TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[TCSeeker999]

How quickly do links usually tell candidates the final decision after an AC?

 

[Amgrad]

Would anyone be able to share the vac scheme conversion rate at Goodwin? Unfortunately I was unable to attend the application webinar

I did! And I've asked this to y'all... https://www.thecorporatelawacademy....ns-discussion-thread-2025-26.9717/post-219622

 

[msclm]

Hey guys, has anyone heard back from Sidley regarding spring / summer?

hi - I think sidley finalises their winter before moving moving to spring/summer

 

[Amgrad]

Confirmed! These firms would not sponsor visa for vac scheme at all cost (no direct TC route):

• Vinson & Elkins
• Akin
• Jones Day
• Ropes and Gray
• Latham & Watkins
• Katten
• Squire Patton Boggs
• Pinsent Masons
• Bird & Bird
• NRF
• CMS
• DLA Piper

For international applicants outside of the UK, don't waste your time to apply as they don't offer Visa if you don't have right to work in the UK

These firms recruit solely from VS as well, but have very slight chance to get sponsored and/or have DTC, but got cancelled in the last few years:

• HSF Kramer*
• Osborne Clarke*
• Kirkland & Ellis
• Sullivan & Cromwell
• Orrick

Potentially sponsor visa for VS as they don't recruit DTC if your profile stand out and from EM:

• Cooley
• Skadden
• RPC
• Milbank
• Weil
• Cleary
• Dechert
• Davis Polk

Clearly stated on the FAQs or events that they will sponsor VS for anybody without exception of nationality

• Taylor Wessing
• Macfarlanes
• Stephenson Harwood**
• Freshfields***
• White & Case**
• Paul, Weiss
• Sidley Austin
• Reed Smith
• Willkie

Notes:
* Sponsor Indian candidates for the scheme in India
** Sponsor Arabic speakers for their Dubai/Middle East Vacation Scheme
*** Sponsor Mandarin, Korean, and Indonesian Speakers for their Hong Kong Scheme

 

[FutureTraineeMaybe]

Burges Salmon WVS Q, "Can you share a specific instance during your research, a conversation, or an event that convinced you that Burges Salmon was the right firm for you’ - for this question, I was planning on mentioning a virtual event I attended last year but I have also attended an AC with them, so now I'm quite unsure of which example to use. Any help would be much appreciated!

 

[InterestInPublicLaw]

Hi, does anyone know the Winter Vac scheme assessment centre dates for Hogan Lovells?

 

[Chelsea101]

For people that applied to Taylor Wessing - how long was your cover letter?

 

[abc124]

Hi, does anyone know the Winter Vac scheme assessment centre dates for Hogan Lovells?

Have they started sending invites?

 

[iklawapps]

For people who took the HL Job Sim, how do you feel about it :’ ) I’m pinching myself because I don’t think it was as bad as it could’ve been but I know I made the stupidest mistakes and missed out on so many stupid little details and probably seemed so stupid and nervous. idk VIs aren’t my thing and I keep getting rejected at this point, but I’m wondering how other people are feeling and if anything felt this horrible but ended up passing to AC. Anyway, sorry for the ramble but good luck to everyone!!! < 3

 

[Andrei Radu]

Burges Salmon WVS Q, "Can you share a specific instance during your research, a conversation, or an event that convinced you that Burges Salmon was the right firm for you’ - for this question, I was planning on mentioning a virtual event I attended last year but I have also attended an AC with them, so now I'm quite unsure of which example to use. Any help would be much appreciated!

I do not think the fact that you attended an AC should significantly influence your decision to discuss the virtual event or not; in my opinion, this should simply come down to which of the two events was actually more impactful in terms of you realising the "fit" between you and the firm. If you learned more about the firm at the virtual event, you should not feel like you have to discuss the AC instead just because it is the more impressive achievement. As most people see it, ACs are not generally designed to make you learn the firm, but about assessing candidates who already know the firm is the right fit for them.

 

[Andrei Radu]

Hi guys, I am currently facing a scheduling dilemma and I figured it might be helpful for me to hear some advice and opinion in this forum.

