• 📅 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. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    Huge congrats @weupin2025 🥳 🥳 🥳 ! I'm glad I could be of help and so happy to see you seem to have found a perfect fit with the firm :)
  2. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    I think it might make sense to just send an email to SM asking whether you could reschedule for a later day. I would advise you not to mention the reason or that if you to to keep it vague (something like 'personal circumstances' perhaps?) as just mentioning another possible AC is not...
  3. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    If you are interested in just making partner, the easiest firm to do that at should be Kirkland. This might strike you as difficult to believe, but it is likely true, as Kirkland is known to have a policy to automatically promote every associate at 6 PQE to the status of non equity partner...
  4. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    I had an AC with a written exercise which was (quite to my surprise at the time) in handwritten format. It a included a proofreading task but also a more case-study type one, with a bundle of documents which we had to read through, summarize, and then argue for a recommendation based on them. My...
  5. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    From what I know the default rule is that the summer applications are still considered to be a different cycle to the one that starts in Autumn, so I think generally you would not have an issue with reapplying. However, it may be worthwhile to take a look at the firm's FAQ on applications as...
  6. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    Hi @arando I have linked here a thread where this topic was discussed in a lot of depth by forum members. I will also quote bellow a number of posts with useful advice to consider.
  7. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2024-5

    Hi @billyonthespeeddial If you can think of a plausible way to feature it into an email (perhaps informing them of unavailability for future dates?) I think you should do it. My view has always been that having a firm know about other VS offers can significantly increase your progression chances...
  8. Andrei Radu

    explaining interest in a recent deal?

    Hi @awatling1 I definitely empathize with your struggles here - I used to find researching and discussing a deal to be one of the most difficult parts of writing an application. However, I now think I was making it more complicated that it needed to be. On the one hand, at a very macro level, no...
  9. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    Hi @Lawlife5 this is a great question and I do empathize with your struggle. My answer is that I did not did not memorize all of my answers and I do not think you should aim to either. In truth, I did not exactly memorize any given answer. I initially tried to for the big three motivational...
  10. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    While in general direct TC applications are more competitive than VS applications, I think you should go for it. I know people with similar levels of legal experience who managed to secure TCs in this way - perhaps partly because most people concentrate all of their applications efforts in the...
  11. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    Hi @zoobla20 just jumping in before @Jessica Booker can come back to you, in my view you should apply for vacation schemes rather than direct TCs unless one of the three following conditions apply: You have more extensive experience working in the legal field (paralegal roles, previous vacation...
  12. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    Hi @pepsicola96 I just wanted to say that I do not think having a graduate job in another field would make it seem like you are not committed to law. In my vacation schemes I have met people who had had a wide variety of graduate jobs, from sales & trading and consulting to pharmaceuticals...
  13. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    I think it would be and you definitely are not expected to have any direct experience working in the PE industry. Getting PE roles is notoriously difficult even for the people that have spent some time in IB roles at top bulge bracket banks like Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan. Getting internships...
  14. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    You are completely right, just realised I wrote 2025 instead of 2026 by mistake in my other post, corrected it now 😅. Also, besides this, since a substantial number of the law undergrads who applied will have been penultimate years, they will also have the final year to finish in 2025 and thus...
  15. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    I would. Besides this definitely being valuable legal work experience, having a VS offer is a very impressive achievement that will immediately distinguish you from the majority of other applicants. Essentially, I believe it has the effect of instantly communicating to graduate recruitment that...
  16. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    If they advertise a TC commencing in 2027, they likely want you to start the SQE in 2026, so as to study together with your trainee cohort and to be able to start the job immediately afterwards. For the second questions, they may be able to consider switching you to the 2026 cohort; but from my...
  17. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    Just jumping in before @Ram Sabaratnam can also come back to you, I would say the default expectation is that you would have some legal work experience when applying for a direct TC, but that comes with two important caveats: That experience can be a whole lot less substantial than you would...
  18. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    Hi @Ali2020 I am sorry to hear about this, it is a uniquely frustrating situation. Some firms have an expectation that constant monitoring of inbox and spam folders is an applicant's responsibility; while others will be more understanding (as missing a spam-classified email happens to anyone...
  19. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    I think normally it is not. For the majority of WG tests I did either did not have any time cap and weighing of time taken in scores; or it had a time limit (of around 30-45 minutes) but it only meant the test would automatically stop at the end. I know there are some tests which do not have any...
  20. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    I think it looks more suspect general reputation-wise in the case it is found out, but I doubt a firm would ever go to the trouble of reporting you because of this. Moreover, as Jessica said before, I do not think the SRA would act upon such a complaint, and even if they did, I struggle to think...

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