TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[Amgrad]

Sounds silly, PFO from Legal Cheek Webinar for STEM students. I had undergrad in Business STEM designated program (BS/BSc), but perhaps they thought my degree title is BBA/BCom/BA🤷🏻‍♀️

 

[GiveMeTC2026]

HL - yes!
W&C - no!

HL had no VI.

 

[johnsmith]

HL had no VI.

Sorry, missed that part, the VI is in the Job Sim, which is the next step.

 

[baj5]

has anyone heard from Milbank post-submission (confirmation of application receipt aside)

 

[mg42guy32]

Anyone heard back about the Hogan Lovells non-law open day? They said this week…

Have you heard back?

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Hi @Abbie Whitlock , I am applying to both an Open Day and VS for one firm but one of the questions for the Open Day and VS is exactly the same, how should I go about answering this, is it fine to copy and paste?

Hello!

I'd say it depends a lot on what the question is - usually it's fine if your core answer is the same for both applications, especially since the question is identical. However, I'd make sure that you are tweaking it slightly to reflect that they are different opportunities. An Open Day application should be focused on what you are hoping to learn, whereas the vacation scheme application is focused on why you like the firm and how you can contribute.

I hope that answers your question!

 

[TC seeker]

Anyone didn't receive DLA's WG after submitting their form? is it automatically this year?

 

[Andrei Radu]

@Andrei Radu Hi Andrei! I have been enjoying your responses and I wanted to ask you on some guidance in how to answer this question for DLA Piper's Discovery Day application. I found it particularly hard in how to answer why I am interested in one of their regional office specifically.

The question for your reference: In no more than 300 words, please tell us how you believe attending a Discovery Day at the Birmingham office will enhance your knowledge of both DLA Piper and the legal industry. We’re particularly interested in what attracts you to DLA Piper specifically and which aspects of the firm, and office, you are most excited to explore further during the event.

I think the right approach to this question is similar to the way you should structure a normal Open Day application - the only differentiating factor is that you will also have to address your interest in the Birmingham office specifically. As such, while you are researching the firm, I think you need to both identify:

• Unique Selling Points (USPs) of DLA Piper at a firm-wide level: as the global Swiss Verein giant and/or of DLA Piper UK as firm that is strong both in the City and in its regional offices;
• USPs DLA Piper's Birmingham's office, likely tied to the particular work the firm excels in there. On a quick search, I already found that Legal 500 ranks the office highly for its commercial and corporate litigation work.

Then, as you are writing your answer, I would advise you to implement the following structure:

Paragraph 1:

1. Identify one of the firm's/office's USPs and express your interest in learning about it.
2. Explain why you are interested in it, illustrating your point with an example of your experiences (which you should aim to describe using the STAR structure)
3. Discuss what you currently know about the firm's/office's USP (i.e. the benefits of a Swiss Verein model or of a large network or offices/the cases and clients the firm's office advised on) and explain that attending the open day would give you the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of it.

Paragraph 2:

• The same structure, but ensure that if you initially discussed a firm-wide USP, now you discuss an office-specific USP; or if you initially discussed an office-specific USP, that you now discuss a firm-wide USP.

 

[User2640]

Is WFW rolling or non rolling?

 

[Alturistic whale]

Hey @Abbie Whitlock ,@Andrei Radu could I perhaps PM you a question regarding writing mitigating circumstances in applications?

 

[Harvey Specter]

Hogan Lovells REAHL open day invite and Davis, Polk & Wardwell open day waitlist! 😃​

 

[s123]

Those who got B&B wg did you apply for spring or summer.

Summer I think

 

[c.t.tc]

Those who got B&B wg did you apply for spring or summer.

spring

 

[c.t.tc]

any mishcon undergrad open day invites?

 

[GiveMeTC2026]

spring

Summer I think

Thanks both. I am just debating whether to do spring or summer as they are rolling so already feel behind.

 

[c.t.tc]

Thanks both. I am just debating whether to do spring or summer as they are rolling so already feel behind.

I think you could do either as it's still quite early on! I don't think anyone has progressed beyond/gotten a PFO post-WG yet so they're probably still doing the first review of apps at the moment

 

[rosedunn]

is covington legal horizons just for students?

 

[GiveMeTC2026]

I think you could do either as it's still quite early on! I don't think anyone has progressed beyond/gotten a PFO post-WG yet so they're probably still doing the first review of apps at the moment

Thank you for this insights it is helpful.

 

[applicant3000]

Have you heard back?

I heard back a week ago

 

[applicant3000]

Could anyone confirm whether the Freshfields/Macfarlanes tests have a video interview segment? x