So, I've got my first training shift at my current job on next Wednesday, 22nd. but there's a chance I might get invited to an insight day on the same day. I haven't heard back from the law firm yet, the application deadline was the 15th and today's the 18th, so I'm not sure if invites are still coming. The law firm said application is non rolling and they reviewed after deadline.

Now I don't want to seem unreliable with my new manager, and risk my reputation and first impression, but the insight day could be a great opportunity if it comes through. And now I'm not sure how long I should wait to confirm my availability to my current boss? Should I wait until next monday or Tuesday to confirm? Because if the insight day is happening on Wednesday, I doubt I will get invite on tuesday, which is a day before.

Would love to hear how others handled something like this. Ahhh
would really appreciate your help as well! )) @Abbie Whitlock

Hi @chiichii I agree that Monday is the latest you should wait to confirm - it would be highly unusual for a firm to send invites only one day before an event, as they know many applicants have to juggle busy schedules and to travel significant distances to attend. In case you are accepted, I would to be very candid and transparent but also apologetic when communicating with your new manager. I think you should address the situation upfront, specifying that you really want to avoid causing any inconvenience or starting off on the wrong foot and not appearing committed enough to your new job; but that a quite unique and important opportunity has appeared in your pursuit of your long-term dream of a career in commercial law. As such, you should try to explain that it would mean a lot to you if they would make an exception and allow you to start one day later so that you can attend the event; perhaps offering to also take an extra shift when they will need you to compensate for the present inconvenience. If you approach the manager in this manner, I think there is a high chance they will be very understanding and that they will try to accommodate your request.

 

[johnsmith]

Hi, does anyone know the Winter Vac scheme assessment centre dates for Hogan Lovells?

I was wondering today if anyone knows anyone who's heard on next steps with Hogan Lovells

For people that applied to Taylor Wessing - how long was your cover letter?

I think I kept to one page

 

[johnsmith]

For people who took the HL Job Sim, how do you feel about it :’ ) I’m pinching myself because I don’t think it was as bad as it could’ve been but I know I made the stupidest mistakes and missed out on so many stupid little details and probably seemed so stupid and nervous. idk VIs aren’t my thing and I keep getting rejected at this point, but I’m wondering how other people are feeling and if anything felt this horrible but ended up passing to AC. Anyway, sorry for the ramble but good luck to everyone!!! < 3

I really enjoyed the tasks. Unsure how I'm performing with VIs yet, as not heard positively or negatively from any I've completed VIs for.

 

[londonlawyer]

I'm trying to draft a cover letter for a paralegal position, but I'm finding it quite difficult to explain my interest in corporate law without referencing the business advisory role lawyers take on. Could anyone please provide any insights into how a paralegal cover letter should look and how I can explain my interest in corporate law in the context of a paralegal? @Abbie Whitlock @Andrei Radu Thank you!

 

[Andrei Radu]

Hello, is Why would you chosen to train at Latham & Watkins over another firm? - the same as why Latham & Watkins, so motivational? If not, how do you go about answering it?

Also, do you think it's acceptable to talk about only one point, but go into lots of detail. I have a point in mind and there's many angles to it. There's a 300 word limit. Or, is it better to mention 2 well-developed points instead to show greater understanding?

@Abbie Whitlock

Thank you

Just to add to @Abbie Whitlock's great response here, I think what can make answers here really shine is including some comparisons with the firm's competitors. This will demonstrate to the graduate recruitment team that you have researched the legal market in depth and are able to identify Latham's rivals, and that you are also capable of drawing fine comparisons and you know what makes Latham unique even when compared to the firms that are most similar to it.

For instance, if you were discussing Latham's strength in private equity as a reason for joining the firm, you could explain how Latham's PE practice is appealing to you because (1) it is larger, more established, and more dominant than the practices of PE-focused US firms with smaller London offices (such as Sidley, Ropes & Gray, and Willkie); (2) offering a broader and more full service offering, as compared to the other giants in the PE world (such as Kirkland and Simpson Thacher); and (3) is exceptionally strong on both sides of the Atlantic, as opposed to the PE practices of its Magic Circle rivals.

