TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[Amgrad]

I think someone highlight the reason why most firms right now focus on grades and require additional tests as a result of the low passing rate of SQEs are obvious

Also, what I've seen some firms have shifted the recruitment openings due to market changes as well, for example

Getting stronger in APAC (highest/higher revenue or deals):

• Freshfields, massive expansion in Asia, probably remove the London WVS because wanted to hire more asians in their TC or VS program
• Bird & Bird, new office in China
• Goodwin, new office in Japan
• DAC Beachcroft, new office in China

Getting weaker in APAC (shut down their office/stopped partnership), but stronger in EMEA (particularly GCC):

• BCLP, closed office in China & Singapore, shows real estate growth in UAE
• McDermott, closed office in Singapore & China, shifted business focus in Europe
• White & Case, ended partnership in Indonesia, open plenty of VS & TC in Saudi Arabia

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Hi, I’m applying to a vacation scheme and they have asked on the form whether you have applied for any position at the firm before. I applied to an open day, does this count as a position? It isn’t part of the drop down list but there is a toggle for ‘other’ so I just wanted to check, thank you !

Hello!

I think it's fine either way! If there isn't an option on the drop down list, I don't think they would be expecting you to include it. However, you might choose to include it under 'other' if you want to show that you have previously tried to engage with the firm - it's totally up to you

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Hi everyone,

I have been invited to an Assessment Day for A&O Shearman's winter vacation scheme, does anyone have any tips for the finance-based case study interview, or any case study interview tips in general? This is my first application cycle and first AC, so I have no idea what to expect! I know i will be expected to know basic finance terminology and numeracy, but any further insight would be really appreciated.

Thanks for your help

Hello!

Huge congratulations on getting an invite - that's a great achievement, especially in your first cycle!

Case studies are usually designed to test your commercial awareness, logical reasoning, and ability to interpret financial information. Whilst I haven't completed the case study interview at A&O Shearman, here are a few general tips:

• Get comfortable with basic financial concepts: as you mentioned, I would have a look at thinks such as revenue vs. profit, market share, valuation, interest rates, and how macroeconomic factors can impact businesses. I would recommend sites such as Investopedia, as this is what I used when trying to digest all of the basic financial concepts for commercial awareness.
• Practice breaking down information / data logically: you might be given a short brief and asked to make recommendations or discuss implications. Focus on structuring your thoughts clearly - identify the key issue, explain the relevant factors, and conclude with a reasoned judgment. There won't necessarily be one 'right' answer, however, you should make sure to show your thought process and be able to defend your stance if questioned (although make sure you are also flexible if it is an aspect that you hadn't thought of!).
• Stay calm under time pressure: it can feel very overwhelming to be handed a bundle of documents and know that you have to go through it all under the time limit. I would start by reading through all of the documents, and then go back over and start highlighting the important parts and areas that you would want more information. They're more interested in how you think and communicate than whether your answer is 'right'.
• Brush up on A&O Shearman's key practice areas: if this is a finance-based case study, make sure to have a look at their finance, M&A, and restructuring teams. Have a look at recent deals, and see if you can link these to your reasoning in the case study.
• Practice: if you have time before your AC, I would try a few practice case studies online just to get used to analysing data quickly.
• Structure: I would go into the case study interview with a clear structure of how you have analysed the brief and what your conclusions are. How you want to structure this is completely personal to you, but I would make sure that you have a rough idea so that you can go into the interview and discuss all the most important points without missing something out. Some case study interviews have set questions, whilst others will be a conversation on the brief, but going in with a rough idea is a great way to prepare yourself and manage nerves.

There are also some amazing resources on TCLA that I used when I was preparing for the AC that resulted in my TC, so I would absolutely check these out as they were a lifesaver:

• Definitive Guide to Law Firm Case Studies
• Private Equity: A Basic Guide

Overall, I would treat it as a conversation where they're assessing how you approach problems. If you show curiosity, commercial reasoning, and an open-mind - you'll do great!

Wishing you the best of luck, and I'm sure you'll smash it

 

[User2640]

Hello!

I think it's fine either way! If there isn't an option on the drop down list, I don't think they would be expecting you to include it. However, you might choose to include it under 'other' if you want to show that you have previously tried to engage with the firm - it's totally up to you

If I was rejected from the firm's open day last year, is it still worth mentioning that I've applied to the firm before? While it shows my interest in the firm, could the unsuccessful application be a disadvantage, as it might suggest I couldn't even secure an invitation to the open day? If I don't include it, will it seem dishonest (although there isn't an option on the list other than "other"), as I feel like the firm should have access to the applicants' application histories. Many thanks!

