TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[Amgrad]

Happy Monday!

Just to add to the above (which are all topics I would look over!), I would also have a look at a few broader areas such as:

• Interest rates and inflation: how the Bank of England's recent decisions are affecting businesses, investments, and consumer spending.
• Energy transition & ESG: the shift towards renewables, how firms are adapting to net zero targets, and the regulatory / compliance side.
• Geopolitical risks: especially UK-China and UK-US trade dynamics, and how ongoing conflicts (Ukraine, Middle East) impact global markets.
• M&A and Private Equity trends: who's buying what, and how deal volumes are recovering post-interest rate hikes.
• Sector-specific news: I would have a look and focus on industries that the firm you are interviewing at specialises in, and read about up-to-date topics in those sectors!

Don't worry about knowing everything - it's more about being able to discuss a few topics in depth and link them back to the legal / commercial implications. I would make sure that you have a rough idea of the main commercial factors that are affecting the specific firm's clients, as this shows that you have tailored your commercial research to the firm.

Best of luck with your interview!

I'd add UK's recent HNWI reforms as well, where affluents global net worth are taking account into UK tax systems. Dovetailing to educational tax for elite schools and stricter investment/asset policy for anti laundering practice.

 

[Andrei Radu]

For app forms that include only a Work Experiece / Work History section, do I have to tailor the description of each work experience to the specific firm? Or they will assess the why firm question on the vi stage and we don't have to include these in the Work Experience section. Additionally, is there any general tips for writing the Work Experience section? Beyond skills, what else should I include, and how should I structure it under different word limits (250 words vs 50 words)? Any advice would truly be much appreciated!!

Hi @User2640 for the first question, I do not think you need to tailor each work experience to the specific firm. If the firm wanted a "why the firm" answer, they would have asked that in the application form. The fact that this question was not included at this stage reflects the firm's conscious decision to assess you on different criteria. As such, I would just focus on having well-written descriptions of your work, and only draw links to the specific law firm if there is a clear and very direct point of connection - i.e. say if you have completed some corporate M&A related work experience and are applying to Skadden, it could make sense to have a short concluding remark that the experience confirmed your interest in this practice area and thus motivated your application to the firm (which is know as a global market leader in the field).

As for general tips for writing the work experience section, for dealing with different word count limit, and what to include beyond skills, I would say the following:

• If you have a very restrictive word count limit, focus on what were exactly your tasks and how you went about completing them. Importantly, the focus should be on what you did as an individual, rather than on what the team you were part of did.
• If you have more space, describe your work experience using a full STAR structure, providing more context as to how you ended up in the respective role in the first place, background to your tasks and how they fitted in with the team's broader work, and details of any concrete results and feedback you received. Nonetheless, you should still ensure you write in a very concise, structured, and to-the-point manner, as recruiters will still assess your writing skills and penalise you if they find it verbose.
• Beyond skills, you can draw links to practicer area/sector interests and also to any connections to a broader interest in commercial law. That said, such links should be drawn sparingly (to avoid seeming like you are answering a different question than the one you were in fact asked) and only when the connection is clear and direct.

 

[mhjl]

Is Mishcon rejection from in-person Open Day but invite to virtual a polite PFO?

 

[johnsmith]

Is Mishcon rejection from in-person Open Day but invite to virtual a polite PFO?

I read it as such! But will gauge on the day based on the numbers that attend - I also wonder logistically whether there is just a cap on how much they was to refund travel costs. Those further from London are quite cost prohibitive for them.

 

[Bbhu19]

Hi if anyone has any insight into Hogan Lovells Job Sim please let me know kindly!

Hey could I ask if you received it today?

 

[applicant3000]

Does anyone have insight on what's included in the second Macfarlanes assessment? Would really appreciate any advice because the description is quite vague!!

 

[Andrei Radu]

Does it matter if you go above the recommended prep time in a VI interview? And number of takes? Is it likely to count against you?

To add to @Abbie Whitlock's great answer, from what I know unless the firm limits the number of takes or tells you about a recommended limit to the number of takes, it will not be a very important factor in their decision-making process.

 

[an03]

Any news from HSF?

 

[User2640]

Hi @User2640 for the first question, I do not think you need to tailor each work experience to the specific firm. If the firm wanted a "why the firm" answer, they would have asked that in the application form. The fact that this question was not included at this stage reflects the firm's conscious decision to assess you on different criteria. As such, I would just focus on having well-written descriptions of your work, and only draw links to the specific law firm if there is a clear and very direct point of connection - i.e. say if you have completed some corporate M&A related work experience and are applying to Skadden, it could make sense to have a short concluding remark that the experience confirmed your interest in this practice area and thus motivated your application to the firm (which is know as a global market leader in the field).

As for general tips for writing the work experience section, for dealing with different word count limit, and what to include beyond skills, I would say the following:

• If you have a very restrictive word count limit, focus on what were exactly your tasks and how you went about completing them. Importantly, the focus should be on what you did as an individual, rather than on what the team you were part of did.
• If you have more space, describe your work experience using a full STAR structure, providing more context as to how you ended up in the respective role in the first place, background to your tasks and how they fitted in with the team's broader work, and details of any concrete results and feedback you received. Nonetheless, you should still ensure you write in a very concise, structured, and to-the-point manner, as recruiters will still assess your writing skills and penalise you if they find it verbose.
• Beyond skills, you can draw links to practicer area/sector interests and also to any connections to a broader interest in commercial law. That said, such links should be drawn sparingly (to avoid seeming like you are answering a different question than the one you were in fact asked) and only when the connection is clear and direct.

Thank you so much for your detailed advice which is very helpful!

