TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[applicant457]

guys, I feel like 750 words for the NRF cover letter WITHOUT including a section dedicated to why law is way too much. without why law now I have around 600 words total(including first and last stenence) and I feel like anything more is pushing it/ they will not read. any advice??

 

[dannyp123]

Has anyone heard back from Jones Day regarding the Spring and Summer Schemes, only heard people talk about hearing about their Winter schemes so far.

 

[Harvey Ross]

For Linklaters Winter VS - one of the application question states --> please list your main interests including academic achievemnts, community roles, clubs and socieities etc with a word limit of 250 words.

I was wondering, as to how much detail should I go into my academic commendation I received for a module at University. Should I talk what the module is about / How I achieved that mark, and to what extent should I do it to.

It says list your interests, but the word limit is 250 words, so not sure as to what they are expecting.

Would appreciate any advice

 

[nonlawstudent98]

Bird & Bird WG invite!
Slaughter and May rejection :/

Swings and roundabouts!

 

[chiichii]

Hi everyone, I might be too late to apply for the DLA piper's open day, therefore I'd like to ask does anyone know whether their open days are rolling?

 

[aspringlawyer25]

Has anyone gotten their Gibson Dunn test report yet? Still haven't received mine and did the test 2 weeks ago.

 

[lawyersum]

In no more than 1440 characters including spaces (this is approx. 200 words), tell us how the skills and attributes you have developed to date will help you excel as a Clifford Chance lawyer. For this question, is it suitable to explain two experiences, each 100 words, that developed multiple skills/attributes? The wording of 'to date' has thrown me off slightly...Would appreciate your insights @Andrei Radu @Abbie Whitlock

 

[ZNadeem]

guys, I feel like 750 words for the NRF cover letter WITHOUT including a section dedicated to why law is way too much. without why law now I have around 600 words total(including first and last stenence) and I feel like anything more is pushing it/ they will not read. any advice??

Hi! If NRF haven’t set a word count for this cycle, then it’s fine to go slightly over a page—as long as it’s within about 1.3 pages. I’d suggest playing around a little with font size and margins to add space, but the key is to make sure every sentence earns its place and that you’re using the space effectively.

 

[dannyp123]

Hi everyone, I’m planning my answers for Addleshaw Goddard’s application before it opens and I’m a bit stuck on the first question: “What attracts you to a career in commercial law and why specifically at Addleshaw Goddard?”

I’m unsure whether to focus on the firm’s culture (e.g., high responsibility for trainees) or a specific practice area. At a Legal Cheek event a few weeks ago, Grad Rec suggested highlighting culture and values, but I’m skeptical since we haven’t worked there yet and generic statements might not stand out. Given that the other application questions already focus on AG’s work and commercial aspects, I’m leaning towards emphasising firm culture and values, but I’d love to hear others’ thoughts.

For context, the other three questions are:

1. Is technology and AI an opportunity or threat for Addleshaw Goddard and why? (2000 characters max)
2. Choose one of Addleshaw Goddard's practice areas or sectors and tell us about a major change in law or government policy that clients in that sector/practice area are facing and what opportunities that creates for us. (2000 characters max)
3. If you were in government, what one thing would you change to make it easier for UK businesses to succeed and why? (2000 characters max)

 

[e_turbo2]

Has anyone gotten their Gibson Dunn test report yet? Still haven't received mine and did the test 2 weeks ago.

I received mine about less than a week after the test I believe.

 

[abc124]

Is it still worth it to invest a lot of time in the Reed Smith application if they’re rolling and they opened on 3/09? I only today realised they’re weirdly aligned with my interests but if it‘s realistically too late to have a real shot I think I’d rather get it over with quickly lol

 

[Afuturetrainee]

Has anyone gotten their Gibson Dunn test report yet? Still haven't received mine and did the test 2 weeks ago.

I was about to ask this. They did say that there was an error on Cappafinity's end, and that we should get it soon. But still no update

 

[Afuturetrainee]

Is it still worth it to invest a lot of time in the Reed Smith application if they’re rolling and they opened on 3/09? I only today realised they’re weirdly aligned with my interests but if it‘s realistically too late to have a real shot I think I’d rather get it over with quickly lol

Definitely plenty of time. We are still in september

 

[aspringlawyer25]

I received mine about less than a week after the test I believe.

Wow, so strange, still haven't received mine and I completed the test on the 16th of september.

 

[nbjani]

Are there application questions for Clyde & Co? I am not able to see any on their application. Also, is this a rolling basis firm?

Hey! I spoke to grad recruitment at the last LegalCheek law fair, and they said it was non-rolling.

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

For Linklaters Winter VS - one of the application question states --> please list your main interests including academic achievemnts, community roles, clubs and socieities etc with a word limit of 250 words.

I was wondering, as to how much detail should I go into my academic commendation I received for a module at University. Should I talk what the module is about / How I achieved that mark, and to what extent should I do it to.

