• 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 2022-23

    Yes, I have recruited many career changers in my time and still seem them regularly via TCLA and my professional network. That includes people who have worked in accountancy. Your experience will be considered as work experience - just not legal work experience. The main challenge for career...
  2. TCLA Community Assistant

    Moving law firms post training

    I would say that is when many people do move. But I don’t think it’s necessarily easier - it’s just that’s where there is higher levels of movement. How easy it will be will again depend on the specific market you are in at that time.
  3. TCLA Community Assistant

    Possible mitigating circumstance?

    I know you may see it as unfair but they cannot retrospectively apply circumstances - this is exceptionally common in most universities as they cannot determine how the circumstances impacted you. You are talking to the wrong department about a reference. The disability/accessibility office...
  4. TCLA Community Assistant

    Moving law firms post training

    How easy it is depends on a lot of variables. It will depend on where you qualify into, the demand of lawyers in that area at the time you need to move, the quality of the work you do as a trainee, the networks you build up, even things completely out of your control - all it takes is a partner...
  5. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2022-23

    Generally you fund it yourself. Some firms may give you an additional bursary (often means tested too) to partly pay for accommodation, but most firms would argue their salary should cover accommodation (which I know can be difficult for short-term accommodation)
  6. TCLA Community Assistant

    Chances at a training contract

    Particularly if there were extentuating circumstances, then yes. You will need to explain the circumstances in applications and you may also want to line up a good written reference from your colleague if you can, especially if they knew about the circumstances and can vouch for your true...
  7. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2022-23

    They should do as you are in employment.
  8. TCLA Community Assistant

    Extracurriculars - Which Ones Are Helpful?

    Any extra curriculars will bring value to your CV. It is more about the impact you have in these roles rather than what the role is that is more interesting to recruiters anyway. Do the extracurriculars you are genuinely interested in. Please do not do things just because you think they might...
  9. TCLA Community Assistant

    SC Firms

    Competitiveness has many different measurements - I think a lot of people go by application numbers, but this is a pretty poor measurement of how competitive an opportunity is. It doesn't say anything about the quality of the applicants, nor whether they can meet each individual firm's...
  10. TCLA Community Assistant

    SC Firms

    I think the term SC is pretty out dated these days. It was a term used decades ago when U.K. based law firms were no where near as international as they are now. Most of the SC are now prominent international firms, mainly due to mergers with firms in other jurisdictions. Most of them have...
  11. TCLA Community Assistant

    I got rejected from all of my first year schemes, will this affects my chances for a VS?

    Not at all. You won’t be the same person in the next six months, the next 18 months or the next 36 months. At any of those times (and beyond) you can apply for vacation schemes. And because you’ll be a different person, you’ll be a different candidate. Your applications will be different to...
  12. TCLA Community Assistant

    Freaking out about studying law at a non russell group uni

    Working as a paralegal can often lead to a training contract, particularly for smaller firms. There are enough people who have studied at lower ranked universities you do make it though. In my time, I have recruited from: University of Sussex Aston University, Birmingham University of East...
  13. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA General Discussion Thread 2022-23

    You can contact them and explain you have to make a decision on another commitment by Wednesday and so you would appreciate if they could come back to you before then or if they could advise when you will hear back otherwise.
  14. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2022-23

    Tests are randomised. People can get some of the same questions, but they come from a randomised question bank which means not everyone would have the same set of questions, even if you do the same test for the same firm in the same recruitment cycle.
  15. TCLA Community Assistant

    Possible mitigating circumstance?

    You only need to claim mitigating circumstances to law firms if your grades are lower than a 2.1 - you don't need to claim them otherwise. You can reference the circumstances, and in your situation, it will be important to do so anyway in case you need any reasonable adjustments to the...
  16. TCLA Community Assistant

    Possible mitigating circumstance?

    I am not surprised to hear the university's response - it is very common for them not to be able to apply such considerations retrospectively, as it is difficult/impossible for them to quantify how it impacted your studies. I would speak to your personal tutor at the university. They will be...
  17. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2022-23

    This is fantastic news! Congratulations
  18. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA General Discussion Thread 2022-23

    No specific points as such, it’s just about explaining why it is of interest to you personally. You can leverage your experience or interests to showcase you have explored why it is of interest to you.
  19. TCLA Community Assistant

    Possible mitigating circumstance?

    I think the issue here is that it doesn’t apply to all your grades - only one module. You would need to have some form of explanation as to why is particularly impacted that course over the others. You should speak to your university if there is any reasonable adjustments you need going forward...
  20. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2022-23

    You can request it via email. Different firms take different approaches to feedback - some will choose written feedback, while others will do it over the phone.

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.