TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[vera.mekhonoshina]

has anyone ever progressed far in a VS/TC process despite not having a clear idea of what practice you want to do? and not having a clear previous experience in one practice?

im afraid of my why commercial law answer being too generic without the above

Hi!

I actually think that having a crystal-clear idea about the one specific area you would want to practice in is not as common as you think!

Nevertheless, here's how I would approach this:

1. If you are applying to a more general, full-service law firm, it's actually great to demonstrate that you have an open mind and are open to exploring different practice areas - you never know if you like something until you actually try it in practice! I would still, however, get an in-depth understanding of one or two practice areas that have caught your attention and be prepared to explain why you are potentially interested in experiencing them during your training contract.
2. If you are targeting narrower, smaller firms with a clearly visible specialism (for example, PE), then I'd say having a clearly defined and well-evidenced interest in that practice is indeed necessary.

So, in short, I'd say that the degree of certainty in deciding which practice area appeals to you the most varies between firms. And, at the end of the day, one of the reasons that TCs with seat rotations exist in the first place is to provide you with an opportunity to make a conscious decision about where you qualify!

 

[londonlawyer]

I would personally say a commercial mindset is more appropriate as a skill (although don't quote me on this as I don't know if the application I used referencing this skill was successful yet). Being able to see commercial issues from your clients perspective (eg risks, opportunities) is the way I understand a solicitor's "commercial mindset" in practice.

Hope that helps

Thank you!

 

[vera.mekhonoshina]

For someone who didn’t really used to attend events, I might have overcompensated and attended like six events for a firm in applying to. Is it bad to sprinkle all of them around my app? Like mention multiple events in a question even (like one per paragraph)? Or is that overdoing it? Thank you!!

Hi @iklawapps,

Attending this many events is very impressive! I am sure the firm will appreciate your dedication and commitment.

However, I also appreciate your concern regarding the best way to present these events in your application. To answer your question, I personally wouldn't concentrate all of the open days within one single answer or paragraph, as you'd also want to show how you conducted firm research outside of the events.

So, I'd probably choose two or three out of the six events that you found the most impactful, and reference those sparingly within your written answers. I would then go into more detail for all six events in the work experience section, where you can put all of them in one entry.

I hope this helps, and good luck!

 

[londonlawyer]

has anyone ever progressed far in a VS/TC process despite not having a clear idea of what practice you want to do? and not having a clear previous experience in one practice?

im afraid of my why commercial law answer being too generic without the above

I got a VS last year, having focused heavily on PE with a US firm. I discussed PE in both my motivation for a career with the firm and my commercial question, which I think definitely helped. But having said that, I also emphasised in my interviews that I am open-minded in exploring the other practice areas at the firm. I think, at least at the application stage, showing a clear interest in the practice area that generated the most revenue for the firm helped me secure an interview.

 

[vera.mekhonoshina]

and another question apologies if its seems silly

if i mentioned a mock pitch i did on an open day/scheme on my application as something i enjoyed

in the interview process will you be grilled on this?

because i can remember the gist of the task eg: what i liked about it

but i cant recall the entire scenario this was years ago...

Hey @ohnoselim,

Great question, and not silly at all!

I usually tell applicants that they can expect to be probed on anything they write about in an application - this includes asking for additional details about a particular experience.

I'd say that this is especially likely if you are mentioning the mock pitch in the context of your fundamental motivations and answers, such as 'why commercial law', 'why you', or 'why the firm'.

With this in mind, if you remember the general scenario and can clearly explain what you enjoyed about it and why, it should be completely fine!

 

[vera.mekhonoshina]

With the Hogan Lovells question - Tell us about any experiences outside of your work and study that have allowed you to develop skills that are relevant to this role. - when they say work, does that mean excluding part time jobs and other paid positions as well as university?

Hi @lawstudent2,

I'd say so - I would focus on positions of responsibility at university societies and any hobbies or volunteering activities. Good luck!

 

[vera.mekhonoshina]

Any tips for a successful open day application?

Hey,

One thing I'll recommend here is using simple language and being very concise. Open Day applications are usually relatively short, which means that you need to dedicate every single word to answering the question and explaining why you are drawn to the firm and the open day opportunity.

Just as with a vacation scheme or open day application, you would want to ground your motivations in your own experiences.

Good luck!

 

[vera.mekhonoshina]

Is it fine to shorten Mishcon de Reya to Mishcon in an application or is that not a good idea?

Good question! I'd say that the rule of thumb is to only shorten the firm's name if you can see that specific abbreviation on the firm's website.

So, in the case of Mishcon de Reya, Mishcon is acceptable, as you can see the firm itself uses it on the website.

