TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[SoonToBeTrainee]

Hi @Abbie Whitlock

I hope you are well! Thank you for answering my question last week by the way.

Another silly question, but it's been on my mind a lot and haven't found an answer to it online but I genuinely love the idea of working late to close deals and thrive on the long hours of commercial law - it’s actually something I find exciting rather than draining. I know many people don’t feel this way.

If asked in an interview, “Why this firm?”, would it be appropriate to say something like: after speaking to a trainee at [Firm X], I learned they often work late on M&A transactions, and for me personally, that’s exactly the kind of work I enjoy. I’m happy to put in the extra hours and work hard because I find it engaging and fulfilling.

I know this might sound a bit unusual, but I’ve genuinely experienced this during a vacation scheme, often working until 1–2am, and I loved it. Would sharing that experience come across positively in an interview, or could it seem strange to a Partner?

Thank you so much in advance and I hope I make sense in this question!

To be completely blunt, the interviewers will think you're chatting nonsense ahaha.

I'm a workaholic myself and completely understand your rationale - but it definitely needs reframing for a trainee level role.

If you're a deal junkie, draw on your interest in the fast-paced nature of transactions and the collaborative aspects of helping to close said transaction.

These two motivations already imply that you're willing to sacrifice your first-born for the billables anyway.

The first rule of being a psychopath is do not admit you are a psychopath.

 

[Unknowncabbage]

Hi @Abbie Whitlock

I hope you are well! Thank you for answering my question last week by the way.

Another silly question, but it's been on my mind a lot and haven't found an answer to it online but I genuinely love the idea of working late to close deals and thrive on the long hours of commercial law - it’s actually something I find exciting rather than draining. I know many people don’t feel this way.

If asked in an interview, “Why this firm?”, would it be appropriate to say something like: after speaking to a trainee at [Firm X], I learned they often work late on M&A transactions, and for me personally, that’s exactly the kind of work I enjoy. I’m happy to put in the extra hours and work hard because I find it engaging and fulfilling.

I know this might sound a bit unusual, but I’ve genuinely experienced this during a vacation scheme, often working until 1–2am, and I loved it. Would sharing that experience come across positively in an interview, or could it seem strange to a Partner?

Thank you so much in advance and I hope I make sense in this question!

Why were you working till 1-2am as a vac schemer LMAOOOOOO

 

[Lord Sumption]

Why were you working till 1-2am as a vac schemer LMAOOOOOO

Because my supervisor was too and the rest of the team haha - so I couldn't just say okay guys, I'm off now lol
Plus the time of the VS, we were actually closing a deal which I got to be part of and oh my gosh the client dinner we got the day after was just beautiful. The bill came up to like £3,500 just for food and drinks 😂

 

[SoonToBeTrainee]

Because my supervisor was too and the rest of the team haha - so I couldn't just say okay guys, I'm off now lol
Plus the time of the VS, we were actually closing a deal which I got to be part of and oh my gosh the client dinner we got the day after was just beautiful. The bill came up to like £3,500 just for food and drinks 😂

Light work, @Harvey Specter - Presiding Partner bills £3,500 per hour.

Get your numbers up broski

 

[Harvey Specter - Presiding Partner]

Why were you working till 1-2am as a vac schemer LMAOOOOOO

Because my supervisor was too and the rest of the team haha - so I couldn't just say okay guys, I'm off now lol
Plus the time of the VS, we were actually closing a deal which I got to be part of and oh my gosh the client dinner we got the day after was just beautiful. The bill came up to like £3,500 just for food and drinks 😂

That’s acc insane in this normal for a VS? Maybe it was a US firm (me thinks Milbank or Sidley)…

Do you not think staying till so late might’ve left a bad impression though at the same time?

Idk like would they have been thinking about time management and work efficiency etc? Idk I haven’t done a VS before to know what the partners and associate supervisors expect lmao.

This was the reaction of the deal team seeing that a vac schemer was staying till past 12am…

 

[Donna Paulsen]

That’s acc insane in this normal for a VS? Maybe it was a US firm (me thinks Milbank or Sidley)…

Do you not think staying till so late might’ve left a bad impression though at the same time?

Idk like would they have been thinking about time management and work efficiency etc? Idk I haven’t done a VS before to know what the partners and associate supervisors expect lmao.

This was the reaction of the deal team seeing that a vac schemer was staying till past 12am…

I can’t see how staying late to help out would leave a bad impression, particularly when they’re trying to see if you fit in with the team/culture and if you can handle the demand

 

[Lord Sumption]

That’s acc insane in this normal for a VS? Maybe it was a US firm (me thinks Milbank or Sidley)…

Do you not think staying till so late might’ve left a bad impression though at the same time?

