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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.
You are actually the GOAT frfr! This is very informative. 10/10 for outstanding research and data analytics skills, plus extra bonus points for extensive knowledge of Paul, Weiss’ lawyers in London. 🤞🐐
I graduated last year (July 2024) and this is my first application cycle. As a result, I also haven’t secured anything yet (VS/TC). 🥲
There is absolutely no reason why you should give up man! Keep it pushing! The average age of an NQ is 30 in the UK, meaning on average most people aren’t...
Thank you I appreciate it frfr lmao. 😂😂
To be honest I’ve had mostly PFO’s this cycle (around 9-10 in total I think). I’m in progress for Paul, Weiss and Willkie. Still waiting for Ropes & Gray and Travers Smith (they’re taking their sweet time smh). 🥲🥲
I think I’ve realised now though that...
There is actually no way WTF!!! I am literally so shocked and confused right now. 😮
Willkie partner interview invite!!!! I don’t know how this is happening. I lowkey could cry rn. 🥲
Yeah I’m not sure to be honest but I think if we all focus on this first stage and pass it, I’m sure they will tell us all what to expect if there are any further assessments prior to the VS and during the VS (e.g., final partner exit interviews).
I saw it was 3 x 600 word long answer questions and called it quits. 🥲🥲
I was not about to write an entire essay like I did for BCLP (4 x 500 word long answer questions). 😂😂
I might apply for the DTC as it’s open until June so more time to prepare for my ramble. 🥲🥲
I have seen a Chambers Student Guide chart that said they received just under 1,000 but I’m not sure for which application cycle. It might be the numbers have increased gradually over each recruitment cycle. I have copied the link below...
I think the majority of their TC’s go to people on the VS but I think they also offer TC’s internally to people who are paralegals. Clyde & Co recently introduced their paralegal academy so i imagine if you are a law finalist or graduate then that’s an alternative route. I definitely agree it’s...
I was on LinkedIn before and I came across a link to a TCLA YouTube video with Jaysen (TCLA) and Gemma (Willkie). In this application cycle, they received just under 1,400 applications (1,396), which is crazy for only 20 VS places and 6-7 TC offers. 😦
I imagine if 25% were moved to the VI...
I think applications normally open in Sept for each year and most Open Days take place around Nov/Dec.
Some VS applications open in Aug for WVS and close in Sept (A&O Shearman, Ashurst, Freshfields, etc). 🙂
Spring and Summer VS applications normally open in Sept/Oct and close in Dec/Jan. 🙂
What would you say in relation to competition for certain seats (e.g., international arbitration) at Freshfields, given the firm has an eight-seat trainee associate programme. If each intake has 40-50 trainees (two cohorts per year) and for each seat rotation, a vast majority of trainees...
I guess I was looking at it from the perspective of international arbitration specifically. If there were 100 Freshfields trainees who were all seeking to qualify into international arbitration only, it would be more competitive than 5-10 trainees at Debevoise & Plimpton looking to qualify into...
I would think it depends on the size of the firm and in relation to its graduate recruitment, how many trainees the firm takes on. For example, a firm like Debevoise & Plimpton takes on around 10 trainees. For a firm like this, I would imagine it’s less competitive to enter international...
Some firms would probably be recruiting for a 2027 start but most would be 2028/29 I think.
The next cycle starts around August / September time for WVS applications.
Thank you so much @Andrei Radu this was so useful. I have been trying to wrap my head around this topic for a couple of days and had virtually no luck at all. This makes it seem somewhat less complicated than I perhaps initially thought it was (the big words probably threw me off). I didn’t...
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