TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[p2bv]

CMS VI any advice or anything I should look out for?

congrats! What office did you apply for

 

[lolololol]

is latham stage 2 automatic?

 

[Lawlawland]

is latham stage 2 automatic?

If you pass the stage 1, it is automatic.

 

[RJ Ruban]

congrats! What office did you apply for

Thank you! I applied for London

 

[RJ Ruban]

congratulations, when did u do WG and when did u find out about the VI if you dont mind me asking

It was around 2 weeks I think and found out this morning haha

 

[J333]

Has anyone heard back post CMS vi or Simmons & Simmons OA?

 

[TheSlapDotCom]

I only heard back end of last week that I'd moved to interview stage so think you're still well within tolerance levels for applying!

hey congrats !! was this for spring?

 

[CuriousTrainee]

Is there anyone that didn't receive the email from DLA "we're writing to confirm that your application is now under consideration for the next stage of our recruitment process: the first stage interview", that still got a TI? Still confused on how they send out emails, feeling like it's a PFO.

 

[billyonthespeeddial]

hello, can anyone help on this... is it a good idea to include a future vac scheme in the "work experience" section for other law firms? if it would benefit me of course i would want to include it but i am unsure if it just comes off as arrogant and gives a bad impression

The applications where I did this last year were overall more successful. Just add a line in the description saying that, following a successful application, you will be joining the firm's vacation scheme in X month for X number of weeks

 

[TCLAUser1]

Does CMS automatically tell you if you pass the WG as is same system as CC?

 

[Legallylaw]

Hi @Legallylaw I hope you have had a good weekend as well! You certainly do not need to chance everything in your reapplication - in fact, if you put yourself in the perspective of the firm, it would be quite surprising if all of a sudden all of the main themes of your motivations and skills changed. Nonetheless, at the same time, you certainly want to make some changes; if you are asking the firm is to consider you as a candidate again, you cannot put forward the same application that was unsuccessful last year.

To show why they should reconsider your candidacy, you thus want to show some improvement, which can take the form of new experiences you can reference, but can also just be a better explained and reason version of the previous substantive answers. Thus, my advice is to not leave the answer exactly the same as before, but to redraft it to include the new noteworthy experience you mentioned.

Thank you so much Andrei for your advice. I am a little reluctant to change it majorly as I did pass the first stage so in this would you recommend keeping some things similar? Many Thanks

 

[Legalgirl]

Hi!

Does anyone know what time the Latham app closes on the 7th and whether the test needs to be done by then too? Or do you get additional days to do the test?

 

[i-want-a-tc]

Is CMS WG automatic? I applied on 29th and haven't heard back yet.

 

[RJ Ruban]

congratulations, when did u do WG and when did u find out about the VI if you dont mind me asking

I did the WG around 2 weeks ago now and then found out I got it today

 

[GSJ]

Bit confused with Mofo app, do u have to inc a cover letter aswell as questions?

 

[ninarosee]

Just been invited to Osborne Clarke's AC (through 10k) and I’d really appreciate any insight!

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

I know this is a bit old but I was having a look at DLA's questions.

Would you say that the article for Q2 has to refer to a specific sector or can I pick any article and discuss an industry trend?

Hello!

For Q2, as the question specifically asks you to select one articles from the DLA Piper Insights page on a client sector, it's best to choose something that clearly sits within a recognised sector area (e.g. tech or real estate). You can explore a wider industry trend within that article, but the starting point should be a sector-focused piece rather than something completely general.

This makes it much easier to demonstrate commercial awareness and link it back to why that sector interests you and how it aligns with your ambitions - which is exactly what graduate recruitment are trying to see in your answer. Picking a relevant sector article also gives you a clearer route to connect it to DLA Piper's international work and client base.

I hope that clarifies!

 

[johnsmith]

hey congrats !! was this for spring?

It was yes! The interview was a pleasant experience. Every person I meet from BCLP, whatever seniority, just seems so positive and friendly. It's nice to see the culture stated on the website playing out in practice.

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

hello, can anyone help on this... is it a good idea to include a future vac scheme in the "work experience" section for other law firms? if it would benefit me of course i would want to include it but i am unsure if it just comes off as arrogant and gives a bad impression

Hello!

My stance on this was to include it in any Direct TC applications, but not for any vacation scheme applications. The reasoning for this was that I wanted to convey that I would have experienced that vacation scheme by the time that I would potentially be completing the AC (or later stages), and DTC processes often prefer if you have some legal experience. However, this isn't necessarily the case for applying for vacation schemes, so I didn't include it as I felt it wasn't necessarily relevant.

However, I think the most important thing is how you frame it - if you feel it would be beneficial to include, adding it briefly is unlikely to cause an issue

 

[aspringlawyer25]

congratulations! when did you do the test?

Just been invited to Osborne Clarke's AC (through 10k) and I’d really appreciate any insight!