-
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.
-
Register on Zoom →SQE Student Panel with BPP19 Nov 2025 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm (UK) Zoom (registration required)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.
-
Register on Zoom →A Deep Dive Into Reed Smith's Sector Focus (Transportation)24 Nov 2025 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm (UK) Zoom (registration required)Dive into Reed Smith’s transportation practice to see how their legal advice drives the world’s largest shipping, aviation, and logistics businesses, and how trainees can make their mark.
Search results
-
TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2024-5
Is there anybody else still working on their Baker McKenzie DTC application or who has not yet submitted it? I am still working on mine and it looks like it won’t be done until Sunday. I hope I am not on my own here. 😅- Harvey Specter
- Post #3,346
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25
Is this the disability confident scheme? I think SH and TS are signatories. If you meet their minimum entry criteria (grades, application screening, test scores), you are guaranteed an interview. You have to opt in though by ticking the box. I think it’s for both VS and TC. I think there may be...- Harvey Specter
- Post #20,711
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2024-5
I was worried the paulbearers would come after me because I may or may not have made that exact mistake in my application. I think it went unnoticed though, or it was just a minor error so they overlooked it. 😅- Harvey Specter
- Post #3,333
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25
I can understand why you feel that the partner interview can be slightly discriminatory. There is definitely an element of luck involved. There is also still a lot of bias and prejudice against people that are visibly ethnic minority or poc, and people that come from socially mobile backgrounds...- Harvey Specter
- Post #20,703
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25
Take both of these bad boys in to your next partner interview and they will fw you for sure:- Harvey Specter
- Post #20,690
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25
I definitely agree that there is still a lot of bias and prejudice in city law. However, I don’t think it’s a good idea for recruitment processes to not involve partners and/or associates. I feel like since partners have an ownership stake in their firm(s), they will want to ensure the right...- Harvey Specter
- Post #20,687
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25
Huge congrats on getting SPB VS! That’s some GOATed stuff right there. 🐐- Harvey Specter
- Post #20,654
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25
To my knowledge, the application deadline for Paul, Weiss was 19/01/25. They sent out a lot of their online test invites between 30/01/25 and 31/01/25. I think others received online test invites in the first week of February. Paul, Weiss sent out a lot of post app and post test PFO’s around...- Harvey Specter
- Post #20,547
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25
It’s pretty ironic considering the SQE was supposedly introduced to broaden access into the legal profession, yet it seems to be having the opposite effect lmao. I think the exam fees have gone up again recently as well! 🥲 Why would a firm need to approve a future trainee working whilst...- Harvey Specter
- Post #20,540
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25
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...- Harvey Specter
- Post #20,524
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25
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? 🫤- Harvey Specter
- Post #20,517
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25
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. 🥲- Harvey Specter
- Post #20,508
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25
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...- Harvey Specter
- Post #20,465
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25
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...- Harvey Specter
- Post #20,429
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25
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...- Harvey Specter
- Post #20,427
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25
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. 🥲- Harvey Specter
- Post #20,342
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25
It should be fine tbh. You can rock up to the VS with your Montblanc briefcase like:- Harvey Specter
- Post #20,323
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25
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...- Harvey Specter
- Post #20,313
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25
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...- Harvey Specter
- Post #20,301
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25
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...- Harvey Specter
- Post #20,288
- Forum: Applications Discussion