• 📅 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

    I completely agree with @Jessica Booker's advice - waiting to attend an open day and then mentioning that in the application is very unlikely to hurt your chances. Firms generally prefer applicants who attended open days and as such, although the application process might be rolling, they will...
  2. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    I think it's generally better to give names, as from the recruiter's perspective this is evidence you have actually interacted with the firm and that you have also taken care to remember the people you have spoken to. However, I do agree with @Amma Usman's point that in the case of future...
  3. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2024-5

    I think it's in big part just a supply-demand issue: there has been an exponential increase in the number of applicants, but there hasn't been a anything close to a proportional increase in the number of places available at top firms. When firms are getting 50 or 100 applicants per spot, they...
  4. Andrei Radu

    Good response to Norton Rose Fulbright

    Hi there! I've quoted bellow a recent answer to the same question which I think may be very helpful. To that, I would add that if you can choose a sector for which NRF's well recognised, your answer will be even better. For instance, if you will find some type of ranking/award in the legal press...
  5. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    I could not find any specific information about this on their website, but I remember that last year you could complete it after the deadline as well.
  6. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    I think the way you should interpret this is a 'Why you?' question. Essentially, what you want to do is to discuss your experiences and achievements, the skills/attributes that these experiences demonstrate, and how these skills/attributes are relevant for the work of a trainee. You do not have...
  7. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    I had the same issue in my first application cycle, but despite a significant increase in workload in my second cycle, I was still able to invest a lot more time into my applications. I think this was mainly possible because of the following: Prioritization: I decided that besides keeping my...
  8. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    I think last year it was after the initial application review. I'm unsure whether they have kept the same policy for this cycle, I haven't found any relevant information on their website. That said, if it took more than a couple of days since you submitted the application to receive the WG...
  9. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2024-5

    I completely agree with you that posting about the bad news is as valuable as posting about the success stories. When I was facing straight rejections in all my applications in my first cycle, one of the most disheartening experiences was perceiving myself as uniquely unworthy, as I was seeing...
  10. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2024-5

    Hi there! I would definitely reach out if I were you. The only times I have heard of incorrect information in the application form becoming a serious issue during pre-employment checks was either when (a) there was a very significant discrepancy between the truth and the information on the form...
  11. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2024-5

    Hi there! I completely understand your frustration - there's only so much that you can do to prepare for WG/SJTs tests. Last year I also exhausted most of the online preparation resources for these tests and my results were still inconsistent. With some firms I was scoring well into the 90h...
  12. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    I've answered a similar query about this DLA Piper question recently - I've quoted my answer bellow, I hope you'll find it helpful.
  13. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    I think a 300 words cap should not dissuade you from writing about two practice areas. With a sufficiently concise writing style and a good structure, you should have enough space to show both your knowledge of the firm's practice and the reasons behind your interest in that area of commercial...
  14. Andrei Radu

    A Guide to Building a Winning Application Strategy

    Hi there! Essentially this question blends in (i) why commercial law, (ii) why an apprenticeship specifically, rather than the TC route; and (iii) why this firm. Thus, you have the option to do three roughly 100 words paragraphs on each question or to write a longer one or two paragraphs...
  15. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    Firstly, while some firms may also have strengths in the same practice ares as SPB has, it is unlikely that there will be many firms having strengths in the same exact suite of practice areas like SPB. For instance, Quinn Emmanuel, Slaughter and May, and Debevoise all have strong contentious...
  16. Andrei Radu

    Ask 4 future trainees ANYTHING! *New TCLA Team Members*

    I definitely agree with @Jessica Booker's answer. I think it would be best to avoid discussing the same experiences and achievements. I would choose the most relevant experiences for "Why commercial law?", "Why the firm?", "Why me to?" and discuss them in detail in the cover letter. I would not...
  17. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2024-5

    @Jessica Booker will definitely be able to tell you a lot more about this, but just to offer some of my thoughts beforehand: Yes, this can sometimes happen, although not very often in absence of other contributing factors. At all the four firms I did a vacation scheme this year, the firm's...
  18. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    Hi there! I've listed some of the headline Covington USPs identified in the recent profile TCLA published for the firm: At the intersection of law and politics Specialist focus in life sciences High-stakes, high-profilepro bono Experts in technology regulation Close-knit community focused on...
  19. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    Hi, I've listed bellow some of the USPs identified by TCLA's writers in HL's profile: Formed of a highly successful US-UK merger: here you could discuss this USP in the context of the recent merger of A&O and Sherman Sterling, where it is unclear whether the newly formed A&O Sherman will be...
  20. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

    I doubt you need transcripts if they are not asked for specifically. I did not add any transcripts in my DLA application and was still invited to the AC. I can only think of one application form I completed which asked for transcripts (I think it was V&E's) and even then it was not a mandatory...

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