Not me deciding that I don't feel sufficiently excited about Akin's work to write 6 answers 
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TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26
- Thread starter Ram Sabaratnam
- Start date
Not me deciding that I don't feel sufficiently excited about Akin's work to write 6 answers
If I wasn’t such a fiend for restructuring I’d have never even bothered lmao. I like the international trade and competition stuff Akin does too, that’s probs it though tbh. Oh well.
Didn't apply as I am ineligible, but I did apply for McDermott and see the same word count for 6 number of questions too.Not me deciding that I don't feel sufficiently excited about Akin's work to write 6 answers
IMO I don't like bot if they only share something that copy paste LLM and lack of EI which can't imitate trait human has. I do prefer bot that can detect people being mean, jerked, spammed, fraud, discriminate, racist, etc then flag or warn them immediately before eventually kicked out. That's needed in this forum. What do you guys think?
The Christmas period is so challenging to navigate whilst doing applications - don't worry, you're not the only person who will feel like they're losing their mind!! What worked really well for me was actually leaning into the silence. I'm so used to being on edge all day and anxiously refreshing my emails throughout, but because I knew everyone else was on a break, I was able to give my mind a break as well. I know it is easier said than done but (assuming you're done with your applications) this is your opportunity to rest!!! You have done all you can for now, the best thing you can do is enjoy your time with your family and friends, sleep well, eat well and prepare yourself mentally and physically for a slurry of congratulations emails and next stage assessments! Good luck
Hey guys! I'm a final year Scots Law student and I am currently completing my second app cycle. Last year I was doing a year abroad so didn't apply to many firms as I was very limited on being able to travel for ACs, but I got one VS, which unfortunately I didn't convert.
I think the theme of not converting to a TC has been talked about a bit on the forum yesterday, so I'm happy to give a bit of insight into my experience if anyone is worried about converting or in a similar position to me. This is also my first year of being eligible for most US/London firms since my degree is technically 'non-law' in England, so a lot of these application processes are still new to me!
Looking forward to getting more involved in the forum and sharing anything that might be useful from my experiences so far!
Interesting... Then app questions weren't a particularly high decisive factor, I reckon? I am a coach for one competition, and whenever we assemble a new team, I put their motivational answers into an AI detector before making a final decision. If it's 20%, then I let it go, of course, but if it's 80-90%...
P.S. I am not against AI, but how you use it demonstrates intelligence, in my view
I think a good way to answer this question is to focus on the qualities that help you keep learning in any role, like curiosity, self-reflection, and initiative.
For example, you could talk about taking the initiative to go to optional firm events or training sessions, such as ones on new AI tools or changes in the legal landscape, and link this to times when you’ve done something similar in past jobs or work experience to build your understanding.
You could also mention setting your own learning goals at the start of each seat, based on what the firm values, and actively asking for feedback from supervisors so you can keep improving.
It would also be good to mention the importance of putting yourself in uncomfortable situations - actively seeking out tasks you haven't done so that you can learn new skills.
As always, it helps to tie this back to experiences you’ve actually had before to evidence these claims. Hope this helps!
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Hey! I did ES's video interview last year and you're right it is strengths-based. The firm really focuses on your motivations in specific scenarios and what qualities you're naturally drawn to expressing. Expect mainly questions about an experience you have and how that shows your affinity for a specific strength. The firm also likes if you mention what energised you about the overall situation. Focus on preparing these competency examples instead of preparing the typical why law, why firm!
Treat it like any other work experience section - keep it concise, but make it really specific. Mention where you were sitting, the kind of work you helped with, the actual tasks you did, and what the experience taught you about how commercial law firms work. As always, try to link it back to why you’re confident this is the career you want to pursue. Good luck!
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Hey - no silly questions here, we’re all figuring this out!
I think it definitely makes sense to include your university legal clinic experience in the positions of responsibility section. It’s directly relevant to the role and it’s clearly a position of responsibility, so you’ll have loads of good things to draw on.
I’d keep it in both sections, but you’re right that you don’t want to repeat yourself - with such limited word counts, that would be a bit of a waste of a chance to show yourself off! Instead, you could use the work experience section to show your exposure to formal legal work (focusing more on the practical side of the role and the hard skills you picked up), and then use the responsibility section to go deeper into specific experiences, how you handled responsibility, and - most importantly - link it clearly to how it confirmed your interest in commercial law.
