TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[radssss]

Hey guys, quick question, when a firm asks in an interview to speak about a recent commercial news story, do you typically pick a deal, a headline showing a wider trend or something else?

Would love some insight!

Pick whatever u like if the question is broad and they’re not asking you specifically for a news/trend or deal. If you do talk about a deal link it to any news/trend if that’s possible.
Be sure to pick something you have lots of knowledge about and are actually interested in incase the firm asks cross questions (which has happened with me before)

 

[TheLegalEdit]

Ah! Some of my changes didn’t save when I sent my RPC application this morning I emailed them with my receipt and the missing information. I believe it will be fine but will they still consider the missing information? It was just some missing grades and whether I had applied to RPC before.

 

[TheLegalEdit]

Has anyone heard from Baker McKenzie?

 

[Lawlawland]

I sometimes feel like the process to get a TC is just one gigantic humiliation exercise. I bet GR/the training principles are like this when designing the process: View attachment 7631

Whenever I apply and wait to hear back from a firm, I have this mental image of me begging in front of the firm's entrance and the grad rec team laughs at me and the associates and trainees pity me.

 

[Gottagetthroughthis101]

Has anyone that did Milbank Stage 1 received a pfo? I did my test on the 3rd of Jan but not heard back

 

[Lawlawland]

Ah! Some of my changes didn’t save when I sent my RPC application this morning I emailed them with my receipt and the missing information. I believe it will be fine but will they still consider the missing information? It was just some missing grades and whether I had applied to RPC before.

They have grad rec team phone numbers in their website, please reach out to them via call, pretty much super responsive, but takes ages to reply for the mail.

As a matter of urgency, it's better to call them.

 

[studysquirrel]

So the whole thing doesn't take 40 minutes?

1min prep from question (+ 5sec countdown), 2minutes answer.

 

[TheLegalEdit]

They have grad rec team phone numbers in their website, please reach out to them via call, pretty much super responsive, but takes ages to reply for the mail.

As a matter of urgency, it's better to call them.

Ah okay thank you. I called but no one picked up and their mailboxes are full unfortunately. I might try again later today. Hopefully they do see the email if I cannot get through to them.

Have you had a negative experience with them responding to their emails before? I emailed the [email protected] address.

 

[tjeya26]

If anyone can help me or give their insights. Do law firms care if you’ve done a sqe1 prep course but have deferred your actual SQE1 exams due to mitigating circumstances?

 

[law123456789]

Any Clyde & Co VI insights? I have CC AC, Simmons VI + others...

 

[shays]

lol i'll take it that if we have not heard back from Clyde&Co it's a pfo

 

[Saul_specter]

Anyone heard from slaughters links or HSF summer?

 

[Hanzeeb]

lol i'll take it that if we have not heard back from Clyde&Co it's a pfo

Was thinking the same thing, gutted lol

 

[radssss]

lol i'll take it that if we have not heard back from Clyde&Co it's a pfo

Nah don’t, they don’t send ac invites until they review all vis, some other people and I only got vis today!

 

[Rosie_Kitten]

I imagine many of these firms progress in batch stages? They have a maximum number of AC stages, and a minimum benchmark for each test. They might move forward a certain % of the top level to the next stage and wait to see how many people hit AC benchmark, before deciding to progress the next few.

Again, copium for me 🥲

 

[helenaskelton]

Have all post 1st round Gibson Dunn people heard back? I still haven’t

 

[Afraz Akhtar]

If anyone can help me or give their insights. Do law firms care if you’ve done a sqe1 prep course but have deferred your actual SQE1 exams due to mitigating circumstances?

@tjeya26 unless it is sponsored by them, I would imagine not. When you're self-funding, the onus is on you to sit the exams when you want. Of course, they may enquire about it, but tell them the truth. I deferred all my LPC exams, and law firms knew about it at AC and I even carried on deferring after I got my TC, it just wasn't convenient for me to sit them at that stage of my life and I'm all the more happier for it.

 

[Wompycapy]

Anyone heard from slaughters links or HSF summer?

nope

 

[Prudentia]

Ah okay thank you. I called but no one picked up and their mailboxes are full unfortunately. I might try again later today. Hopefully they do see the email if I cannot get through to them.

Have you had a negative experience with them responding to their emails before? I emailed the [email protected] address.

Is that email address for real?

 

[tjeya26]

@tjeya26 unless it is sponsored by them, I would imagine not. When you're self-funding, the onus is on you to sit the exams when you want. Of course, they may enquire about it, but tell them the truth. I deferred all my LPC exams, and law firms knew about it at AC and I even carried on deferring after I got my TC, it just wasn't convenient for me to sit them at that stage of my life and I'm all the more happier for it.

Thank you so much for your response. Did you feel like you needed a serious reason for deferring?