 

[oliviabeijing]

I have also applied for a&o winter vac, and while my dashboard says my application is still 'under review', I can see on here many people have heard back with successful outcomes. Does this mean its probably not looking good for me? haha

 

[dannyp123]

Could someone please confirm if Addleshaw's only London VS question this year is "Please explain what motivates you to pursue a career in commercial law and why you are particularly interested in joining Addleshaw Goddard. Please include any specific aspects of our firm that resonate with your career aspirations."

They had four questions last year, according to the TCLA directory, but I can only see this one on the form. Wondering if I might have missed something. I'd appreciate any clarification, thanks!

Sorry guys adding to this can anyone confirm if there is a work experience section because I can't seem to find one.

 

[applicant3000]

Does anyone know whether A&O Shearman sends its AC invites out in one batch or at multiple points? x

 

[berocca567]

Does anyone have any advice for the question:
Discuss a deal that White & Case has advised on in the last two years. What do you think were the strategic considerations and complexities involved, and how did the firm navigate them?

300 words

 

[oliviabeijing]

Does anyone know whether A&O Shearman sends its AC invites out in one batch or at multiple points? x

I am also still waiting to hear back... Hoping its in multiple points?

 

[jaisrihere]

Similar boat for their Trainee open day in person, my guess is at this point it's a no as it feels too short notice.

@johnsmith @sapphireoreos I did, and I got into their virtual open day, even though I had applied for the IRL one. They said they could not accommodate me for the IRL one but wanted to offer a plan virtually, which I agreed to. It was sent a week after the application.

 

[ashwright]

Hey @Jaysen, would it be alright if I could drop you a PM to ask about mitigating circumstances?

 

[elliece]

Hello!

Huge congratulations on getting an invite - that's a great achievement, especially in your first cycle!

Case studies are usually designed to test your commercial awareness, logical reasoning, and ability to interpret financial information. Whilst I haven't completed the case study interview at A&O Shearman, here are a few general tips:

• Get comfortable with basic financial concepts: as you mentioned, I would have a look at thinks such as revenue vs. profit, market share, valuation, interest rates, and how macroeconomic factors can impact businesses. I would recommend sites such as Investopedia, as this is what I used when trying to digest all of the basic financial concepts for commercial awareness.
• Practice breaking down information / data logically: you might be given a short brief and asked to make recommendations or discuss implications. Focus on structuring your thoughts clearly - identify the key issue, explain the relevant factors, and conclude with a reasoned judgment. There won't necessarily be one 'right' answer, however, you should make sure to show your thought process and be able to defend your stance if questioned (although make sure you are also flexible if it is an aspect that you hadn't thought of!).
• Stay calm under time pressure: it can feel very overwhelming to be handed a bundle of documents and know that you have to go through it all under the time limit. I would start by reading through all of the documents, and then go back over and start highlighting the important parts and areas that you would want more information. They're more interested in how you think and communicate than whether your answer is 'right'.
• Brush up on A&O Shearman's key practice areas: if this is a finance-based case study, make sure to have a look at their finance, M&A, and restructuring teams. Have a look at recent deals, and see if you can link these to your reasoning in the case study.
• Practice: if you have time before your AC, I would try a few practice case studies online just to get used to analysing data quickly.
• Structure: I would go into the case study interview with a clear structure of how you have analysed the brief and what your conclusions are. How you want to structure this is completely personal to you, but I would make sure that you have a rough idea so that you can go into the interview and discuss all the most important points without missing something out. Some case study interviews have set questions, whilst others will be a conversation on the brief, but going in with a rough idea is a great way to prepare yourself and manage nerves.

There are also some amazing resources on TCLA that I used when I was preparing for the AC that resulted in my TC, so I would absolutely check these out as they were a lifesaver:

• Definitive Guide to Law Firm Case Studies
• Private Equity: A Basic Guide

Overall, I would treat it as a conversation where they're assessing how you approach problems. If you show curiosity, commercial reasoning, and an open-mind - you'll do great!

Wishing you the best of luck, and I'm sure you'll smash it

Thank you so much! I hope so, I really appreciate all your tips and guidance

 

[johnsmith]

Does anyone have any advice for the question:
Discuss a deal that White & Case has advised on in the last two years. What do you think were the strategic considerations and complexities involved, and how did the firm navigate them?

300 words

Loved this question!

