TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[aspiringcatsolicitor]

Hiya, any 2025 graduates here planning to take a year to focus on applications in the next cycle? Would love to connect and possibly set up a group chat

 

[Chris Brown]

Eid Mubarak to everyone celebrating it. I hope you guys have a great day and weekend! 🥳​

 

[legalxp2]

Missed a vacation scheme this year? There's still time! The TCLA team are excited to share the following opportunity.

Perkins Coie London has just announced its vacation scheme. It runs this summer. And you can apply in the next two weeks.

It's a firm that has a huge presence in the US, especially in the tech sector - working with clients like Amazon, Meta and Amazon. What's interesting about the London-side is it's new, fast-growing, and operates very much like a start-up. This is a chance to join the firm as it builds its London practice.

It is a very unique vacation scheme (which tells you a lot about the firm), including gamified AI case studies, masterclasses to boost skills and commercial awareness, and a group pitch to a Founder/General Counsel client. As well as being a paid position, the firm will cover the cost of accommodation and travel.

Want to apply directly instead? The firm is also hiring for its Legal Business Analyst role.

For the vacation scheme, apply here by 23 June 2025.

Hi Jess,
For this opportunity it has mentioned to include

• Cover letter including your response to the following questions:
  • What attracts you to the LBA program?
  • What is a recent story in the news that could impact a Perkins Coie client and what could that effect be?

would you recommend it be best to answer the second question separately in its own respective paragraph within the cover letter or to integrate the response within the cover letter itself and continue with the typical cover letter structure?

Many thanks!

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Hi Jess,
For this opportunity it has mentioned to include

• Cover letter including your response to the following questions:
  • What attracts you to the LBA program?
  • What is a recent story in the news that could impact a Perkins Coie client and what could that effect be?

would you recommend it be best to answer the second question separately in its own respective paragraph within the cover letter or to integrate the response within the cover letter itself and continue with the typical cover letter structure?

Many thanks!

I think it should be within the cover letter format but have dedicated paragraphs to it.

 

[trainee4u]

Missed a vacation scheme this year? There's still time! The TCLA team are excited to share the following opportunity.

Perkins Coie London has just announced its vacation scheme. It runs this summer. And you can apply in the next two weeks.

It's a firm that has a huge presence in the US, especially in the tech sector - working with clients like Amazon, Meta and Amazon. What's interesting about the London-side is it's new, fast-growing, and operates very much like a start-up. This is a chance to join the firm as it builds its London practice.

It is a very unique vacation scheme (which tells you a lot about the firm), including gamified AI case studies, masterclasses to boost skills and commercial awareness, and a group pitch to a Founder/General Counsel client. As well as being a paid position, the firm will cover the cost of accommodation and travel.

Want to apply directly instead? The firm is also hiring for its Legal Business Analyst role.

For the vacation scheme, apply here by 23 June 2025.

Looks like this is more of an undergraduate-only work experience program than a VS - it doesn't appear to lead to permanent employment, and graduates appear to be excluded.

 

[Chris Brown]

Looks like this is more of an undergraduate-only work experience program than a VS - it doesn't appear to lead to permanent employment, and graduates appear to be excluded.

I think only finalists and graduates can apply for the legal business analyst (LBA) role, which is a form of permanent employment. Anyone who is not a finalist or graduate is not eligible to apply for the LBA role. They can apply for the Perkins Coie Summer VS instead. 😅​

 

[Joey green]

Do you need a visa for Perkins Coie? Or can they sponsor one?

 

[johnnn821]

Guys does anyone have any resources to recommend on how to improve your presentation skills or how to prepare for a presentation during an interview?

 

[Kakaboo]

I’ve just received my buddy for my scheme, what kind of message should I drop him on LinkedIn? Thanks!

 

[trainee4u]

I think only finalists and graduates can apply for the legal business analyst (LBA) role, which is a form of permanent employment. Anyone who is not a finalist or graduate is not eligible to apply for the LBA role. They can apply for the Perkins Coie Summer VS instead. 😅​

I'm not really sure if it is permanent employment - at least previously the LBA was effectively a fixed-term 12-month paralegal role, but, uniquely, they would offer some candidates a further 12-month 'training contract', to take advantage of the fact that training contracts don't really exist in the SRA's eyes any more, so you could do 12 months as LBA (paralegal) and then presumably up or out onto their 'TC'.

It's definitely interesting and innovative that they are not messing around with long recruitment time frames, but instead are giving people immediate work with a focus on business rather than law.

Not quite sure at what point SQE would fit in, or whether they make people spend a further year doing the GDL.

 

[hfbjsdhfbhf]

Hi everyone! What are some common/potential topics for a commercial case study other than ESG or AI?