It says list your interests, but the word limit is 250 words, so not sure as to what they are expecting.

Would appreciate any advice

Hello!

I wouldn't worry about going into too much detail if you'd like to save the word count to discuss other elements. For your academic commendation, I would name the award, the module it was in, and why it matters (e.g. top grade in the cohort). I don't think you'll be expected to explain the full module or how you achieved it

I'd focus on using the 250 words to balance this academic commendation with community roles, societies, and other interests so that they get a well-rounded picture of you!

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

In no more than 1440 characters including spaces (this is approx. 200 words), tell us how the skills and attributes you have developed to date will help you excel as a Clifford Chance lawyer. For this question, is it suitable to explain two experiences, each 100 words, that developed multiple skills/attributes? The wording of 'to date' has thrown me off slightly...Would appreciate your insights @Andrei Radu @Abbie Whitlock

Hello!!

I wouldn't worry too much about the wording - "to date" simply means they want you to draw on experiences you've had so far, whether academic, professional, or extracurricular. Structuring it around two key experiences is definitely a solid approach, as long as each example links back clearly to the skills Clifford Chance is looking for (e.g. teamwork, resilience, commercial awareness, attention to detail).

Rather than splitting the word count rigidly into 100 / 100, you might find it easier to give one slightly more space if it showcases more skills. The important thing is to demonstrate how the experience developed your skills and attributes, and why it matters for excelling as a lawyer. I would focus on expanding on how these traits you developed will help you excel as a Clifford Chance lawyer, rather than trying to fit in multiple experiences.

I hope that assists!

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Hi everyone, I’m planning my answers for Addleshaw Goddard’s application before it opens and I’m a bit stuck on the first question: “What attracts you to a career in commercial law and why specifically at Addleshaw Goddard?”

I’m unsure whether to focus on the firm’s culture (e.g., high responsibility for trainees) or a specific practice area. At a Legal Cheek event a few weeks ago, Grad Rec suggested highlighting culture and values, but I’m skeptical since we haven’t worked there yet and generic statements might not stand out. Given that the other application questions already focus on AG’s work and commercial aspects, I’m leaning towards emphasising firm culture and values, but I’d love to hear others’ thoughts.

For context, the other three questions are:

1. Is technology and AI an opportunity or threat for Addleshaw Goddard and why? (2000 characters max)
2. Choose one of Addleshaw Goddard's practice areas or sectors and tell us about a major change in law or government policy that clients in that sector/practice area are facing and what opportunities that creates for us. (2000 characters max)
3. If you were in government, what one thing would you change to make it easier for UK businesses to succeed and why? (2000 characters max)

Hi there!

I think the key with this question is to focus on your motivation and fit with AG, while the other three questions already test your commercial awareness and knowledge of their work. A simple way to structure your answer could be:

1. Why commercial law generally - what excites you about the career (e.g. variety of work, problem-solving, client impact, client contact). Make sure to link this to your own experiences and how these helped you develop an interest in the career.
2. Why Addleshaw Goddard's culture / values - highlight specific aspects (e.g. early responsibility, focus on innovation, collaboration) and connect them to your own strengths and experiences. This avoids generic "I like the culture" statements that you were concerned about. I would also try and link this into your future career aspirations as well - e.g. why do you want early client contact in your career?
3. Link to practice areas - you can still bring these in naturally by showing how AG's culture would shape your experience in an area that interests you. For example, this could look like "AG's emphasis on early responsibility appeals to me, particularly in their competition practice area, where trainees are trusted to take ownership on complex matters".

That way, you're not duplicating content from the other questions, but it gives you space to discuss the practice areas you are interested in. I would always say it is important to discuss a firm's work in a motivational question, as that is the core of what you will be doing if they hired you!

I hope that assists with your question

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Is it still worth it to invest a lot of time in the Reed Smith application if they’re rolling and they opened on 3/09? I only today realised they’re weirdly aligned with my interests but if it‘s realistically too late to have a real shot I think I’d rather get it over with quickly lol

Hey!

Definitely still worth it! Reed Smith reviews all applications submitted before the deadline, so there is plenty of time to get a strong application in.

TCLA are also hosting an 'Ask Reed Smith Anything' thread on Monday, which would be a great chance to ask the graduate recruitment team any questions you may have before submitting your application!

 

[x_law2004]

Hi!

I'd recommend keeping this section as concise as possible - if bullet points work best for you, I'd say that's fine given the 100-word limit. You don't need to write long explanations, just enough detail for the achievement to be clear (e.g. "Awarded Faculty Scholarship for academic excellence (2023)" or "Elected President of University Law Society").

If something is more substantial and better fits under the work experience section, I'd save it for that section where you'll have space to expand on the responsibilities and skills that you developed. This section is really just to highlight your stand-out achievements at a glance

Thank you! I thought so : )