• 📅 Vacation Scheme Applications 2025–26

    Planning to apply for winter, spring or summer vacation schemes? Join our dedicated threads for support, deadlines, and discussion:

    Let’s make this your strongest application season yet 💼

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  1. WillkieGemma

    Ask Willkie Farr & Gallagher Anything!

    Hi @lawyerletsgo no, they can be from any aspect of your life, whether sports, drama, music, university societies, positions of responsibility, pro bono, community based work etc etc. You don't have to have transferrable skills in this section, simply state what you did and the results.
  2. WillkieGemma

    Ask Willkie Farr & Gallagher Anything!

    Hi @1barkeb it's not a silly question! We don't look for legal w/e, so you don't need to wait. You can nclude the upcoming work experience, and under the description simply write "Work placement will start on x December 2023 for x weeks/days" - you don't need to complete the section if you...
  3. WillkieGemma

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    Hi @LawLife , my emails do say you will hear back from us within 15 working days from the deadline, which would mean you would hear from us, at the latest, tomorrow close of business.
  4. WillkieGemma

    Ask Willkie Farr & Gallagher Anything!

    Hi @MayaM0921 around 50% of our current and future trainees were working/had worked as paralegals when they applied. This is largely due to the fact that in 2021, our first year of recruitment, we were recruiting for trainees to start in 2021 and 2022 and so the applicants tended to be a little...
  5. WillkieGemma

    Ask Willkie Farr & Gallagher Anything!

    Definitely!!!! When you've completed the ffirst draft of your app, think to yourself, 'does this highlight all the brilliant things I have done, whether work, academics or anything else?'. Include everything!
  6. WillkieGemma

    Ask Willkie Farr & Gallagher Anything!

    Hi @user9809 - rather than looking for interests, employers are looking for extracurriculars to which you've added value or committed to, whether that is sports, drama, pro bono, voluntary, community work, music, entrepreneurial activities etc etc.
  7. WillkieGemma

    Ask Willkie Farr & Gallagher Anything!

    The firm will be looking for an answer which demonstrates that you are interested in pursuing a career at that firm as a solicitor. So, it would be a well written answer which demonstrates good research into the firm. I would take exactly the same approach to this answer as I would to a 'why...
  8. WillkieGemma

    Ask Willkie Farr & Gallagher Anything!

    Hi @allwillbewell - what question do you mean?
  9. WillkieGemma

    Ask Willkie Farr & Gallagher Anything!

    Hi @babylawyer1942 - we don't ask for them.
  10. WillkieGemma

    Ask Willkie Farr & Gallagher Anything!

    Hi @gricole again, sorry for the delay in replying, I have been on annual leave. 1. You should include all your work experience, my CV includes my entire career history since graduation. If open days in 2017 have continued to inform your applications, and you can say something meaningful...
  11. WillkieGemma

    Ask Willkie Farr & Gallagher Anything!

    Hi @EileenBZeng sorry for the delay, I've been on annual leave. I think you can focus on whatever you like, but it needs to be on area(s) that are carried out by the office you are applying to. If a law firm is ultra ultra focussed on digital innovation, then yes, mention it (if this is a...
  12. WillkieGemma

    Ask Willkie Farr & Gallagher Anything!

    Hi @taliagibson I think you may have posted this on the wrong thread?
  13. WillkieGemma

    Ask Willkie Farr & Gallagher Anything!

    Hi @KWilliams The only advice is not to lie - if they've asked you a direct question, then you need to answer truthfully. Everyone has blips on their academic CV here and there - I can't think of any firm where this would be an automatic rejection. thanks! Gemma
  14. WillkieGemma

    Ask Willkie Farr & Gallagher Anything!

    Hi @MayaM0921 You need to give a fresh answer, or at least further elaborate on the points made in the application form. Application form answers are only 250 words generally, so my hope would be that you would have more than 250 words to say about the career or the firm you're applying to...
  15. WillkieGemma

    Ask Willkie Farr & Gallagher Anything!

    Hi @al97 Jess has summed this up perfectly!
  16. WillkieGemma

    Ask Willkie Farr & Gallagher Anything!

    Hi @al97 We don't have any direct TC applications, as we only recruit via the vac scheme. Okay, I'll try to answer as best I can. The first, and most important thing to bear in mind, is that no firm operates a quota/split system. @Jessica Booker will back me up on this! Firms simply...
  17. WillkieGemma

    Ask Willkie Farr & Gallagher Anything!

    Aw thank you!
  18. WillkieGemma

    Ask Willkie Farr & Gallagher Anything!

    HI @wenshangfang - yes you do. I'm afraid if you don't list them, grad recruiters will simply think you haven't done well in your modules and that is why they are not included.
  19. WillkieGemma

    Ask Willkie Farr & Gallagher Anything!

    Hi @Rach_H your question is absolutely not dumb - a promise is a really ridiculous concept on an application form. I would interpret this as any type of commitment, whether committing to a project/job/task at hand. I would absolutely not use the personal promise (I think that is no...
  20. WillkieGemma

    Ask Willkie Farr & Gallagher Anything!

    Thank you, I did! I think they are looking for you to have clearly researched their firm and training programme and display a realistic view of the challenges you will face as a trainee (not as an associate or partner), with clear solutions (or examples in the past where you have had similar...

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