• Get Everything You Need to Secure a Training Contract
    Now half the price. Join TCLA Premium for £30/month and get step-by-step application support, daily commercial awareness practice, and 700+ successful examples of past applications and interview experiences. Plus so much more.
    Join Premium →
  • Office Hours with BCLP (Live Q&A)
    17 December 2025 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm (UK) Hosted on TCLA TV
    Join Isabel Elsey, Legal Recruitment Manager at BCLP, for a live Q&A session. Get details on secondments, innovation, growth areas, and everything else you’ve wanted to ask about life at BCLP!

    📺 View Event →

Recent content by Aarav-TESTACCOUNT

  1. A

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

    Having used the TCLA forum consistently to help me secure a TC at one of the largest intentional law firms in the world, I wanted to give back and share how I was successful. Don’t give up too early At times this really is a numbers game, and with each application you do improve, even if it’s...
  2. A

    Feedback on Skadden VC application

    Thanks for sharing this and first off, it’s worth saying that there’s nothing “bad” about this answer. It’s clearly well thought through and shows genuine motivation. A few gentle points that may help explain why it didn’t convert this time as someone who has talked to successful Skadden...
  3. A

    Macfarlanes second stage online assessment

    Congratulations, that’s a great position to be in! The most important thing with Macfarlanes’ second stage assessment is to be honest with yourself rather than trying to give the answer you think the firm wants. It’s designed to mirror real trainee scenarios, and they are very good at spotting...
  4. A

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

    I completely get why that feels frustrating. "Rolling” can be quite opaque from the outside, especially when you apply early and then hear nothing for weeks. One thing to bear in mind is that for some rolling firms, applications can be reviewed in batches rather than strictly in order. That...
  5. A

    Which Law Firm is right for me?

    You’ve got a really coherent set of interests, and there are firms that genuinely allow you to explore that mix rather than forcing an early specialism. Kingsley Napley is one that really stands out. They have a strong reputation across personal injury and family law, but they’re also heavily...
  6. A

    Paralegal work

    You’re definitely not alone in feeling this way post-graduation, and there are some very straightforward ways to approach this: Paralegal recruitment agencies Ryder Reid Legal are well worth speaking to. They place paralegals across London and the South East in a wide range of commercial...
  7. A

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

    I’m really sorry to hear that, especially when it was the application you felt strongest about. However, a rejection from Skadden doesn’t mean your application wasn’t good. Their process is extremely competitive and can be quite unpredictable, with plenty of candidates with strong experience...
  8. A

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

    Hi Madison, Applying around a month in advance is generally fine, even for rolling firms. Being earlier can help at the margins, but it isn’t the case that applications submitted slightly later are automatically discounted. Strong and well-thought applications are still read and progressed...

About Us

The Corporate Law Academy (TCLA) was founded in 2018 because we wanted to improve the legal journey. We wanted more transparency and better training. We wanted to form a community of aspiring lawyers who care about becoming the best version of themselves.

Get Our 2026 Vacation Scheme Guide

Nail your vacation scheme applications this year with our latest guide, with sample answers to law firm questions.