Idk like would they have been thinking about time management and work efficiency etc? Idk I haven’t done a VS before to know what the partners and associate supervisors expect lmao.

This was the reaction of the deal team seeing that a vac schemer was staying till past 12am…

However mate, don't you think it would leave a worse impression if as a Vac Schemer, I just casually leave the office when my assigned supervisor and Partner were in the same room working on the deal? That would definitely come across worse than staying late, even past 12am.

 

[TCLAuser2002]

However mate, don't you think it would leave a worse impression if as a Vac Schemer, I just casually leave the office when my assigned supervisor and Partner were in the same room working on the deal? That would definitely come across worse than staying late, even past 12am.

It looks like you didn’t end up getting the TC in the end. If you’re comfortable sharing, what feedback did they give you? I’m curious to know what they focused on

 

[trainee4u]

Anyone heard from boodle Hatfield wedlake bell?

people got PFOs on Monday for wedlake

 

[Jessica Pearson - Managing Partner]

Hi @Abbie Whitlock

I hope you are well! Thank you for answering my question last week by the way.

Another silly question, but it's been on my mind a lot and haven't found an answer to it online but I genuinely love the idea of working late to close deals and thrive on the long hours of commercial law - it’s actually something I find exciting rather than draining. I know many people don’t feel this way.

If asked in an interview, “Why this firm?”, would it be appropriate to say something like: after speaking to a trainee at [Firm X], I learned they often work late on M&A transactions, and for me personally, that’s exactly the kind of work I enjoy. I’m happy to put in the extra hours and work hard because I find it engaging and fulfilling.

I know this might sound a bit unusual, but I’ve genuinely experienced this during a vacation scheme, often working until 1–2am, and I loved it. Would sharing that experience come across positively in an interview, or could it seem strange to a Partner?

Thank you so much in advance and I hope I make sense in this question!

Hello Jessica Pearson here. Lovely to see you Lord Sumption.
I would say that if you wanted to state something like this, frame it as some motivation to engage in complex work that intellectually stimulates you. Don't necessarily say that you want to stay past 1am but imply that you are dedicated and committed. I might save working late for a STAR question (Tell us about a time when...) rather than saying you applied to this firm because they have terrible hours and no work-life balance lol.
IMO that is something partners may prefer dancing around rather than outright stating.

 

[i-want-a-tc]

Hi @Abbie Whitlock

I hope you are well! Thank you for answering my question last week by the way.

Another silly question, but it's been on my mind a lot and haven't found an answer to it online but I genuinely love the idea of working late to close deals and thrive on the long hours of commercial law - it’s actually something I find exciting rather than draining. I know many people don’t feel this way.

If asked in an interview, “Why this firm?”, would it be appropriate to say something like: after speaking to a trainee at [Firm X], I learned they often work late on M&A transactions, and for me personally, that’s exactly the kind of work I enjoy. I’m happy to put in the extra hours and work hard because I find it engaging and fulfilling.

I know this might sound a bit unusual, but I’ve genuinely experienced this during a vacation scheme, often working until 1–2am, and I loved it. Would sharing that experience come across positively in an interview, or could it seem strange to a Partner?

Thank you so much in advance and I hope I make sense in this question!

I'd use that story on a question of how you manage a lot of work, or experienced a set back, then in your final few sentences, show how the experience taught you that you actually like working late hours because the team comes together, you are solving problem, you find it rewarding etc. but don't introduce it for a question on why law or why this firm.

 

[PrayingforaTC2026]

Hi @Abbie Whitlock

I hope you are well! Thank you for answering my question last week by the way.

Another silly question, but it's been on my mind a lot and haven't found an answer to it online but I genuinely love the idea of working late to close deals and thrive on the long hours of commercial law - it’s actually something I find exciting rather than draining. I know many people don’t feel this way.

If asked in an interview, “Why this firm?”, would it be appropriate to say something like: after speaking to a trainee at [Firm X], I learned they often work late on M&A transactions, and for me personally, that’s exactly the kind of work I enjoy. I’m happy to put in the extra hours and work hard because I find it engaging and fulfilling.

I know this might sound a bit unusual, but I’ve genuinely experienced this during a vacation scheme, often working until 1–2am, and I loved it. Would sharing that experience come across positively in an interview, or could it seem strange to a Partner?

Thank you so much in advance and I hope I make sense in this question!

Hey not Abbie, but thought I’d share my thoughts as I really enjoyed reading everyone else’s insights! Based off my experience...

