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TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26
- Thread starter Ram Sabaratnam
- Start date
Is Kirkland summer vac scheme rolling, also is there any point applying for DLA piper and white & case as I see they are progressing people now?
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At DLA's discovery day, they said the deadline is not rolling. But I went to Leeds so I'm not sure on London (given the earlier deadline)???
Burges Salmon Winter AC
Hi guys, my first post on this forum, but I have received an invite to their AC. I can say the countless hours of sacrifice researching the firm and online test practice during the summer were worth it. I have never done an assessment centre before, nor have I ever reached this stage in my life. Regardless of what happens, I'm just happy I made it to that stage.
Does anyone have any general tips and advice for a newbie?
I honestly don't want to go into the AC, and have the mindset that everyone is my competition. I want to enjoy this day. How can I truly just be my authentic self, without putting the assessors off?
This is my second cycle, and I feel really confident I can do well.
P.S. for those interested in the firm, I know they have the spring and summer vac schemes open, so make sure you apply!.
Please constantly practice the Watson-Glaser test and Situational Judgment Scenarios, use ChatGPT, to help with Watson Watson-Glaser / Situational Judgment Test. I sucked at these, now I look a them with indifference (being neurodivergent), without having to spend a fortune.
Hi guys, my first post on this forum, but I have received an invite to their AC. I can say the countless hours of sacrifice researching the firm and online test practice during the summer were worth it. I have never done an assessment centre before, nor have I ever reached this stage in my life. Regardless of what happens, I'm just happy I made it to that stage.
Does anyone have any general tips and advice for a newbie?
I honestly don't want to go into the AC, and have the mindset that everyone is my competition. I want to enjoy this day. How can I truly just be my authentic self, without putting the assessors off?
This is my second cycle, and I feel really confident I can do well.
P.S. for those interested in the firm, I know they have the spring and summer vac schemes open, so make sure you apply!.
Please constantly practice the Watson-Glaser test and Situational Judgment Scenarios, use ChatGPT, to help with Watson Watson-Glaser / Situational Judgment Test. I sucked at these, now I look a them with indifference (being neurodivergent), without having to spend a fortune.
Is the Eversheds Sutherland Vac Scheme not open to final year students? It reads: We welcome applications from penultimate year law under-graduates, final year non-law graduates as well as candidates who've already graduated or taken different career paths.
Is this them excluding final year law students but letting everyone else have at it?
Is this them excluding final year law students but letting everyone else have at it?
If the assessors are put off by your authentic self, chances are you won’t want to work there anyway. Just prepare for the exercises and be yourself! Good luck.
How strict is Sullivan & Cromwell with grades? I got a mid 2:1 in first year, but it's not a high 2:1. Chambers Students says they're looking for a high 2:1 but that info isn't on their website. Would I be ok in applying?
Met the CC GR team today and they expressed they're pretty stringent with grades. When someone brought in the concept of mitigating circumstances, the GR member said, they would consider the mitigating circumstances the University would have considered while grading and not often beyond that.
They also said the internal threshold for WGT is super high and undisclosed (but the member asked me to meet a 90 percentile to be on a safer side).
Now I'm contemplating my decision to apply here, given my struggle with WGT, despite having good grades.
They also said the internal threshold for WGT is super high and undisclosed (but the member asked me to meet a 90 percentile to be on a safer side).
Now I'm contemplating my decision to apply here, given my struggle with WGT, despite having good grades.
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Genuinely, its all practice, practice, practice its also about timing aswell. Many people spend too long on the test realistically you should spend around 25 mins not over half an hour. My advice would be to ask chatgpt to give you watson glazer practice and promt it to train you. You have so much online resources to be great at the watson glazer, i found that the more you do it your brain process information differently and you start making your own deductions assumptions and conclusions in your daily life.
It took me months to become truly confident, without spending so much money on prep courses. You got this, if you know your good for it, go for it!!!!
This is really reassuring, thank you for this!
I'm hoping to spend some time regularly on this and be prepared in a month when major application deadlines kick in!
Off topic, but congrats to the TCLA team! Noticed quite a few firms now including TCLA in this little section of the applications:
@Andrei Radu deserves a raise! 😂
@Andrei Radu deserves a raise! 😂
Hi!Thanks Abbie, that's really nice to hear
If you don't mind, could you share some tips or advice on how can I demonstrate my genuine interest to the firm when writing my application? The reason i wanted to attend their open day is because i find them the easiest way to show my interest to the firm. Now that I can't attend it, do you have any recommendations on how can I leverage this in my application answer? I also attended some of their virtual events like practice area masterclass and ask trainee event, not to say they're not useful, but i feel like attending an open day would be better and make it easy to link everything together, hence a stronger answer. Would really appreciate your two cents and maybe some ideas or guidance.
