• 📅 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

    Hi @Izzy1026! So I've listed bellow a number of tips for improving VI performance. In terms of how to 'prepare', I would advise you to simulate VI conditions and then record yourself, exactly as you would in the actual exercise. Prepare really well for the big 3 (Why commercial law, Why the...
  2. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    Hi @abhuzaifa! I actually wrote a comprehensive post on this recently, I have quoted it bellow. However, if you have any further questions about VIs or DLA Piper I am very happy to discuss that :)!
  3. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    @ashwright I do not remember very well, but I think it was roughly 1 month to 1 month and a half (I applied in December, but the open day was only taking place in March). I would not expect there to be another interview stage for the open day - even the VI element at the end of the SJT is rather...
  4. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    I think whether your chances would be higher or not largely depends on the number of people the firm takes on the vacation scheme and the number of TC the firm is looking to offer. If the vacation scheme places/available TC places is higher at the second firm, I would not necessarily assume you...
  5. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    I would not be too concerned about it. Because of the nature of these test, you have to have lowest scoring category. However, that tells you nothing about (i) whether the lowest score is above, at, or above the specific firm's benchmark; and (ii) whether in conjunction with the other scores you...
  6. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    Anecdotally, the vast majority of applications are submitted in the last 3-4 days before the deadline, so I think your application will not be significantly disadvantaged because of the time of submission. However, if you just want to maximize success chances, applying for the summer scheme is...
  7. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    When I went for an open day at Latham two years ago there were roughly 50 attendees.
  8. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    @Jessica Booker will be able to tell you more, but the way I interpret this question is similar to a 'Tell me about the skills and experiences that make you fit for the role'. I think a structure you can employ is: Describe an experience using the STAR structure. Explain what skill/relevant...
  9. Andrei Radu

    difference between legal sectors and practices

    Essentially, 'practice areas' are categories used to divide the different types of work lawyers do, while sectors refer to the different types of economic activity the work of law firm relates to. Thus, practice areas are separated between: Transactional practice areas (like corporate M&A...
  10. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    I agree with @Jessica Booker, many times when applicants attempt not to mention the name of a firm they worked at the writing just looks slightly odd. I think many people tend to wrongly assume that showing interactions/experience with other firms is undesirable because it looks like you are not...
  11. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    I completely agree with @Jessica Booker, take a look at the language to see if the timing is an assessment factor. If you think the answer is yes, I would advise you to consider emailing the graduate recruitment team about your technical issues. In almost every situation of this sort I have been...
  12. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    I have quoted bellow here some posts I wrote detailing both (i) my further research sources beyond the ones you mentioned; and (ii) my thinking process in determining what to look out for when trying to analyse a firm's practice areas beyond Chambers/Legal 500 rankings. I think you may find them...
  13. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    Hi @AS24! So my top two tips for succeeding in the WG are the following: Pay attention to the technical meanings and rules of the specific concepts employed in each section and limit your reliance on purely intuitive judgement. Read carefully the instructions for each section and note them down...
  14. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    So for headings, I would just put the name of the event and that of the organizer as the 'Employer' and 'Attendee/Participant' as 'Job Title'. For the main bit, I think you should just employ the normal STAR structure, with some tweaks to try to show the experience in the best light...
  15. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    Hi Hamzah, it's great to meet you too :)! TCLA's policy is to try to keep all discussions on the forum unless it is concerns very personal issues and circumstances. Firstly, this is so everyone else can get the benefit of reading our posts. Secondly, it is so that other people can get involved...
  16. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    Maybe @Jessica Booker will be able to tell you more. However, when we were last discussing this topic on the forum it seemed like there wasn't any way of determining what is a stand-out score because it is simply too specific to each test. There were a number of reasons for this: Different...
  17. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    Hi @studentdelaw786, I attended an Open Day at Davis Polk last year, subsequently completed a vacation scheme and then signed a TC with the firm. I would be glad to answer any of your more specific questions about Davis Polk, but just to share some general insights about the firm's unique...
  18. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    Given the extent of your WG practice, I would again advise you to maybe do one or two practice tests more at most to test your performance with a more technical-focused strategy. Beyond that, as I think applications (and to an extent WG performances) are in big part a number's game, I would...
  19. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    Unfortunately it is impossible to tell if they have simply not yet considered your application or considered it and determined an outcome but have simply failed to communicate it yet. However, I would not be too quick to assume rejection, as W&C is known to host multiple ACs throughout the...
  20. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    Unfortunately the rather frustrating answer here is that it depends on the specific firm. Some firms, such as Latham and Linklaters, are known to have a different assessment track for VS applicants who attended an Open Day. Anecdotally, for some other firms attending an open day does not seem to...
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