Email me, I can’t speak hereAll 3 of us need to be in the same assessment centre to wingman each other
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2026-27
- Thread starter Abbie Whitlock
- Start date
I feel like this is a silly question but does anyone know whether firms consider the vac scheme when deciding who to accept for open days? If vac scheme applications are rolling, is there any point in accepting someone to an open day only to reject them later for the scheme?
WAIT PLEASE!! The day I progress in this cycle, no one will hear the end of itThey better give you a VS or we ride at dawn!!
I submitted a request through their EC form, but unfortunately it wasn't successful. A bit sad, as I was quite optimistic about my FF app, but onwards and upwards.
So sorry this happened to you! I’m sure you have already tried this, but I would definitely recommend emailing their Grad Rec and explaining the circumstances.
Hope the rest of the cycle goes better for you
when you go onto your candidaet dashboard after submitting, you can choose to add files!
Hi! I have included some links to past threads that discuss written exercises in a lot of detail.
- Detailed breakdown of sample written case study: https://www.thecorporatelawacademy....firm-case-studies-monday-article-series.3232/
- General tips and other hyperlinks to mocks: https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/wiki/written-exercise/
- Mock written case study: https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/case-study-1-legal-analysis.77/
STRUCTURE:
Pay attention to how they ask you to present your work (as an email? memo? with headings? in bullet points? etc.)
If it’s an email, add the Date, Subject, ‘Dear X’, ‘Kind regards, Y’ etc. If it’s appropriate, I might say something like ‘I’m writing to confirm that I have safely received x documents and to answer your questions on x’.
If it’s a memo, I like to start with ‘You asked me to … xxx’ (summary of the instructions / questions I was given).
Even if they give no specific structure, I like to use numbered headings (e.g. ‘1. Executive Summary’, ‘refer to ‘2. Legal Issues in Australia’). I would always include a ‘1. Executive Summary’ at the beginning, stating my answers to all questions and explaining that I will elaborate below, and a ‘#. Next Steps’ section at the end (I discuss this under ‘CONTENT’).
You can use bullet points (but still write in full sentences) or prose, but either way, avoid long blocks of text. Use concise language and minimal technical jargon. Try to stay as succinct and easy to read as possible!
TYPING:
This sounds silly, but practice touch typing beforehand!
If you’re completing the assessment online at home, make sure you have stable Internet and that your Word, Google, Safari, pdf, etc. are all working.
If you’re completing the assessment at their office, be prepared to type with an unfamiliar device (Windows laptop, keyboard, etc.) It’s just good to mentally prepare yourself so you’re not thrown off
Also practice with background noise if you can, since it can be distracting hearing other candidates typing while you’re working. TIMING:
Practice timed! Most firms will give 45 - 60 minutes, though this can differ. It is good to ask Grad Rec beforehand so you have an idea! Be prepared to work under time pressure. Don’t worry - it’s stressful for everyone, and sometimes it’s okay if you don’t have time to go through every issue or say everything you want to. If you need extra time, definitely let Grad Rec know beforehand!
I like to take the first 10 - 15 mins (depending on your total time) to carefully read through the instructions and background material, taking notes either on paper or in the answer box on the computer. I then like to take the next 20 - 30 mins to decide on my key issues and write my answer, then leave 5 mins to review. Firms tend to be very strict on SPAG errors, so make sure you leave time to proofread.
CONTENT:
This is tricky, as it will depend on the background materials you are given. You could be asked to write on an M&A case study, a piece of employment legislation, a loan agreement, or potentially even something non commercial law related. Use a range of practice materials to prepare for all scenarios.
Some people like to use frameworks (PESTLE - Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, Environmental implications). Some like to link in external commercial news stories and explain how this might affect the given client / situation. E.g. If the materials ask whether the client should use debt or equity financing, it might be good to bring in recent interest rate updates and explain how that could affect the client’s decision. For some of my written exercises, I did neither, as I thought it was more appropriate to focus on the facts that were given. It is up to you!
Try to think from the point of view of a trainee / lawyer.
For example, if the background materials mention other jurisdictions, under ‘#. NEXT STEPS’, you might want to add that you should ‘contact local counsel / overseas offices for their advice’. Some firms have specific alliances / regional practice groups! Make sure you research this beforehand, as you are often not allowed to switch tabs / Google during the AC.
If the background materials mention a certain contract or a new piece of legislation that affects contracts (e.g. employment contracts), you might want to mention that ‘we should ask the client to send over x contracts, so we can update them or check if there are issues’.
Are we missing any material? Do we need to ask the client a question? E.g. If the case study mentions that a M&A target is being sued by a customer, I might say that we should ask the client if they have any records of the incident, if they have any evidence that could be used to rebut the allegation, if they have communicated with the customer, etc. Do we need to do further research? If so, I might say ‘I am happy to look into this and get back to you later today if needed’. Or if it concerns a different practice area, ‘we may need the Tax team to look into x’.
PRACTICE:
Practice on Word Docs or blank text boxes with spell check turned off (some firms allow you to use it, some firms don’t, but it’s good to be prepared either way).
You can ask Grad Rec which particular skills are being assessed and scored, complete some practice assessments, then ask an AI to review your application and score you against the criteria as if they were an Associate / Partner at x firm.
If you are running out of materials, you can also try prompting an AI to generate some. This is one that I used. It may not be relevant for every firm / written exercise, but I found it worked relatively well for me, and you can tweak it accordingly!
__
Role: You are a senior associate at a City law firm who designs assessment exercises for graduate recruitment.
