TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2026-27

[Kakaboo]

Does anyone have a list of in house training contracts?

 

[PermanentParalegal]

This is my first proper vacation scheme application cycle. I’m a bit late to the game as I’m already full-time employed, but thought I’d post here to hold myself accountable and wish everyone else applying the best of luck!

SUBMITTED
Slaughter and May
Macfarlanes
A&O Shearman
Ashurst
Jones Day
Sidley Austin

TARGETING IN SEPTEMBER
Reed Smith
Dechert
Hogan Lovells
Freshfields
Paul Weiss
HSF Kramer
Milbank
Skadden
Mayer Brown
Gibson Dunn
Latham & Watkins
Goodwin

 

[yellowbirds008]

why was Hogan Lovells stage 1 so difficult omgg

 

[supernovna]

Is ANYONE able to access Linklaters application portal?

 

[tldrba]

Is ANYONE able to access Linklaters application portal?

Their website wasn’t updated until yesterday and it mistakenly said ‘Applications are now open’, but I don’t think anyone is supposed to be able to access it right now? Applications for this cycle open on 21 September.

 

[Antoni Trochimowicz]

Hi everyone! I'm trying to dig a bit deeper into being specific about my motivations for firms, specifically for US firms with smaller trainee intakes. What are reasons that a small trainee intake might be appealing, I am afraid that simply mentioning it without sustantiated reasoning will hurt my applications. Thanks!

Hi Danny, you're on the right track, definitely the right way to go about it. There are a multitude of aspects that benefit you in a small trainee cohort, one of the reasons I pursued US firms.

Some of the ones that come to mind immediately:

• Greater Responsibility early on
  • On a given M&A transaction in a US firm, you may have a partner, two associates and a trainee for instance.
  • This is in comparison to firms with larger cohorts having multiple trainees (& associates) on any given matter.
  • As a result, some of the more complex 'trainee work' you'd be given is actually primarily handled by Associates, whereas you may get stuck on the slightly more administrative-leaning tasks. (in any US firm, you'd still be doing administrative tasks but you have a greater chance to put yourself out there and do more).
  • Of course this is a generalisation, I've been at MC firms which give fantastic exposure to their juniors and by no means am I saying this is a hard rule.
• More of a individualised experience/training
  • With less trainees, your experience can be more easily tailored.
  • Training may be less formal, but conversely that means it can be done specifically for you when you need help with some things.
  • In contrast, if a firm has a large group of trainees, simply for administrative purposes, it would be easier to generalise a training curriculum.
• Closer contact to senior personnel
  • While distant partners can occur at any firm, this can often be harder in a firm that has a smaller cohort.
  • This is because, as mentioned before, their operations and deal teams are much leaner.
  • As such, you have closer contact to experts in the field, allowing you to learn more directly from the source.

These are the main reasons that come to mind that could be mentioned professionally in an application. I'm sure there are plenty of others, but hope that helps !

 

[TheHamlet4]

Are there VI questions in Ashurst’s first stage assessment?

 

[174Tess9y3]

Are there VI questions in Ashurst’s first stage assessment?

No

 

[supernovna]

@Antoni Trochimowicz Would you recommend mentioning 3 skills for this question? I'm conscious of the word count.


Q1: Tell us about any experiences outside of your work and study that have allowed you to develop skills that are relevant to this role. (Max 250 words)

 

[Bottega_Veneta]

Hi @Antoni Trochimowicz hope you are well!

As the application cycle kicked offand more and more m law firms pivot toward immersive assessments like the Cappfinity, Amberjack and Suited platforms I'm finding it a bit tricky to know how to approach them.

I'd love to get your perspective on a few things if you have a moment:

• What are they actually testing? Since they both blend situational judgment, math, and behavioral questions into a simulated workspace, what core traits or strengths are firms really looking out for?
• How can we best prepare? Unlike the Watson Glaser where you can practice raw logic, these feel a lot harder to study for. Are there specific frameworks, mindsets, or resources you recommend using to tackle them?

Any advice or tips you could share would be incredibly helpful.

Thanks!

 

[username10341034]

please can anyone tell me how much time is given to prepare for A&O VI questions?

 

[alanshore]

Does anyone know when Freshfields MENA summer work experience applications will open? Or when they opened last year?

 

[user10389]

Hi! I'm very new to this so sorry if this is a silly question. I applied to an open day and just got a rejection. Whilst applying, I was debating whether or not to talk about my mitigating circumstances/how to word everything. By the end, I decided not to, which I now regret. Obviously I have no idea what would have happened otherwise, and it's entirely possible that I would have been rejected regardless of its inclusion.

For context, I recently graduated with a first in a STEM degree from a RG. I had untreated/undiagnosed ADHD in my first and second year and my academic record reflects that. I also had ECs for half of my exams in my final year due to personal reasons, and ended up with a 2:2 and a 2:1 in the affected units. I had an upward trajectory and got firsts in all my other units in my final year, but got a 2:2 overall in first year, and a 2:1 in second year (with one unit that year being a pass - there were also personal things happening that year which affected my grades but I never spoke to my uni so there's no official EC, which is also why I'm a bit lost on what to do).

How do I go about talking about this in applications, without being overly personal, or am I meant to be very personal? Will talking about it even benefit me, or will it make a firm think I'm unreliable, or is it more unreliable to have this type of transcript with no explanation? As I did a non-law STEM degree, how strict is the expectation some firms have for a candidate to have 2:1s across all units? Do my unit grades make me an instant rejection for certain firms or am I overthinking? Also, the firm that rejected me has multiple open days, can I apply to another one that's still open, but this time including the mitigating circumstances? I really am interested in applying for their VS, but as someone from a non-law background with no law WE, I feel like this is the bare minimum to make me stand even a tiny chance at progressing to any stage at all lol.

 

[Trainingcontractinho123]

why was Hogan Lovells stage 1 so difficult omgg

Just did it too. Absolutely no reason for it to be that long lol

 

[Trainingcontractinho123]

Also when do we think we cna expect to hear back from Hogan Lovells Cadwalader if its rolling and just did the test... surely its a quick turnaround?

 

[wooliewoo]

Does anyone know if the camera is on during Ashurst's assessment? Trying to figure out when to take it haha

 

[username10341034]

Does anyone know if the camera is on during Ashurst's assessment? Trying to figure out when to take it haha

It’s not

 

[ufdj]

Has Hogan Lovells changed their assessment from last year or is it still the same?

 

[wooliewoo]

I apologise if this has already been answered but for Evershed's second question (Enter other relevant information here. (250 words)) what would you recommend putting down? I assume they are looking for awards/hobbies etc., to demonstrate that you are a well-rounded applicant but just wanted to make sure!

 

[anon78365222111]

HL test was SO LONG, legit took me 3 days to finish. No clue how I even did