Has anyone received a July vac scheme offer from SH? Haven't heard anything from them 
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TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26
- Thread starter Ram Sabaratnam
- Start date
I just applied to Haynes and Boone and realised I wouldn't even be able to do the VS because it's from 1 - 26th June, and I have exams 
@Abbie Whitlock thank you for all your insights on the vac scheme process!
I had one quick question to ask. Should men wear a tie to the vac scheme at all? I have heard that is likely to be considered too formal and may appear out of place, so wanted to check in and confirm that no tie is the most appropriate way to go, or if one should still be worn on the first day at least.
Thank you in advance!
I had one quick question to ask. Should men wear a tie to the vac scheme at all? I have heard that is likely to be considered too formal and may appear out of place, so wanted to check in and confirm that no tie is the most appropriate way to go, or if one should still be worn on the first day at least.
Thank you in advance!
Hey!
No problem at all!!
I would agree with @Bah Bah Pink Sheep! I don't think it would look out of place, and it could be a good idea to wear one on the first day so that you can get a better idea of what the 'norm' is in the firm. On most of the vacation schemes I have been on, most of the men on the scheme didn't wear ties beyond the first day, but I would always dress as professional as you can on the first day just in case.
However, if you don't wear one, I don't think that'll be a problem either - as long as you look smart and professional, I think it is a matter of personal preference!
Hey!
I would probably still lean towards prose overall, as it tends to flow better and lets you show a bit more reflection. However, bullet points can work well too - I would just make sure that they are not too brief! You still need to go into enough depth and clearly outline your role, responsibilities, and the skills/insights you gained, rather than just listing tasks.
In relation to writing about lots of roles, I think this is fine to do them in paragraphs as not every experience will need to hit the full 250 words. As long as you cover the key points and everything you include adds value to your application, it is better to be concise even if you don't hit the full word limit
Urgent help please! I accidentally locked myself out of the allhires portal after too many password attempts. Does anyone know what I can do?
Hi everyone happy Easter! 
I have a few questions.
How does everyone make sure that they stay concise and be specific when doing competency interviews? That’s a feedback I keep getting.. I need to be concise and specific.
Also, one more question. In a competency interview, when they ask about a time you made a mistake- I was going to bring up how I relied on assumption in work that a document has been submitted for a file.. instead of verifying.. and that is a mistake as we didn’t have the document etc.. and what actions I took from and how I solved it.. is this a good mistake or does it have to be a GRAVE mistake? Thank you everyone
happy Easter! I have a few questions.
How does everyone make sure that they stay concise and be specific when doing competency interviews? That’s a feedback I keep getting.. I need to be concise and specific.
Also, one more question. In a competency interview, when they ask about a time you made a mistake- I was going to bring up how I relied on assumption in work that a document has been submitted for a file.. instead of verifying.. and that is a mistake as we didn’t have the document etc.. and what actions I took from and how I solved it.. is this a good mistake or does it have to be a GRAVE mistake? Thank you everyone
Thank you Abbie this is helpful and insightful. These are really good points you mentioned and it will help with my application a lot. I never thought about mentioning the bit about pro bono that is a good point to discuss.Hi!
This is a good question, and you are right to be mindful of sounding repetitive - however, I'd say that these two questions are asking for slightly different things.
For the vacation scheme question, I'd think of it more in terms of exploration. You don't need to be set on these areas long-term - instead, I'd focus on what you are curious about and why you'd like exposure to them during the scheme. It is completely fine to say that you are still exploring your interests, and you can frame your answer around wanting to gain insight into a couple different areas to better understand where your strengths and interests lie.
You can also broaden this beyond just practice areas. For example, you might mention an interest in learning more about the pro bono work the firm does, client or international secondments, or business development at the firm. The graduate recruitment team might use these answers to help shape sessions during the scheme, so it is a good opportunity to show curiosity about the wider workings of the firm, not just the legal work itself.
For the training contract / specialisation question, the expectation is slightly different and I'd say you should try to show a more considered and developed interest. That doesn't mean you have to be 100% decided (+ I would avoid sounding completely set on an area), but you should be able to explain why certain areas appeal to you and how that ties into your past experiences, skills, interests, and longer-term career goals.
It is absolutely fine if there is some overlap in the areas you mention, but the angle of your answer should be different - one is about what you want to learn, and the other is more about where you think you'll fit long-term
How would people go about answering:
- Tell us everything you know about the firm
Hey!Hi everyone
I have a few questions.
How does everyone make sure that they stay concise and be specific when doing competency interviews? That’s a feedback I keep getting.. I need to be concise and specific.
Also, one more question. In a competency interview, when they ask about a time you made a mistake- I was going to bring up how I relied on assumption in work that a document has been submitted for a file.. instead of verifying.. and that is a mistake as we didn’t have the document etc.. and what actions I took from and how I solved it.. is this a good mistake or does it have to be a GRAVE mistake? Thank you everyone
Happy Easter!
I would say that being "more concise and specific" usually comes down to tightening your structure, rather than saying less overall. A good way to approach competency answers is to try to keep the situation and task explanation quite brief, and then focus most of your time on your actions and the overall result. Essentially, you only want to discuss the situation/task in enough detail to provide context of the actions you took and the reflections you can make as a result. Therefore, I would try to only include details that directly demonstrate the skill that they are assessing - if something doesn't add clear evidence or relate to that skill, I'd say it is probably okay to cut it! It can also help to check whether someone else could easily summarise your example in a few lines, and if not, then you may be including too much background. I definitely used to do this too, as I always wanted to give as much context as possible, but the interviewers will usually be assessing the actions you took and the reflections you make, rather than the way you describe the situation itself.
In relation to your second question, I'd say your example sounds absolutely fine! It doesn't need to be a serious or grave mistake to work well, and it is often better when it is a realistic and professional one like this. What matters is that you can clearly explain what went wrong, take ownership, and show what you learned from the situation (+ what you would do differently if the situation arose again). Your example works well as it shows awareness of attention to detail and the importance of verification, which are both really relevant traits in the legal context.
I would say that the key part is how you frame your answer - briefly explain the mistake (without overemphasising it), focus on the steps that you took to fix the issue, and then highlight what you changed going forward (for example, implementing a habit or system to double-check documents). The interviewers will be much more interested in your judgment and ability to learn from the situation, rathe than the severity of the mistake itself.
I hope that assists!
Hey!
This is a really interesting question, and it sounds really open-ended which can seem quite overwhelming. However, I don't think the firm is looking for you to list everything, and I'd say it is more about how well you understand the firm and whether you can prioritise what matters.
A good way to approach this question is to be selective and structured with what you include. Rather than trying to cover everything, I would focus on a few key areas that genuinely differentiate the firm in the market. For example, you might touch on its core practice areas, standout deals or clients, international presence (if relevant), and anything distinctive about its culture or strategy. Additionally, I would avoid just naming these things, and make sure that you briefly show that you understand why they matter for the firm.
It also helps to make it feel like a cohesive and well-rounded answer, rather than a list. I would think of it as telling a short story about the firm - for example, what it does, what it is known for, and what sets it apart from its competitors. Finally, where you can, I would link points that you make back to why they are interesting or relevant as this shows that you aren't just repeating research from the firm's website, but that you are actually engaging with it.
Best of luck with the application!
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