TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[Andrei Radu]

Hi all, just wanted to ask what kind of information do you guys asked when going to a law firm open days? I just want to know what kind of "insider scoop" that I can asked for to demonstrate my research and my motivation to apply for that particular firm. I would really appreciate any examples or things i could consider.

Hi @Tangcy the questions I asked were always around the firm's selling points, so that I could hopefully integrate and quote an answer into a 'Why the firm' answer connected to that selling point. Thus, before the open day, I would advise you to research the firm a bit and identify what features distinguish them from most rivals and make them attractive from an applicant's perspective. Then, just think about how you can ask questions about that feature of the firm that only insiders know about - some examples of what I have seen work with almost all firm selling points are:

• Has this aspect of the firm been a focus in the firm's strategy?
• What motivated the firm to invest in developing these aspects, and how does this compare to what rivals are doing?
• Has this aspect of the firm influenced your life and work here, and if so, how?

Now, these questions are quite neutral in terms of what particular distinguishing feature of a firm you choose to connect your motivations to. However, in practice, a significant majority of convincing 'why the firm' reasons are tied to practice area/sector strengths. Thus, to the extent that your own research has not clarified this, you can ask questions such as:

• Is the firm developing the practice at a generalist level, or does it focus on more specific types of mandates? Are there any types of matters for which the firm is more of a market leader than in others?
• Who are the firm's biggest competitors in this practice? Who do you most often find yourselves pitching against?
• What are the firm's selling points of expertise for this practice area from a client perspective? Are there any major selling points that you think rivals have and you do not?
• How is the firm planning to develop the practice in the coming years? In particular, what is the firm's strategy around retaining and securing talent in a very competitive partner lateral hiring market?
• How does the firm go about business development in this area? Are most client relationships institutional (relationships of the firm itself) or personal relationships of partners?
• How much of the firm's revenue does the practice account for, and how comparatively profitable is it to other practices?
• Who are the biggest clients of the firm in this area?
• What is the most interesting matter you have worked on in this practice?

 

[Legallywhatever]

When grad recruitment tells you that they’ll be giving a response by the end of this week, do we think they mean the working week or is it possible they mean by the end of Sunday?

Was indeed the working week and it is indeed a pfo - for Michelmores post test!

 

[Starfish31]

Thank you and good luck

Congrats on the Goodwin TC - when did they get back to you?!

 

[NJS]

I think the rise of private credit is a great story to discuss. Every major commercial topic you can discuss, from inflation and monetary policies to trade wars, will be quite broad in the sense of affecting almost everything in the global economy - if anything, I would say the rise of private credit is a slightly more niche and finance-focused topic. The fact they are quite broad does not mean that you should not discuss any of them. The trick is to narrow down the scope of your analysis: instead of saying 'I will discuss the causes and effects of the rise of private credit', which commits you to an impossibly comprehensive presentation, you can state you will discuss one or two of its major impacts, the way it is affecting a particular industry, or its connection to the law firm you are applying at.

Great thank you! its always the 'story' part that throws me off, like I could talk about the Thames water situation, for example, as that's a story, but it's harder to link the wider trends of that to a firm

 

[Andrei Radu]

Thoughts on choosing between TCs from W&C and Goodwin?

Some of Goodwin's pros would include:

• The firm is really strong in investment funds, life sciences, and mid-market PE.
• Arguably the leading firm for venture capital (VC).
• It consistently tops the global charts for the volume of deals they work on, although their average deal value is lower than of other elite US firms.
• Known to have quite an entrepreneurial culture.
• Lower trainee intake, so you will probably get more exposure to higher responsibility tasks here.

As for White & Case:

• It has larger operations than Goodwin, both in London and at a global scale, so it may be the stronger brand name.
• It is more full-service, so it offers a wider selection of practice area choices in which the firm has good expertise.
• Among the best in the market for capital markets, international arbitration, banking & finance, and energy & infrastructure work.
• Larger cohort and platform means more organized training sessions and more opportunities to network/socialize.
• Guarantees an international secondment, which, from what I hear, is often one of the best experiences in a TC.

Ultimately, what the decision should come down to is your interests and priorities - there is no right or wrong answer. That said, both firms are among the most successful and prestigious in the world, and culture-wise have a good reputation, so you will be set to have a great career irrespective of your choice.

