TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[Shaky_Pete]

It's known as associate attrition. It's entirely normal and, from the law firm's point of view, vitally necessary as part of the business model. Law firms, like consulting firms and investment banks, run a pyramid or 'up or out' model. You only need about 5-10 individuals in a class of 80-100 trainees to make partner. The rest have to go. Either to another firm, because they want to leave big law, or because they don't make the cut.

Look at Slaughter and May. At a low around 15 years ago they only had 85 partners in London. Now they're at around 120. They allegedly recruit 90 trainees a year, but last year promoted only 6 new partners (and 5 the year before). You do the maths.

They hire so many trainees/associates because they want to ensure they maintain a partner:associate leverage at around 3 or 4 (i.e. 3-4 associates per partner) to maximise billing potential, and to do all the grunge work. It also helps MC firms because a huge number of former trainees and associates land roles in-house at corporates, banks and PE houses, making it more likely that they will award work to their former firm.

From the associate who's quitting's perspective, it's not that bad. Some in-house roles are highly sought after, high paying, career-enhancing moves (just look at how much tech GCs earn in the US). You may take a small pay cut, but there are other benefits. Cushy job. No pressure to bill. Hours are way better.

Also, it's not unheard of to see people returning from in-house roles to become law firm partners: cf Angharad Lewis, David Holdsworth, Kai Zeng, Jeremy Dennison.

Interested how firms get rid of associates to realise this - does it tend to be through formal redundancy or 'managing out'?

 

[ArthurWeasleyLaw]

Does we think Cooley will have finished alerting people of whether they have reached the WG stage? Or more tomorrow?

 

[ilikelaw]

Does we think Cooley will have finished alerting people of whether they have reached the WG stage? Or more tomorrow?

i hope they send out more 😓😓

 

[sadlawyer01]

Cooley WG

hi is this for spring or summer?

 

[cookedlawstudent]

Sorry to hear that 😞

Will likely be the same for me. Got ABC at A-level, 2.1 at undergraduate, Distinction for my LLM and 12 years experience in a demanding career but yes, let’s focus on exams I took when I was barely 18… 🤦🏻‍♂️

Same for WFW, which is a shame as I am really interested in the maritime sector!

I find it so frustrating at times, but I've just accepted that it's the way things go. I know that the people who have met the A-level requirements worked incredibly hard for it, so I get why they would want them over me. But at the same time, I feel like I've compensated for a poor performance when I was 18. Onto the next ig

 

[M85672]

Have post VI rejections gone out for White & Case yet? Asking because with how it went I would’ve expected a rejection by now

 

[cookedlawstudent]

In other news, I saw someone was invited to the Freshfields January AC.....please reject me so I can move on

 

[solicitor_2028]

For those who have attempted the Reed Smith VI- I know the VI is untimed, but I was wondering can I cross the screen off once I start the section and then come back to it later?? Would that reflect negatively on my application or is that acceptable?

 

[ADhillon01]

For those who have attempted the Reed Smith VI- I know the VI is untimed, but I was wondering can I cross the screen off once I start the section and then come back to it later?? Would that reflect negatively on my application or is that acceptable?

Not sure about turning the camera on and off, but you have to complete it within "one sitting". So, if you turn your camera on and off and you are wearing different clothes in your following answers, or the daylight outside has turned to night in the background - I would assume that would reflect negatively.

 

[anonymous.15]

Have post VI rejections gone out for White & Case yet? Asking because with how it went I would’ve expected a rejection by now

I got pfod long back after app stage (((

 

[Slickoo202]

Has anyone recieved any response from CMS (Manchester)?

 

[user123987]

Has anyone recieved any response from CMS (Manchester)?

Wonder when they’ll reply!!

 

[stilltrying]

did anyone else who applied to white and case for winter and did the vi get told theyre being considered for spring/summer. i got this a while back but wasn't too sure what to think

 

[Slickoo202]

Wonder when they’ll reply!!

Honestly, its annoying. What stage of the application have you gotten to?

 

[user123987]

Honestly, its annoying. What stage of the application have you gotten to?

Haven’t heard back since VI how about you?

 

[Slickoo202]

Haven’t heard back since VI how about you?

Same

 

[boots pharmacy]

Has anyone heard anything from hsfk for summer Vs? Passed benchmark for test in early Nov.

PFO'd. No news is good news for HSFK.

 

[boots pharmacy]

Latham, it's been 1 month since your deadline. I’m going to need you to start moving your bodies 🤨😩

Acquaintance who's an assoc there swears she sees them on their phones every time she passes by 🤣🤣🤣

 

[boots pharmacy]

I attended one of the application webinars they hosted and somebody asked something similar. Rik Palmer, one of the grad rec team bascially described it as they categorise people at each stage of the process. He didn't go into too much detail but essentially something like Exceptional, Very Good, Good, Average, Poor. etc.

E.g like this. Person A applied in September, Person B applied in November. Person A had a 'Good' written application' so they're put on hold for a bit. Person B has an 'Exceptional' so even though they applied two months later, they're progressed to test + VI straight away. But now Person B had a 'Poor' SJT + VI performance, so they are rejected/put on hold, and they'll now go back to Person A and progress them through etc.

He specifically mentioned plenty of people categorised lower at application stage, make it through the whole process and secure places on the scheme, because they perform well on the other components. It's generally a matter of waiting until higher scoring people progress/fail. Hence why some people have vac scheme offers, and some people have been waiting for months. Not a great feeling of course, but does not = PFO at all.

Great info. Very detailed, and makes sense based on my (anecdotal) experiences as well. Thank you for sharing.

 

[TCLAuser2002]

Oh to receive an email from Bakers. just say hi to me Bakers