-
TCLA Premium: Now half price (£30/month). Applications, interviews, commercial awareness + 700+ examples.Join →
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26
- Thread starter Ram Sabaratnam
- Start date
They made some questions quite twisted ngl, but if you've done a lot of WGs you'll avoid these traps and do just fine
I think what happened is that the first results were lower than expected, so they sent more invites. If anything, I'd take this as a positive sign, I don't think you're at disadvantage because you were on the reserve list.
Oh Lewis Silkin. I am disappointed in you. This does not count as “early” in the week! I would still bite your hand off if you offered to progress my application though so don’t worry. Maybe leave it another couple of weeks to build the excitement.
Hey!
Congratulations on the vacation scheme!
I don't think asking is going to put you at a disadvantage or be viewed negatively. It is reasonable to express interest in a specific team, especially since that interest comes from a conversation you had at the AC. I would just frame it as a query or preference rather than an expectation - explain in your email that you really enjoyed speaking to the Senior Associate and would be keen to gain exposure to Commercial Crime if possible, while understanding that seat allocation for vacation schemes tend to depend on a wide variety of factors and you may not get to choose (or even indicate a preference).
Whether it is feasible will depend on the firm's process and how they make these decisions, but I don't think asking politely would reflect negatively on you. Even if you aren't allocated that seat for the VS, you could definitely reach out to those in the team and arrange for coffee chats to show an interest!
Best of luck with the vacation scheme!
Hey!
Whilst my advice was aimed at a specific firm (Farrer & Co), I have previously posted some advice on how to approach a debate-style group exercise. I hope it is a helpful reference for your preparation, and best of luck with the AC!
Hey!
Congratulations on being invited to the Farrer AC, that is fantastic news!
The group activity in my assessment centre involved being split into teams and you receive a scenario that you will discuss (almost in a debate-like setting). On the firms' website, an example scenario they have outlined is: "Should everyone be able to enjoy protection from media intrusion into their private life, or are there categories of individuals / circumstances where one’s reasonable expectation of privacy must fall away?"
Your team will be assigned either "for" or "against" this question, and you have 20 minutes to prepare your argument (without Google) before debating for 20 minutes with another team. The aim is reach a joint decision!
Therefore, I would say that the level of commercial awareness required is relatively low, and you are assessed more on how you engage with your team to form your argument and how you then relay this during the discussion portion. Whilst my topic was not the one listed above, it was very accessible and something that you would have an understanding of from day-to-day life. The firm has also listed on their website what candidates will be assessed on as:
- General early impressions - engaged in the process, good understanding of the task
- People management - demonstrates ability to bring others into the discussion rather than just taking charge
- Oral communication - able to explain and express ideas clearly and concisely
- Contribution - added to the quality of the discussion whether helping to reinforce, clarify or broaden views and issues (looking more for content quality of the contribution rather than speaking a lot)
- Teamwork - demonstrated respect for others' views and opinions, healthy contribution rather than combative competition; able to listen to others
Based on the above, I would focus on making sure that you construct a clear argument and try to display the above traits when interacting with others. What worked well for my team (in which 3 out of 4 of us received a VS offer!) was identifying one point within the topic that we felt confident discussing and each taking the lead on that. This meant we could each share our strongest arguments, but also add additional thoughts and build on each other's points where relevant. This approach allowed us to demonstrate our thinking clearly, whilst also showing that we could listen, collaborate, and support the team's overall contributions.
I hope that assists - wishing you the best of luck with the AC!
I heard back yesterday (18/02), and did my interview I think w/c 2nd February. So it took about under 2 weeks for them to get back to me.
Thank you!Hey!
Congratulations on the vacation scheme!
I don't think asking is going to put you at a disadvantage or be viewed negatively. It is reasonable to express interest in a specific team, especially since that interest comes from a conversation you had at the AC. I would just frame it as a query or preference rather than an expectation - explain in your email that you really enjoyed speaking to the Senior Associate and would be keen to gain exposure to Commercial Crime if possible, while understanding that seat allocation for vacation schemes tend to depend on a wide variety of factors and you may not get to choose (or even indicate a preference).
Whether it is feasible will depend on the firm's process and how they make these decisions, but I don't think asking politely would reflect negatively on you. Even if you aren't allocated that seat for the VS, you could definitely reach out to those in the team and arrange for coffee chats to show an interest!
Best of luck with the vacation scheme!
Should I assume it's a pfo from Travers Smith? Considering they've already called up people for interviews
I didn’t apply nor do I know much about TS but what I’ve learned about law firms is that you cannot assume or expect anything!
Hogan Lovells job sim, any insights? Especially on whether the prep time for the VI is unlimited? No matter how much I prep, I can't handle these timed VIs, I recently aborted a VI for a firm I really wanted...strange thing is, I'm fine for in-person/phone interviews, but the moment a prep timer is thrown in and I crumble
I reached AC for the Freshfields direct TC this cycle but wasn’t successful. Does anyone know whether they allow reapplications in the next recruitment cycle after an AC rejection, or is it uncommon?
I deleted the email app from my phone and only have it on my laptop now, if this helps. xx
for the ones who have heard from Sidley did any of you apply during Jan. And for Travers when did you applY
Similar threads
- Sticky
