TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[stilltrying]

does anyone know if Morgan Lewis is rolling or non rolling cant find any info on that

 

[hanahana]

Congratulations!! Is it okay to ask if this is for spring or summer?

It's for Spring

 

[Dogecoin GC]

does anyone know if Morgan Lewis is rolling or non rolling cant find any info on that

It was non rolling last year.

 

[Amgrad]

It was non rolling last year.

Yeah, so does this year. I went to their booth yesterday

 

[TheSlapDotCom]

hey guys, a few ppl have asked me for tips in regard to dla’s telephone interview, so i figured id js share them here asw!

basically, the qs are mosty motivational ones. there was one “competency”-based q that was smth like “how would you manage several deadlines”. that wasnt the exact q but it was smth of that nature.

and then there were 2qs that seemed more “meta” so like about how you researched the firm and yk i think they were trying to assess how you go about reseaeching/preparing for things that you care about? hope that makes sense.

and make sure you know exactly what the structure of the summer internship is + same for their tc.

GOOD LUCK GUYS !! u got this!!

 

[LawAspirer]

A law firm is asking me a question that I should argue (Pro / Con) in 300 words.
I have pretty relevant work experience that substantiates my view. Is linking it to my experience expected or shall I speak more theoretically?

 

[silonthesofa]

does anyone know if Morgan Lewis is rolling or non rolling cant find any info on that

non-rolling.

 

[ninarosee]

Does anyone know what Travers Smith’s grade requirements are?

 

[londonlawyer]

Has anyone received AC invites to RPC?

 

[p2bv]

Let me just tell everyone now, the CMS VI is a nightmare. It’s only six questions, nothing else, very unassuming. Until you start doing it and you realise you’re given a minute, yes one singular minute, response time for a question that could only just be answered in double that.

When did you apply if you don’t mind me asking

 

[2ndCycle74]

Does anyone have any Kirkland VI Tips? Unsure what to expect in terms of what kind of questions to prepare for and would be extremely grateful for any advice. Thank you. @Abbie Whitlock @Andrei Radu

 

[GT1205H]

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

This is very interesting, I have not graduated yet and they still emailed me to ask for my module breakdown (last year law).

 

[seriouscandidate_]

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

Thank you, Andrei!

 

[Goingtogetatc]

Hi everyone ! Does anyone have insights into the BCLP AC. It would mean a lot (if you do please PM me). Also I have insights into DLA’s AC if anyone needs

 

[anon78365222111]

Hi does anyone have any advice on a presentation exercise for an AC. I have around an hour to prep and 10 minutes to present. Any tips or things to prepare before I go into it. Any strategy that would help. @Abbie Whitlock @Andrei Radu would help a lot if you could chime in too. Thank you!

 

[RJ Ruban]

Any tips on the amberjack numerical reasoning? is there anything specific that I should I focus on and any certain calculations that I should remember?

 

[Andrei Radu]

Does anyone have any Kirkland VI Tips? Unsure what to expect in terms of what kind of questions to prepare for and would be extremely grateful for any advice. Thank you. @Abbie Whitlock @Andrei Radu

Unfortunately, I have no specific Kirkland VI tips as I did not apply to the firm, but I still thought to share some general tips and resources - from what heard from some friends who did the Kirkland VI in prior years, it did not seem to differ a lot from a "usual" VI experience.

Firstly, in terms of usual questions that often com up in VIs, besides the 3 classic motivational Qs (why you, why commercial law, why the firm), some of the ones I encountered most often/heard about others encountering are:

• Tell me about a time you demonstrated teamwork
• Tell me about a time you demonstrated resilience/worked under pressure/solved a problem
• What are the key qualities a trainee at our firm needs?
• What is your biggest weakness?
• Tell me about a time you made a mistake
• Tell me about a time you worked with tight deadlines

I have compiled a more thorough list with typical VIs questions and a more detailed description of the preparation method I used in my Complete Competency Interview Guide. This leads me to my second point - the most important thing for me was just practice. As many people initially do, I also had an issue dealing with nerves at first, as VIs can feel uniquely awkward. Nonetheless, believe me, if you put yourself in VI conditions and just practice continuously for several hours, you will get a lot more accustomed to it. My advice would be to just take around 3-4 hours in which you do nothing but choose random questions, give yourself 1 minute to prepare and then record yourself for 1-2 minutes. You will see you will get remarkably better over time.

Thirdly, while practicing, and then during the actual VI, I would also advise you to constantly remind yourself to:

1. Speak more slowly - this gives you more time to think and articulate your ideas and makes it less likely to to find yourself having to continuously rephrase midsentence; I also find speaking in this way makes me feel more in control and calms my nerves; and
2. Realize that your performance does not have to be perfect, but merely good enough. I think a lot of candidates end up overthinking and panicking when making the smallest mistake, which ends up derailing their entire speech. Being too perfectionistic in this way often works to your detriment. Thus, you should internalize the idea that it is fine if your response is not absolutely perfect - many candidates (myself included) have progressed by merely making sure we communicated decent substantive points in a reasonably clear and structured manner. You do not have to blow anyone away. If you start thinking in this way, it is more likely that when a small error inevitably occurs, you are able to overlook it and still have an overall good response.

Finally, if I were to give a Kirkland-specific tip, I would say to refresh your understanding of PE and what has been happening in this industry in recent months; as if you get any technical questions, they will likely be related to this,

 

[Afuturetrainee]

Mayer Brown has no application questions this year. Am I correct?

 

[Bread]

@Andrei Radu @Abbie Whitlock Reed Smith">@Abbie Reed Smith Any advice on how to show a genuine interest in the firm’s work? Beyond just mentioning deals and certain practices, I’m wondering how to make a compelling case for why I’m interested in a certain firm’s work that isn’t wishy washy

I’m really struggling bc when it boils down to it they all do broadly the same stuff

Thank you!

 

[marisachr]

@Andrei Radu @Abbie Whitlock for the Goodwin application question: ''Discuss a commercial issue that has particularly interested you. Why did it capture your attention, and what impact could it have on the legal sector?'' Should we talk about a commercial issue that will have an impact on specifically law firms, or an issue that will have an impact on law firms' clients, subsequently increasing/decreasing workflow for law firms? Your insights would be much appreciated!