• Ropes & Gray: What do Private Equity Lawyers Actually Do? — Wed 14 Jan 2026, 5–6pm (UK), Zoom
    Register →
  • TCLA Premium: Now half price (£30/month). Applications, interviews, commercial awareness + 700+ examples.
    Join →

TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

Can someone who has applied for OC help out a friend and give advice on structure for Q2. The question is - What work has Osborne Clarke done recently that is of particular interest to you? Why are you interested and inspired by this work? (Max 300 Words)

I have looked at a deal but am not sure how much I should go into the deal and how much of my interest and my experiences which link to my interest in the deal.
I got through to the virtual AC last year and for this question I picked two big deals/pieces of work. I linked one to a practice area and linked the other to a sector and spoke about why each interested me and why the firm was strong in these areas. I did not go in depth into the deal that much I focused more on my interests and experiences.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
  • ℹ️
Reactions: Suii and TheSaulGoodman

Gottagetthroughthis101

Legendary Member
  • May 28, 2025
    139
    295
    I know this might be silly but I got so excited that I got an AC offer for RS that I missed the bit in the email that said do not book a slot if you require reasonable adjustments…I now emailed grad rec and explained the situation. Is it silly to think that they will now think my attention to detail is crap😭😭 I know this is so silly but I was contemplating not even saying anything and going without adjustments in the fear that it will negatively impact me
     

    BealMcAlly

    Legendary Member
    Gold Member
    Premium Member
    Feb 3, 2025
    241
    282
    I know this might be silly but I got so excited that I got an AC offer for RS that I missed the bit in the email that said do not book a slot if you require reasonable adjustments…I now emailed grad rec and explained the situation. Is it silly to think that they will now think my attention to detail is crap😭😭 I know this is so silly but I was contemplating not even saying anything and going without adjustments in the fear that it will negatively impact me
    I would just not overthink. That's not going to make them rescind the invitation.

    Well done! Can I ask what you got for your pillars and if this is for WVS (weird that the deadline was the same as spring and summer?), spring or summer?
     

    TortillaTC

    Legendary Member
    May 10, 2025
    220
    180
    I would just not overthink. That's not going to make them rescind the invitation.

    Well done! Can I ask what you got for your pillars and if this is for WVS (weird that the deadline was the same as spring and summer?), spring or summer?
    RS has winter and spring only! And they didn’t let us pick our preferred dates (I checked the Vantage form today), so I think some people might be moved to spring randomly.
     

    Afraz Akhtar

    Legendary Member
    Staff member
    Premium Member
  • Dec 22, 2025
    152
    330
    Thank you so much for the advice, @Afraz Akhtar ! I really appreciate the swift reply. Just as a follow-up, how should I approach writing the email? Should I mention that I have a clashing AC, even though I booked a time slot for Firm A first, or should I keep it vague and say I have "immovable academic commitments"?
    Hey @FoodieMcFoodieBigBack I think its fine to mention that you have a clashing AC, so you are engaging with both to enquire about which one you could reschedule. I would imagine they would be very understanding, as the process is just as much competitive for top talent as it is for candidates.

    However, if you want to play it safe, I'd start off the communication with a simply referencing a conflicting appointment that cannot be rescheduled, no need to give them so much detail at the outset.
     
    • 🏆
    Reactions: Prudentia
    Hey @FoodieMcFoodieBigBack I think its fine to mention that you have a clashing AC, so you are engaging with both to enquire about which one you could reschedule. I would imagine they would be very understanding, as the process is just as much competitive for top talent as it is for candidates.

    However, if you want to play it safe, I'd start off the communication with a simply referencing a conflicting appointment that cannot be rescheduled, no need to give them so much detail at the outset.
    Thank you so much, Afraz! This was really helpful; fingers crossed at least one of them can accommodate. Thanks once again!
     
    • Like
    Reactions: Afraz Akhtar

    llblawstudent

    Legendary Member
    Jul 27, 2025
    152
    83
    Hey guys might be a silly question but does anyone know how stammers are perceived in interviews? I have a bad stammer that I get when I get nervous (worse than most) which means that especially in interviews I tend to either stare away from their eyes or speak with a lot of “erms”, does anyone know how badly this could count against me/or how I can overcome this? I know being nervous in interviews/VIs are normal but I feel mine could stick out for being exceptionally bad lol
     

    Novaa

    Legendary Member
    Dec 2, 2022
    173
    675
    Has anyone else given up 🫣
    Almost… but I’ve decided to get back in the kitchen and turn the heat up!

    Fire Cooking GIF by MasterChefAU
     

    M_m

    Esteemed Member
    Premium Member
    Jun 27, 2023
    97
    86
    One of the OC application question is: "Have you been a part of any professional services support programmes in the last 5 years? Please outline those that you have participate in below - this could include (but is not limited to) mentoring programmes, work experience opportunities, scholarships and diversity access schemes with other organisations."

    I was a part of the committee for a social-mobility organisation outside university (this was remote work) + a part-time customer facing role (NOT professional services)- was wondering if these come within the ambit of this question?

    I'm afraid I don't have any experiences specifically for this answer and that would disadvantage my application :(
    If it helps, I just wrote that I had not been part of any programmes, and I made it through to their VS last year.
     

    Prudentia

    Legendary Member
    Oct 21, 2025
    140
    329
    Hey guys might be a silly question but does anyone know how stammers are perceived in interviews? I have a bad stammer that I get when I get nervous (worse than most) which means that especially in interviews I tend to either stare away from their eyes or speak with a lot of “erms”, does anyone know how badly this could count against me/or how I can overcome this? I know being nervous in interviews/VIs are normal but I feel mine could stick out for being exceptionally bad lol
    Not a silly question at all. I have a stutter that can get worse when nervous (like interviews). I just tell the recruitment team/interviewer upfront. It's never counted against me, and them knowing ahead of time helps me to relax.

    In terms of how to overcome this, I found the best way is to just practice public speaking and giving presentations. People who stutter tend to avoid public speaking (understandably), but that will only make it worse.
     

    About Us

    The Corporate Law Academy (TCLA) was founded in 2018 because we wanted to improve the legal journey. We wanted more transparency and better training. We wanted to form a community of aspiring lawyers who care about becoming the best version of themselves.

    Get Our 2026 Vacation Scheme Guide

    Nail your vacation scheme applications this year with our latest guide, with sample answers to law firm questions.