1) In my opinion, showing partners that you don’t just tolerate high-pressure environments but actually thrive in them can be a smart move. The reality is that trainees, associates, and partners (especially at top-tier firms) often work long hours and weekends. I even know people who worked past 1–2am for a full week on a vac scheme.

Being honest that you recognise this (and have experienced it yourself) can come across as authentic. It shows you understand what you’re signing up for and won’t be surprised by a challenging (but expected) part of the job.

2) That said, I’d be careful about how you present it. I personally found these approaches worked well and even got good feedback from partners:

A) Capacity management / pushing yourself to grow
You can talk about how you actively try to get involved in more initiatives because there’s always something new to learn or someone new to meet when you say yes to work. I admitted that saying “no” used to be a challenge but showed how I worked on it. For example, I explained how I prioritised better, recognised when I was reaching capacity, communicated early, and pushed myself beyond my comfort zone in a way that doesn’t lead to overpromising or compromising quality. This way I got to do a lot and was always under pressure when working but also did it in a manageable way where I'm not choosing to suffer all the time.

B) Enjoying the momentum of transactional work
Transactional/corporate teams are very task-driven and goal-oriented. When a deal is close, there’s such a strong sense of momentum where the whole team is pushing towards a shared goal and going above and beyond for the client and the law firm itself. A lot of people genuinely find that intensity exciting and rewarding, so expressing that kind of motivation can resonate well.

 

[jojo23]

Hello everyone with equally screwed up sleeping patterns

Has any body heard from harbottle and lewis for the dtc?

 

[Eriberrie]

Trowers PFO post AC - this one really hurt as I genuinely thought I had it in the bag 😭 😭 😭

What kinda feedback did they give if you don’t mind me asking?

 

[pepsicola96]

I can’t see how staying late to help out would leave a bad impression, particularly when they’re trying to see if you fit in with the team/culture and if you can handle the demand

However mate, don't you think it would leave a worse impression if as a Vac Schemer, I just casually leave the office when my assigned supervisor and Partner were in the same room working on the deal? That would definitely come across worse than staying late, even past 12am.

Can only speak to my vac scheme experience, which wasn't a top US or MC, but still top city firm. The lawyers were definitely there until the AMs, but it was made very clear that we were not expected in the office past 5:30 and it might reflect badly on us if we did.

It was framed to us basically like this:

1) As much as your supervisor is happy to help and has volunteered for this, you are basically a nuisance to them and a drain on their resources. Everything you do they need to check throughly and often redo, they need to be low key observing you and collating feedback. Doing this 9-5 is different from doing this 9-indefinitely, and you're giving an already busy lawyer another thing to think about

2) You'll have been given set tasks and assessments that should be appropriate for the time you have/ a little less than that time. You're welcome to seek out more work or seek out coffee chats when you have spare time, but if you're in the office until 1am we will assume you are disorganised and poor at managing your time.

3) It is meant to be an enjoyable experience, there will be organised socials and there will be informal socials, and after doing 8 hours of work they would rather see you enjoying yourself, networking and immersing in the firm culture than doing another 8 hours of work. There will probably be a morning run club, an evening paddle club, one of the inclusion groups might have a social one evening, after work drinks with your team or just other vac schemers. Reach out to the relevant people running these things, explain you're a vac schemes and you'd love to join in. Far more valuable than sitting at your desk.


Again, just what we were told at my scheme, I can definitely see some of the bigger US firms valuing that type of work ethic, but overall, I think it's really never necessary to be staying that late.

 

[Afuturetrainee]

Hi @Abbie Whitlock thanks so much for all you do on here.

I just wanted to ask what is a good way to answer “why did you choose to study law” or “why law” or “why do you want to become a lawyer”.

I often get confused as I also do not know if they want me to talk about commercial law too. And in all honesty, I chose to study law because my parents wanted me to🫠🫠🫠🫠😭😭 (But I ended up loving it though and I’m on track to graduate with a first).

Do I say that in my application or interview?
Any tips please?

 

[soph107048]

For those who got invited to W&C final interview, how long did it take to hear back post WE?

 

[soph107048]

Anyone not heard from W&C post-WE?

When did you complete it?

 

[Unknowncabbage]

I can’t see how staying late to help out would leave a bad impression, particularly when they’re trying to see if you fit in with the team/culture and if you can handle the demand

Because they always emphasise at the start that you shouldn't be working past 5:30/6PM. If anything your supervisor is just going to be like why an earth are you still here. I get that it can look like you're doing a good thing, but your supervisors and others are unlikely to see it as that.

 

[aspiringtrainee1]

Anybody have insights into Goodwin AC? Can exchange for HL Job Sim, and a bunch of other firms (MC/US/Silver)