Task: Create a realistic mock written exercise for X’s [training contract / vacation scheme] assessment. It will be used to assess xx [e.g. analytical skills, written communication, attention to detail].
Format of the real exercise:
- Candidates receive a passage of about XX words on a commercial law topic or recent commercial law development.
- They must draft an email to a Partner or client that summarises the passage, identifies key issues, and/or answers specific questions about it.
- They have XX minutes under time pressure, with no external research.
- Candidates are assumed to have no legal background, so the passage must be fully understandable without prior legal knowledge. Define or explain any legal terms in plain English within the passage.
- Choose a niche or recent commercial law development that most candidates, including law graduates, are unlikely to have studied or heard of. Avoid core law-degree topics (contract formation, negligence, trusts, company law basics, Salomon, etc.) and heavily covered news topics (GDPR, Brexit, AI regulation headlines, etc.).
- Use web search to identify a genuine recent development (last 12 months) in UK or international commercial law. If you use a real development, make sure it is accurately described. If you adapt or fictionalise facts, tell me clearly which parts are invented.
- Give the scenario commercial context (a named client, a business decision, a deadline or commercial risk) so there is something to advise on.
- XX words, written in the style of a law firm briefing or news article.
- Include 4–6 key issues of varying importance, at least one subtle risk or implication that is not stated outright, and one or two details that are not relevant (red herrings), so candidates have to prioritise.
- Include a few specific facts (dates, figures, thresholds) so attention to detail can be tested.
- Write as a realistic instruction from a Partner (about 100–150 words), with a specific scenario and 2–3 specific questions or requirements.
- State the audience (Partner or client) and the word limit for the email (e.g. 400–500 words).
- Make the task testable on the stated skills.
- First give me only the candidate pack (passage and instructions), so I can attempt it under timed conditions without seeing the answers.
- Then wait. When I reply "reveal", give me the marker's guide: key issues (ranked by importance), the hidden or subtle issues, the red herrings, what a strong email looks like (tone, structure, length, call to action), common mistakes, and a model answer of about 400 words.
- After I submit my attempt, give feedback against the stated skills with a score out of 10 per skill.
Thank you very much this is super super useful!!Congrats to you both
Here's the structure I used in my MC AC prep, which got good feedback. Ashurst might test things a bit differently, but a written exercise is a written exercise (I hope?)
1. Read everything once before writing. Skim all the documents first, then go back and note anything that could affect the deal: regulatory hurdles, liabilities, problem clauses.
2. If it's an email to the partner or supervisor, keep the opening to a line, then go straight into the issues.
3. For each issue, I used an Issue header (also covering the source and the risk it poses) and a Solution header:
3A. Issue: a clear heading saying what the problem is, then point to the exact document or clause so the assessor can see you've read closely, and explain why it matters to your client
3B. Solution: practical next steps, such as due diligence questions, SPA protections (indemnities, conditions, warranties) or negotiation points
4. Put the biggest deal risk first. I chose 3 issues, as a few well-reasoned points beat lots of thin ones.
5. Leave time to proofread. Spelling and clarity get noticed.
Example (this was a practice case study I did with a friend, HR and SRA please leave me alone)
Dear [Partner],
Please see below my review of the attached materials and the key issues I have identified.
ISSUE 1: Potential CMA merger investigation
[Document X] states that [Target] had a turnover of £[X] in [year]. The CMA can review a merger if either of the following tests is met:
A. The target's UK turnover exceeds £100 million; or
B. The merged business would supply at least 25% of a particular good or service in the UK.
The turnover test appears to be met, so the deal could fall within the CMA's jurisdiction. Our client, [Client], should be made aware of this.
Solution: To reduce the risk of the deal being blocked or delayed, the parties could consider whether pre-emptive divestitures would address any competition concerns. We should also consider making CMA clearance a condition in the SPA, alongside an efforts covenant requiring both parties to take all reasonable steps to obtain approval.
ISSUE 2: Potential litigation arising from a product recall
[Document X] shows that [Target]'s CEO has issued a letter recalling several products due to [defect]. It is unclear whether anyone has been injured or suffered loss, which exposes [Target] to potential claims.
Solution: As part of due diligence, we should request specific disclosure on any injuries, complaints or claims to date, and on whether [Target] plans to offer refunds. We should also seek a specific indemnity in the SPA covering any recall-related litigation.
ISSUE 3: Change of control clause in a supplier agreement
Clause [X] allows the agreement to be terminated if there is a change in ownership of either party. The acquisition would trigger this, allowing the supplier to terminate or renegotiate.
Solution: We should approach the supplier before completion to seek a written waiver, so the agreement continues after the acquisition.
You can tell when I ran out of time LOL.
you reckon I'm cooked if I did the test last Thursday, and not heard anything back?
Does anyone what DLA test is like is it SJT or neurodiversity test. Is their test the same test used by Fieldfisher and WBD last year.
DLA CRS and Freshfields OA, received all in the same day! Any insight on either would be appreciated!
Congrats!!
When did you submit your DLA and Freshfields?Just trying to understand the turnaround as I still need to do Freshfields.
Slaughter and May direct tc PFO, im feeling really defeated about not getting anything this cycle but still need to hear from Sidley, A&O Sherman, Reed Smith (no assessment yet), and Dechert (no assessment yet). I plan on applying to more firms, but I'm worried I am approaching applications wrong tho I have looked at what recruitment and TCLA forums recommend in your responses.
Sorry I can't be of more help here, but if you can't find an answer, I would write to their Grad Rec and see!
I submitted Freshfields on Friday (02/10) and DLA (28/09)Congrats!!
Just trying to understand the turnaround as I still need to do Freshfields.
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