 

[tjeya26]

Unfortunately since the firm specifies "outside of your work", any paid positions will be automatically excluded from the scope of the question. As such, I would advise you not to include any vacation schemes or paid internships. Even unpaid internships would be in a somewhat of a grey area, as some recruiters may interpret any role in the context of a workplace as constituting work experience. To be on the safe side, I would likely only include extracurricular activities and hobbies here.

Thank you so much Andrei. To double check, do you think this also excludes part-time work in retail and a research internship that was separate to the requirements of my STEM degree?

 

[lawyerpn]

Hi there. Any guidance on PwC's online assessment and how to practice for it? I think it's a blend of cognitive (including numerical), behavioural and natural preferences? But I can't find any more guidance and don't know what the best place to practice would be. I also don't know if they do the Watson Glaser test.

 

[Joey green]

Did anyone hear back from Linklaters yet? I’ve heard that some people have already been invited to ACs.


Statement: Since some (but not all) have received invitations for the next round and I haven’t, I’m more likely not to make it if I don’t hear back today.

Conclusion follows
Conclusion does not follow.

 

[Andrei Radu]

Thank you so much Andrei. To double check, do you think this also excludes part-time work in retail and a research internship that was separate to the requirements of my STEM degree?

No worries - and yes, I think this would also be excluded from the scope of the question.

 

[flower1]

Hello,
This is a question from Latham & Watkins Vacation Scheme
Please give details of your extra-curricular activities, and any prizes, scholarships, positions of responsibility, or noteworthy achievements that will support your application – 300 words

Are we supposed to mention the skills and competencies we gained, and also relate it back to the firm? Or is it just purely answering this is an achievement, this is an extra-curricular (not making it a list)? I'm unsure because the question doesn't specifically mention linking it back.

Thank you

 

[Bbhu19]

Did anyone hear back from Linklaters yet? I’ve heard that some people have already been invited to ACs.


Statement: Since some (but not all) have received invitations for the next round and I haven’t, I’m more likely not to make it if I don’t hear back today.

Conclusion follows
Conclusion does not follow.

Sorry where did you hear that people were invited?

 

[Atam!]

Sorry where did you hear that people were invited?

was just about to ask this! i havent seen anyone get invited

 

[Freshcutgrass]

was just about to ask this! i havent seen anyone get invited

Haha yeah I keep getting told people have received AC invites from LL but no one has directly said they've had one.

 

[a1024]

@ZNadeem @Andrei Radu @Abbie Whitlock

In no more than 1440 characters including spaces (this is approx. 200 words), tell us about your extra-curricular activities and positions of responsibility or an achievement of importance which you are most proud of.

How would you recommend structuring this answer? Should we talk about our experiences and positions of responsibility or one achievement of importance?

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Hello,
This is a question from Latham & Watkins Vacation Scheme
Please give details of your extra-curricular activities, and any prizes, scholarships, positions of responsibility, or noteworthy achievements that will support your application – 300 words

Are we supposed to mention the skills and competencies we gained, and also relate it back to the firm? Or is it just purely answering this is an achievement, this is an extra-curricular (not making it a list)? I'm unsure because the question doesn't specifically mention linking it back.

Thank you

Hi!

That's a great question - you're right that the prompt doesn't explicitly ask you to link your experiences back to the firm, but it's still worth showing a bit of reflection rather than just listing activities. A good approach might be to describe what you did, why you learned, and why it was meaningful - without turning it into a mini cover letter. This way, you are describing why you are a good fit for Latham & Watkins whilst still answering the question. For example, an experience / achievement I might discuss could be:

"As runner-up in BIUCAC 2024, I worked closely with my team to analyse a complex corporate scenario and deliver a strategic proposal under time pressure. It was a great opportunity to strengthen my commercial thinking and teamwork skills"

This sort of approach shows insight and relevance without explicitly stating 'this is relevant to Latham & Watkins'. So, include your key achievements, but frame them in a way that highlights growth and transferable skills rather than just listing experiences

I hope that helps - good luck with your application!

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

@ZNadeem @Andrei Radu @Abbie Whitlock

In no more than 1440 characters including spaces (this is approx. 200 words), tell us about your extra-curricular activities and positions of responsibility or an achievement of importance which you are most proud of.

How would you recommend structuring this answer? Should we talk about our experiences and positions of responsibility or one achievement of importance?

Hi!

You've got two solid options, which can both be really strong depending on the experience and examples you give.

Extra-curricular / Positions of Responsibility

If you've had several meaningful roles (e.g. society leadership, volunteering, competitions) you could focus on an underlying theme such as teamwork, initiative, or impact. Use 1-2 sentences per activity to show your progress, the key skills gained, and your own personal contributions. This approach works best if you can show consistent engagement or leadership across various contexts - such as being a committee member in a society, or leading volunteering events.

One Key Achievement

If you have a standout accomplishment that really captures who you are (e.g. founding an organisation / society, leading a major project, or winning a significant award), you can dedicate the whole question to that. A potential structure could be to describe the challenge, your role, what you learned, and the outcome.

When I have previously answered this question, I discussed achieving a high grade in a module that I found particularly challenging, and described why this was a challenge and the steps I took to address it. As long as you can fully outline your narrative, most key achievements will work for this question!

In terms of structure (for either approach), I would follow something along the lines of:

1. Opening (1-2 lines): set the context or theme
2. Main body (4-6 lines): describe your main responsibilities, actions taken, and the impact you had
3. Closing (1-2 lines): reflect on what it taught you or how it shaped your long-term career goals

I would choose whichever route provides you with the strongest example from your previous experiences. Either way, I would try to keep it reflective and specific - impact matters more than quantity!