TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[Julia Dyminska]

Hi all, does anyone know if the HSFK 1st online assessment is just the SJT, or is the verbal reasoning test present as well. Are there any online interviews embedded there too? This is for the Spring Vacation scheme. Thank you.

 

[Trophy]

My weakness: Resource and Work Management
My strenghts: Excellence and Commercial Thinking/Awareness

Not sure why both my best and worst were part of entrepreneurial outlook. Am I cooked 🤷🏻‍♀️ ? lolll

I can’t answer if you’re cooked or not but like I said to someone else there are worse things to get. The fact you got commercial awareness as a strength is top tier imo.

I do think resource and work management is the best one to get as a weakness. As looking at the others you wouldn’t want critical thinking, respect, integrity and motivation to be a weakness these are things a firm would want you to possess before coming to them through work and studying rather than learning them on the job.

I say this my own scores I’m happy with them. Yet to do the WG.
Strengths: working with others + respect
Weakness: leadership preference

 

[yk1906]

Hi @Abbie Whitlock !!

How do you explain you want a career in commercial law if all your experience is IN commercial law, but abroad? In the sense that it is pretty obvious that I am committed to the career. Should I focus more on why London/UK, then?

Thanks!

 

[elle woods]

Hi all, does anyone know if the HSFK 1st online assessment is just the SJT, or is the verbal reasoning test present as well. Are there any online interviews embedded there too? This is for the Spring Vacation scheme. Thank you.

hey, so from doing it last year, I believe it was just a SJT mainly - no VIs and I can't recall if there was verbal reasoning, but to my mind there wasn't anything but SJT exercises haha. Sorry if that's not so helpful! But genuinely I do remember it was one of the tests I enjoyed doing the most, so I think that says something!

 

[yk1906]

Ah, also, for this question: Have you attended any virtual or in-person events with Willkie?

Should we elaborate? Or mere bullet points will do

 

[Harvey Specter]

Ah, also, for this question: Have you attended any virtual or in-person events with Willkie?

Should we elaborate? Or mere bullet points will do

Hi @TortillaTC no - you just need to list them. I would say if a question in any form says 'please list' or 'please detail' that these mean two different things. List means, just keep it brief, detail means tell us more about it.

thanks
Gemma

I referred to this and just listed the events I went to, didn’t elaborate on them.​

 

[Harvey Specter]

Speaking of Willkie, has anyone heard back from them recently post app? The website says we can expect to hear back within 10-15 working days, but it’s been more than that now so idk whether to assume it’s a PFO.​

 

[Winter]

Thanks for the insight!

Regarding the PFO...
From what I heard from them via the Open Day, they don't read application until after the deadline (and 5 more days to allow last day applicants finish the WGT).

So I would encourage you to stay hopeful ♥️

Hii, did they change the process this year? I was under the impression that Links would fast track to AC if you got their Open Day?

 

[jojo23]

DLA TI invite🔥🔥

If anyone has done it or has experience with these kind of interviews would you mind reaching out to me please🥺

 

[Trophy]

Speaking of Willkie, has anyone heard back from them recently post app? The website says we can expect to hear back within 10-15 working days, but it’s been more than that now so idk whether to assume it’s a PFO.​

Didn’t you accept a TC with them last year? Under your previous name - Chris brown - I think it was

 

[Harvey Specter]

Didn’t you accept a TC with them last year? Under your previous name - Chris brown - I think it was

This account used to belong to someone else on the forum, as you have identified. His username was Chris Brown. I started using this forum in September. He gave me this account to use for this cycle, as he was no longer using it. ​

 

[Afuturetrainee]

Speaking of Willkie, has anyone heard back from them recently post app? The website says we can expect to hear back within 10-15 working days, but it’s been more than that now so idk whether to assume it’s a PFO.​

Literally in the same boat with you. I’m kinda getting worried. Applied on the 10th of nov

 

[Trophy]

This account used to belong to someone else on the forum, as you have identified. His username was Chris Brown. I started using this forum in September. He gave me this account to use for this cycle, as he was no longer using it. ​

Oh. same mannerisms and block use of text is why I thought you are the sane person. why not make your own account they’re free?

I’m not attacking before the woke members arrive and say I’m attacking you.

 

[CharlesT47]

Literally in the same boat with you. I’m kinda getting worried. Applied on the 10th of nov

Same here. I applied 9th Nov. I'm hoping the delay is because of the recent change in their head of graduate recruitment. Otherwise, it would suck to be on the waiting list.

 

[Andrei Radu]

Hi @Abbie Whitlock !!

