• 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 2022-23

    Vac scheme hours will be less than trainee hours. But you have only spoken to one person and they have highlighted their personal experience. They may have been there at 8pm but did they really need to or did they think they had to?
  2. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2022-23

    I wouldn’t say that is typical. Most firms/supervisors will be pushing you out the door at around 6pm. They are trying to win you over, and it’s a shame that vac schemes are really more like what a trainee experiences, as 9-8 would be much more realistic insight of life as a trainee.
  3. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2022-23

    I actually think this is the right approach. I would just keep the how you would manage the challenges fairly brief and focused on really practical solutions. I’d probably keep the answer balanced - if you had two factors that make successful lawyers, id probably only do two challenges.
  4. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2022-23

    If this is potentially before an offer is going to be made (eg for the vacation schemes I would notify the firm of the change in preference and explain why that has changed.
  5. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2022-23

    It won't be as binary as that unfortunately!
  6. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2022-23

    Rolling/Non-Rolling 2022-2023 | The Corporate Law Academy Forum
  7. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2022-23

    My response was: You don't need to use your own experiences for this question. The second part of the question is much more forward looking than backwards - it is asking you to analyse what you think your challenges will be in the role, rather than what challenges you have had in the past. For...
  8. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA General Discussion Thread 2022-23

    Yes, this is fine as long as it is from one job, rather than one specific experience within a job.
  9. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2022-23

    You will hear from them again if you applied for the TC, whether that is successful or not. I don't think they will just say this for the sake of saying it - TC and VS applications are two quite different recruitment processes, and so I don't think you can necessarily take an indication of one...
  10. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2022-23

    I would look at the job description carefully as the questions are more likely to be aligned to what they are specifically looking for in that individual role. I would also ensure you are clued up about the department the specific role is in and have the ability to explain why that type of work...
  11. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2022-23

    I don’t think you will come across as over confident unless you reference them making you an offer. They will understand the situation - you won’t be expected to know someone’s parental leave is coming up.
  12. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2022-23

    I don’t think there is any harm in at least telling them this.
  13. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2022-23

    Halls of residence I would say are the most commonly used in summer anyway. Hotels are typically quite expensive, although I have heard of vac schemers getting good deals for long stays in Premier Inns/Travelodges. Increasingly seen people use AirBnB too.
  14. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2022-23

    What stage are you at in the process?
  15. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2022-23

    Not everyone will be impressive in all honesty. Some people can write a good application or have impressive achievements, but then don’t really show the skills and motivations needed at interview. Even if we remove the people that fall into those categories, there isn’t one thing that...
  16. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2022-23

    This is your perception. It might not even be the case that in the eyes of your interviewer that you messed up. Even if you did, it might have been made up for with other answers. I don’t think it will necessarily “ruin” your chances, but like any answer will just be weighed up alongside...
  17. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2022-23

    Impossible to say due to the variety of factors in play. Even for one firm it could be 100% one year and 0% the next.
  18. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2022-23

    Call - much quicker than relying on email There would be no reason for the reference check company to give specifics of who the reference is for or for your contact details to be given (if that’s what you are concerned about). Therefore, they wouldn’t know what your plans would be. I would...
  19. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2022-23

    You can but they will still need to check with the firm directly. It helps stop fraudulent references (which you’d be surprised happens enough for them to have established processes like this).
  20. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2022-23

    No - I wouldn’t do this until they ask for it. They aren’t going to randomly track down people - they are going to go through points of contact they already have or speak to HR. They do thousands of these checks each day (maybe even tens of thousands) so they have a process that works for them.

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