 

[calebnash]

Does anyone know if OC give you scores/feedback for their test or if you have to wait until the deadline?

 

[Andrei Radu]

I'm trying to draft a cover letter for a paralegal position, but I'm finding it quite difficult to explain my interest in corporate law without referencing the business advisory role lawyers take on. Could anyone please provide any insights into how a paralegal cover letter should look and how I can explain my interest in corporate law in the context of a paralegal? @Abbie Whitlock @Andrei Radu Thank you!

Whether you can still include a headline interest in "business advisory" as the underlying reason why you want to be a paralegal at a commercial law firm depends on how you elaborate on what you mean by that. On the one hand, if you specify that you are interested in directly advising business on strategic decision-making and influencing their operations, I do not think this will work. Even when applying for a position of a trainee/junior associate this kind of justification would probably appear inadequate, as such direct and high-level client advice is normally only given by senior associates and partners.

On the other hand, if you specify that what you mean by that is that you want to constantly learn about business in a variety of industries and what about what drives their decision-making, and that it means you want to be involved in helping business navigate complex matters with huge strategic implications, I think the justification would be appropriate even for a paralegal role. Just like trainees, paralegals also need to understand the context behind the matters they work on, and I constantly hear lawyers explain how invaluable their support can be on time-sensitive and complicated matters.

The slight shift in the language and focus of these two formulation of what business advisory means may not appear very significant; however, I think for this kind of question it is crucial to showcase a nuanced understanding of the different types of work and responsibilities that exist for the different roles in a commercial law firm. This takes me to my final point: to really demonstrate your interest in a paralegal role specifically, I would advise you to also mention and explain your interest in the typical tasks a paralegal (as opposed to a trainee/junior associate) gets to work on

 

[Andrei Radu]

if I haven't heard back from a firm for winter and it was rolling am I able to withdraw my app and apply for spring

Unfortunately, I do not think this is possible. Firstly, the firm may have already made a decision on your winter application even if they have not communicated that to you yet. Secondly, from what I know firms generally have a rule that disallows submitting more than one VS/TC application per cycle, and withdrawing an initial application does not mean that it will count as not having been submitted - have not heard of firms generally making such an exception. Nonetheless, I do not think there would be any harm in sending an email to the firm's graduate recruitment team to ask about this.

 

[abc124]

Is anyone familiar with how strict Covington is on grades? I can't find much info online and I'm not sure if it's worth it to obsess over the form questions if they won't even read my application (I did get a 2:1 but don't have amazing grades)

 

[chiichii]

Hi @chiichii I agree that Monday is the latest you should wait to confirm - it would be highly unusual for a firm to send invites only one day before an event, as they know many applicants have to juggle busy schedules and to travel significant distances to attend. In case you are accepted, I would to be very candid and transparent but also apologetic when communicating with your new manager. I think you should address the situation upfront, specifying that you really want to avoid causing any inconvenience or starting off on the wrong foot and not appearing committed enough to your new job; but that a quite unique and important opportunity has appeared in your pursuit of your long-term dream of a career in commercial law. As such, you should try to explain that it would mean a lot to you if they would make an exception and allow you to start one day later so that you can attend the event; perhaps offering to also take an extra shift when they will need you to compensate for the present inconvenience. If you approach the manager in this manner, I think there is a high chance they will be very understanding and that they will try to accommodate your request.

Thanks for your reply, Andrei, your advice is really helpful! Would you suggest me giving my manager a heads-up now, or wait/stay silent until Monday and only let him know if I get selected for the insight day? I'm asking this because I've already told him I'll be free on Wednesday, and I'm worried that sending another message to say I might not be available could make me seem indecisive. At the same time, the "what if I get selected" is hard to ignore, but honestly, I have a feeling I might not get selected, so if I stay quiet and end up getting rejected, no explanation would be needed in the first place and I wouldn't look bad. I'm a little bit torn ahhh