• WIN: Lunch with Willkie Trainees!
    15 Oct 2025 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm (UK) Zoom (registration required)
    Put your knowledge of Willkie Farr & Gallagher to the test in this interactive quiz session. The winner will enjoy lunch with Willkie trainees!
    Register on Zoom →
  • Get Everything You Need to Secure a Training Contract
    Now half the price. Join TCLA Premium for £30/month and get step-by-step application support, daily commercial awareness practice, and 700+ successful examples of past applications and interview experiences. Plus so much more.
    Join Premium →

Search results

  1. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2023-4

    Unfortunately the recruitment team cannot really take it into consideration. They have no understanding of how it may have impacted you, and can’t “calculate” that into your performance. Recruiters will often take the same view as universities where if you go ahead with an assessment, you are...
  2. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2023-4

    I’d ask before the paperwork goes out anyway as it could mean the paperwork need to be changed anyway. I’d expect it to be electronic signatures these days via something like DocuSign, although I could be wrong.
  3. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    What type of question are you worried about?
  4. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    Possibly - it really depends whether they store than information beyond a certain time limit. Rather than being prepared to talk about why you didn’t get the role last time (they will know this if they are aware) I would focus more on how you feel you have developed your skill set or...
  5. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    There isn’t “a” right answer - there are multiple ways in which you can determine what a competitor is or how you would measure it, and so there could be lots of “right” answers.
  6. TCLA Community Assistant

    Pressure to secure a vac scheme in second year

    Most non law applicants don’t secure something until at least their final year. It is only a small number of firms that take on non law students in their penultimate year, so if anything you are still super early in this process
  7. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    If they are in a legal environment or one with strong cross over into the industry (eg working in other regulated industries an accountancy firm or investment bank) it would also need to be declared for conflict of interest purposes.
  8. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    If it’s a private arrangement with the company you owe money too, this is still okay too. You ar managing your debt through organising the arrangement.
  9. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2023-4

    You can ask - they used to operate a wait list to change start dates.
  10. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    Highly unlikely to be an issue. You can have a low credit score and qualify. It would only be if you had legal action against you or you went for something like bankruptcy that it would be an issue. Most people working in law firms have defaulted on some kind of payment at some point.
  11. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    No set answer on this as it will be firm dependent. But ultimately Graduate Recruitment look at the evidence from assessments and general feedback - they don’t just make the decision off their own opinion. Their feedback may contribute to the decision but it won’t be the only feedback considered.
  12. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    Unlikely, although it could happen if the question was particularly pertinent. What I would stress is most candidates think their answers are much worse than what the interviewers think they were though.
  13. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    No - it would only be CCJs or something of this nature you may need to disclose, and even then it would only be for SRA purposes rather than the firm’s onboarding.
  14. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2023-4

    No - they provide the same end point of qualification. If anything the apprenticeship will have given you a slightly longer period of work experience, but you come out with exactly the sam qualification point at a “traditional” TC.
  15. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2023-4

    £26,500 will be similar to many paralegal roles, which the first 6 months or so of a graduate apprenticeship will be comparative too. I'd really look at how the salary progresses throughout the programme as it should be similar to a trainee salary, particularly within 12 months of starting...
  16. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    I wouldn’t signpost. I would write it as if someone hasn’t got the time to read the article.
  17. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    Transferring a VS offer directly to a TC offer isn’t common (although not unknown). Most firms will just transfer you to the direct TC hiring process - it maybe that you can be fast tracked through this if you completed similar assessments for the VS, but it’s likely you will need to be...
  18. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    Most common: client work. Graduate recruitment haven’t got the feedback from the fee earning assessors as they have been pulling several late nights to do fee earning work. Incredibly common: illness/absence All it takes is for someone to be off ill unexpectedly or people to take time off...
  19. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2023-4

    Amazing news! Congratulations!
  20. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    I would take the invite to their open day that they saw potential in you for a future application, so although this isn't the outcome you would have hoped for, it is the next best alternative! Well done on securing the open day - not everyone will have been offered that.

About Us

The Corporate Law Academy (TCLA) was founded in 2018 because we wanted to improve the legal journey. We wanted more transparency and better training. We wanted to form a community of aspiring lawyers who care about becoming the best version of themselves.

Newsletter

Discover the most relevant business news, access our law firm analysis, and receive our best advice for aspiring lawyers.

    Share this page

    Community platform by XenForo® © 2010-2022 XenForo Ltd. | Style and add-ons by ThemeHouse | Community services from Audentio
    XenCarta 2 PRO © Jason Axelrod of 8WAYRUN
    Top Bottom