I completely understand where you’re coming from - open days are a great way to get a real insight into the firms culture and connect your experiences in a more personal way. However, you can definitely still display genuine interest in a firm without attending one - I hadn’t attended open days at the majority of firms I was successful with!
You’ve already got a strong foundation from the virtual events you’ve attended - things such as the practice area masterclass and the trainee Q&A can give you really good insights to reference in your application. I would focus on discussing what you took away from those sessions - for example, what stood out to you about the firms approach to client work, training, or collaboration. If you spoke to a trainee or associate who shared something that really resonated with you, you can link this to your own personal values and motivations.
The important aspect is making a personal link between unique aspects of the firm and how they align with your skills, experiences, and career ambitions. This includes drawing on past experiences and showing how they demonstrate that you’d thrive in the environment at the firm.
You can also strengthen your answer by showing how you’ve gone beyond events to learn more - for example, through researching recent deals or reading about the firm’s sector focus. This allows you to demonstrate curiosity and initiative without attending an open day!
It’s less about where you get your insights from and more about how thoughtfully you connect them to why you’re drawn to the firm based on your candidate profile.
I hope that helps, and best of luck with the application!
Hey!
It’s definitely still worth applying, even if they have started progressing people! Whilst it is advantageous to apply earlier in the application window for a rolling deadline, the majority of firms will receive the bulk of their applications right before the deadline and invites are usually sent out in batches.
Most firms will review anything that is submitted before the deadline - the most important thing is that you submit a strong and tailored application!
Hello!
Congratulations on getting to the Burges Salmon Winter AC - that’s such an amazing achievement and you should be super proud! It’s completely normal to feel a mix of excitement and nerves before your first assessment centre (and I know I definitely did!), but you already have the right mindset.
You’re absolutely right not to view everyone as competition. Burges Salmon is known for its friendly and collaborative culture, so approaching the day with positivity and genuine engagement will really help you stand out. Show interest in others’ ideas, build on what members of your team say, and try to enjoy the discussions - it’ll help you come across as authentic and team-oriented.
I definitely think it’s the perfect strategy to go in as your authentic self! Ultimately, the firm will not only be looking for someone with the skills for the role, but also someone they’d enjoy working with! There’s no point trying to be someone you’re not, as you’ll never know whether the firm is the right fit for you long-term. The AC that lead to my TC was the last one in my application cycle, and I went into it with the exact same mentality as you - this allowed me to see that I was a genuine good fit for the firm (and meant that I actually really enjoyed the AC!).
In terms of preparation:
- Know your motivations: Be clear on why Burges Salmon specifically. Revisit what drew you to them (whether that’s their independent structure, sector strengths, or collaborative culture) and think about how that aligns with your own experiences and values. Try to link this as often as you can to demonstrate genuine interest with the firm, and that your long-term goals align.
- Refresh commercial awareness: Read up on recent news about the firm (deals, new offices, awards, etc.) and keep up with wider business or sector developments. I’d focus on areas that are the firms strengths, and that you have a genuine interest in - these will be easier to talk about with enthusiasm at the AC. Being able to discuss how these connect to the firm’s work shows genuine interest, and demonstrates that you have put thought into why you’d be a good fit at the firm.
- Practise your structure: For interviews or case exercises, practise giving structured, concise answers (e.g. using the STAR approach). As someone who definitely used to ramble in interviews, I found that this helped me stay calm and allowed me to convey my points in a professional way.
- Simulate the environment: If possible, do a mock group exercise or timed written task. It doesn’t have to be perfect - just get comfortable thinking and communicating under time pressure. It really helps to get familiar with the type of tasks that might pop up, especially if it’s your first AC.
- Look after yourself: Most importantly, get a good night’s sleep before and eat something beforehand! Feeling alert and relaxed really helps you come across as your best self. Try to channel that nervous energy into adrenaline and motivation - it really is just an opportunity to show the firm why you’re a good fit and why you’re motivated to work there!
Remember that they invited you because they already see potential in you. The AC is your opportunity to show the same person who impressed them on the application form!
Best of luck - you’ve got this! 🌟
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