• 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 Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    Interviews (of all kinds) tend to be one of the least likely assessments to predict performance in the role! But no one has really found an alternative way of assessing people fairly that people like doing (whether it’s the candidates or the interviewers), especially assessments that don’t need...
  2. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    This isn’t standard practice but it is very normal. They need to ensure there are no conflict issues and that your current employer is okay with you working their law firm. Many people have to give explicit consent as most employment contracts would have a term in it that yours have to declare...
  3. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    Most people haven’t worked at the level of a trainee in a law firm so wouldn’t have experience to tackle a real life situation they would face as a trainee (not that you’d have one of those in an interview). So relying on past experience from any environment could be a more consistent way of...
  4. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    No - this won’t be a problem. It’s fairly common for people to step back from responsibilities in their final year.
  5. TCLA Community Assistant

    D&I and Representation

    That is a possibility although makes the assumption that women favour women (some evidence to suggest women’s harshest critics are other women). It also makes the assumption that men are not involved in the recruitment process.
  6. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    Their ears must have been burning!!
  7. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    Not necessarily, but at the same time you can't guarantee they will be the same next year, so this is somewhat of a risky approach.
  8. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    Lack of motivation (just have seemed less engaged/interested in the work) Lack of the right skills - whether its drafting, time management, analytical thinking, commercial awareness Seem better suited to other firms Have a particular interest in certain areas of work that the firm can't provide...
  9. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    Of course - that would be doing something as it would be developing transferable skills.
  10. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    You can ask - but the firm can say no, especially if the timing of the interview is going to clash with their own assessments. Your better bet is to ask the interviewing firm whether they can provide an alternative date where you are attending a vacation scheme. If they cannot offer an...
  11. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    When your time is recorded, this is pretty much every meeting a lawyer goes into....
  12. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    Speak to the firm first - they may be able to offer a virtual AC. It won't put the firm off (although they maybe slightly disappointed you didn't raise this before booking in), but it could be a fairly easy solution where they offer it to you. If they don't offer it to you, you can ask how much...
  13. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    Whole host of reasons why this could be the case - I really wouldn't worry about it.
  14. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    I would mention you had looked at their LinkedIn profile before saying this but its not a problem to do so - I have had similar things pop up in interviews from time to time.
  15. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    When you say "not do anything" I think this would lower your chances - you would need to be seen to be doing something, whether this is work, study, training or even something like travelling. They will want to see you are actively looking to improve yourself, and so if there was "nothing" in...
  16. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    It isn't you, it is them - the vacancy no longer exists and so there is no point bringing you forward for it.
  17. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    It depends on the firm's policy. Some will give you to mid September to accept, others may only give you 4 weeks. However, you can accept and then renege on an offer as long as you have not started any onboarding processes for the GDL/LPC/SQE or have received any financial support from the firm.
  18. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    This is tricky then. I would suggest resting up until the assessment centre and then trying to attend on the basis you are well enough to travel into the office and that you aren't going to be contagious. I understand you may not still be feeling 100% and that you may be concerned about how it...
  19. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    You could chase one last time to see if it was just missed, but sometimes recruitment can be like this unfortunately, especially when they are individual roles rather than programmes.
  20. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    Do you still need help with this? If so, please feel free to PM me with your name/email address and I can ask the team to contact you.

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.