TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[Round1]

I have personally always asked for 25% additional time for written exercise ( for adhd and another condition) but never disclosed the reasons unless asked which has never happened so far. While I don't have a TC yet I did get VS/ACs for DTC without this being an issue.

My view is though that it will potentially disadvantage you in the end (although you'd never be able to prove it because they all make all the right noises). You will not be given 25% extra time to complete tasks in real life. You just can't be. It's not the reality of the job. As such, I think whilst HR will make the right noises to avoid claims of discrimination it will ultimately disadvantage you if you require extra time to do things that others do more quickly.

I have made an application for a particular firm two years in a row. Practically the same application. First time I didn't progress very far at all but the second time I didn't disclose my issue or request extra time and I'm now at final interview stage.

I've done far better with the firms where I've not disclosed any issue (even though I clearly would have preferred extra time for certain tasks!) than those where I have.

 

[Round1]

Anecdotally, because I had noticed this I paid close attention at one of my ACs for a VS to who had extra time. I secured a place on the VS and I noticed that none of those who were in the extra time group had progressed to the VS. Obviously this is just one case and it may well be complete coincidence. Personally I don't disclose anymore though and I don't ask for extra time.

 

[lawlol420]

hii has anyone heard from BCLP or Orrick?

 

[summersun]

Anecdotally, because I had noticed this I paid close attention at one of my ACs for a VS to who had extra time. I secured a place on the VS and I noticed that none of those who were in the extra time group had progressed to the VS. Obviously this is just one case and it may well be complete coincidence. Personally I don't disclose anymore though and I don't ask for extra time.

See I think that is very firm dependent because in both VS I have done there were quite a few people with additional time who got both (even in very small VS cohort).
I think in one VS of 13, 4 had additional time and one of 9, 2 of us had ( but we were only 3 at the AC)

I think it really depends on the firm. Some are definitely really bad even at giving additional time for tests and stuff but ultimately I do have some conditions that will never go away and would not want to work for a firm that would discriminate based a on few more minutes. Especially because yes a deadline is a deadline but you can always work a bit later to make sure you meet than deadline if needed. So I get it is a pressured environment but you can also adapt how you work to make sure you meet their expectations.

I have adapted where I applied because I can't see myself working at a firm where very lates finishes are common, partially because of this. Many lawyers have adhd or dyslexia for instance and are very successful and I am sure many firms are aware if that.

Ultimately I think you have to choose whether you can make it without adjustements and which ones are reasonable for you. I used to never pass the test stage because of my lack of time. Since I have disclosed it, I have passed a lot more tests and went to next stages regularly.

 

[mandamasochist]

Once again asking about Withers, aware their VS is ongoing currently but wondering why that would impact whether you get a direct TC AC?

Anyone heard anything?

 

[summersun]

Once again asking about Withers, aware their VS is ongoing currently but wondering why that would impact whether you get a direct TC AC?

Anyone heard anything?

Got rejected ages ago (post test) but usually grad rec is very involved in a VS with some ongoing assesments and might be taking a break on looking at candidates and organising the dtc process. So you might still hear back from them but I would say it's more likely to hear back once the VS is over because they can focus on the DTC then

 

[Deleted member 33582]

Anecdotally, because I had noticed this I paid close attention at one of my ACs for a VS to who had extra time. I secured a place on the VS and I noticed that none of those who were in the extra time group had progressed to the VS. Obviously this is just one case and it may well be complete coincidence. Personally I don't disclose anymore though and I don't ask for extra time.

Could have been due to content tbf, I would imagine discrimination to occur at the application/test stage the most

 

[juanitasimi]

See I think that is very firm dependent because in both VS I have done there were quite a few people with additional time who got both (even in very small VS cohort).
I think in one VS of 13, 4 had additional time and one of 9, 2 of us had ( but we were only 3 at the AC)

I think it really depends on the firm. Some are definitely really bad even at giving additional time for tests and stuff but ultimately I do have some conditions that will never go away and would not want to work for a firm that would discriminate based a on few more minutes. Especially because yes a deadline is a deadline but you can always work a bit later to make sure you meet than deadline if needed. So I get it is a pressured environment but you can also adapt how you work to make sure you meet their expectations.

I have adapted where I applied because I can't see myself working at a firm where very lates finishes are common, partially because of this. Many lawyers have adhd or dyslexia for instance and are very successful and I am sure many firms are aware if that.

Ultimately I think you have to choose whether you can make it without adjustements and which ones are reasonable for you. I used to never pass the test stage because of my lack of time. Since I have disclosed it, I have passed a lot more tests and went to next stages regularly.

Exactly!!! In this day and age, there is no excuse for firms not to make reasonable accommodations, and if a firm refuses to do so, neurodivergent people will simply choose not to work there.

It is incredibly frustrating to see discriminatory behaviour from certain firms being justified on the basis that working in a law firm is a “pressured” environment. Genuinely so annoying that argument lol

 

[summersun]

Exactly!!! In this day and age, there is no excuse for firms not to make reasonable accommodations, and if a firm refuses to do so, neurodivergent people will simply choose not to work there.