 

[trainee4u]

Thanks so much for the detailed response! I have a follow-up question about the LinkedIn aspect. I’m now connected to several people from Firm A who have congratulated me privately on the offer, so if I were to add a Firm B vacation scheme to my experience section later, it would be visible to them if they happened to check my profile. Do you think this would raise any eyebrows or look a bit off, given that I’ve already signed the offer letter with Firm A?

you don't have to update linkedin! You could just deactivate it for a while.

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Looks like this is more of an undergraduate-only work experience program than a VS - it doesn't appear to lead to permanent employment, and graduates appear to be excluded.

As @Chris Brown has pointed out, that is not the case. This is a feeder programme to their Legal Business Analyst programme that is also mentioned in my post. We will check with the firm on the eligibility point as this has been raised in our WhatsApp chats as to whether graduates can apply.

Vacation schemes with any firm don't lead to permanent employment though, only a fixed-term contract of two years if you secure a TC.

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Do you need a visa for Perkins Coie? Or can they sponsor one?

For both their roles you will need to right to work - this is stated at the end of both of the job adverts.

 

[billyonthespeeddial]

I believe that’s quite normal at this stage, especially as we’ve only just entered June. The firm will likely be in touch soon with pre-scheme materials or further details. If you haven’t heard anything closer to the start date, that would be a good time to follow up. But for now, I wouldn’t be too concerned.

Thank you!

 

[Gr33n]

Tax

RIP bro, thats arguably the hardest area of law. I sat in tax for a spring vac scheme and didnt convert despite having two years tax working experience. Not to scare you but idk anyone who has got a TC after sitting in tax so prepare yourself and get ready for the challenge. Feel free to message me and i can give you a few pointers.

 

[James Wakefield]

RIP bro, thats arguably the hardest area of law. I sat in tax for a spring vac scheme and didnt convert despite having two years tax working experience. Not to scare you but idk anyone who has got a TC after sitting in tax so prepare yourself and get ready for the challenge. Feel free to message me and i can give you a few pointers.

I didn’t convert after sitting in tax last year too but I think that’s because I was disappointed to be there and maybe that came across.

But I was silly to be disappointed really. This is a 1 or 2 week experience which is so short. It’s not a career in tax and as long as you’re in the right headspace, and not acting like you're disappointed, you’ll do fine.

You can arrange coffee chats with lawyers from the other teams and show your enthusiasm that way. You may even be able to ask for some work from a different team too if you’re ahead of things!

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

RIP bro, thats arguably the hardest area of law. I sat in tax for a spring vac scheme and didnt convert despite having two years tax working experience. Not to scare you but idk anyone who has got a TC after sitting in tax so prepare yourself and get ready for the challenge. Feel free to message me and i can give you a few pointers.

Just the counter this, I have seen plenty of people with no tax experience do well on their vacation schemes and convert.

 

[trainee4u]

As @Chris Brown has pointed out, that is not the case. This is a feeder programme to their Legal Business Analyst programme that is also mentioned in my post. We will check with the firm on the eligibility point as this has been raised in our WhatsApp chats as to whether graduates can apply.

Vacation schemes with any firm don't lead to permanent employment though, only a fixed-term contract of two years if you secure a TC.

It seems rather different in that normally you either sign a direct TC leading to guaranteed qualification as a solicitor, a title you can keep for the rest of your life and be eligible for NQS roles at the end, or you spend a few days on a VS pursuant to the same goal, whereas with this it appears that you get a fixed-term sink-or-swim role where if you don't make it you realistically are going to be looking for another two-year TC, so e.g.:

LBA 2025-6 - successful to 1-year TC 2026-2027 - qualify in 2027
or
LBA 2025-6 - unsuccessful to TC after 12 months; 2026-2027 (hopefully!) find TC, 2029-2031 - conventional training period - qualify in 2031

So the stakes are very high as you don't have the guaranteed qualification upon accepting the role, and if you don't make it, then you can be set back by four years.

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

It seems rather different in that normally you either sign a direct TC leading to guaranteed qualification as a solicitor, a title you can keep for the rest of your life and be eligible for NQS roles at the end, or you spend a few days on a VS pursuant to the same goal, whereas with this it appears that you get a fixed-term sink-or-swim role where if you don't make it you realistically are going to be looking for another two-year TC, so e.g.:

LBA 2025-6 - successful to 1-year TC 2026-2027 - qualify in 2027
or
LBA 2025-6 - unsuccessful to TC after 12 months; 2026-2027 (hopefully!) find TC, 2029-2031 - conventional training period - qualify in 2031

So the stakes are very high as you don't have the guaranteed qualification upon accepting the role, and if you don't make it, then you can be set back by four years.

I’d stress that there is no guarantees of qualification anymore. Unlike the old qualification system, firms are no longer tied to employing you for two years as a trainee.

But yes, it is a slightly different graduate opportunity to a traditional training contract. I see it as an interesting opportunity for those who are looking for something to start sooner rather than later and maybe considering other opportunities like paralegal roles this autumn.