TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

[Aussielawyer]

Hi All
I have been invited to my first ever written assessment. I am beyond nervous and dont know where to start in regard to preparation. Does anyone have any tips or maybe a suggestion on where I should go to find advice!

 

[lonelycruise]

Well, that's my cycle finished (hopefully)! Through some magic, I secured VSs at 3 US firms and I attribute so much of that to the wonderful community on TCLA. Everyone was so willing to help, even if I was 'competing' with them -- the culture has been 10/10.

Thank you @Jessica Booker and @axelbeugre for all of your advice and support. Your wisdom and empathy have been a real lifeline through such a challenging experience! Doing this alongside my GDL was a real exercise in endurance and your support really kept me centred.

If anyone wants any advice or support in applying to US firms, reach out and I'll do my best to help. Though, I'm no expert, just very lucky!

(pretty pls don't repost this on linkedin, TCLA 🤍)

 

[christina04]

Anyone heard back from Bevan Brittan?

 

[bangarangbass39]

Baker Mackenzie x Cummins internship offer.

Received the update a minute before my Browne Jacobson Telephone Interview.

 

[hungry_for_TC]

any Morgan Lewis updates?

 

[PFOenthusiast]

Anyone heard back from Bevan Brittan?

Still nothing for me!

 

[InvesmentBanker]

I had a written exercise a few days ago, and I completely ran out of time.

I felt like my first section was fine, but my second was far weaker, and it wrapped up quickly. I did a brief conclusion, but don't think it was that impactful. Will this reflect poorly and likely hurt my chances of being successful @Jessica Booker?

This reminds me of my first written exercise... I finished the first half in an excellent manner, only to find out I had no time (literally) for the second half. It was also sadly the first part of the AC so I had no motivation to perform well for the case study and interview.

 

[Madeline186]

Hopefully they're still processing all the applications then. I went with Bristol and London - what about you?

I went with London and Leeds. It’s getting close to the 27th now so hopefully we will hear soon! Does anyone know if Bevan Brittan tend to send out rejection emails or you just don’t hear back?

 

[Will123]

Hi all, other than the impact of AI and the current state of the economy (high interest rates etc.) what are any other main challenges facing the UK legal industry? I would be interested to hear your suggestions @Jessica Booker and @axelbeugre

 

[Farhan65756]

Has anyone heard from Womble Bond Dickinson yet? They said in an email that they would get back to people this week

 

[axelbeugre]

Hi all, other than the impact of AI and the current state of the economy (high interest rates etc.) what are any other main challenges facing the UK legal industry? I would be interested to hear your suggestions @Jessica Booker and @axelbeugre

Hey @Will123,

Thank you for the question as I am sure many have been wondering the same question.

Things I would discuss in a law firm application are:

1. Technology integration: AI-driven tools for contract evaluation, legal research, and even certain areas of litigation are just a few examples of how the legal sector has been progressively adopting technology. It is still difficult to integrate these technologies effectively while maintaining data security and privacy. If you find some cases in the news dealing with this, it will be good to mention them here as examples too. You could also mention personal experiences if you have done some work experience in law firms before and discuss your view on this and you experience.
2. Regulatory Shifts: The legal environment can be greatly impacted by both domestic and foreign regulatory shifts. For example, UK law firms now have to manage new legal uncertainties and difficulties brought forth by Brexit. Furthermore, how legal businesses manage and process client data can be significantly impacted by modifications to data protection laws and regulations. This is really important and I would keep an eye on the news for this as if you mention this, they might ask you questions at interview stage.
3. Collaboration and Remote Work: Covid-19 did in fact hasten the legal sector's transition to remote work. While there are advantages, such greater flexibility, this also poses difficulties in terms of preserving high-quality client service in a distant location, guaranteeing data security, and fostering productive teamwork. You could definitely bring a personal link to this especially if you have worked in the industry before and talk about your experience (especially at interview stage).
4. Cybersecurity Risks: Since law firms handle a lot of private and sensitive data, they are prime targets for cyberattacks. Ensuring strong cybersecurity procedures to secure client data is a major concern for the legal sector as cyber attacks continue to change and become more sophisticated. This is really important and you could talk about cases in the media on this to strengthen your answer.

I hope this is helpful and good luck with applications/interviews!

 

[NLWH]

CRS VS Offer! (Guildford Office)

Hi! I also applied for Guildford VS and I haven't heard anything from them... does this means PFO?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi all, other than the impact of AI and the current state of the economy (high interest rates etc.) what are any other main challenges facing the UK legal industry? I would be interested to hear your suggestions @Jessica Booker and @axelbeugre

Here’s some useful articles on the topic. Just remember to put your own spin on this rather than repeating what others have said:

Five challenges facing the legal sector in 2024

From economic pressures, shifting conveyancing and cyber threats, lawyers face a number of challenges in 2024. Our partner, Access Legal, reveals the biggest threats – and the potential opportunities they offer.

www.lawsociety.org.uk

https://www.reuters.com/legal/legalindustry/law-firms-face-volatile-2024-amid-demand-staffing-ai-risks-report-2024-01-09/

Law Firm Growth and Challenges in 2024: A Global Survey, Pt I

Explore dynamics that shaped law firms this past year. Look at law firm challenges and their varying growth patterns with an eye on how different sectors responded to the year’s economic stressors.

www.smokeball.com

 

[axelbeugre]

Hi everyone. I am just posting for a final time to see if anyone is interested in attending a mock AC day/half-day next week (either the 2nd or 3rd) that a few of us are organising together. Jaysen and the TCLA team have also kindly offered us use of their offices, to provide materials and to act as assessors, so it should be very helpful!