How do you explain you want a career in commercial law if all your experience is IN commercial law, but abroad? In the sense that it is pretty obvious that I am committed to the career. Should I focus more on why London/UK, then?

Thanks!

Hi @yk1906 just to add my thoughts before @Abbie Whitlock can come back to you - in my view, you should still focus on the reasons why those experiences made you realise and later confirm that this is the ideal career for you to pursue. The fact that all your experiences are in commercial law certainly provides some evidence to the effect that you are interested in it, but it is also certainly not conclusive evidence. In theory, you could have had an initial interest in the career, and as such took on a couple of roles relating to it, only to then realise you do not enjoy it as much as you thought.

Furthermore, even if the mere experiences sufficed to prove your commitment to this career path, by themselves they still fail to answer the crucial question of why you are interested in it, which is what firms want to find out about candidates. Once again, in theory, you may simply be motivated by its prestige, high pay, by the fact that everyone around you seems to want it, or by reasons having to do with a misconception of what commercial solicitors actually do. All of those reasons to pursue commercial law would be red flags for a graduate recruiter, and, as such, even if they know you are committed to this career path, they want to see if your reasons for that are the right kind of reasons.

Finally, for the question about answering the "Why UK/London" question: since this is not something the firm asks you about or even suggests in a normal "Why commercial law" question, I would not be too focused on trying to answer it. Nonetheless, if a good opportunity presents itself to comment on the issue (eg your why London motivation is closely connected to a general why commercial law motivation), it would likely be fine to include it.

 

[yk1906]

Hi @yk1906 just to add my thoughts before @Abbie Whitlock can come back to you - in my view, you should still focus on the reasons why those experiences made you realise and later confirm that this is the ideal career for you to pursue. The fact that all your experiences are in commercial law certainly provides some evidence to the effect that you are interested in it, but it is also certainly not conclusive evidence. In theory, you could have had an initial interest in the career, and as such took on a couple of roles relating to it, only to then realise you do not enjoy it as much as you thought.

Furthermore, even if the mere experiences sufficed to prove your commitment to this career path, by themselves they still fail to answer the crucial question of why you are interested in it, which is what firms want to find out about candidates. Once again, in theory, you may simply be motivated by its prestige, high pay, by the fact that everyone around you seems to want it, or by reasons having to do with a misconception of what commercial solicitors actually do. All of those reasons to pursue commercial law would be red flags for a graduate recruiter, and, as such, even if they know you are committed to this career path, they want to see if your reasons for that are the right kind of reasons.

Finally, for the question about answering the "Why UK/London" question: since this is not something the firm asks you about or even suggests in a normal "Why commercial law" question, I would not be too focused on trying to answer it. Nonetheless, if a good opportunity presents itself to comment on the issue (eg your why London motivation is closely connected to a general why commercial law motivation), it would likely be fine to include it.

Thanks a lot!! This is very helpful

 

[Julia Dyminska]

hey, so from doing it last year, I believe it was just a SJT mainly - no VIs and I can't recall if there was verbal reasoning, but to my mind there wasn't anything but SJT exercises haha. Sorry if that's not so helpful! But genuinely I do remember it was one of the tests I enjoyed doing the most, so I think that says something!

Thank you! your insight is helpful, the email I received does not point to anything other than SJT and behavioural test, so i doubt there’s anything extra but these firms are sooo sneaky sometimes

 

[M123]

DLA TI invite🔥🔥

If anyone has done it or has experience with these kind of interviews would you mind reaching out to me please🥺

congrats!! which office may I ask?

 

[Andrei Radu]

Anybody know what I should expect with strength-based interviews for a law firm? Thanks!

I found this article on strengths-based interviews I thought I would link here. I have not completed this type of interview personally, but based on a variety of sources it seems to involve more of a focus on personal questions such as:

• How do you spend your free time?
• What subjects did you most enjoy in school/university and why?
• What are kinds of work you like/dislike?
• What are the things that motivate you the most?

People describe it as being less formal than competency interviews, and also say they are harder to prepare for because how wide the scope of the questions can be. I suspect that for this reason, it is difficult to prepare a lot for the substantive part of the interview. However, you should invest time in improving your ability to express your substantive points about past experiences and personality traits. Thus, I think you should concentrate on mock interviews and/or on recording yourself answering randomly selected strengths-based questions. Then, you should critically assess your answer to determine how you could have expressed yourself in a more articulate and structured manner.

 

[ttlaw12344]

DLA TI invite🔥🔥

If anyone has done it or has experience with these kind of interviews would you mind reaching out to me please🥺

CONGRATS, when did u do WG?