TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[switchingup]

A very active day lol:

• White & Case: applied 21st Dec (didn't update properly below - apologies)
  • Received assessment: 22nd Dec
    • Received test invite immediately after applying
  • Took assessment: 22nd Dec - scored top for 'credibility,' 'resilience,' and 'work ethic,' lowest for 'adaptable.'
    • Report came immediately after completing the assessment
• Reed Smith: applied 14th Dec
  • Received assessment: 22nd Dec
  • Took assessment: 22nd Dec - scored high verbal intellect, mid numerical intellect, 4/9 (Grit), 7/9 (Applied Intellect), 4/9 (Creative Force), 9/9 (Digital Mindset). Thankfully, I think my VI responses offset the lower scores, but who knows.
    • Received confirmation of completion email and feedback report (separately): 22nd Dec

Those are two different people right there lmao! 🤣

If anyone is wondering, the Reed Smith VI was the easiest of the VIs I've done thus far (CMS, FF, Simmons). If you've prepped basic motivational and competency questions, you should be fine. There are 4 questions with unlimited prep time for 2min responses.

I hope I receive more assessments/progress whilst I'm off work -- so much easier to manage! 😭

Update:

• Bird & Bird: applied 10th Dec
  • PFO: 22nd Dec ❌
  • Deffo applied too late lol! Will get it in early if I have to apply to firms again next cycle.
• White & Case: applied 21st Dec
  • Probably also too late, but decided to switch from DTC to VS at the last minute.
  • No further communication as of 22nd Dec (shocker lol)

No further updates!

Re-post: was in mod jail!

Hi everyone! First time posting here, although I've been lurking without an account for ages lol. I'm a career changer, and this is my first application cycle.

I'm posting the vacation schemes I've applied for with dates. Hope this helps with timelines! I'll try my best to keep this updated, but working full-time + juggling these apps is no joke lol. Bear with me!

• Bird & Bird: applied 10th Dec (probs too late lol)
  • No further communication as of 19th Dec
• DLA Piper (London): applied 19th Nov
  • Received WG invite: 26th Nov
  • Took WG: 29th Nov - scored 'Strength to leverage' for assumptions and arguments, 'Further exploration' for Critical thinking, and 'Opportunity for development' for conclusions. My worst performance on any WG! Don't take these tests when exhausted. 💀
    • Report came immediately after completing the assessment
  • Received what vaguely resembles a passed benchmark email: 1st Dec
  • Portal updated to (paraphrase) "We're enjoying getting to know you": 4th Dec
  • Portal updated to "Thank you for your interest in DLA Piper. We are fully considering the information provided": 9th Dec
  • No further communication as of 19th Dec
• HSF Kramer (Spring VS): applied 1st Dec
  • Received assessment: 1st Dec
  • Took assessment: 5th Dec - scored 'balanced' for technical expertise and 'moderate fit' for the rest lol
    • Report came immediately after completing the assessment
  • Reached benchmark: 8th Dec
  • No further communication as of 19th Dec
• Linklaters: applied 1st Dec
  • Received assessment: 1st Dec
    • Took assessment: 3rd Dec - scored highest in 'Resilience' and 'Motivation,' lowest in 'Resource and Work Management'
    • Report came one day after completing the assessment
  • Received WG invite: 3rd Dec
  • Application under review email: 4th Dec
  • Second holding email from recruiters: 15th Dec (everyone received this)
  • No further communication as of 19th Dec
• Reed Smith: applied 14th Dec
  • No further communication as of 19th Dec
• Simmons & Simmons: applied 14th Dec (last-minute app, also probs too late 🤪)
  • Received assessment: 14th Dec
  • Took assessment: 15th Dec - scored high verbal/numerical expertise, 8 (Self) / 8 (Commercial) / 4 (People) loool
    • Report came immediately after completing the assessment
  • No further communication as of 19th Dec
• Willkie: applied 10th Dec
  • PFO 17th Dec ❌

Pending: Covington

I've also applied to the following firms DTC: CC, CMS, Freshfields, Slaughter and May (pending: Ashurst, Lewis Silkin, and W&C). I've added updated on these apps in the DTC thread.

Best of luck to everyone 🍀

 

[BobThebIlly]

Is it worth applying to Debevoise with ABB at A Level and three 2.2 modules?

Also is it rolling? What are the app questions?

 

[elle woods]

I might do MB tonight, I wonder how wild my scores for amberjack will vary with 12 hours in between each test 😂

... bruh I got a worse score for MB than I did for Weil...what is this... I'm actually crying because I tried tailoring my responses to the pillars LOL it obviously backfired instead 😂 😂 😭 😭

 

[Harvey Specter]

Is it worth applying to Debevoise with ABB at A Level and three 2.2 modules?

Also is it rolling? What are the app questions?

This probs depends on what your overall degree average is. I’ve got a similar profile to this and I’d spoken to their grad rec guy who said based on my circumstances I shouldn’t simply self-reject, so he encouraged me to apply. It’s non-rolling (closes on 1st Jan 23:59). There’s 6 app questions, each has a 250-300 word limit, so quite long lmao.​

 

[elle woods]

You just gained a follow. Take one for the team 💪💪

Why thank you, this damsel is honoured deeply by your genorosity

(what do follows do though? I hope it doesn't notify you when I post because that will be a lot of notifications...)