 

[Chris Brown]

Great thank you! its always the 'story' part that throws me off, like I could talk about the Thames water situation, for example, as that's a story, but it's harder to link the wider trends of that to a firm

I think the link would be the precedent set by the deal or dispute. For Thames Water, there were a number of novel points that the courts considered re the restructuring. 🥲

The UK High Court approved the restructuring and the UK Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal made by the different creditors, upholding the UK High Court decision. 🥲

Reading firms’ summaries of it is a good way of understanding the link between wider commercial trends and the impact on law firms. I have linked some of them below:

Three’s a Crowd? The Thames Water Restructuring Plan(s)

Key Takeaways: In one of the most high-profile and hotly-watched cases in the London restructuring market, on 18 February 2025, the English High Court approved the restructuring plan proposed by Thames Water. The Court gave permission to appeal the Court’s order to a group of challenging junior...

www.paulweiss.com

Thames Water: Court of Appeal Delivers Judgment Rejecting Challenges to Restructuring Plan | Publications | Kirkland & Ellis LLP

www.kirkland.com

Hopefully this helps with connecting the story to the firm, factoring in wider commercial and legal implications. I think the best way would be to use PESTLE, but I’m not too sure. 🙂​

 

[lilymaltaba]

Some of Goodwin's pros would include:

• The firm is really strong in investment funds, life sciences, and mid-market PE.
• Arguably the leading firm for venture capital (VC).
• It consistently tops the global charts for the volume of deals they work on, although their average deal value is lower than of other elite US firms.
• Known to have quite an entrepreneurial culture.
• Lower trainee intake, so you will probably get more exposure to higher responsibility tasks here.

As for White & Case:

• It has larger operations than Goodwin, both in London and at a global scale, so it may be the stronger brand name.
• It is more full-service, so it offers a wider selection of practice area choices in which the firm has good expertise.
• Among the best in the market for capital markets, international arbitration, banking & finance, and energy & infrastructure work.
• Larger cohort and platform means more organized training sessions and more opportunities to network/socialize.
• Guarantees an international secondment, which, from what I hear, is often one of the best experiences in a TC.

Ultimately, what the decision should come down to is your interests and priorities - there is no right or wrong answer. That said, both firms are among the most successful and prestigious in the world, and culture-wise have a good reputation, so you will be set to have a great career irrespective of your choice.

Thank you so much!

 

[J53]

Stephenson Harwood Summer VS!!

 

[Legal Beagle]

Has Winston and Strawn given out all their SVS offers?

 

[JustwantaTC]

Hi @Jessica Booker how do people navigate paralegal roles in law firms and completing vacation schemes? Do many people have paralegal roles and still manage to do vacation schemes? Would this come up in reference checks to your employer or in any other way? thank you

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker how do people navigate paralegal roles in law firms and completing vacation schemes? Do many people have paralegal roles and still manage to do vacation schemes? Would this come up in reference checks to your employer or in any other way? thank you

Unfortunately It isn't always straight forward. However, some paralegals manage to still do vacation schemes.

Generally, most employment contracts will have a term that will say you cannot work for another organisation without approval from the firm. For law firms, this may also specifically say you cannot do any other legal work outside of those opportunities provided by the firm.

Such terms in employment contracts generally mean you can't do a vacation scheme without approval from the firm you are a paralegal with. If you choose to breach this term, don't tell the firm, and are then found out, you are at risk of 1) losing your paralegal job and 2) being dismissed through a form of misconduct.

Even if you do get approval, there can also be challenges with:

• Getting the specific time off for the vacation scheme, especially if you have colleagues who have already booked annual leave ahead of you.
• Conflict checks - if the two firms are very similar, compete for work with the same type of clients, or if they are working on the other side of major matters/cases to one another, conflict checks could stop you from working for both firms. Sometimes to get around this, vacation scheme students can be allocated to specific departments to ensure you wouldn't have access to information.

Some paralegals still manage to deal with all of this and complete vacation schemes. Some firms are very open to allowing their paralegals seek out other opportunities, while others can be very restrictive.

You would need to declare any employment in a reference check process for the vacation scheme too.

 

[toad92]

Seeing more SH SVS offers (for which congrats!!!!) and i’m still waiting post-app … I only applied for summer but still guessing this is a pfo🥲

As I ticked the box to be on the disability confident offer an interview scheme I thought I’d get invited to the VI ??

Really thought my application was strong and I’m not sure how I don’t meet the ‘minimum criteria’ that they use for the disability confident scheme… I have really strong academics and non-legal, legal and volunteering work experience, went to an open day at the firm, really put a lot of effort into the (incredibly long) application

I must have messed something up I guess 😭

 

[trainee4u]

Seeing more SH SVS offers (for which congrats!!!!) and i’m still waiting post-app … I only applied for summer but still guessing this is a pfo🥲

As I ticked the box to be on the disability confident offer an interview scheme I thought I’d get invited to the VI ??

