TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[iwatchsuits]

Just completed the VI for Eversheds 😬 Not sure how I feel about how it went - is it usual to not get more than 1 chance at recording for other VI's people have done? Dreading waiting 4 weeks to hear how I did. Not sure if it's a good or bad thing that you can't rewatch your answers 😭.

It was pretty brutal in terms of format! 2 minutes to speak is quite standard, but the 30 seconds to prepare and not being able to re-record definitely added to the nerves

 

[manifestingthetc]

You are FAST. I might do mine tomorrow.

I have a flight tomorrow so it had to be done tonight or at the airport..... HAHA🙃

 

[asplawyer100]

Does anyone know what kinds of questions Dentons asks in their VI (motivational, competency etc)?

 

[yasmars]

I just did the Mishcon Amberjack and got excelled in numerical + verbal, grit:6/9 creative force: 6/9, digital mindset 6/9 and 4/9 in applied intellect lol, i dont think this is good enough

Is there a VI element to the test?

 

[radssss]

Personally really like Amberjack it's much more normal than Susie likes to book tickets to the cinema so must love smiling

I couldn’t agree more with you🤣🤣🤣

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

@Abbie Whitlock

I need some clarity answering this question for Farrer&Co

"In what ways have your academic studies, qualifications, and work experience equipped you for a legal career?"

What exactly are they asking for here?

Hello!

In my view, they're asking you to explain how what you've studied and done so far has prepared you to be a solicitor. Therefore, I would aim to discuss:

• How your academic studies developed skills that are relevant to law / trainees (e.g. analysis, research, writing, problem-solving, etc.)
• How any qualifications show commitment to a legal career (for example, I know that you can get LexisNexis or WestLaw certifications, which would be relevant!). However, these don't have to be specifically law-related, as long as you can link them back!
• How your work experience (which can be legal or non-legal) gave you transferable skills such as client interaction, responsibility, teamwork, and attention to detail.

Essentially, rather than simply listing skills that are important for a career in law, it's about connecting these skills to your experiences and explaining why they are required.

I hope that helps, and best of luck with your application!

 

[oliviabeijing]

Does anyone know what kinds of questions Dentons asks in their VI (motivational, competency etc)?

Hiya! Congrats on the VI, I’m still waiting to hear back after the assessment. Did it take you long to be progressed?

 

[givemeatc26]

Hey! If anyone has completed the White & Case VI, please please pm me )

 

[maylawwww]

does anyone remember if you have to select for spring or summer in the AG application form (for ldn office)? I can't remember which I applied for lmao

 

[Trophy]

Personally really like Amberjack it's much more normal than Susie likes to book tickets to the cinema so must love smiling

I love amberjack. For the verbal and numerical sections they repeat them for nearly all firms that use them so half the time I know the answers without reading it now 😭 the odd numerical shows up that I’ve not seen.

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Ah this process is getting too much now. Really considering if I am just wasting my time and will never succeed. Constant rejections just coming in and I am not sure what more I can do. I feel like I constantly see one type of person succeed in this process and that will never be me. As someone from an underrepresented background I also feel like the vac scheme I was unable to convert was my only chance and I blew it. Can't even get to an AC since. I feel like a loser when UNIVERSITY students are securing top TCs and I am here as a grad begging firms cycle after cycle. Probably just not good enough either and need a reality check, haha.

Hey!

I'm really sorry that you're feeling like this - it is an incredibly tough process, and it has a way of grinding people down, especially when you are doing everything right and still facing rejections. That doesn't mean you are wasting your time, and it definitely doesn't mean you're not good enough!

It's completely understandable to feel demoralised when you see undergraduates securing TCs while you're still applying as a graduate, but these outcomes are rarely a simple measure of ability. Unfortunately, parts of the process come down to things such as luck and timing, which can definitely make it incredibly frustrating.

I can completely understand where you are coming from in relation to your vacation scheme - I didn't convert any of my vacation schemes last cycle for a multitude of reasons, and this definitely made me feel slightly lost as I had convinced myself that they were my only chances of success. However, it's important to remember that whilst it may not have been the end result that you wanted, you have still gained incredibly valuable experience which you will be able to carry with you moving forward. Although I didn't receive a TC offer from my vacation schemes, I was able to draw on those experiences in my DTC assessment centre which ultimately led to my TC offer - sometimes, things don't work out the way that you necessarily planned them to.

Additionally, coming from an underrepresented background can make the path feel lonelier and more uncertain, but it doesn't mean you don't belong in the profession. As the first in my family to go to university and a non-RG graduate, I've experienced imposter syndrome more times than I can count, so I completely understand how easy it is to internalise setbacks. You are clearly more than deserving of a place in the profession - your success in securing a vacation scheme alone is strong evidence of your ability, and shows that firms see potential in you.

You're absolutely not a loser for finding this hard. This process is very hard. I would try to give yourself some grace, and step back if you need to! It helped me to focus on the elements that were within my control, such as taking feedback seriously where it was available and to keep refining my approach.

Please don't lose sight of how far you've already come. Getting this close in such a competitive process is not an accident or a fluke, and it is a strong indication that you have what firms are looking for, even if the timing has not worked yet. Keep going at a pace that's sustainable for you - the right opportunity can arrive later than expected or planned, but it does arrive.

Wishing you the best

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Hi @Abbie Whitlock

I saw you were invited to interview at PW last year. I was wondering how best to approach the work experience section, i.e whether to include positions of responsibility / open days / virtual work experience? Any insight would be really helpful, thank you!!

