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Join Premium →Get Everything You Need to Secure a Training ContractNow 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.
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Register on Zoom →Ace Your Vacation Scheme Applications with Reed Smith10 Nov 2025 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm (UK) Zoom (registration required)Join Reed Smith for this practical session on how to write a strong vacation scheme application ahead of key deadlines. Understand what recruiters look for and how to get past the application review stage.
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Register on Zoom →Write Winning Vacation Scheme Applications with Osborne Clarke11 Nov 2025 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm (UK) Zoom (registration required)Hear from Recruitment Advisor Patrick Fermin Ryan at Osborne Clarke on how to write a successful vacation scheme application. Gain expert advice on what makes applications stand out and how to approach yours with confidence.
Search results
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Entertainment/Media Law 2021/2022/2023
Hi @Noodles52, it is great to hear about your interests! I am a PGDL student right now beginning my training contract in 2023 and I just finished a master's in music (piano performance) last year. I have always been interested in music management although I have no professional experience in...- James Carrabino
- Post #2
- Forum: Applications Discussion
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Magic Circle, Silver Circle or US firms, which is better?
This really depends. Quality of clients can be quite practice area-specific and of course depend on the region in which the firm is operating. US firms will likely have a more diverse array of interesting clients in the US and the same can be said for UK firms in the UK, whilst there are a...- James Carrabino
- Post #2
- Forum: General Discussion
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TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)
Incredible stuff, congratulations!!- James Carrabino
- Post #2,887
- Forum: Applications Discussion
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TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)
My approach would be to email grad recruitment only once it has taken so long you are worried you may have missed their communication. Emailing out of impatience is completely understandable but may not get an answer as other candidates are likely to be in the same boat. Firms are often...- James Carrabino
- Post #660
- Forum: Applications Discussion
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Commute or Hotel
Congratulations on securing your winter scheme, that's a huge achievement! In addition to @Jessica Booker's points, I might personally prefer to commute from home just to avoid the uncertainty of being in a new environment whilst doing the scheme, but ultimately it has to be what you are most...- James Carrabino
- Post #3
- Forum: Vacation Schemes Discussion
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2nd year law student query on a legal career within the corporate world
Thanks @WillkieGemma! @Aleksandar, I hope that is useful. Please let me know if you have any other questions!- James Carrabino
- Post #8
- Forum: General Discussion
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TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)
Video interviews are a strange species. Of the VIs I did, the only ones I passed were the ones I was confident I would not pass... you would also find it amusing if I spent the time finding all the similar posts on this forum about messing up a VI followed by an AC invite just days later...- James Carrabino
- Post #2,790
- Forum: Applications Discussion
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How to research which practice area I could be interested in? (non-law student)
Hi @roseofcassidy, may I ask what you are studying/studied and what sort of interests you have unrelated to law? No need to reveal this on the forum if you don't want to, but it is possible that it could help me direct you to some areas of law you may be interested in. That said, you may...- James Carrabino
- Post #9
- Forum: General Discussion
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2nd year law student query on a legal career within the corporate world
Hi Aleksandar, First of all, congratulations on your 70% during first year - that is a very difficult feat by itself! Secondly, you will be pleased to know that many firms simply don't take A Level grades into account. @WillkieGemma attests to the fact that Willkie does not specify A Level...- James Carrabino
- Post #6
- Forum: General Discussion
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Ask Willkie Farr & Gallagher Anything!
Hi @WillkieGemma, Welcome to TCLA :) It is great to have some direct law firm insight on the forum and I know that I would have found your perspectives incredibly useful whilst I was applying! Having gone through Willkie's recruitment process like @George Maxwell, I can attest to it being one...- James Carrabino
- Post #19
- Forum: Applications Discussion
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Winter vac scheme outcomes
I will just add that I did a vac scheme at a firm which strangely did do this, but @Jessica Booker is right that it is the norm to make offers immediately following the scheme- James Carrabino
- Post #3
- Forum: Applications Discussion
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TCLA General Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)
I agree with @Jessica Booker's advice; it would definitely be good if you can do the interview virtually. Firms are supposed to offer accommodations or the opportunity to reschedule if you provide enough notice, although not all firms do this. Regardless, I imagine you might still be concerned...- James Carrabino
- Post #388
- Forum: General Discussion
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Allen & Overy SJT
It makes me really happy if my post helped lift your mood and put your hard work into perspective (which I know is difficult to do whilst you're in the middle of the application process). I really want to help wherever possible so please reach out about absolutely anything. And thanks so much...- James Carrabino
- Post #210
- Forum: Applications Discussion
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Allen & Overy SJT
I'm really sorry to hear this @John Doe. Personally, I am not a fan of firms asking candidates to do SJTs with the plan of not even reading their application if they are unsuccessful in the SJT. I think this can discourage a lot of applicants who love the firm in question, as I don't think SJTs...- James Carrabino
- Post #208
- Forum: Applications Discussion
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Allen & Overy SJT
Usually the 48-hour deadline is in reality a 2-day deadline and times out at the end of the day 2 days later so I think you'll be fine...but don't take my word for this; I'd recommend doing it a little sooner next time. (Don't worry, I have done the same thing before - we're all human!)- James Carrabino
- Post #207
- Forum: Applications Discussion
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TCLA General Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)
You can apply to TCs this cycle up until next July - the cycle's barely even started! You have plenty of time to rest and recuperate and we'll be thinking of you :)- James Carrabino
- Post #382
- Forum: General Discussion
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TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)
This information is from last year but should be fairly similar this year for the most part. I'd use a combination of these two threads (one is about which firms recruit significantly for direct TC and the other is about which firms are rolling vs non-rolling)...- James Carrabino
- Post #649
- Forum: Applications Discussion
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TC Application
You can guarantee they won't give you an offer if you don't apply! Okay, I know that's a trite and somewhat unhelpful comment as you don't want to spend the many hours polishing an excellent application if it will be an inevitable rejection. It seems to me, however, that you have a very...- James Carrabino
- Post #4
- Forum: Applications Discussion
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TCLA General Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)
Maybe I shouldn't admit this, but I'm feeling like this!! As a new member of the application review team and forum team I have been spending a lot of time over the past few weeks reviewing candidates' applications and engaging with areas of TCLA that I was less familiar with...at times I...- James Carrabino
- Post #381
- Forum: General Discussion
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Let's hear about TCLA members' hobbies!
So @atrumregina1 where do I start if I want to get into F1?- James Carrabino
- Post #18
- Forum: General Discussion