TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[panda1989]

Wrap up from Legal Cheek Law Fair today 🎉:

• Clifford Chance: They didn't attend the booth though it's advertised
• Gibson Dunn: All invites for Open Day have been sent, even though it's virtual, it's competitive and if you don't get the invite, that means PFO, but don't discourage to apply VS.
• A&O Shearman: DTC result will be announced in next/second week of December and AC will be held a week before Christmas. There is an option for Virtual AC for international candidates outside of the UK, but not for those in holiday.
• Kirkland & Ellis: Recruitment is almost the same as previous year, they don't set the fixed date scheme yet and encourage international students to apply VS and will be happy to offer DTC if its VC cancelled again or unable to attend VS due to work/college commitment.
• Morgan Lewis: Same as Kirkland, the dates have not been set yet, but allow candidates to reapply to DTC if unsuccessful in the VS app stage in the same cycle.
• Slaughter & May: Grade thresholds are fixed, they will prioritise to screen first those who submitted app with breakdown of module and attach final transcript or unofficial one.
• Charles Russell Speechlys: Open Day invites have not been shared yet for both In-person and virtual! Good news for us as they will send it as early as this Friday depending on your chosen date.
• Travers Smith: They will finalise the 2027 DTC and VS app first, then start reviewing 2028 DTC next year after the deadline. They'll happily sponsor visa for VS, and allow to reapply to 2028 DTC if failed in the app stage for VS this cycle, but if failed in 2027 DTC, you can't reapply for 2028 in the same cycle.
• Fried Frank: App is not open yet and it's Non-rolling, you have plenty of time to apply.
• Eversheds Sutherland: DTC conversion rate is around 33%, last year 25 came from VS, among them 10 in London. There's VI after app no SJT/WG
• MoFo, Dentons, Ashurst, Greenberg, AG, Baker McKenzie: Run out of time, it was supposed to be 4 hours fair, but due to rescheduling seems to be 2 hours only (Happy to share here if you were attending their booths, please!)

hey just a bit confused - i sent off my slaughters with just my grade breakdowns on the education section of the app, was i meant to attach a transcript??

 

[Andrei Radu]

i just got my freshfields stage 1 results back, top strength: we thrive as a team; thriving under pressure and delivering extraordinary outcomes. less developed skills: challenging ourselves and embraching transformation. Really concerned I'm not going to progress to stage 2, am i cooked?

Hi @SemperParatus I would not be too worried about this. The very nature of many of these tests necessitates there will be one area that is classified as a 'weakness' - that does not tell you about how close you are to the firm's overall desired personality profile. If anything, I would be tempted to speculate that if there was one area of the ones you mentioned where scoring lower would likely be less relevant, it would be "embracing transformation". While a focus on innovation and change is something many firms now focus on in their marketing strategy, from my conversations with lawyer about the day to day life of a trainee (and even a junior associate) it does not play a huge role.

 

[tamarateper123]

is there any point even applying to Skadden if you go to a RG uni but not an Oxford?Cambridge/ top London Uni lol

 

[Harvey Specter]

is there any point even applying to Skadden if you go to a RG uni but not an Oxford?Cambridge/ top London Uni lol

I got into their open day and went to a RG uni not in London or Oxbridge. I asked them about it and they encouraged me to apply for the VS. Wonder if they were just being nice though. 🥲​

 

[Andrei Radu]

hi all, when mentioning a transactions in an application how far back are we allowed to go? Would it be safe to say that transactions completed 3 years ago is improper to mention?

There is no clear consensus on this point from what I am aware, and I expect this is an issue that can depend significantly on the particular recruiter's opinion and on the context of the points you are making (i.e. if you are making points that could have easily been connected to many more recent transactions, it is more likely that graduate recruiters will not like the fact you chose to discuss an older deal). Nonetheless, I have never heard about recruiters complaining about transactions that took place 3 years ago. Personally, if I were to draw a line for a general "safe to discuss zone" I would say to not go back more than 5 years.