 

[flower1]

Hello, does anyone have recommendations for the best Watson Glaser preparation tool? I know some you need to pay for, so which is the best in representing the real thing (Clifford Chance)?

Thank you

 

[Andrei Radu]

I see! Thanks for your explanation, that's really helpful! I never really look from this angle before. Could you also share some other similar examples that would help me to assess a firm's business prospects and it's quality of practice? Anything I can look up to besides than RPL and department headcount?

There are a variety of different financial metrics you can look at:

• Profit Per Equity Partner (PEP): the headline indicator of financial success, but which is better seen as a very "rough" measurement due to its susceptibility to being "gamed" as mentioned before (by restricting equity partnership ranks or even de-equitsing - i.e. moving the low-performer equity partners to non-equity tier). A firm's PEP figures however extremely important in the market for attracting star lateral partners with big books of business - as partners seek to move to firms that will maximise their expected earnings.
• Profit Per Partner (PPP): a lesser used metric, which is however arguably more useful than PEP in that it cannot be "gamed" by using the non-equity partnership tier. However, it is not a perfect indicator of success either, as it can also be artificially boosted if a firm has more fewer partners per associates than its rivals.
• Profit Per Lawyer (PPL): this is a similar metric to the aforementioned revenue per lawyer (RPL), but instead of assessing the firm's capacity to generate high fees, it instead indicates the efficiency of its practice (as it also accounts for costs incurred per lawyer).
• Profit Margin: this measure represents the portion of a firm's revenue that it retains as a profit after subtracting all of its costs (essentially, how much of the turnover goes to the profit pool pile of capital). This metric is highly correlated with the aforementioned PPL, but instead of assessing profitability with a view to the efficiency of utilisation of its practitioners, it assess it at a firm-wide level.

Besides looking at these figures for the 2024/2025 Financial Year, you can also take a look at their figures in past years to ascertain a firm's growth and make inferences as to its potential future trajectory.

Besides financial figures, a couple of other lesser known indicators of good business prospects and high quality of practice would be the following:

• Presence of Chambers ranked practitioners: it is incredibly hard for an individual partner to earn a Chambers ranking, so this is an indicator that they are an extremely accomplished lawyer in their area. As such, if a firm has a higher number of Chambers ranked partners in a practice area, this suggests it may have a stronger practice than its rivals;
• Average deal/case values: as mentioned before, the average value of the matters a firm works on is a good indicator of the prestige of its practice - the higher the stakes for clients, the more they are willing to pay huge legal fees to have the best legal practitioners working on it.
• Total deal value rankings: a somewhat more popular metric, a high annual ranking for total deal value advised on suggest a firm is doing well both in terms of quantity and of quality of mandates it works on.

 

[johnsmith]

I did the amberjack test earlier for Pinsents and it was my first VI - it says you have unlimited prep time but does that mean you can open tabs to research your answer? Or look at information on say a tablet? I was acutely aware of my camera being on and felt it wasn’t ok or might be viewed as cheating but it wasn’t made clear! Equally, I can see they might want to be testing your ability to think under pressure.

 

[Andrei Radu]

Hello, does anyone have recommendations for the best Watson Glaser preparation tool? I know some you need to pay for, so which is the best in representing the real thing (Clifford Chance)?

Thank you

Hi @flower1 I do not think there is a "best" WG preparation resource - rather, I would say there are a variety of tests and courses that each have their strengths and weaknesses in terms of the sections they prepare you for. You should also bear in mind that different firms have slightly different types of WG tests, where the balance of hard/easy questions may differ and the weighing of your answer in determine your score and progression may differ. As such, my advice would be to use a variety of different sources (particularly the free ones) to have as holistic of a preparation as possible.

Nonetheless, with the risk of sounding biased, the best resource for my own WG preparation has been TCLA's course on it. After I carefully went through it and made detailed notes and then created a document with best tips to remember when taking the test, I saw a marked improvement in my results. Besides that, probably the most representative test I have taken of a real WG test has actually been this mock one offered for free by Clifford Chance.

I have also copied bellow a list of some other free WG resources you may want to look at:

• The Lawyer Portal Free Practice Test
• Pearson Free Practice Test
• Practice Aptitude Tests Free Practice Test
• Assessment Day Free Practice Test

 

[applicant457]

Any tips for the hogan lovells hirevue?

 

[zara elles]

Just completed the HSF test - feedback has 2 good fits, 2 moderate fits and 2 rooms for improvement/development. Not sure how to take this, assuming its a PFO atp

 

[jojo23]

Since white & case has a section for careers events, I'm assuming these can be excluded from the work experience section right?