• Get Everything You Need to Secure a Training Contract
    Now half the price. Join TCLA Premium for £30/month and get step-by-step application support, daily commercial awareness practice, and 700+ successful examples of past applications and interview experiences. Plus so much more.
    Join Premium →
  • From AI to Energy Deals: Inside a Full-Service Law Firm with Osborne Clarke
    8 Dec 2025 · 6pm (UK) Zoom · Registration Required
    You want to write a strong Osborne Clarke application — but what really makes the firm different, and how do trainees experience the work day-to-day? In this session, you’ll hear directly from current trainees and Recruitment Advisor Patrick Fermin Ryan, so you can speak with clarity and specificity in your applications and interviews.
    Register →

TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

Jaysen

Founder, TCLA
Staff member
TCLA Moderator
Gold Member
Premium Member
M&A Bootcamp
  • Feb 17, 2018
    4,847
    9,016

    dannyp123

    Star Member
    Premium Member
    Oct 20, 2024
    40
    21
    Most of the grad teams don't like seeing them in any of the applications; hence, it is always better to avoid them.
    I'm sorry, but for example here an em dash would be quite useful:

    'Most of the grad teams don't like seeing them in any of the applications — hence, it is always better to avoid them.'

    Firms really reject applications based on AI when it is very obvious (i.e., extremely generic and overly flowery, convoluted language).
     
    • Like
    Reactions: FutureTrainee100

    Abbie Whitlock

    Administrator
    Staff member
    Gold Member
    Premium Member
    Sep 11, 2025
    583
    506
    Is it fine not to use the full time given in video interviews or is it a bad look lmao
    Hello!

    As others have mentioned, it's completely fine to finish a video interview answer before the allotted time, as long as your response is clear and well-structured. If you've fully addressed the question and concluded confidently, wrapping up a little early is absolutely fine.

    If you do notice that you are consistently finishing quite a bit early, it might be worth checking whether you can add a bit more depth or expand on your examples. Make sure that you've covered all the aspects of the question and explained your reasoning clearly.

    If you've done that, leaving some time at the end isn't an issue - quality always matters more than duration! :)
     

    abc124

    Esteemed Member
    Aug 9, 2025
    89
    45
    I'm slightly confused, in the Mayer Brown practice test it says we've got unlimited prep time for the VI questions but the invitation email says the vi questions 'are the only part of the assessment where there is a set preparation time'. Is the email some outdated template? Amberjack usually doesn't have limits on prep time
     
    • Like
    Reactions: apap and RSK

    lawstudent2

    Legendary Member
    Gold Member
    Premium Member
    Dec 9, 2024
    139
    123
    I'm slightly confused, in the Mayer Brown practice test it says we've got unlimited prep time for the VI questions but the invitation email says the vi questions 'are the only part of the assessment where there is a set preparation time'. Is the email some outdated template? Amberjack usually doesn't have limits on prep time
    There are four VI questions, two have unlimited prep time, two have limited prep time
     

    sjm251102

    Active Member
    Oct 12, 2023
    11
    8
    Scary! Do they give you the materials beforehand to read atleast? Or are you expected to read materials & come up with an answer all in 1 minute?
    Yesss you get the reading materials first, however once you have read them over, you start the question and there’s another paragraph with 3 questions to read through in 1 min😭😭 it’s just the short timing that makes it hard!! :)
     

    About Us

    The Corporate Law Academy (TCLA) was founded in 2018 because we wanted to improve the legal journey. We wanted more transparency and better training. We wanted to form a community of aspiring lawyers who care about becoming the best version of themselves.

    Get Our 2026 Vacation Scheme Guide

    Nail your vacation scheme applications this year with our latest guide, with sample answers to law firm questions.