Road to success

[maxro]

Hi,

I'm starting this to increase my resilience and hopefully my chances of success. I'm currently doing a law conversion and this is my first proper cycle (I did maybe 3 random applications last year though). I'm starting this to hopefully see my progress!!

I'm motivated to secure a vacation scheme this cycle, and eventually to secure a TC. Documenting the journey will hopefully allow me to see where I'm going wrong and motivate me.

Here's where I'm at as of 16th December 2025:

• Hogan Lovells - rejection post-Job Simulation/VI in Nov
• Taylor Wessing - rejection post-initial assessment (today!)
• Ashurst - rejection post-initial assessment (Oct)
• Mayer Brown - rejection post-VI (Dec)
• HSFK - rejection post-initial assessment (Nov)
• Bird & Bird - rejection (Nov)
• Simmons & Simmons post-initial assessment (Nov)

More recent & pending:

• Stephenson Harwood - app done
• Cleary - app & WG done
• Pennington Manches Cooper- app done
• Charles Russell Speechlys - app done
• Osborne Clarke - app & WG/SJT done
• DLA Piper (Dublin) - app&WG/SJT done
• White & Case - App & SJT done
• Eversheds - App & WG done
• Norton Rose Fulbright - App & assessment done
• Addleshaw - app & assessment done
• Dentons -app & assessment done
• Skadden - app done

Intending to apply for Mills & Reeve, potentially Paul, Weiss this week.

Also made it to the Skadden written exercise on Thursday!

Also... the TCLA courses have already helped me improve my applications & confidence in WG etc so much, definitely noticing big big improvements so thank you very much!!!

onwards & upwards !

 

[maxro]

Eversheds PFO

 

[Xx123_]

Hi,

I'm starting this to increase my resilience and hopefully my chances of success. I'm currently doing a law conversion and this is my first proper cycle (I did maybe 3 random applications last year though). I'm starting this to hopefully see my progress!!

I'm motivated to secure a vacation scheme this cycle, and eventually to secure a TC. After lots of research in summer, I know this is the path I want! It's just very character building with the rejections and my family (with good intentions) discouraging me because of the disappointment. But I'm definitely nowhere near ready to give up, and documenting the journey will hopefully allow me to see where I'm going wrong and motivate me.

Here's where I'm at as of 16th December 2025:

• Hogan Lovells - rejection post-Job Simulation/VI in Nov
• Taylor Wessing - rejection post-initial assessment (today!)
• Ashurst - rejection post-initial assessment (Oct)
• Mayer Brown - rejection post-VI (Dec)
• HSFK - rejection post-initial assessment (Nov)
• Bird & Bird - rejection (Nov)
• Simmons & Simmons post-initial assessment (Nov)

More recent & pending:

• Stephenson Harwood
• Cleary
• Pennington Manches Cooper
• Charles Russell Speechlys
• Osborne Clarke
• DLA Piper (Dublin)
• White & Case ✍
  • top skills - adaptable, personal responsibility, work ethic. development - curiosity.
• Eversheds
• Norton Rose Fulbright
  • arctic shores - 4/4/2/3
• Addleshaw
• Dentons
  • avg. numerical&verbal; strong for applied intellect&digital; average creative force&drive
• Skadden

*application ; assessment WG/SJT ; written exercise ; VI/TI ; Interview ; AC

Intending to apply for Mills & Reeve, potentially Paul, Weiss this week.

Also made it to the Skadden written exercise on Thursday!

Also... the TCLA courses have already helped me improve my applications & confidence in WG etc so much, definitely noticing big big improvements so thank you very much!!!

onwards & upwards !

Welcome to TCLA — and I’m really glad you’ve created this thread It’s such a healthy way to stay motivated and reflect during what is, honestly, a very tough process.

Huge credit to you for pushing on despite the rejections and external pressure — that resilience really matters. Making it to the Skadden written exercise is a Huge achievement! Congrats!

I also completely agree: TCLA is an amazing platform, even without Premium, and it’s great to hear the resources are already helping. I completed the Dentons VS last cycle, so feel free to reach out if you want any insight there.

Good luck and I am very excited to see how this thread progresses

 

[maxro]

Welcome to TCLA — and I’m really glad you’ve created this thread It’s such a healthy way to stay motivated and reflect during what is, honestly, a very tough process.

Huge credit to you for pushing on despite the rejections and external pressure — that resilience really matters. Making it to the Skadden written exercise is a Huge achievement! Congrats!

I also completely agree: TCLA is an amazing platform, even without Premium, and it’s great to hear the resources are already helping. I completed the Dentons VS last cycle, so feel free to reach out if you want any insight there.

Good luck and I am very excited to see how this thread progresses

Thank you so much !

Well done for the Dentons VS, that's amazing and thank you!

 

[maxro]

Update

- did the Skadden written exercise on Thursday
- VI for White & Case !

Still need to finish applications this week

 

[maxro]

Update:

- completed VI for W&C (I think it went ok??? could have waffled less)
- submitted app for Paul, Weiss
- submitted app for Mills & Reeve

 

[3000to1shoteverytime]

Keep plugging away. I won't even tell you how many I applied to. Researched and tailored. Got to 11 ACs and 2 vac schemes but they clashed but got the TC from that and they are funding pgdl and SQE. So do keep on applying. After a while you build quite a bank of answers which can be adapted to reuse (and refocus to the new firm's principles and clients and work type).

 

[maxro]

Update:
- NRF VI
- Applied to Milbank
- Applied to Cooley

 

[maxro]

Update:
- Completed NRF VI
- need to do Mills & Reeve assessment
- need to do Milbank assessment

 

[KuriTH]

Update:
- Completed NRF VI
- need to do Mills & Reeve assessment
- need to do Milbank assessment

Did you get unlimited time to respond for the NRF VI?

 

[maxro]

Did you get unlimited time to respond for the NRF VI?

Yeah, although there’s a 5 min recommended time so I’d say prep before if you can to stay within 5 mins since I’m assuming that’s how much time they want you to take

 

[Cece176]

How did you find the Mills & Reeve assessment?

 

[tc2026]

is milbank WG?

 

[prawncrackers]

the first stage

is milbank WG?

the first stage of milbank is sjt+2 written questions and the stage 2 of that would be a WG test.

 

[prawncrackers]

How did you find the Mills & Reeve assessment?

The grad recruitment team will send an invitation email

 

[maxro]

update:

• completed M&R assessment
• completed Milbank stage 1, got stage 2 !
• DLA TI
• completed clyde & co assessment
• holding email from Cooley

fingers crossed

 

[maxro]

Dentons PFO ! Expected

 

[prawncrackers]

update:

• completed M&R assessment
• completed Milbank stage 1, got stage 2 !
• DLA TI
• completed clyde & co assessment
• holding email from Cooley

fingers crossed

would love any insights of M&R assessment lol

 

[prawncrackers]

Dentons PFO ! Expected

sorry to hear that, they missed out a legend :/

 

[Cece176]

The grad recruitment team will send an invitation email

Sorry I meant how was your experience with it!