TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[Laurel Lance - Black Canary]

this is genuinely a serious question. the firm ive been offered a vac scheme at has an in house gym. they showed us at the AC. whats the scope for actually using it during the scheme? ... i dont wanna make it seem like all i care about is the gym but i also internally combust without exposure to the gym!

What a dream firm, but many firms do offer gym memberships if they don't have in-office or in-building too. Wonder if you can't drop a name, is it MC, US, or City firm?

 

[tcla02]

Hi everybody, I got an AC for NRF and I was wondering if anyone who’s done it last year had an insight or tips? Not my first AC, but the only one this cycle so my last hope. Any advice and suggestions would be much appreciated! I know there is a case study but I don’t know if it’s a presentation of a written exercise, thank you guys!

hi congrats on getting the AC!!! do you mind sharing when you got the email and when you did the VI? thank u

 

[TheSlapDotCom]

hey guys has anyone heard back from bclp for summer post sjt this week?

 

[FutureTraineeMaybe]

Is it okay to include extracurriculars in the shoosmiths work experience section?

 

[SBD total 1000lbs (and an applicant)]

so cool! congrats!

i defo think you can use it - just maybe before or after your allocated work hours etc. I wouldn't recommend going during lunch etc because that's normally when they expect you to be doing coffee chats or engaging with other participants. But then again, if you're going before of after work, it might just be easier and more convenient to use an external gym!

also I really need to get glasses or smth cos I read that as "Ive been offered a scheme at an in-house gym". I was about to congratulate you on that achievement before I realised something was wrong

What a dream firm, but many firms do offer gym memberships if they don't have in-office or in-building too. Wonder if you can't drop a name, is it MC, US, or City firm?

thank you! would love to have been offered a scheme at an in-house gym tbh. yeah i reckon if i use it itll only be after work, dont really wanna be seen as a meathead slamming weights at lunch time. genuinely dream firm, theyve even got a physio/nutritionist, reckon he would be my favourite colleague if i made it. its a silver circle btw

 

[pepsicola96]

Not that I am in any way in this position, but if you guys received loads of non-clashing vac scheme offers, would you do them all?

I just saw a linkedin post of a guy who received 4 vac scheme offers and intends to do them all. I think it was one spring scheme and 3 summer schemes. I can't even begin to imagine the exhaustion, especially of summer, 2-3 straight months pretty much of vac schemes. And honestly if the Spring firm offered me a TC I'd be so tempted to just accept and withdraw from the other three.

 

[asplawyer100]

For anyone who has received an Osborne Clarke virtual assessment centre invite, are you able to login to the TopScore platform? I just tried clicking the link to make sure it works and realised its a platform I've never been asked to sign up for and therefore don't have an account on. Pressing "reset password" simply gave me a message saying the account username (my email) does not exist.

 

[Isobel.liddle]

Did anyone hear back from Mishcon yesterday? As they said end of January do you recon they will reply on a weekend?

 

[summersun]

For anyone who has received an Osborne Clarke virtual assessment centre invite, are you able to login to the TopScore platform? I just tried clicking the link to make sure it works and realised its a platform I've never been asked to sign up for and therefore don't have an account on. Pressing "reset password" simply gave me a message saying the account username (my email) does not exist.

Hi last year I think they gave us a password closer to the virtual assessment (not fully sure).

 

[sbbusybee]

Not that I am in any way in this position, but if you guys received loads of non-clashing vac scheme offers, would you do them all?

I just saw a linkedin post of a guy who received 4 vac scheme offers and intends to do them all. I think it was one spring scheme and 3 summer schemes. I can't even begin to imagine the exhaustion, especially of summer, 2-3 straight months pretty much of vac schemes. And honestly if the Spring firm offered me a TC I'd be so tempted to just accept and withdraw from the other three.

If I was fortunate, then yes I would. I’ve already been full time in a law firm since last July (placement year during degree) and so I’m used to it. Obviously it would be more demanding hours wise and trying to get a TC out of it etc, but it’d be great experience!

Hypothetically, I would only withdraw from the others if I got a TC from my dream firm.

 

[Donna Paulsen]

For anyone who has received an Osborne Clarke virtual assessment centre invite, are you able to login to the TopScore platform? I just tried clicking the link to make sure it works and realised its a platform I've never been asked to sign up for and therefore don't have an account on. Pressing "reset password" simply gave me a message saying the account username (my email) does not exist.

When is your AC? The email said we’ll receive a login at least 24 hours before our AC, and to email them if we haven’t received it by 12pm the day before

 

[EfficientBag123]

When’s a good time to assume pfo if a firm says they will get back to you within a certain time frame and fail to live up to it?

 

[LegallyBrunette_]

Does anybody have any insights into the 2026 WFW AC? I am happy to help out with ACs at a range of US, MC, SC and international City firms.

 

[trainee4u]

just working through some GPT slop for an application, jeez once you notice "rule of threes" in the AI's output you can't unnotice it, absolutely bloody everywhere.

 

[Deleted member 43292]

just working through some GPT slop for an application, jeez once you notice "rule of threes" in the AI's output you can't unnotice it, absolutely bloody everywhere.

I love the power of three…our English teacher used to encourage us to use it in our writing…I still do AI needs to stop writing so similarly

…I used to love em dashes too

 

[trainee4u]

I love the power of three…our English teacher used to encourage us to use it in our writing…I still do AI needs to stop writing so similarly

…I used to love em dashes too

my prompt for my application check is

"check my spelling and grammar. do not use em-dashes."

 

[Rosie_Kitten]

I love the power of three…our English teacher used to encourage us to use it in our writing…I still do AI needs to stop writing so similarly

…I used to love em dashes too

I use the power of 2 + 1 now

There are two main examples of this....

At end of paragraph: in addition...

 

[soph107048]

So W&C is App -> VI -> WE -> Interview -> VS -> TC (lol)

have u heard back?

 

[soph107048]

white and case keeps on breaking my heart... why does the firm hate me thought 3rd time is a charm. ALSO HFW PFO....

im so sorry to hear.. can I ask if W&C sent you a PFO or if youre anticipating one?

 

[Jessica Pearson - Managing Partner]

just working through some GPT slop for an application, jeez once you notice "rule of threes" in the AI's output you can't unnotice it, absolutely bloody everywhere.

Application for what?