-
Join Premium →Get Everything You Need to Secure a Training ContractNow half the price. Join TCLA Premium for £30/month and get step-by-step application support, daily commercial awareness practice, and 700+ successful examples of past applications and interview experiences. Plus so much more.
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26
- Thread starter Ram Sabaratnam
- Start date
You don't have to decide your entire future this holiday. It’s worth remembering that the average age of qualification as a solicitor in the UK is around 30. There is absolutely no rule that says you must secure a TC before you graduate. Law firms deeply values people with unique academic backgrounds and passion, so doing a masters doesn't close the door to a legal career, and will quite often enrich your profile for later applications.
Right now, with diss and masters apps, your plate is full. Consider focusing your energy there to do them justice. You can keep law warm by targeting just a few firms you genuinely love, or by using time to network and attend open days instead of applying everywhere. This will help you gather intel without burning out before you even start working in the career. You could also consider exploring in-house legal internships, as I found that it is genuinely a more accessible way to get direct commercial legal experience.
A method that served me very well in interviews was to research the major clients of the firms I was applying to. Instead of just knowing that the firm has a top-tier M&A practice, look at who their key clients are, maybe a major retail bank or a renewable energy developer. Then, ask yourself what are the biggest commercial and regulatory challenges facing that client's industry right now, and how could a law firm help to mitigate those issues? This is how some law firms analyse the news to scope out potential new clients and to manage risk for their existing ones.
The core benefit of doing a TI is human interaction. You can pick up on tonal cues, ask for brief clarification if needed, and build a more natural rapport. It feels less like a performance and more like a dialogue. A VI can often make you feel like you're speaking into a void which can heighten anxiety, and cause some people to perform less adequately.
Any GR team that views a reasonable adjustment request negatively is failing in its duty to ensure fair access. In practice, GR teams handle these requests confidentially and routinely. Using an adjustment you're entitled to does not mark your application down, it simply ensures the assessment measures what it's supposed to.
The format is different, but the assessment criteria are the same. You are still being evaluated on your motivation, competencies, and commercial awareness. The TI might allow for slightly more nuance in a conversation, but the benchmark for success doesn't change. The firm is assessing your suitability for the role of a solicitor, which leads to your next point.
Good luck on your applications!!
I got my invite for the hsfk summer vac scheme ac in February last year, so it might take a while as they will probably still be interview spring vac scheme candidates at this time. The waiting is really tough, but no news is definitely still good news at this stage.
You’ve prepped really well! A solid tip now is to start recording yourself answering mock questions. Smiling while you speak and ounding confident makes a huge difference and is one of the things they assess. You’ve got this!
Weil VI
Could I ask for some advice on Weil VI? What kind of questions do they usually ask? I have terrible stage fright whenever doing HVs or VIs and usually only do well when the firms allow re-record (my first takes are usually not very good). I have PTSD from getting rejected from this stage by...
www.thecorporatelawacademy.com
Massive congratulations on securing two ACs! One thing that really helped me was focusing on my physical presence. I made a conscious effort not to visibly show my nerves through things like tapping my leg or fidgeting. By deliberately presenting myself as composed, it actually started to make me feel more confident and in control. It’s a bit like “acting as if”, and over time the feeling catches up with the performance.
@Abbie Whitlock Hello Abbie, hope you are doing well. I wanted to ask how to approach 'Why have you decided to pursue a career in commercial law'? Should I include only my motivations or also the skills I have that are matched to commercial law?
I remember struggling with this question a lot at the beginning of my application journey, so just to offer my two cents as to what worked for me. There is no fixed answer, but I found a lot more success when I broke each component of the cover letter/application form down into “stages” if you will. Each of which I told myself were assessing for a different thing. As for the “why law” portion, I decided this was to assess my pure motivation for the industry and not skill, and wherever I mentioned a skill - it was more in line with if I had a certain skill I was good at, was that pushing me to this career above others (but this was kept at a minimum, given the word count and all there is to say on motivation alone). It’s important to be honest to yourself too, think about where your motivation has genuinely come from, and rely on that to guide your overall answer. Hope this helps and good luck!
Thank you for this! Do you think if the application does not give you any space to talk about your skills then it is good to mention those in this answer?
It’s a tricky one because sure Mayer Brown may not be your first choice, but something about it must have taken your liking for you to apply right? I wouldn’t suggest compromising anything for a first choice, as nothing is set in stone, and you don’t want to leave yourself without options in the event your top choices aren’t successful.
That being said, I would only do the online assessment if it does not significantly affect the quality of your upcoming application/2 other firm assessments that you care more about. If you can make the time, then try, but if not, then avoid the Mayer Brown assessment. It seems like it’ll take some investment as I believe their VI’s require knowledge of the firm/work.
I agree, balancing is hard, but remember to be kind to yourself. One of my biggest regrets from my TC journey was the constant mental torture of trying to do so much at once. So, don’t do anything that pushes you towards a burnout.
If that's the case, then I wouldn't think strengths are what they're assessing at this stage. They'll typically assess that at a later stage of the application process, and I wouldn't suggest jeopardising the quality of you answer for a question that usually looks for those who are genuinely interested in this career choice. To err on the side of caution here, I would touch upon some skills, but again, only where they have pushed me to this career choice above others.
In the fund formation space, how do firms typically differentiate themselves? Why would you approach Kirkland vs Debevoise vs Akin? is it sector-specific expertise? Does anyone know why Debevoise's fund team is so renowned?
Similar threads
- Sticky