It is incredibly frustrating to see discriminatory behaviour from certain firms being justified on the basis that working in a law firm is a “pressured” environment. Genuinely so annoying that argument lol

I agree. Ithink there are obviously some reasonable adjustement that are easier such as additional time and maybe other people have asked for other things which might be more complicated for firms but I genuinely doubt that many firms discriminate based on needing additional time. I moght be wrong but definitely think it is possible to ask for adjustements and get a TC

 

[juanitasimi]

I agree. Ithink there are obviously some reasonable adjustement that are easier such as additional time and maybe other people have asked for other things which might be more complicated for firms but I genuinely doubt that many firms discriminate based on needing additional time. I moght be wrong but definitely think it is possible to ask for adjustements and get a TC

100% and extra time is literally the bare minimum and I actually think it’s crazy to think that would be held against you lmaoo it’s so common even the SQE will allow it if correct documents are provided.

 

[spamelinazoid]

100% and extra time is literally the bare minimum and I actually think it’s crazy to think that would be held against you lmaoo it’s so common even the SQE will allow it if correct documents are provided.

they permit it for tests at school and uni and grad rec to a large extent, but at the end of the day its correct that IRL you wont be given the extra time majority of the cases in this profession. You’ll be expected to perform to a high standard in very tight timeframes, which is what the AC is supposed to test that you have potential for.

firms always offer reasonable adjustments, but Im not convinced they dont hold it against candidates either. Clients wont care for lawyers needing extra time to do their (very expensive) job.

 

[Z48]

they permit it for tests at school and uni and grad rec to a large extent, but at the end of the day its correct that IRL you wont be given the extra time majority of the cases in this profession. You’ll be expected to perform to a high standard in very tight timeframes, which is what the AC is supposed to test that you have potential for.

firms always offer reasonable adjustments, but Im not convinced they dont hold it against candidates either. Clients wont care for lawyers needing extra time to do their (very expensive) job.

IRL time pressure isn’t the same as it is in an exam/AC. As much as tasks are time pressured, in my experience working I’ve never been given a task and told okay starting now you have 1 hr to get this done. Most of the time you get work + deadline and you have to manage your time yourself.

So asking for extra time for assessments/AC doesn’t automatically mean you can’t work to tight timeframes as a trainee. I really doubt firms hold it against people, it’s a very common adjustment

 

[BobThebIlly]

Hi guys,

Could anyone please tell me what the application questions and word limits are for Paul Hastings’ TC app?

Thanks in advance !

 

[spamelinazoid]

IRL time pressure isn’t the same as it is in an exam/AC. As much as tasks are time pressured, in my experience working I’ve never been given a task and told okay starting now you have 1 hr to get this done. Most of the time you get work + deadline and you have to manage your time yourself.

So asking for extra time for assessments/AC doesn’t automatically mean you can’t work to tight timeframes as a trainee. I really doubt firms hold it against people, it’s a very common adjustment

I have. Im a paralegal in a City firm, we often have to turn around tasks with >2 hr deadlines, especially on transactional work like DD reports. Corporate departments sometimes pull you into a meeting with 10 mins to prep.

On a case by case basis, reasonable adjustments are all good and well and of course should be accommodated where possible, but regular deadline extensions arent realistic in this profession, especially for juniors . Theyre assessing you as a future associate. Future associates for the most part are expected to turn around work very quickly if needed, to a very high standard. As a trainee and junior asssociate, if tasks take you longer to complete, you are delaying the senior associate’s timeline to review and revert as well. Not to mention at times you’ll have several tasks at the same time with similar deadlines.

Im sure many firms say they take this sort of thing into consideration, and likely some firms dont hold it against you. But I dont see how the average City firm would be ok with candidates needing regular deadline extensions (and accrue more fees for clients). They likely assess you at the AC on a case by case basis if you flag it, but if a candidate genuinely needs 25% more time to do the work, I cant see how they wouldnt hold it against the candidate.

 

[summersun]

I have. Im a paralegal in a City firm, we often have to turn around tasks with >2 hr deadlines, especially on transactional work like DD reports. Corporate departments sometimes pull you into a meeting with 10 mins to prep.

On a case by case basis, reasonable adjustments are all good and well and of course should be accommodated where possible, but regular deadline extensions arent realistic in this profession, especially for juniors . Theyre assessing you as a future associate. Future associates for the most part are expected to turn around work very quickly if needed, to a very high standard. As a trainee and junior asssociate, if tasks take you longer to complete, you are delaying the senior associate’s timeline to review and revert as well. Not to mention at times you’ll have several tasks at the same time with similar deadlines.

Im sure many firms say they take this sort of thing into consideration, and likely some firms dont hold it against you. But I dont see how the average City firm would be ok with candidates needing regular deadline extensions (and accrue more fees for clients). They likely assess you at the AC on a case by case basis if you flag it, but if a candidate genuinely needs 25% more time to do the work, I cant see how they wouldnt hold it against the candidate.

