TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[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

 

[Andrei Radu]

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

I would advise you to wait until Monday. If you were to reach out now, I do not think this would have a significant impact vis-a-vis reducing the potential inconvenience caused to the manager, as (i) you are unable to give them a clear answer at this point, which will disable the manager from making fixed alternative arrangements, and (ii) normally such issues are not addressed during the weekend. If instead you inform them of the situation on Monday after receiving the open day invitation, you can explain that you have not brought up the issue sooner because you perceived your application as a long shot as this kind of opportunity is very competitive; and thus did not want to inconvenience them for no reason.

 

[londonlawyer]

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

Thank you so much!

 

[Andrei Radu]

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)

From what I know Covington is not generally seen as one of the very grade-focused firms (such as the likes of Slaughter and May and Cleary Gottlieb), so I think your application will be considered even if you do not have an overall "high" 2.1 grade. That said, on their website the firm does specify that they are looking for candidates who have a "strong academic record" - which I interpret as a preference for candidates who have achieved 2.1 grades consistently in their modules (although not necessarily in every single one).

 

[chiichii]

I would advise you to wait until Monday. If you were to reach out now, I do not think this would have a significant impact vis-a-vis reducing the potential inconvenience caused to the manager, as (i) you are unable to give them a clear answer at this point, which will disable the manager from making fixed alternative arrangements, and (ii) normally such issues are not addressed during the weekend. If instead you inform them of the situation on Monday after receiving the open day invitation, you can explain that you have not brought up the issue sooner because you perceived your application as a long shot as this kind of opportunity is very competitive; and thus did not want to inconvenience them for no reason.

Ahh that's fair, now i can see this with a clearer sense. Thanks for the help Andrei, your advice is gold! Really appreciate it 😊🙏

 

[M_m]

Hi, does anyone a sample cover letter for paralegal roles or know where I can find one? Even insight into what I should add and how to structure it would be extremely helpful!

 

[johnsmith]

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

Not sure I've seen anything on timelines - gutted though I didn't finish the 2nd part, so lost at least 2 points - I practised the calendar thing, but the constant shifting days made it tricky!

 

[Freshcutgrass]

Does anyone have any advice on how to answer Clifford Chance's new application questions:

A) In no more than 1440 characters (this is approx. 200 words), what are your motivations for applying to Clifford Chance?

B) In no more than 1440 characters (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.

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

@Abbie Whitlock

 

[Dannie]

Where can I find paralegalling opportunities?

 

[TheLegalEdit]

All Linklaters ACs are next week so if we havent heard then we havent got it

How do you know this? The vs is in December there is still a whole month for ACs

 

[c.t.tc]

Not sure I've seen anything on timelines - gutted though I didn't finish the 2nd part, so lost at least 2 points - I practised the calendar thing, but the constant shifting days made it tricky!

Is this for Osborne Clarke? If so when did you submit your app because I got an email when i submitted at the beginning of this week saying there was some kind of issue with their tests so there would be a delay in sending them out

 

[CharlesT47]

@Andrei Radu Hi, I was wondering whether you could give some advice for a Jones Day Interview. Right now, I am trying to think of an answer as to why JD as opposed to other law firms I have applied to. (e.g Weil, Cleary, Willkie, Kirkland) I have consistently picked US law firms who are strong either in PE or restructuring as those are my main interests. How do I explain my JD pick though-- they have expertise in PE/ Restructuring though not to the same extent as the other firms I've listed.

I am interested in JD mainly for their training and opportunity to shape my own TC. If they did not have this aspect, I wouldn't apply to them. The international nature is appealing to me, but none of the above firms I have applied to above make being a 'global' powerhouse a strong reason for applying and so I find it difficult to use this reason to justify JD.

If anyone is willing to offer some advice, that would be great. Cheers

 

[Pola123]

DLA rejection on a Sunday🫩 made it to the AC last year

 

[Bread]

@Andrei Radu Hi, I was wondering whether you could give some advice for a Jones Day Interview. Right now, I am trying to think of an answer as to why JD as opposed to other law firms I have applied to. (e.g Weil, Cleary, Willkie, Kirkland) I have consistently picked US law firms who are strong either in PE or restructuring as those are my main interests. How do I explain my JD pick though-- they have expertise in PE/ Restructuring though not to the same extent as the other firms I've listed.

I am interested in JD mainly for their training and opportunity to shape my own TC. If they did not have this aspect, I wouldn't apply to them. The international nature is appealing to me, but none of the above firms I have applied to above make being a 'global' powerhouse a strong reason for applying and so I find it difficult to use this reason to justify JD.

If anyone is willing to offer some advice, that would be great. Cheers

I don’t see how the fact that other firms don’t make being a global powerhouse a strong reason to apply should affect your motivations to applying to one that does.

If you want to talk about other firms (even though it is unlikely that you will specifically be requested to do so), then it’s arguably better to talk about the similarities (US, global work, strong corporate/financial practices, small trainee intake) than the differences. Ofc, an interviewer will care about why you applied to THEIR firm, not other ones.

Bottom line is, really don’t sweat about the similarities and differences, you definitely won’t be asked to name the specific firms that you have applied to so generic qualities will suffice