Really thought my application was strong and I’m not sure how I don’t meet the ‘minimum criteria’ that they use for the disability confident scheme… I have really strong academics and non-legal, legal and volunteering work experience, went to an open day at the firm, really put a lot of effort into the (incredibly long) application

I must have messed something up I guess 😭

they haven't responded to me either.
when did you apply?

 

[Amma Usman]

Hi @Amma Usman @Andrei Radu I've been asked to prep a commercial story for an upcoming interview, do you think discussing the rise in private credit would suffice or is that too broad?

Hi,

Absolutely, I think discussing the rise of private credit can make for an excellent commercial topic. Like with any commercial discussion, what really matters is how you talk about it. It’s less about choosing the perfect topic, and more about demonstrating that you understand the broader commercial context, the key drivers behind the trend, and, crucially, how it impacts law firm clients and, in turn, the law firms that advise them.

With private credit, for instance, you could explore how it has emerged as a major alternative to traditional lending post-2008, filling the financing gap left by banks due to stricter capital requirements. You might also talk about why institutional investors are increasingly drawn to the asset class, namely the higher yields and greater control over terms.

For law firms, this rise presents both opportunities and challenges: new types of financing structures, bespoke documentation, complex cross-border issues, and increased demand for private credit expertise. It’s also reshaping sponsor-lender dynamics in leveraged finance deals, especially as sponsors increasingly look beyond traditional bank syndicates.

Perhaps the best part of picking a topic like this is that it’s evolving, so it's a great chance to engage your interviewers. I’d suggest ending your discussion by asking them about their own views. For example, how do they see private credit shaping the market over the next five to ten years? This shows curiosity and opens the door to a genuine commercial conversation, which is often more memorable than a rehearsed monologue.


Jaysen had also made a post on this a few months back. Here it is -

What I found out about private credit

Full Disclosure: What I found out about private credit By Jaysen Sutton 📩 Sign up here to receive a new edition of 'Full Disclosure' directly into your inbox, every week. Hi Reader 👋🏽, Okay - I have been hearing this term a lot...

www.thecorporatelawacademy.com

 

[Amma Usman]

Hi all, just wanted to ask what kind of information do you guys asked when going to a law firm open days? I just want to know what kind of "insider scoop" that I can asked for to demonstrate my research and my motivation to apply for that particular firm. I would really appreciate any examples or things i could consider.

One thing I’d say is to retain connections - some of my closest mentors are lawyers I met at open days! Try your best to get some form of connection, like their LinkedIn and follow-up after with a thanks. If you can also spark a genuine connection, maybe through shared interests, this makes it all the better!

The rest has been wonderfully covered by @Andrei Radu ‘s past post on this!

 

[Apple]

Seeing more SH SVS offers (for which congrats!!!!) and i’m still waiting post-app … I only applied for summer but still guessing this is a pfo🥲

As I ticked the box to be on the disability confident offer an interview scheme I thought I’d get invited to the VI ??

Really thought my application was strong and I’m not sure how I don’t meet the ‘minimum criteria’ that they use for the disability confident scheme… I have really strong academics and non-legal, legal and volunteering work experience, went to an open day at the firm, really put a lot of effort into the (incredibly long) application

I must have messed something up I guess 😭

Pretty sure the "guaranteed interview" is misleading. It is guaranteed if you meet their arbitrary requirements, which can be judged on work experience, test results etc etc. So it really isn't guaranteed.

 

[Chris Brown]

Has anyone received a Paul Hastings PFO post interview for the Phirst Steps SVS? I had my interview a while ago but I have not heard back so assuming it is a PFO. 🥲​

 

[baj5]

does anyone have any tips on how to prep for critical reasoning tests and group exercises? At the end of my VS I will have to do a critical reasoning test and a group exercise and I'm not sure what resources there are out there.

 

[badmintonflyinginsect]

Applicants who reached the interview/AC stage for Paul Weiss this cycle, could you please tell me what your academic profile looked like? Thanks!

 

[johnafleck6]

Has anyone received a Paul Hastings PFO post interview for the Phirst Steps SVS? I had my interview a while ago but I have not heard back so assuming it is a PFO. 🥲​

Yeah I haven’t heard back either. Has anyone?