Please PM me if you are interested, or reply to the thread attached below:

Mock AC in London

Hi. Would anyone who hasn't done an AC before (or maybe those that have if they are interested) want to do some sort of mock ACs together in London? My proposal is that a few of us meet up and go through a mock AC (someone else will have to set it) while filming the whole thing. Then we could...

www.thecorporatelawacademy.com

This is such an amazing opportunity, definitely take advantage of it!

 

[Will123]

Hey @Will123,

Thank you for the question as I am sure many have been wondering the same question.

Things I would discuss in a law firm application are:

1. Technology integration: AI-driven tools for contract evaluation, legal research, and even certain areas of litigation are just a few examples of how the legal sector has been progressively adopting technology. It is still difficult to integrate these technologies effectively while maintaining data security and privacy. If you find some cases in the news dealing with this, it will be good to mention them here as examples too. You could also mention personal experiences if you have done some work experience in law firms before and discuss your view on this and you experience.
2. Regulatory Shifts: The legal environment can be greatly impacted by both domestic and foreign regulatory shifts. For example, UK law firms now have to manage new legal uncertainties and difficulties brought forth by Brexit. Furthermore, how legal businesses manage and process client data can be significantly impacted by modifications to data protection laws and regulations. This is really important and I would keep an eye on the news for this as if you mention this, they might ask you questions at interview stage.
3. Collaboration and Remote Work: Covid-19 did in fact hasten the legal sector's transition to remote work. While there are advantages, such greater flexibility, this also poses difficulties in terms of preserving high-quality client service in a distant location, guaranteeing data security, and fostering productive teamwork. You could definitely bring a personal link to this especially if you have worked in the industry before and talk about your experience (especially at interview stage).
4. Cybersecurity Risks: Since law firms handle a lot of private and sensitive data, they are prime targets for cyberattacks. Ensuring strong cybersecurity procedures to secure client data is a major concern for the legal sector as cyber attacks continue to change and become more sophisticated. This is really important and you could talk about cases in the media on this to strengthen your answer.

I hope this is helpful and good luck with applications/interviews!

Thank you very much - this is really helpful!

 

[Will123]

Here’s some useful articles on the topic. Just remember to put your own spin on this rather than repeating what others have said:

Five challenges facing the legal sector in 2024

From economic pressures, shifting conveyancing and cyber threats, lawyers face a number of challenges in 2024. Our partner, Access Legal, reveals the biggest threats – and the potential opportunities they offer.

www.lawsociety.org.uk

https://www.reuters.com/legal/legalindustry/law-firms-face-volatile-2024-amid-demand-staffing-ai-risks-report-2024-01-09/

Law Firm Growth and Challenges in 2024: A Global Survey, Pt I

Explore dynamics that shaped law firms this past year. Look at law firm challenges and their varying growth patterns with an eye on how different sectors responded to the year’s economic stressors.

www.smokeball.com

Thank you so much!

 

[axelbeugre]

Baker Mackenzie x Cummins internship offer.

Received the update a minute before my Browne Jacobson Telephone Interview.

Wow, that is amazing!! Congratulations!

 

[axelbeugre]

Do recruitment teams change each year or do they remain with the same people for some period of time? I applied for something last year, but I completely underperformed in the final stage/my interview (it objectively was horrific on my part!) and I would like to reapply this year but I feel embarrassed to- because I’m worried that they’ll remember how bad I was.

It sounds egotistical to think they would remember me, but I really was such a mess that it was laughable. I’m just a bit worried about it : (

It really depends but I am sure they will not remember you. I would think about the fact that recruitment for vacation schemes is only part of their job, and the latter most definitely encompasses many other things so it is very unlikely that they remember about the many candidates they see coming and going from their recruitment cycles.

I personally would not worry about this and I would make sure to put my best application forwards which I am sure you will do so try to only focus on that!

 

[axelbeugre]

Hi All
I have been invited to my first ever written assessment. I am beyond nervous and dont know where to start in regard to preparation. Does anyone have any tips or maybe a suggestion on where I should go to find advice!

What does the written assessment entail? It is difficult to give you tips without necessarily knowing what it asks you to do.
However, I shared some tips in this post which I hope will be somewhat useful: https://www.thecorporatelawacademy....ns-discussion-thread-2023-24.8037/post-156677

Good luck with the assessment!

 

[axelbeugre]

Well, that's my cycle finished (hopefully)! Through some magic, I secured VSs at 3 US firms and I attribute so much of that to the wonderful community on TCLA. Everyone was so willing to help, even if I was 'competing' with them -- the culture has been 10/10.

Thank you @Jessica Booker and @axelbeugre for all of your advice and support. Your wisdom and empathy have been a real lifeline through such a challenging experience! Doing this alongside my GDL was a real exercise in endurance and your support really kept me centred.

If anyone wants any advice or support in applying to US firms, reach out and I'll do my best to help. Though, I'm no expert, just very lucky!

(pretty pls don't repost this on linkedin, TCLA 🤍)

Congratulations!! Very well done!