 

[boots pharmacy]

Any datapoints on amberjack cutoff rates? Scored 7 9 4 7 on Weil... not sure if that's good enough.

 

[zonnonomo]

i was shirtless by mistake during an amberjack (during the sjt portion but webcam on & full frontal) 😭 do i skip the whole test & vi or perhaps will it not flag... i can't believe i'm asking this

 

[TheLegalEdit]

Congratulations ✨
May I know when did you apply?

Thank you! Yes of course, I sent my application in 15 December

 

[DavidJC]

See I have this but I’m so bored of banks and blah blah blah. I want something spicy

Honestly it depends on the firm you're interested in and their strengths. I've talked about patent cliffs and tariffs on pharma re life sciences, interest rates re M&A, capital requirements/private credit re PE (specifically if private credit is part of the firm's offering, they're really just non-bank loans), and sluggish London market re capital markets, amongst other things. Your interests also matter, and it's about linking something you find interesting back to the firm and whatever it is about the firm that draws you, the main caveat also being that it must link back specifically to the office you're applying to (London/Birmingham/Leeds or wherever it may be in the UK).

Like the Employment Rights Bill just received RA and most of it will be in force by April so you can also talk about how that affects employers (clients) esp if the firm has an employment practice. It may seem like it's a legal issue in a vacuum but we're not in a vacuum and it's really a commercial issue in terms of how employers respond to new rules, whether they need to change their practices (*stares at P&O Cruises, the shameless bastards*), can they afford employees on fixed hours contracts (keeping in mind NI changes earlier this year) since zero hours contracts will basically be dead.

Just generally speaking you can look up sector trends for something a firm does and you'll find something out. This can be shipping, insurance, real estate (esp commercial property has some interesting developments recently), construction, ESG, energy, mining, tech, and honestly something like consumer behaviour due to the cost of living crisis can be spun in many different ways to be relevant to several different sectors/practice areas. I think I can think of a different commercial issue in each of these area without relying on the ones I've already discussed before like interest rates, London market etc

Hope that helps, but it's up to you to find the spice in these things and convey that spice!

 

[Lord Sumption]

i was shirtless by mistake during an amberjack (during the sjt portion but webcam on & full frontal) 😭 do i skip the whole test & vi or perhaps will it not flag... i can't believe i'm asking this

This was literally me during the practice question 💀 the way I PANIC-grabbed my shirt and aggressively brushed my hair like that would undo it?? They say “not assessed” but in my head that just means seen but not graded. I’m convinced someone witnessed it. The shame 😭

 

[zonnonomo]

This was literally me during the practice question 💀 the way I PANIC-grabbed my shirt and aggressively brushed my hair like that would undo it?? They say “not assessed” but in my head that just means seen but not graded. I’m convinced someone witnessed it. The shame 😭

oh hey lord sumption didn't know u were frisky like that 😏

 

[elle woods]

My linkedin is full of CC TCs... is this what exposure therapy feels like

 

[Maria56]

My linkedin is full of CC TCs... is this what exposure therapy feels like

Toxic motivation at its best
To be fair, most of the people were Spark Interns to begin with😭

 

[iwatchsuits]

This was literally me during the practice question 💀 the way I PANIC-grabbed my shirt and aggressively brushed my hair like that would undo it?? They say “not assessed” but in my head that just means seen but not graded. I’m convinced someone witnessed it. The shame 😭

Omg bye if they actually watch us when we're doing the tests I actually will cry. I talk to myself the whole time they probably think I'm crazy

 

[BobThebIlly]

My linkedin is full of CC TCs... is this what exposure therapy feels like

The minute I see a post with a firm logo as an image attachment I scroll right past 💀💀💀

 

[iwatchsuits]

The minute I see a post with a firm logo as an image attachment I scroll right past 💀💀💀

'I'm delighted to announce...'
*CLOSES APP*

 

[BobThebIlly]

Also guys I’m in a dilemma

I have an eye infection but I also have a VI coming up - what do I do????? My right eye is almost swollen shut 😭 pls help

Will grad recruitment take this into consideration or do I email for an extension???

 

[DavidJC]

My linkedin is full of CC TCs... is this what exposure therapy feels like

Literally the exact same, Grad Rec are going ham liking/commenting on every one of these posts and the algorithm's pushing it. I was just thinking of you when I saw it and hoping you weren't scrolling LinkedIn 😭

Doesn't help that I mainly scroll LinkedIn for deals and commercial news, which are now buried under a metric tonne of TC announcements

 

[elle woods]

Toxic motivation at its best
To be fair, most of the people were Spark Interns to begin with😭

😂 yes true hahah... I was close to becoming a SPARK intern haha and made lots of friends who are currently there (future trainees now!) so it just hurts a tad bit more haha

 

[DavidJC]

Also guys I’m in a dilemma

I have an eye infection but I also have a VI coming up - what do I do????? My right eye is almost swollen shut 😭 pls help

Will grad recruitment take this into consideration or do I email for an extension???

I think that they could potentially see that you've got a physical health issue in the recording itself, but I would email anyway and I think someone (I think it was Andrei) mentioned how in a similar situation, you can do the VI anyway (if the deadline is really soon) and GR will still see the email and hopefully take that into account when reviewing your response.

Good luck with the VI and hopefully they get back to you ASAP for an extension!