General Discussion Thread 2020-21

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Hi everyone - I just wanted to promote this thread as its a great opportunity to recognise those within the TCLA community for their efforts in helping others.

Please nominate the members who you think really contribute to our discussions.

https://www.thecorporatelawacademy....nate-members-for-a-£35-amazon-gift-card.2861/

At the end of what has been an incredibly tough year for us all, it would be nice to spread some festive cheer!

 

[FC]

Does anyone know when Shoosmiths open their VS/TC apps?

 

[Andrew M]

Does anyone know when Shoosmiths open their VS/TC apps?

Last year they only opened quite late - it was certainly after Christmas time.

 

[Abstruser]

Hi all! It’s been a while since I was on here - I’m now midway through the second seat of my TC! I recently volunteered to facilitate a case study for a grad rec event my firm was running and speaking to the students on the event / talking them through the case study really reminded me of how I felt when I was an applicant, posting on TCLA, exactly in your shoes! Feels just like yesterday, time really flies.

I just wanted to come on to say that I know it is a bit late in the application season but if anyone is looking for any help or advice on interview prep, case studies, or applications I am more than happy to help. Also happy to chat through LPC tips, starting a TC / doing a vac scheme remotely (my whole TC has been spent WFH so far, and my housemates and I have all been involved with virtual vac schemes) or just anything really - law was already a difficult industry to break into under normal circumstances and I really sympathise with / admire you all for making it work in these weird times.

Wishing you all the very best of luck with your applications!

Abstruser

PS: I should also say that I don’t check this forum as much as I used to, so please inbox me if anything so that it comes to my email!

 

[Jaysen]

Hi all! It’s been a while since I was on here - I’m now midway through the second seat of my TC! I recently volunteered to facilitate a case study for a grad rec event my firm was running and speaking to the students on the event / talking them through the case study really reminded me of how I felt when I was an applicant, posting on TCLA, exactly in your shoes! Feels just like yesterday, time really flies.

I just wanted to come on to say that I know it is a bit late in the application season but if anyone is looking for any help or advice on interview prep, case studies, or applications I am more than happy to help. Also happy to chat through LPC tips, starting a TC / doing a vac scheme remotely (my whole TC has been spent WFH so far, and my housemates and I have all been involved with virtual vac schemes) or just anything really - law was already a difficult industry to break into under normal circumstances and I really sympathise with / admire you all for making it work in these weird times.

Wishing you all the very best of luck with your applications!

Abstruser

So nice to hear from you @Abstruser, we miss you in the forums! Thank you for offering to help

 

[CF1234]

Hey everyone, hope you're all well.

I was wondering if anyone could help me?
I'm a non-law student, and I've really struggled this application season. I haven't made it to the interview stage on loads of applications, even though I thought I was a strong candidate. Because I didn't make it to the interview stage, I'm unable to ask for feedback.
I have done lots of self-reflection, but because I don't really have an idea of a 'good' application, It's hard to know what to improve!
I have no friends/family/mentors who are lawyers, and therefore have nobody who can really give me feedback on applications.
I want to join TCLA but money!

Does anyone think they'd be able to offer 10 minutes to look over one application? or give me some advice about what a good application looks like? I'd really really massively appreciate it.

Thank you in advance

 

[NK]

Hey everyone, hope you're all well.

I was wondering if anyone could help me?
I'm a non-law student, and I've really struggled this application season. I haven't made it to the interview stage on loads of applications, even though I thought I was a strong candidate. Because I didn't make it to the interview stage, I'm unable to ask for feedback.
I have done lots of self-reflection, but because I don't really have an idea of a 'good' application, It's hard to know what to improve!
I have no friends/family/mentors who are lawyers, and therefore have nobody who can really give me feedback on applications.
I want to join TCLA but money!

Does anyone think they'd be able to offer 10 minutes to look over one application? or give me some advice about what a good application looks like? I'd really really massively appreciate it.

