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Search results

  1. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    Mistakes are made all the time by trainees and qualified lawyers. It’s not really about the mistakes but more about how you learn from them and try to then not repeat them in revised drafts or in subsequent work. Perfection does not exist and so firms are not looking for it.
  2. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    No more than two pages. If it is just over a page, try to change the formatting so it fits on one page.
  3. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2023-4

    I don’t you think can prepare for it as such. Group exercises are designed in a way that candidates shouldn’t be able to prepare and it is more about reacting to the situation you are presented with and adapting to the dynamics of the group. Just go in with a willingness to collaborate with...
  4. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2023-4

    Amazing news! Congratulations and incredibly well done.
  5. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2023-4

    If you have done most of the application form, why not just apply anyway? You’ve out most of the effort in, I think it is at least worthwhile submitting it - you have nothing to lose by doing so.
  6. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2023-4

    Congratulations! This is fantastic news.
  7. TCLA Community Assistant

    Mitigating Circumstances

    Feel free to private message me with a summary of what you would write and I can advise on this.
  8. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    No - the vast majority of candidates have no form of referral.
  9. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    I would alway look to update application questions, particularly to reflect on your more recent experiences. Even your why Macfarlanes may have been influenced/changed slightly by your experience at the other firm.
  10. TCLA Community Assistant

    Mitigating Circumstances

    Your autism is a mitigating circumstance all the time it is undiagnosed/you were not receiving support for it. We don’t have details of law firms’ graduate recruitment teams. You’d need to contact them directly via their Early Careers website.
  11. TCLA Community Assistant

    Mitigating Circumstances

    Yes and other organisations like the Government Legal Department. There won't be many, but there will be some.
  12. TCLA Community Assistant

    Grades dealbreaker for TC and paralegal?

    That’s a very broad spectrum of firms. Some will be more difficult (those that state they want a strong or high 2.1 for instance) but there are plenty of firms across those categories who won’t be looking for this and you will be able to apply for. Although people like to categorise them these...
  13. TCLA Community Assistant

    Mitigating Circumstances

    You can apply but you may find you have more success when applying once you have graduated/have your third year results. I would personally recommend focusing on your academics and getting them in a strong position rather than investing lots of time into applications this cycle. You may want to...
  14. TCLA Community Assistant

    Mitigating Circumstances

    Any application could be rejected for reasons outside of academic performance. As previously mentioned, firms may also be hesitant to proceed with your application because they cannot determine you are on track for a 2.1/have the ability to perform at this level. However, this is only the...
  15. TCLA Community Assistant

    Grades dealbreaker for TC and paralegal?

    I don't think this is an issue for paralegal roles or legal assistant positions. By the time you'd be applying for those role, you'd also have your final year results too as well as your overall degree classification, which will be far more of interest to employers looking at paralegal and Legal...
  16. TCLA Community Assistant

    Mitigating Circumstances

    Yes, you will still have a chance. Dropping out of uni and starting uni again is not really going to be helpful unless you feel you are not in a position to get your grades up. It does not remove your 1st and 2nd year results, and even if you did drop out, those would still need to be included...
  17. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2023-4

    If you have been asked about any of these aspects elsewhere in the application, then you should not cover them here. It is to cover anything you think is relevant that has not been asked of you to present. This can be anything from mitigating circumstances, explaining academic grades if they are...
  18. TCLA Community Assistant

    Mitigating Circumstances

    You mentioned earlier though that your first year results were not strong because you were not diagnosed and hadn't sought support. Therefore they would cover your first and second years. If you get your third year grades up, you will be able to show your true potential with the support you...
  19. TCLA Community Assistant

    Mitigating Circumstances

    You should always include mitigating circumstances and they will be taken into consideration. The issue is that if your mitigating circumstances cover your entire degree level education period, they cannot determine how much the circumstances have impacted your studies. It is not appropriate for...
  20. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2023-4

    It won’t be an issue to do this. Many people do, it just isn’t necessary. Definitely no need to write to GR to apologise - there is nothing to apologise for.

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