I think I see this a bit differently from an AC in the sense that in an AC you are compared to people with sometimes very small margins to get a job and many people at an Ac could do that job well. Whereas in real life you might still be able to do very good work within that specific time frame.
Ultimately, as you said it will depend on the firm. Also I think it depends on how you expect the additional time to be implemented. I asked for it for AC written tasks or specific assessment on the VS because I think it's more about how you do compared to others but not for tasks in general during the VS.

In any case it's a personal choice to disclose and I understand both sides

 

[Deleted member 33582]

IRL time pressure isn’t the same as it is in an exam/AC. As much as tasks are time pressured, in my experience working I’ve never been given a task and told okay starting now you have 1 hr to get this done. Most of the time you get work + deadline and you have to manage your time yourself.

So asking for extra time for assessments/AC doesn’t automatically mean you can’t work to tight timeframes as a trainee. I really doubt firms hold it against people, it’s a very common adjustment

You all seem to forgetting that lawyers bill by the hour.
Firms — and clients — don’t want someone who will require 2 hours to do a task that should take 75 minutes. It’s an expense

 

[Round1]

I have. Im a paralegal in a City firm, we often have to turn around tasks with >2 hr deadlines, especially on transactional work like DD reports. Corporate departments sometimes pull you into a meeting with 10 mins to prep.

On a case by case basis, reasonable adjustments are all good and well and of course should be accommodated where possible, but regular deadline extensions arent realistic in this profession, especially for juniors . Theyre assessing you as a future associate. Future associates for the most part are expected to turn around work very quickly if needed, to a very high standard. As a trainee and junior asssociate, if tasks take you longer to complete, you are delaying the senior associate’s timeline to review and revert as well. Not to mention at times you’ll have several tasks at the same time with similar deadlines.

Im sure many firms say they take this sort of thing into consideration, and likely some firms dont hold it against you. But I dont see how the average City firm would be ok with candidates needing regular deadline extensions (and accrue more fees for clients). They likely assess you at the AC on a case by case basis if you flag it, but if a candidate genuinely needs 25% more time to do the work, I cant see how they wouldnt hold it against the candidate.

Agreed. Im not trying to be a d*ck and as I have said I have ADHD myself and get extra time at Uni but thats completely different from being able to function to the required standard in a real life environment where you may well be told "you've got an hour to turn this around before the client call at 2pm". I'm pretty confident that I've progressed further with firms since I've stopped disclosing my ADHD and ticking the box to say I would like extra time.

Of course nobody wants to hear this but the working world is not like an exam situation in an educational setting.

 

[spamelinazoid]

You all seem to forgetting that lawyers bill by the hour.
Firms — and clients — don’t want someone who will require 2 hours to do a task that should take 75 minutes. It’s an expense

Yup exactly, and doubtful a partner would be happy to reduce your rate either to make up for the lost time…

 

[Round1]

You all seem to forgetting that lawyers bill by the hour.
Firms — and clients — don’t want someone who will require 2 hours to do a task that should take 75 minutes. It’s an expense

Correct. Firms don't want high levels of time to write off.

It's a personal choice whether to ask for extra time but given how competitive the market is I'm no longer putting that particular potential obstacle in my way.

 

[juanitasimi]

I have. Im a paralegal in a City firm, we often have to turn around tasks with >2 hr deadlines, especially on transactional work like DD reports. Corporate departments sometimes pull you into a meeting with 10 mins to prep.

On a case by case basis, reasonable adjustments are all good and well and of course should be accommodated where possible, but regular deadline extensions arent realistic in this profession, especially for juniors . Theyre assessing you as a future associate. Future associates for the most part are expected to turn around work very quickly if needed, to a very high standard. As a trainee and junior asssociate, if tasks take you longer to complete, you are delaying the senior associate’s timeline to review and revert as well. Not to mention at times you’ll have several tasks at the same time with similar deadlines.

Im sure many firms say they take this sort of thing into consideration, and likely some firms dont hold it against you. But I dont see how the average City firm would be ok with candidates needing regular deadline extensions (and accrue more fees for clients). They likely assess you at the AC on a case by case basis if you flag it, but if a candidate genuinely needs 25% more time to do the work, I cant see how they wouldnt hold it against the candidate.

I completely get what you are saying but this depends on the firm you are at. My cousin is graduate recruitment at a magic circle firm so I’m fortunate I have a bit more transparency on TC recruitment.

I am currently on a competitive graduate scheme at a bank so I understand the pressures of meeting deadlines and expectations etc. The AC for my graduate scheme I asked for extra time and I still got a place.

Additionally I did a vacation scheme / internship via 10k black and able interns. I also asked for extra time and I got wait listed for the TC and there were other people who actually got offers that asked for extra time.

I think it’s firm dependent so I guess because I’m in a decent position I can be picky and will only go for firms that won’t hold extra time in an AC against a candidate.