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.
17 Nov 2025
10:00 am – 12:00 pm (UK)
Hosted on TCLA Forum
Chat with Withers' graduate recruitment team and ask about life at the firm, secondment opportunities, and what it's like to be a trainee. Simply return to this page on the day to post your questions.
Join us for a live student panel with BPP University Law School. We'll be joined by Jonny Hurst, Senior Lecturer in Law at BPP, and current BPP students who will share their advice on passing the SQE.
Vantage + AllHires >>> CvMail. I don’t know how to work CvMail, especially the work experience entries. Those tiny text boxes are a nightmare and pain to navigate. Whoever designed the layout needs to go outside and touch grass. 🥲
I have yet to get past the application stage for a firm that...
Do you know of any city law firms that do allow people to retake SQE 1 and/or 2 if they don’t pass it the first time? 🥲
Also, why do firms clawback money they give as a grant? How are people expected to pay the money back? 🫤
I don’t think anyone has heard back from Paul Hastings yet tbf. It has been a while since their deadline as well. I haven’t heard back at all from them post application lmao. 🥲
Have you ever considered working in-house for a media or entertainment company? That way, you could practice as a commercial lawyer, but in an organisation that is focused entirely on that sector. I don’t think there are many firms that have a specialist focus in this area of law, apart from the...
Clifford Chance and Macfarlanes have rescinded offers in the past. Last year, I’m sure there were people who were told that they had failed the SQE but they had actually passed. Despite that, their TC offers were rescinded. They were future trainees at big city law firms. I think it’s a policy...
The top 20 is dominated by Magic and Silver Circle firms which all pay £100-£110k to their trainees and offer grants of £15-20k. It can’t be HL or NRF either as they offer similar amounts to future trainees. That’s at least 10 firms out of question, which leaves 10. 🤔
It is unlikely to be...
I probably sound like a broken record but has anyone heard back from Paul Hastings at all re the SVS (‘Phirst Steps’)? The deadline passed around 3 weeks ago. Not sure whether to assume PFO yet. They said they’d get back to successful candidates in March and April. 🥲
I think in this case it would probably be fine to use application form answers as the foundation to answers in a VI, but it would be better to provide more detail or expand on the points made. There is a post that @Andrei Radu made recently on the forum which I think answers this question, so I...
To my understanding, the general expectation in a VI is to expand on written application answers and not to simply memorise and regurgitate what is already written (the person who read the application is most likely the person reviewing the VI so they can identify this quickly). I also don’t...
I’m not sure if this was intentional, but there’s no need to be rude my friend. It’s really not that serious lmfao. Like you said, it’s a vacation scheme, not suits. I think classism plays a role in a lot of the discussions around what is and isn’t appropriate to wear, in the context of city law...
That’s fair enough, but it’s also important to remember that not everyone can afford to spend £100s on perfectly tailored suits, which would of course look a lot more presentable than a regular suit. I don’t think anyone can or should draw a conclusion on someone’s character based on what they...
It seems people also judge others based on the material, size (fit), brand and price of their suit as well. Idk why it’s like this lmao. It’s probably a classism thing. 🫤
I second this. I have been to funerals where the people in attendance were all wearing white instead of black. I think they were from an Islamic faith background where it’s part of their religion or culture to wear white garments, although I’m not fully sure if this is the case. 😅
I went to a...
I think they recruit up to 50 trainees per year, across two intakes (March and September). To my knowledge, they hold 3 VS’ (Winter, Spring and Summer), with around 25 people per VS. In total, there will be about 75-80 VS’ers. I think they make TC offers to around 50% of all VS’ (i.e., 40/80...
I have another (possibly silly) question about VS’ and how they work. What kind of clothes are appropriate to buy and wear for a VS (for a guy)? I think the expectation is that it needs to be professional attire or workplace clothes, but what does that even mean? 😅
What kind of things does this...
This might sound like a very dumb question but is there any kind of template or ideal structure to use in an email when scheduling “coffee chats” with lawyers in a firm during a VS? Would it change depending on whether it’s a trainee, associate or partner (i.e., more formal if it’s a partner)...
I think it might just mean UK-HQ firms, including the magic and silver circle. I think if a firm has a larger intake of trainees and recruits a significant number of TC candidates through the DTC route (50% or above), then it’s more likely for people to secure TC, as opposed to a US firm like...
I have been thinking about this question today because I have never actually drank coffee and I don’t think I’m prepared to suddenly change that for a VS lmao. I hope it’s okay to drink a non-coffee beverage. 🥲
Hi @Jessica Booker,
If a firm stipulates that all future trainees should do the SQE together (in-person) at BPP or ULaw London (depending on who they have partnered with), and they offer a maintenance grant worth X (e.g., £20,000), is it ever possible for firms to offer additional financial...
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.