• 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 →
  • How to Secure a Vacation Scheme (Ropes & Gray)
    1 Dec 2025 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm (UK) Zoom (registration required)
    In this interactive session, Maya Shah, Senior Early Careers Specialist at Ropes & Gray, will walk you through every stage of the firm's application process.
    Register on Zoom →
  • How to Stand Out in Law Firm Interviews (Willkie)
    3 Dec 2025 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm (UK) Zoom (registration required)
    Willkie’s new graduate recruiter and two trainees will break down what the firm looks for at the interview stage, common pitfalls to avoid, and how you can demonstrate confidence, clarity, and genuine motivation throughout an assessment centre.
    Register on Zoom →

Search results

  1. TCLA Community Assistant

    Vacation Scheme tasks

    You won’t be expected to know exactly how to do these tasks. But this is where the following becomes important during your scheme: 1) listening to instructions 2) asking questions to clarify your understanding 3) using the firm’s resources to support you - for instance, there will be...
  2. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)

    I won’t be appropriate to rush and ask for an outcome, but it is appropriate to ask if you can have an outcome - it’s a subtle difference but a big one.
  3. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)

    This won’t be a fixed figure. Ultimately a firm like HSF would just offer fewer people if they didn’t impress the firm and would do more direct TC hiring or find other schemes to convert people. Factoring in that people won’t always accept the offer too means any conversion figure is also...
  4. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)

    Fine if you are accepting the offer - really odd to do it if you aren’t (which I have seen and I don’t think is in great taste personally).
  5. TCLA Community Assistant

    Weakness question (what challenges do you think you'll face on this vac scheme/training contract?)

    We all have things that either aren’t our strengths, we find uncomfortable, or take us longer to do. It doesn’t mean we don’t do them, just that we know they either take more of our focus/energy to do them or that we might need a little support from others along the way. It doesn’t matter that...
  6. TCLA Community Assistant

    Ask A Graduate Recruiter Anything!

    I’d just go to the graduate recruitment team to ask for feedback rather than individual assessors, even if you have connected on LinkedIn. You can ask for the feedback and explain you have another interview coming up and so would like any feedback to help prepare for that. They will understand.
  7. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)

    The main factor to consider when thinking about this is when are you going to be committed to the firm. For instance, if you are starting the LPC/SQE in September, you could be committed to your TC offered firm as early in June/July due to onboarding processes. As soon as you start those...
  8. TCLA Community Assistant

    AC tips, tricks, anti-barf pills and BAME resources?

    Try your university alumni network too then. It is very surprising to hear that your uni won’t allow you to use the careers service if you have graduated in the last year as all their employability measures are based off of what you are doing 15 months after graduating!
  9. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)

    Unfortunately I can’t give any indication because there are too many variables involved here. But in short, for the firm to run a hold list, there must be a chance. If there wasn’t, a firm wouldn’t bother having one.
  10. TCLA Community Assistant

    AC tips, tricks, anti-barf pills and BAME resources?

    My tip if you can't find a AS/Rare type organisation to support you - find someone from Ropes & Gray you have a connection/similarity too. For instance, a lawyer who went to your university or school. And then try and connect with them to get their support/advice. Also speak to your university...
  11. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)

    Amazing news! Delighted for you - you have been such an important part of this community!
  12. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)

    Eaxctly - this will only be in regards to the WG assessment alone, not any other assessment they are making of your application
  13. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)

    I'd expect it to reach their benchmark comfortably.
  14. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)

    I am not aware of any examples like this on the forum unfortunately.
  15. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)

    For those of you who may have not seen it, I thought this post from @Paul - Shearman & Sterling on LinkedIn was well worth the TCLA community seeing, so thought I would share it with you.
  16. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)

    Most of the time, yes that would be the case, purely where they need to recruit and onboard the spring people many weeks before the summer. However, some firms just run the recruitment at the same time, and will just have a longer lead in time ahead of the summer schemes.
  17. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)

    These are the email addresses on their website - I would email them with a title that makes it clear you need an update by the end of this week. [email protected] [email protected] You could also guess the email address for other members of the GR team based on...
  18. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)

    OK - this is Jess talking from a personal opinion/perspective rather than in a TCLA formal role here. As a member of the community manager team, I may respond more formally in time. Before posting, I recommend people think "would I say this out loud in a room full of people I didn't know"...
  19. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)

    Undoubtedly will look at things holistically - otherwise there would be little point in having each assessment.
  20. TCLA Community Assistant

    TCLA General Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)

    I think you have to look at the question carefully - it is tax avoidance rather than tax evasion, and ultimately the "ever" means can you find any reasons that mean tax avoidance is a reasonable thing to do. I suspect you could find a whole host of reasons why tax avoidance is ultimately...

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.

Get Our 2026 Vacation Scheme Guide

Nail your vacation scheme applications this year with our latest guide, with sample answers to law firm questions.