• 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 →

TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

CharlesT47

Distinguished Member
Gold Member
Premium Member
Jun 30, 2025
64
42
Hi @Andrei Radu Was hoping to hear your perspective.
Right now, I'm trying to write about the UK's recent relaxing of the capital rules for banks.
I'm struggling though to get deep into the analysis outside of the obvious increase in dealmaking. (I.e PE/ M&A transactions rely on a lot of leverage. Now that banks have more capital to invest with, these two areas will likely boom).
How can I then flesh this out/ have more commercial depth?
Is it fair to say that certain practice areas will benefit more/ less? Will drug research/ life sciences see additional increases in activity because of how capital intensive this area is?
Alternatively, is this perhaps not the best topic to use for a commercial issue application answer? I just wanted to hear your opinion, since I remember you saying how your answer was on a similarly broad commercial topic like how low interest rates affect deals.
 
Reactions: Andrei Radu

nansies

Standard Member
Nov 25, 2025
6
2
Are graduates allowed to apply to Sullivan & Cromwell's vac schemes? I was about to submit my app when I read the following on their website:

"S&C offers two-week placement schemes in the spring and summer for students interested in joining the Firm as a trainee. [...] We will accept applications for our 2026 spring and summer vacation schemes from penultimate-year law students and final-year non-law students, as well as those studying for postgraduate degrees, from 1 October 2025 through 5 December 2025."

They seem to recruit mostly from vac schemes, so do graduates have an almost zero chance of getting a TC offer from S&C?
 

ttyl

Active Member
Oct 25, 2023
14
10
Are graduates allowed to apply to Sullivan & Cromwell's vac schemes? I was about to submit my app when I read the following on their website:

"S&C offers two-week placement schemes in the spring and summer for students interested in joining the Firm as a trainee. [...] We will accept applications for our 2026 spring and summer vacation schemes from penultimate-year law students and final-year non-law students, as well as those studying for postgraduate degrees, from 1 October 2025 through 5 December 2025."

They seem to recruit mostly from vac schemes, so do graduates have an almost zero chance of getting a TC offer from S&C?
Yeah grad rec said if you're a graduate not studying anymore, then you have to do direct TC. But they also said that doesn't put you at a disadvantage.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nansies

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.