Was this for the written or the SBAQ?
When i did it they messed up the SBAQ. I didn't mind doing a resit, but would definitely not want to do a second written.
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TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26
- Thread starter Ram Sabaratnam
- Start date
Was this for the written or the SBAQ?
When i did it they messed up the SBAQ. I didn't mind doing a resit, but would definitely not want to do a second written.
is this for spring or summer? For spring, i've seen a few people have been invited to ACs over the last few days
I’m sitting here, bored. No more applications to do. So i'm effectively doing nothing, refreshing my inbox like that might change something. Every seven minutes. Very disciplined. Everything else is marked as read so if the email comes in, I won’t miss it. It will stand out. It has to.
Control+R. Nothing.
Control+R again. Still nothing.
By the nineteenth refresh, I’m aware this is pointless, but I do it anyway. The weekend is coming, which means the chance of a dopamine hit is basically gone. That little spike that says maybe someone wants to "hear more about me". Maybe I’m being chosen. Maybe.
Then it happens. An email. From a firm. The subject line looks right. Serious. Promising. I click.
It loads just a fraction slower than usual, maybe 0.6 seconds. Long enough to feel something. Long enough to believe. Long enough for the dopamine rush to hit all my receptors. I skim, and my eyes immediately find the word “unfortunately.”
The feeling disappears as fast as it came. I’m not sad. Just flat. Slightly embarrassed that I expected anything else.
I take a break. Make toast. Butter only (can't afford shit nowadays). I come back.
In the browser tab I see it. (1) unread. This has to be another firm. I open it immediately.
Netflix failed to charge the 10 pounds I owe them.
Fuck it, i'm going to bed (it's 3pm)
Control+R. Nothing.
Control+R again. Still nothing.
By the nineteenth refresh, I’m aware this is pointless, but I do it anyway. The weekend is coming, which means the chance of a dopamine hit is basically gone. That little spike that says maybe someone wants to "hear more about me". Maybe I’m being chosen. Maybe.
Then it happens. An email. From a firm. The subject line looks right. Serious. Promising. I click.
It loads just a fraction slower than usual, maybe 0.6 seconds. Long enough to feel something. Long enough to believe. Long enough for the dopamine rush to hit all my receptors. I skim, and my eyes immediately find the word “unfortunately.”
The feeling disappears as fast as it came. I’m not sad. Just flat. Slightly embarrassed that I expected anything else.
I take a break. Make toast. Butter only (can't afford shit nowadays). I come back.
In the browser tab I see it. (1) unread. This has to be another firm. I open it immediately.
Netflix failed to charge the 10 pounds I owe them.
Fuck it, i'm going to bed (it's 3pm)
I applied for summer and have yet to hear anything back since I submitted the application
Its bogging me too
Hey, preparing for an AC (although a little nerving) gets easier with time, so long as you know what you’re doing. Now, it may seem like you’re going into new territory, but if you prepare well you should be able to perform your best regardless.
With the AC, the most important thing to remember is each component (interview, case study, group exercise) is assessing a different set of skills, for which you’ll be graded and the total coalition of your marks will be used to decide how strong you performed on the AC and whether it will amount to an offer. So, the aim here isn’t just to be yourself and hope for the best, but to actually strategize your approach and make sure you’re hitting the key competencies.
I have highlighted these competencies below, and attached some links to detailed TCLA posts that I feel go to the heart of each exercise in a way that best prepares you to meet the marks.
Interviews - https://www.thecorporatelawacademy....de-for-competency-interview-preparation.9380/
The interview is simply the firm’s chance to learn about you and decide whether your motivation for the career and firm is strong enough, so as to confirm if they are going to be investing in helping you qualify. It is therefore important to research the type of skills they look for in a candidate, and make sure you think about what experiences you have to prove that you’re capable of doing this.
Lastly, it’s also a chance to see who you are beyond the legal world – as in, are you going to be a good cultural fit for the firm. Now, you don’t need to match interests and hobbies with the assessor, but you do need to be able to show a little insight into what makes you tick. For many of us, this isn’t a recent development in the world of aviation law, but more so something pretty base level like football or travelling. These kinds of insight into you are important to set yourself apart from the rest of the candidate pool.
Written Exercise/Case Study - https://www.thecorporatelawacademy....firm-case-studies-monday-article-series.3232/
A time-pressured situation, where it’s easy to lose sight of what you’re being asked to do as you rush to provide as much information as possible. You are being assessed on the quality of your work, and your ability to analyse/cater to your audience, under the bracket of being efficient with your time. This takes practice, more than the other two, so you need to make yourself comfortable with writing at speed, structuring, understanding the question and being able to answer just that (nothing less and nothing more).
As these tend to change across firms, it is difficult to provide a one-stop answer for how to structure your answers/content – but think about who you’re writing this for, is it for yourself, a client, or a colleague. Consider what might be most helpful to them, and present your answer in that format.
If it is more to do with your ability to interpret information, like a case study, consider the implications of each fact with your clients interest at heart. You don’t need to have the ideal solution, but you do need to be able to flag concerns that you think could arise and the resource attached helps with that.
Group Exercise/Negotiation - https://www.thecorporatelawacademy....ssed-negotiations-monday-article-series.3018/
Probably the most nerving aspect of any AC is being asked to work with others. It’s easy to shy away in a group full of strong personalities, or overshadow those around you so that you seem like the strongest. The trick is not to do either, you don’t need to be the loudest but you also can’t be the quietest. Find the balance. The best way to approach is consider what makes a good team-player, and strive your best to fit that profile.
It is usually the one that listens, includes others, mediates conflict/aggression, offers their opinion but is open to feedback and change, and essentially someone who keeps the progress moving. Remember, at this stage you are not competitors but a collective, working towards a common goal. Have that in your heart and you can’t go wrong.
thank you this is so peak
also how would someone prepare for a "commercial awareness interview"
not sure what that entails either
Hey @chiichiiHi @Abbie Whitlock ! Hope you are doing well. I am currently applying for a law firm's training contract, but i wasn't too sure on how should I approach this question. Could you help me give me some guidance on how to approach this question, especially the second part of the question? Should I talk more about what skills did I developed from my interest? If not, what kind of impact I should talk about?)
The question: Tell us about a passion or interest of yours outside of law, and how this impacts you (or others)
For me, this question goes into learning more about you. I think it serves as a chance to really set yourself apart and a become a little more memorable in a process that seems to be drowning in candidates with legal interest. For example, at a previous recruiter event, I heard how a member of the graduate recruitment team at CC was left impressed with a candidates passion for Bharatnatyam dancing, so it doesn’t need to be legal at all.
I’d do just that. Not the dancing, but thinking deep about who you are and what keeps you going outside the world of law and academics. Once you’ve found it, consider how this has shaped you as a person. Has it led to some soft skill development, like teamwork or attention to detail (as you would imagine for that candidate who talked about their dancing) or has it helped you fulfil a greater purpose? The impact is really personal, and it doesn’t need to be directly linked to law, at the very least, it should be something that would benefit you as you venture into the world of law.
just received a Birketts update with a testing link - considering I failed to include the date and name of one my work experience entries on the written app, not sure if it’s automatic ?? That was a pretty big mistake from me lol
Clyde and Co Video Interview Invite just now!
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