• 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

    If you have been given three minutes to answer a question, I would try to at least cover two of the three minutes if you can. This wont always be necessary, but given you have a greater amount of time, you can afford provide a bit more detail/rationale/analysis to make our answer have more...
  2. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    I don’t think only talking about 1 sector is a bad thing, especially given the answer is only 250 words and there are multiple questions you have to answer within it. Just be mindful that employment law may not be considered a sector (sectors are usually groups of industries), it may be more of...
  3. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    Yes - it is okay to do this, especially if they are as you have suggested key words rather than a script/written out sentences.
  4. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    If these are interview questions, this is about identifying your USPs, whether they are your skill set or your motivations. A USP does not have to be something complete unique that applies to only you - think about it more than your combination of USPs is likely to be something no one (or very...
  5. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    I personally think you cannot prepare much for these exercises - they are purposely designed so that you shouldn’t need to as otherwise individual people in the group would have a direct advantage. Just go in with an open mindset, be flexible or adaptable in your approach to the task...
  6. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    Firstly, you don’t need to link it to the firm unless explicitly asked in the question. You don’t necessarily need to show the impact either (the question is not asking this). One approach is to read/listen to the article or story across different news platforms/forms of media and then create...
  7. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    Try to look at the camera. It is completely cheesy and I sound bonkers for suggesting it (but it works!) - draw a smiley face on a post it note and stick is either as close to or just behind your camera to give you something to focus on. The smiley face also encourages you to smile and remind...
  8. TCLA Community Assistant

    International Students right to work during the Winter/Spring vacation scheme

    I have only heard it happening a few times by either: 1) the students gets a letter of exemption from the university - however most universities seem to avoid this now for fear of being audited on this and risking losing their international sponsorship visa licence (this happened to London Met...
  9. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    a lot of firms won’t have this term in the offer as they won’t feel it is enforceable (where you are not employed with them until you start your TC). Other firms will put it in as a deterrent though so they try to retain the offered talent.
  10. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    Application or interview questions?
  11. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    It’s difficult to give a particular answer to this without knowing the detail of the specific question. But ultimately asking whether deadlines can change is a very normal part of a trainee’s time management skills. It maybe that the answer is no to an extension request though, so for these...
  12. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    STAR only really works for one example competency question answers (eg “tell me about a time you have….”). Given the multiple aspects of this question, you will only have the ability to reference the skills or interests and briefly where you have gained them from rather than describing those...
  13. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    Will be tomorrow
  14. TCLA Community Assistant

    Ask A Graduate Recruiter Anything!

    There’s a really useful diagram as to how it works and the timescales here: https://www.slaughterandmay.com/media/rs2jvepv/the-city-consortium-solicitor-training-programme.pdf You would complete the PGDL before the CC course though.
  15. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    I don’t have any templates, but I think using headings will be fine.
  16. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    8 points would have been far too many to explain. I would aim for no more than 3, maybe 4 at an absolute push. You can alway make your three points and then conclude by saying something like “ I am also interested in X, Y and Z, but the three main reasons are those I have discussed”. That always...
  17. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    Here is a good starting point: https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/topics/business-management/partner-content/key-trends-shaping-the-future-for-lawyers-in-2024 However I would try to focus more on what might be impacting the specific type of firm you have the AC with.
  18. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    You can reference experiences but you just don’t need the detail of what you did in those experience. Explain the correlation to the firm you are applying to rather than the detail of your experience. Similarly, I sense you are going into detail about the deals or awards. You don’t need to do...
  19. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    I would try and get it down to about half of this time if you can. I suspect you are either 1) going off on too many tangents - keep your answer more focused on key points rather than lots of detail 2) trying to anticipating presenting other evidence in this answer - for instance, trying to...
  20. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

    Unless they asked whether you had reapplied within the application, they wouldn’t necessarily know it was a reapplication, and therefore wouldn’t be lookin for anything any different to any other applicant. If they have asked in the application, then they may focus on the evidence in your...

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