Hello!

Of course, happy to help!

In my Paul, Weiss application, I included a mix of things in the work experience section that weren't strictly "work experience". This included Forage programmes, my BIUCAC participation, and insight events or open days I had attended. The important element is that you can explain what you learned and the skills that you developed from each - make sure that you show what you took from the experience, rather than just listing it!

I hope that helps, and best of luck with your application!

 

[cookedlawstudent]

would really appreciate insight into the mishcon first stage test! never done an amberjack so kind of nervous lol

also is the first test automatic?

 

[Trophy]

Simmons sjt/vi completed

Scored:
High verbal
High numerical
7,7,8 (out of 10)

Fumbled the vi soo bad I just stopped and said ‘sorry you have to watch this’ half way through 😭 kill me now.

Those who progressed what did you get? I understand I’ve left it rather later to apply given there have been ACs already

 

[safari3]

would really appreciate insight into the mishcon first stage test! never done an amberjack so kind of nervous lol

also is the first test automatic?

The first stage is the AI interview which is automatic. The second stage is the Amberjack which you have to be shortlisted for

 

[maylawwww]

would really appreciate insight into the mishcon first stage test! never done an amberjack so kind of nervous lol

also is the first test automatic?

first test is not an amberjack- its an ai chat-based interview suuper hard to explain its has written answers on motivation, your work exp, commercial awareness etc. i would say no crazy qs but just give yourself enough time (also ur recorded and there is 1 short VI)

 

[BealMcAlly]

Simmons sjt/vi completed

Scored:
High verbal
High numerical
7,7,8 (out of 10)

Fumbled the vi soo bad I just stopped and said ‘sorry you have to watch this’ half way through 😭 kill me now.

Those who progressed what did you get? I understand I’ve left it rather later to apply given there have been ACs already

I reckon they will like the honesty!

 

[BealMcAlly]

The first stage is the AI interview which is automatic. The second stage is the Amberjack which you have to be shortlisted for

The question is, how selective are they being this year? 🥵 worried the new process has got them scrambling a little and making everyone do the Amberjack to see what the benchmark will be.

 

[boots pharmacy]

I'd really love some advice on how to navigate this process. This is my first cycle and I have no idea what to expect. HSF was my dream firm, I attended an open day and I felt like it was my strongest application so now i'm anticipating all round defeat. Their feedback being based on academic achievement and extracurricular performance hit me pretty hard. As I mentioned, I got a first in my first year law exams at Oxford. I interned with a major charity as a legal intern for 6 weeks, I also did a week in house. Throughout college I worked in hospitality. I volunteer for a legal clinic working with asylum seekers and I recently reached the semi-finals of a national moot, competing against students who had completed the bar course. I'm part of the drama society and i'm welfare officer for another club. I'm not from your typical oxford background, far from it. My mum didn't get any GCSEs and raised me alone. i'm super worried about not getting a graduate job as I won't have any support financially after I graduate and I really want to make money so I can move my mum out of social housing. I know the world doesn't owe me anything and this isn't supposed to be a sob story, but it's so hard feeling like this will be impossible and I feel like there's a lot of pressure on me!!! How many rejections should I expect without getting worried. I've done 11 applications... should i do more?

You sound like a resilient, clever and capable individual. Most importantly, you are rational and level-headed, unentitled and realistic. Unfortunately, the simple nature of the game is that even the strongest applicants are bound for rejection after rejection. I have had more than one cycle, and I know plenty of people with TC's, many of whom were offered multiple, some with 4 or more. Every single one of them had at least a 40% rejection rate. 70-90% rejection rates were most common.

The most frustrating thing is that rejections can seem arbitrary and random. A firm you pour your heart and soul into may reject you at the first stage despite positive reviews from current trainees, a killer CV, and having attended plenty of events with them. Simultaneously, you might find success with other firms you applied to on a whim, or other firms you thought you didn't have a chance with; a close friend landed the Paul, Weiss vac, then the TC offer, after being rejected for their open day in the same cycle. That ended up being their only offer.

It is a numbers game, I cannot stress this enough. You must make as many high quality, tailored, detailed applications as possible. Simultaneously, despite getting to know a firm well, going to their events, speaking to their grad rec, deeply researching their deals/history/senior management/etc. you must not get personally attached to any firms you apply to.

This is not easy. As communitarian creatures, human beings are not built to withstand that sort of repeated emotional whiplash; simultaneously, it is absolutely reasonable to feel yourself gaining an attachment and building up hopes toward an entity you have (up to the point of rejection) only ever had positive interactions with. When making applications, it is therefore natural to feel drained, discouraged, frustrated and confused.

Is it possible that you might try your best, do all the right things, work to the bone, and still end up without a TC? Absolutely. Luck matters more than people care to admit. Does that mean that the pursuit of a TC is any less worthwhile a goal? That's up to you to decide.

Following that train of thought, it is up to you to figure out how many high quality applications you're able to send out. How hungry are you? I get the impression that you're capable of far more than 11.

Persevere. You only need 1 offer.

 

[TCtoothfairy]

Hey guys super random, and idk if this is normal, but I applied to the Mishcon spring vac scheme last month and still have time left to do the first assessment.

However, I got an email today saying that I have passed that stage and I am invited to take the SJT..... But I haven't taken the first assessment yet lol?!

Has this happened to anyone else?!