Thank you in advance

Hey there! I’m also from a non-law background and would be more than happy to help / offer some advice. I haven’t got a vac scheme / TC offer yet in this cycle as I’m still waiting to hear back from some firms, but I’ve managed to progress to the next application stages (tests, interview stage). Hopefully I can offer you some advice for your applications though. Feel free to PM me

 

[Nat000]

Hey everyone, hope you're all well.

I was wondering if anyone could help me?
I'm a non-law student, and I've really struggled this application season. I haven't made it to the interview stage on loads of applications, even though I thought I was a strong candidate. Because I didn't make it to the interview stage, I'm unable to ask for feedback.
I have done lots of self-reflection, but because I don't really have an idea of a 'good' application, It's hard to know what to improve!
I have no friends/family/mentors who are lawyers, and therefore have nobody who can really give me feedback on applications.
I want to join TCLA but money!

Does anyone think they'd be able to offer 10 minutes to look over one application? or give me some advice about what a good application looks like? I'd really really massively appreciate it.

Thank you in advance

Also a non-law student! Feel free to PM.

 

[Alice G]

Hey everyone, hope you're all well.

I was wondering if anyone could help me?
I'm a non-law student, and I've really struggled this application season. I haven't made it to the interview stage on loads of applications, even though I thought I was a strong candidate. Because I didn't make it to the interview stage, I'm unable to ask for feedback.
I have done lots of self-reflection, but because I don't really have an idea of a 'good' application, It's hard to know what to improve!
I have no friends/family/mentors who are lawyers, and therefore have nobody who can really give me feedback on applications.
I want to join TCLA but money!

Does anyone think they'd be able to offer 10 minutes to look over one application? or give me some advice about what a good application looks like? I'd really really massively appreciate it.

Thank you in advance

Hi there,

The first thing to note is we are offering scholarships!! Please do apply because the motivation behind the scheme is that we do not want people to be limited by their finances. Here is the link to the thread explaining everything: https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/tclas-2021-scholarship-programme.2847/

The other thing to note here too is writing applications is an art form - it is a tricky skill to master and so I really don't want for you to feel too concerned at this stage for not necessarily getting through the application stage.

I will try my best to help but when you read the application - would you say it was so tailored to the firm that it cannot apply to any others? This is probably one of the biggest issues I see in applications. Asides that, another common issue is candidates not offering enough analysis or enough of a deep explanation into their motivations. The thing to ask yourself when reading the app here is, would it be possible for an outsider to read this and ask 'so what' or 'why'? If an objective reading means you are asking those questions - it is probable there just isn't enough depth and explanation.

Let me know if this helps at all and if not, I will try to help a bit further but I hope these are good starting points.

 

[Velikilawyer123]

@Jessica Booker Jess, when a questions asks "Please use the space below to provide details of any careers events you have attended e.g. insight days, workshops, presentations, virtual events etc.", should we list the events chronologically, or in order of relevance to the firm / ourselves? Does it even matter?

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

@Jessica Booker Jess, when a questions asks "Please use the space below to provide details of any careers events you have attended e.g. insight days, workshops, presentations, virtual events etc.", should we list the events chronologically, or in order of relevance to the firm / ourselves? Does it even matter?

I would do one or the other, or a hybrid of both. As long as there is some logic to the order, it doesn’t matter what that logic is, as long as there is some!

 

[Alice G]

@Jessica Booker Jess, when a questions asks "Please use the space below to provide details of any careers events you have attended e.g. insight days, workshops, presentations, virtual events etc.", should we list the events chronologically, or in order of relevance to the firm / ourselves? Does it even matter?

I’d put the firm you’re applying to at the top if applicable and then do the rest in order of chronology.

 

[Velikilawyer123]

I’d put the firm you’re applying to at the top if applicable and then do the rest in order of chronology.

That makes sense, but the only event I've been to with the firm I'm applying to was in their US office (since I was studying there at the time), and I'm applying to London. I was thinking of covering all of my US events together in one paragraph since (I'm assuming) they're a bit less relevant than my London events, but maybe that's not the best approach since the firm I'm applying to is in that category?

