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TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

Waiting on Faegre Drinker post app and Winston & Strawn post WG if anyone has insight plsss I am refreshing my email too much these days

FD just invited me for a Teams interview. It appears to be a manual email, not an Allhires-type mass spam, so you might still have a hope.

I've already marked Winston & S as PFO due to radio silence where others have interviews (note that I am sure I did well on the W&S test, so I suspect they did a fairly mass spam of WGs, and the rejection is based on the application form.)
 
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As I am (sadly) fast running out of options for getting a TC for 2028 I am looking at self-funding the PGDL in September. But I have just read about the Barbri Foundations in Law course which only costs £499 and, they say, is all you need as a non-law graduate before doing the SQE. Seems a bit strange that it’s enough compared to 9 months of PGDL… does anyone have any experience of it please?

hi,
the lifetime learning entitlement starts January 2027, which MIGHT let you borrow for SQE courses skipping PGDL.

You'd have to check the full details on rules though, I only know it's much more flexible than the current system, but I suspect government has cut corners/delayed full roll out, so not 100% on whether it applies for SQE.

so this course (IDK if it's useful) might segue quite neatly into a funded SQE course.
 
As I am (sadly) fast running out of options for getting a TC for 2028 I am looking at self-funding the PGDL in September. But I have just read about the Barbri Foundations in Law course which only costs £499 and, they say, is all you need as a non-law graduate before doing the SQE. Seems a bit strange that it’s enough compared to 9 months of PGDL… does anyone have any experience of it please?
I'd be a bit concerned that law firms would want you to have a much better grounding in law.
 

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