Broken down, this doesn't seem that bad, and there is definitely cross-over with questions from other firms - number 3 is always a tricky one, though, had it in 2 interviews this month, and I think as a prospective trainee you're kind of focused on the prize of the TC offer and haven't necessarily decided what your future career looks like. Interesting on to consider though.
I know how you feel and tbh I feel a 2k app with a critical thinking test is a long process like do the test with shorter questions or just remove the test.
Hey! I’m a recent law graduate about to start the SQE. I have a training contract offer from Freshfields and previously received interviews from HSF, Milbank, and Trowers & Hamlins for their vac schemes (did not attend HSF though!). I also received a TC offer from Milbank after their vac scheme, as well as a vac scheme place at Trowers that I did not attend. Happy to help with any questions!
Honestly, this is such a normal feeling. Those video questions feel soo unnatural at first, even if you’re usually a confident speaker. It really does get easier with practice. A big tip is to practice answering questions out loud on camera (even just on your phone) so you get used to talking to a screen rather than a person. Also, don’t worry too much about a bit of overlap between answers. I think assessors expect some repetition, and as long as you shift the angle clearly, that’s completely fine. The more you do these, the more natural and less “artificial” they start to feel, I promise. You’ve got this!
Hi! I wanted to give my two cents on this as someone who has failed to convert 3 vac schemes 😭!
The biggest mistake I made and one that I've seen drag other top candidates down was confidence. You have to try your best to really put yourself out there and express how interested you are in the work and the firm. There were times where a task that my supervisor was doing was super fascinating to me but because I just quietly did what was assigned to me without voicing this interest, he assumed that I wasn't interested at all.
In terms of the written work/tasks, I did 4-5 forage vac schemes (theforage.com/simulations?careers=law) before my actual vac schemes and this was a really useful example of how lawyers structure and draft documents and I tried to mimic their language and style. This ended up working well for me as I usually performed on the work/tasks.
Lastly I would say to just enjoy the experience, make friends with all the other schemers and try to connect with the lawyers at the firm. Grad Rec can sense your energy and whether someone doesn't fit in with their cohort or the firm and will definitely take it into consideration. Also always be friendly and polite! (Someone on a scheme I attended was kicked off halfway through for making fun of someone's hairline😭)
If the firm has really said not to bring in past examples then you're probably right in that they are mainly assessing how you approach the situation. I'm sure that there will be differences in the points that each person makes and how they tackle the questions based on their own lived experiences. HOWEVER, if everyone does end up making similar points, the firm will likely distinguish candidates based on energy, confidence, and structure. So for example:
Did you make your points clearly and logically?
Did you stutter?
Did you sound passionate and excited?
Was your delivery & pronounciation strong?
Were you maintaning eye contact? (or camera contact I guess??)
These are definitely what I would make sure to have perfected before the VI!
Thank you so so much! This is also super helpful!! And damn you should’ve seen my face when I read that last line 😂
What I struggle with is knowing if it’s okay to interrupt a partner if I’m interested in their work or if they’re too busy to want to discuss things with you 😭
Haha I guess the best way to go about it is just to be less nervous as it’s easier to be confident and curious when you’re not worrying about the small details (maybe?)
All the best!! Are you applying to DTC or VS’ this year? Or do you have a TC already? Best of luck either way and thanks again!
Elle, you should've seen my face when they made that hair line comment to that poor paralegal😭
I had the same issue struggling with interrupting partners as they can have so much aura. What I did that seemed to work was when initially getting introduced to them by my supervisor, I would ask whether they were free for a coffee at the end of the day or tomorrow. I would then use that coffee chat to really get to know them and try to build rapport. After that, it became a lot less scary to ask them about their work.
On that note, I would say to always ask if you're interested as a closed mouth doesn't get fed. If you don't ask you definitely won't get anything from them but if you do ask there's always a chance they'll be happy to walk you through things. One time, I overheard a partner talking about a scheduled client negotiation over the phone, After his call ended I asked him about it and cheekily suggested that it would be a great learning opportunity for me if I could sit in and he actually ended up bringing me to the negotiation. I might've just been a piece of furniture during the discussion but it was a really interesting experience that I wouldn't have gotten if I hadn't asked!
I do already have a TC so feel free to ask any questions you have. Best of luck to you too!
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