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

That makes sense, but the only event I've been to with the firm I'm applying to was in their US office (since I was studying there at the time), and I'm applying to London. I was thinking of covering all of my US events together in one paragraph since (I'm assuming) they're a bit less relevant than my London events, but maybe that's not the best approach since the firm I'm applying to is in that category?

no - sounds like a good approach - You’ll want to tone down any suggestion that London is plan B after the US

 

[Lauren]

I was wondering how to tackle this question and what White & Case will be looking for me to demonstrate

Details of any careers events you have attended e.g. insight days, workshops, presentations. These do not need to be White & Case specific. (350 words max)

For example, is it better to talk about more events but in less detail? Or talk about a few but in greater detail?

Also, in talking about the careers events, is it better to talk more generally about trainee skills, culture etc? Or give a more content driven answer, such as in some of my draft below?

I have also attended open days at Eversheds Sutherland, Baker McKenzie, Clifford Chance, DLA Piper and Simmons & Simmons. On the Baker McKenzie open day, I learned the significance of establishing new structures and vehicles within financial transactions from a talk given by Jeremy Levy on securitisation. I saw the complexity of cross border negotiations and the necessity of local knowledge from a simulated exercise whereby I represented an international travel agency. At Clifford Chance's open day, I learned about the Finance & Capital Markets practice from David Adams. The stages of an asset finance transaction whereby aircraft was leased was outlined, as well as the broader context of solicitors work in the aviation industry.

 

[AH97]

I was wondering how to tackle this question and what White & Case will be looking for me to demonstrate

Details of any careers events you have attended e.g. insight days, workshops, presentations. These do not need to be White & Case specific. (350 words max)

For example, is it better to talk about more events but in less detail? Or talk about a few but in greater detail?

Also, in talking about the careers events, is it better to talk more generally about trainee skills, culture etc? Or give a more content driven answer, such as in some of my draft below?

I have also attended open days at Eversheds Sutherland, Baker McKenzie, Clifford Chance, DLA Piper and Simmons & Simmons. On the Baker McKenzie open day, I learned the significance of establishing new structures and vehicles within financial transactions from a talk given by Jeremy Levy on securitisation. I saw the complexity of cross border negotiations and the necessity of local knowledge from a simulated exercise whereby I represented an international travel agency. At Clifford Chance's open day, I learned about the Finance & Capital Markets practice from David Adams. The stages of an asset finance transaction whereby aircraft was leased was outlined, as well as the broader context of solicitors work in the aviation industry.

Personally, I just listed all of the events (around 12) in chronological order in the format:

• Firm - Event (Month and Year)

and got past the application stage, but I'm sure there are many ways to approach it

 

[Lauren]

Personally, I just listed all of the events (around 12) in chronological order in the format:

• Firm - Event (Month and Year)

and got past the application stage, but I'm sure there are many ways to approach it

Ah ok, thank you! Did you write much about each event or just a sentence or two?

 

[Velikilawyer123]

no - sounds like a good approach - You’ll want to tone down any suggestion that London is plan B after the US

Yes makes sense, thanks!

 

[Alice G]

Ah ok, thank you! Did you write much about each event or just a sentence or two?

I recommend what @Ashton97 has advised here- don’t be thrown by the word count, just keep it factual. The only thing I’d add if you went to an event with W&C themselves, then you could maybe add a line or two about what you learned from the event -note: not what you did, but what you personally learned and took from it

 

[Lauren]

I recommend what @Ashton97 has advised here- don’t be thrown by the word count, just keep it factual. The only thing I’d add if you went to an event with W&C themselves, then you could maybe add a line or two about what you learned from the event -note: not what you did, but what you personally learned and took from it

Thank you Alice, very helpful! What about things like insight days? Do they deserve a sentence or two too?

I don't think I have been to 12 standalone workshops or presentations.