the seats you sat in (i.e., transactional, litigation or regulatory), similar tasks you completed, or the similar skills you gained.

I used the above approach for discussing multiple sales assistant roles at different retail companies and it was usually received well by graduate recruitment.

Hope this helps! 👍

 

[spongebob]

If I have not gotten it yet, is it a PFO? Is it automatic?

I’m sure it’ll come soon, it varies quite a bit, my friend got a rejection within a few minutes of completing so its not bad news

 

[sal44]

If I have not gotten it yet, is it a PFO? Is it automatic?

No I don’t think so, I got stage 2 24 days after completing stage 1! Wishing you the best 🙌🏼

 

[Bree]

I’m sure it’ll come soon, it varies quite a bit, my friend got a rejection within a few minutes of completing so its not bad news

thank you!

 

[Bree]

No I don’t think so, I got stage 2 24 days after completing stage 1! Wishing you the best 🙌🏼

Thank you Sal, I really hope it works out after multiple rejections today )

 

[maylawwww]

summer or spring?

spring!

 

[abhuzaifa02]

People applying to Kirkland, could you please tell me if you're answering the open question at the end? "Is there anything else you would like to add in support of your application?"

I've just noticed this and not sure whether they are expecting an answer

Hi @londonlawyer

Usually, this is an opportunity for you mention anything that you feel you have not been able to discuss elsewhere - there is no right or wrong answer for this.

Also, there is no expectation to complete this part.

In my experience, I would reflect upon my application and consider if there is anything substantive that I could add which will allow me to better sell myself. For example, if you were not able to discuss a certain experience in your application which you think is relevant to the firm, this would be a good place to mention that. Alternatively, if you would like to provide additional reasons as to why you are interested in the firm, you could also mention this.

Note: The key is to ensure what you discuss is relevant, adding something substantive to your application, and not simply a repetition of things you have already highlighted.

Personally, I remember using these type of questions as an opportunity to mention 1 or 2 key skills from my experiences that I did not already discuss in my application and I managed to progress to the next stage for those firms.

I hope this helps! 👍

 

[Dannie]

Any Mayer Brown VI insights?

 

[Rads]

Any Mayer Brown VI insights?

Yes, especially the kind of questions that we should prep for

 

[RJ Ruban]

Did anyone else get a HSF Kramer PFO today? I'm not sure what I else I can do to improve because I passed the assessment benchmark

Hey so sorry! Was this for the summer vac or spring?

 

[abhuzaifa02]

Does anyone find it hard not to fixate on numbers when applying to a Vacation Scheme/Direct TC? Feeling quite hopeless when I am 1 of 3000 applicants competing for 20 odd spots.

Hi @ssss

Honestly, I know exactly how you are feeling.

It is very off putting when you think about how many people are applying and how many spaces are available.

My only advice is that this whole journey is battle against your mindset. After ensuring your application is perfect and getting the basics right, you have to be confident in your ability as a candidate to make it through regardless of the number of people that apply.

A positive outlook:

• Out of 3000 applicants, many get rejected simply because they do not meet the foundational requirements or due to simple errors including spelling, punctuation and grammar errors or due to simply copying and pasting answers.
• Nevertheless, if we assume that approximately 1000 – 1500 candidates get rejected due to the aforementioned reasons, that increases your chances by %%%.

Overall, it is never helpful to focus on the numbers so try your best to block out the noise. I faced pure rejection in my first and second cycle and managed secure multiple assessment centres and vacation schemes in my third application cycle. So if someone like me can do it, I am sure you are more than capable of being that one person.

Hope this helps everyone! 👍

 

[LRR23]

Any Clyde & Co VI insights?? please 🙏

 

[FutureTraineeMaybe]

Did HL stage 1, feel like I bombed it, anyone knows how long they take?

It took like a week for me!