The standard formatting would be to first write out the firm's name in full - 'Mishcon de Reya ('Mishcon')' before using the abbreviation.

Hope this helps!

 

[vera.mekhonoshina]

I was wondering whether commercial curiosity is a skill in the traditional sense? Would commercial curiosity be considered a skill which a commercial solicitor would require to succeed? I've included it as a skill in one of my answers, but I'm concerned that it sounds like a trait rather than a skill.

Hi @londonlawyer,

Great question! I would not overthink it too much. I'd consider curiosity a skill because it requires the ability to analyse information, ask specific questions, and consider how different commercial points fit together into one story.

 

[LegallyBrunette_]

Anyone else heard back from Sidley, one way or another?

I applied on the 24th August and have not heard back yet.

 

[londonlawyer]

Hi @londonlawyer,

Great question! I would not overthink it too much. I'd consider curiosity a skill because it requires the ability to analyse information, ask specific questions, and consider how different commercial points fit together into one story.

Thank you!

 

[ohnoselim]

Hi!

I actually think that having a crystal-clear idea about the one specific area you would want to practice in is not as common as you think!

Nevertheless, here's how I would approach this:

1. If you are applying to a more general, full-service law firm, it's actually great to demonstrate that you have an open mind and are open to exploring different practice areas - you never know if you like something until you actually try it in practice! I would still, however, get an in-depth understanding of one or two practice areas that have caught your attention and be prepared to explain why you are potentially interested in experiencing them during your training contract.
2. If you are targeting narrower, smaller firms with a clearly visible specialism (for example, PE), then I'd say having a clearly defined and well-evidenced interest in that practice is indeed necessary.

So, in short, I'd say that the degree of certainty in deciding which practice area appeals to you the most varies between firms. And, at the end of the day, one of the reasons that TCs with seat rotations exist in the first place is to provide you with an opportunity to make a conscious decision about where you qualify!

thats great to know thank you !

do you think i need to mention a practice area in my why commercial law answer?

 

[vera.mekhonoshina]

thats great to know thank you !

do you think i need to mention a practice area in my why commercial law answer?

This would depend on whether a particular practice area is part of your genuine motivations for commercial law! I don't think I referenced a specific practice area in 'Why commercial law', focusing instead on some more general characteristics of commercial law, like scenario analysis, for example.

 

[legallybrunette8]

bit of a silly question, but should you be mentioning open days in your 'work experience' section? especially ones where there was no real application/competition?

i've stuck to not mentioning them in my previous cycles and although I did manage to get past initial apps, I was wondering if not mentioning them has stopped me from progressing in other firms.

 

[vera.mekhonoshina]

bit of a silly question, but should you be mentioning open days in your 'work experience' section? especially ones where there was no real application/competition?

i've stuck to not mentioning them in my previous cycles and although I did manage to get past initial apps, I was wondering if not mentioning them has stopped me from progressing in other firms.

I would definitely mention them! You don't have to make a separate entry for each open day - you can group all of them under one entry. All experience is good experience in this case. The firms are likely to appreciate your commitment to getting more exposure and learning about different types of firms and practice areas!

 

[dannyp123]

Hey guys, I'm aware that Macfarlanes opened a month ago with a rolling deadline. However, recently I've become more interested in the work the firm does. Would I still be fine applying now?

 

[TortillaTC]

Sidley closes in 2 days and it’s rolling - would it be a very bad idea to apply tomorrow and I should rather wait to apply for the spring/summer schemes? Got carried away w other things but would submit a very tailored, high quality app

 

[dm_corporate]

Hey guys, I'm aware that Macfarlanes opened a month ago with a rolling deadline. However, recently I've become more interested in the work the firm does. Would I still be fine applying now?

I think yes, absolutely. I’m about to put my application in this week. I don’t think they’ll be doing ACs until January but I could be wrong on that.

 

[ZNadeem]

Hey @ZNadeem I was wondering do you know if the Latham online test includes a video interview bit this year or not

​

Hi! It should include a video interview question, but I’ve also heard of some candidates saying they didn’t get one — so perhaps email grad rec to confirm.

 

[ZNadeem]

I was wondering whether commercial curiosity is a skill in the traditional sense? Would commercial curiosity be considered a skill which a commercial solicitor would require to succeed? I've included it as a skill in one of my answers, but I'm concerned that it sounds like a trait rather than a skill.

Hi! If the firm highlights commercial curiosity on their website or materials, it’s fine to use their wording. Otherwise, I’d recommend rewording it into a more skill-like word(s) so it doesn’t sound too abstract.