 

[Andrei Radu]

What is the best way to practice WG tests? Any website recommendations in particular? Thanks! 🤩

Hi @seriouscandidate_ I do not believe there is a clear "best" way to prepare for WG tests. Instead, I think there are a variety of different tests and courses that each have their strengths and weaknesses in terms of the sections they prepare you for. You should also bear in mind that different firms have slightly different types of WG tests, where the balance of hard/easy questions, the weighing of the different sections, and the overall pass/fail threshold will all differ. As such, to maximise your overall likelihood you get good scores in the WGs you complete in various applications, my advice would be to use a variety of different sources to have as holistic of a preparation as possible.

Nonetheless, I were to mention one resource to focus on if you have limited time to prepare, with the risk of sounding biased, the best resource for my own WG preparation has been TCLA's course on it. After I carefully went through it and made detailed notes and then created a document with best tips to remember when taking the test, I saw a marked improvement in my results. Besides that, probably the most representative test I have taken of a real WG test has actually been this mock one offered for free by Clifford Chance.

I have also copied bellow a list of some other free WG resources you may want to look at:

• The Lawyer Portal Free Practice Test
• Pearson Free Practice Test
• Practice Aptitude Tests Free Practice Test
• Assessment Day Free Practice Test

 

[Andrei Radu]

Would also appreciate insight into this! I applied on Oct 22, received the WG on Oct 30, and passed it on Nov 3 with my report saying I scored very highly, but I haven’t heard back from them since. Now I’m wondering whether my application was the issue and if I should expect a PFO soon, but they haven’t rejected me yet, so is it still early days?

My impression is that the firm staggers its progression a lot during the application cycle, so different people will hear back at widely different points in time without any particular reason to explain it. Back when I was applying as well, I was in a similar position as you are, and I only heard back from DLA with a VI invite around mid-December.

 

[Goodbyetc]

If Willkie don’t get back to you after the VI in the 15 days is this a pfo?

 

[CuriousTrainee]

My impression is that the firm staggers its progression a lot during the application cycle, so different people will hear back at widely different points in time without any particular reason to explain it. Back when I was applying as well, I was in a similar position as you are, and I only heard back from DLA with a VI invite around mid-December.

Is it possible that they look at the application as well as the WG? Or is it WG alone? I'm not really sure what their benchmark is to get a VI. 🤔

 

[firmfirm]

My impression is that the firm staggers its progression a lot during the application cycle, so different people will hear back at widely different points in time without any particular reason to explain it. Back when I was applying as well, I was in a similar position as you are, and I only heard back from DLA with a VI invite around mid-December.

That's reassuring, thanks Andrei!

 

[Andrei Radu]

Is it possible that they look at the application as well as the WG? Or is it WG alone? I'm not really sure what their benchmark is to get a VI. 🤔

From my understanding, at this stage they look at the the written application again together with the WG results to make a holistic judgement as to your progression. Any benchmark the firm uses would thus just serve to exclude a given percentage of low-scoring candidates, rather than guarantee the progression of the candidates that meet it.

 

[Amgrad]

I got into their open day and went to a RG uni not in London or Oxbridge. I asked them about it and they encouraged me to apply for the VS. Wonder if they were just being nice though. 🥲​

Yea, the grad team, Mathieu also mentioned that some partners and associates are not coming from RG uni, so do the trainees he said.

 

[Amgrad]

hey just a bit confused - i sent off my slaughters with just my grade breakdowns on the education section of the app, was i meant to attach a transcript??

Yes they expect you to upload it, in fact highly encourage if you have graduated. They won't be spending more time reviewing candidates who don't show their breakdown anymore like couple of weeks ago. See TC thread to find out how it went.

 

[llblawstudent]

Yes they expect you to upload it, in fact highly encourage if you have graduated. They won't be spending more time reviewing candidates who don't show their breakdown anymore like couple of weeks ago. See TC thread to find out how it went.

So auto rejection with no transcript? Seems a bit harsh considering I don’t have one since I haven’t graduated yet haha. Would it be worth emailing them again with like a screenshot of my mark breakdown from the uni portal?

 

[Amgrad]

So auto rejection with no transcript? Seems a bit harsh considering I don’t have one since I haven’t graduated yet haha

Well, they will still consider your app, but not sooner than those who submitted transcript. This will apply to DTC and graduate applicants, so if you're penultimate or applying VS they won't take that into account seriously. That's why they separated the form for non law, graduates & final law, penultimate law for DTC app, not just drop down list like other firms.