 

[abhuzaifa02]

Hi guys, for the people that have applied to Reed Smith, how quickly did you get the test invite? Also any tips on how to do well on the Amberjack (I’ve seen that’s what Reed Smith use) would be greatly appreciated

Hi @TheLegalEdit

I applied to Reed Smith in my last two cycles. I do not recall any particular timing in relation to when the test invite is sent out. From what I can remember, it was very different for me and a lot of my friends.

Regarding the Amberjack assessment, it’s helpful to practise numerical and verbal reasoning and situational based questions. You may find free samples online with ‘JobTestPrep’ and ‘Practice Aptitude Test’. From my experience, the sample questions are not very similar, but are great for warming up your mind to think logically and critically.

I hope this helps! 👍

 

[calebnash]

Anyone still not heard from HSF, BCLP or Macfarlanes? What does this mean as I passed tests for all 3 and applied a while back

 

[elizabethkate]

hsfk pfo after passing bench mark

 

[abhuzaifa02]

Hello guys, better to apply for Hogan Lovells DTC than their summer scheme at this stage?

Hi @Rads

It really depends on your personal circumstances. I have a few friends who are trainees at Hogan Lovells through both the DTC route and the VS route. I noted that the DTC route candidates had strong legal work experience through previous vacation schemes or paralegal experience.

Depending on your previous experience, I find that the vacation scheme route is slightly less daunting as you have more opportunities to demonstrate your strengths as a candidate whereas, through the DTC route, the expectations are higher as the firm can only rely on the interview to assess if you are a correct fit.

Hope this provides some additional clarification!

 

[anjali20]

Has anyone not heard back from Willkie at all?

 

[Assessment Account]

does anyone have any winter vac scheme insights for Links AC? appreciate any help i can get!!

In general, AC's are less about “trying to catch you out” and more about whether you can think clearly under time pressure, communicate in a measured, commercial way and work effectively with others in a professional setting.

From my knowledge, Links have a group exercise and a written exercise followed by a partner interview.

1. For the group exercise, focus on collaboration rather than domination. Linklaters places real value on calm, measured contributions, active listening, and building constructively on others’ points. You do not need to be the loudest voice to stand out.
2. For the Written / case exercise, this is primarily a test of structure, judgement, and commercial awareness. Clear issue-spotting, logical prioritisation, and concise recommendations matter far more than technical legal detail. Beyond high-level concepts (e.g. asset vs share sales, raising capital through debt or equity and the mechanisms for doing), no deep technical knowledge is expected.
3. For the Interview, preparing well-rehearsed but genuine answers to competency and motivation questions goes a long way. “Why law?”, “Why Linklaters?”, and “Why you?” are almost guaranteed to come up, so you should be able to answer these confidently and consistently with your application.
4. Linklaters-specific insight, they've made significant investments in legal tech and AI, including developing its own in-house GenAI chatbot (“Laila”) on Microsoft Azure and integrating external models such as Legora into day-to-day workflows. The firm also runs an AI sandbox and structured internal idea campaigns, encouraging lawyers at all levels to propose practical AI use cases. This reflects a systematic, firm-wide approach to innovation rather than isolated pilots, a useful point to reference when discussing culture, future-facing work, or commercial awareness (be sure to link it to your interests!).


I hope this helps and good luck!

 

[abhuzaifa02]

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

Hi @Novaa

I genuinely understand how you may be feeling right now – I felt the exact same way as a graduate when applying for VS and TCs.

For context, I graduated in 2023 and secured a TC in 2025. I spent two years working in a mixture of roles, including working as sales assistant and later as a paralegal.

It is important to understand that time is not running out and that every single candidate has their own timeline. For example, I met vacation schemers who had applied for the very first time and succeeded, and candidates who, like myself, had been applying for 3+ years until they managed to secure something.

I personally found that this entire journey is about longevity and consistency. If this is a career you truly want then, time, to an extent, is irrelevant to the equation.

However, I understand that everyone has personal circumstances which may shape your nervousness and feeling like time is running out. Something that helped me was focussing on securing a paralegal role. By doing this, I felt comfortable knowing that I am still doing something related to commercial law but just on a much smaller scale.

Hope this helps and wishing you lots of luck! 👍