TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[kukubird]

Just chiming in I progressed to selective stage 2 of Cleary despite a very low 2:1 and not meeting the minimum A-levels....so some firms do operate holistically, no point agonising over what's a good 2:1

Congrats! Was this WG?

 

[helenaskelton]

is anybody else like so bad at video interviews. I literally freak and start crumbling under pressure. I've mooted in front of a Lord Justice, I do theatre!! But ask me a question and have me monologue for 2 mins ... no fanks

I crashed out at Clyde & Co. Can’t even submit it because I just stopped mid way through and laughed. It was effectively SJT interview but framed within a broader case study so I got confused and thought I had to use information from the case study (when I think basic stuff is actually all you need)! So yeah I just stopped and laughed because I found it so hard. And then there was 30 seconds of silence. lol

 

[HopefulTC]

Hi guys,
Got my AC ever on the 29th!! It's at Freshfields which unfortunately is a firm where i havent had an open day at. To be honest I am so nervous and am unsure with everything. Ik my commercial awareness is good and I can usually interview well but am so nervous nonetheless. If anyone has any advice its really welcome!!

 

[YFG]

Hi guys,
Got my AC ever on the 29th!! It's at Freshfields which unfortunately is a firm where i havent had an open day at. To be honest I am so nervous and am unsure with everything. Ik my commercial awareness is good and I can usually interview well but am so nervous nonetheless. If anyone has any advice its really welcome!!

Congratulations!! Any tips for commercial awareness?

 

[HopefulTC]

Congratulations!! Any tips for commercial awareness?

Thank you! I would say for economic news the FT and economist as daily or every other day reads. For general political news BBC and Sky. For foreign policy the FT, Sky, and journos on X (Formally Twitter).

 

[fbtrainee]

Hi guys,
Got my AC ever on the 29th!! It's at Freshfields which unfortunately is a firm where i havent had an open day at. To be honest I am so nervous and am unsure with everything. Ik my commercial awareness is good and I can usually interview well but am so nervous nonetheless. If anyone has any advice its really welcome!!

congrats!! I think for freshfields find out what the AC format is and start finding maybe practice case studies or FT articles to analyse. You can also try using chatgpt to come up with similar case studies to what you are likely to come across at the real thing. Also is this for the dtc or vs?

 

[HopefulTC]

congrats!! I think for freshfields find out what the AC format is and start finding maybe practice case studies or FT articles to analyse. You can also try using chatgpt to come up with similar case studies to what you are likely to come across at the real thing. Also is this for the dtc or vs?

This is for VS. Yeah the format is Written, group task, and partner interview. They havent said if the partner interview is divided into an analytical task or not. Great advice though!

 

[Shaky_Pete]

You can ask the AI to make the answer sound less AI. So meta.

It's unlikely that firms will use automated AI detection tools, because they don't work.

IME using AI it creates horrid prose with certain patterns like

• lots of unnecessary adverbs like "genuinely multispecialist"
• "matches how I work best"
• "intersection of X and Y"
• "combines X with Y"

I am sure if you are in recruitment and you come across these kind of patterns you just click "reject", without going to check an AI detector (which doesn't work).

OTOH if you use AI and edit out the repetitive AI quirks, they are not going to notice.

 

[Adnanlone]

Hey guys was j wondering, some firms such as HSF require 2-1s in every module. I unfortunately attained two 2-2s; however graduated with a distinction and have solid extenuating circumstances for the 2-2s. I know firms affirm that they account for ecs, but im still a bit sceptical. What do ya'll reckon?

 

[Donna Paulsen]

Hey guys was j wondering, some firms such as HSF require 2-1s in every module. I unfortunately attained two 2-2s; however graduated with a distinction and have solid extenuating circumstances for the 2-2s. I know firms affirm that they account for ecs, but im still a bit sceptical. What do ya'll reckon?

Definitely go for it! Especially since you have solid extenuating circumstances. They’ll take them into consideration.

 

[willow90]

Has anyone heard back from Links/Paul Weiss? Thanks!

 

[law_mania]

Any clue when Sidley will get back for their Summer scheme? I heard that they would get back by the beginning of March - can anyone please verify?

 

[law_mania]

Ideally, by when should Paul, Weiss be getting back to us for the Summer Scheme?

 

[Prudentia]

Another note on whether firms take into account mitigating circumstances: Cooley asked for ABB at A-level, but I got BCC. I also went to a non-RG uni and got a 2:1 and managed to progress to the second stage.

 

[Saanvi.r]

I

Any clue when Sidley will get back for their Summer scheme? I heard that they would get back by the beginning of March - can anyone please verify?

This is correct

 

[AMullin]

Has anyone had a PFO from HFW?

I applied 27/11/25 with what I thought was a pretty decent application and it’s been radio silence since then but I know they are approaching ACs now. Anyone know if these are just for the Spring vac scheme or summer as well?

 

[loaf]

Has anyone had a PFO from HFW?

I applied 27/11/25 with what I thought was a pretty decent application and it’s been radio silence since then but I know they are approaching ACs now. Anyone know if these are just for the Spring vac scheme or summer as well?

Hi! I applied for summer and has heard nothing from them post app hope they get back to us soon

 

[Laurel Lance - Black Canary]

Just rest over 2 days after getting sick, now I am going back to work and see 10+ pages thread which found out Cooley just sent second batch of PFOs and WGs, now I wish they send the next batch next week at the latest as I just recovered from fever OMG.

Hope we'll hear back positively at the end of this month from these following firms:

Spring:
Cooley
Weil
Sidley Austin

Summer:
Taylor Wessing
Travers Smith
HSF Kramer
MoFo

DTC:
McDermott
Freshfields
Linklaters
Slaughter & May

 

[Wanda Maximoff]

For those who have heard back from Paul, Weiss - did you apply for Spring or Summer?

 

[LawAspirer]

For those that got Cooley WGs/PFO yesterday - is this for summer?
For those that got Cooley WGs/PFO last week - is that for spring?