Especially those from international university that don't use UK grading system.

 

[Trophy]

So auto rejection with no transcript? Seems a bit harsh considering I don’t have one since I haven’t graduated yet haha. Would it be worth emailing them again with like a screenshot of my mark breakdown from the uni portal?

She did not say you will be automatically rejected you’ve assumed that. If it was a requirement they wouldn’t allow your application to be processed without it.

It’s just highly encouraged to do so. I know slaughters like to send an email asking applicants to resend their module breakdown as it’s not often included in the application. As it’s nearing the end of the application window they may not want to do that for every single person who has not included it specifically if they have graduated. Key word graduated. You’ve not graduated therefore this wouldn’t even apply to you therefore you cannot infer an automatic rejection

 

[Amgrad]

She did not say you will be automatically rejected you’ve assumed that. If it was a requirement they wouldn’t allow your application to be processed without it.

It’s just highly encouraged to do so. I know slaughters like to send an email asking applicants to resend their module breakdown as it’s not often included in the application. As it’s nearing the end of the application window they may not want to do that for every single person who has not included it specifically if they have graduated. Key word graduated. You’ve not graduated therefore this wouldn’t even apply to you therefore you cannot infer an automatic rejection

Yes, finally someone who understand it clearly. Seems like you rock 'WG recognising assumption' questions 🤭

 

[yk1906]

Wrap up from Legal Cheek Law Fair today 🎉:

• Clifford Chance: They didn't attend the booth though it's advertised
• Gibson Dunn: All invites for Open Day have been sent, even though it's virtual, it's competitive and if you don't get the invite, that means PFO, but don't discourage to apply VS.
• A&O Shearman: DTC result will be announced in next/second week of December and AC will be held a week before Christmas. There is an option for Virtual AC for international candidates outside of the UK, but not for those in holiday.
• Kirkland & Ellis: Recruitment is almost the same as previous year, they don't set the fixed date scheme yet and encourage international students to apply VS and will be happy to offer DTC if its VC cancelled again or unable to attend VS due to work/college commitment.
• Morgan Lewis: Same as Kirkland, the dates have not been set yet, but allow candidates to reapply to DTC if unsuccessful in the VS app stage in the same cycle.
• Slaughter & May: Grade thresholds are fixed, they will prioritise to screen first those who submitted app with breakdown of module and attach final transcript or unofficial one.
• Charles Russell Speechlys: Open Day invites have not been shared yet for both In-person and virtual! Good news for us as they will send it as early as this Friday depending on your chosen date.
• Travers Smith: They will finalise the 2027 DTC and VS app first, then start reviewing 2028 DTC next year after the deadline. They'll happily sponsor visa for VS, and allow to reapply to 2028 DTC if failed in the app stage for VS this cycle, but if failed in 2027 DTC, you can't reapply for 2028 in the same cycle.
• Fried Frank: App is not open yet and it's Non-rolling, you have plenty of time to apply.
• Eversheds Sutherland: DTC conversion rate is around 33%, last year 25 came from VS, among them 10 in London. There's VI after app no SJT/WG
• MoFo, Dentons, Ashurst, Greenberg, AG, Baker McKenzie: Run out of time, it was supposed to be 4 hours fair, but due to rescheduling seems to be 2 hours only (Happy to share here if you were attending their booths, please!)

Hi, thank you so much for this! Just wanted to clarify for Kirkland & Ellis: even if I request visa sponsorship for a VS as a candidate based outside of the UK, I shall still apply to VS first? Asking because they have both VS and DTC route

 

[Amgrad]

Hi, thank you so much for this! Just wanted to clarify for Kirkland & Ellis: even if I request visa sponsorship for a VS as a candidate based outside of the UK, I shall still apply to VS first? Asking because they have both VS and DTC route

Yep, they will look into assisting it and if you have any trouble in acquiring visa you can be offered a direct TC if they satisfied with your overall assesment including AC, it's very flexible.

 

[yk1906]

Yep, they will look into assisting it and if you have any trouble in acquiring visa you can be offered a direct TC if they satisfied with your overall assesment including AC, it's very flexible.

Oh great, thank you a lot!