• 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

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

    I personally wouldn’t. It isn’t really your place to do this and I don’t see the benefit in you doing this. Mistakes happen and it isn’t for anything critical/important, and so I’d just let it pass.
  2. TCLA Community Assistant

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

    It is not an issue if it is blank and it will be fairly common for it to be so. It really is any opportunity to provide any further information that doesn't naturally fit into other questions (and not just because you ran out of word count). That could include grade clarifications, explanations...
  3. TCLA Community Assistant

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

    Whatever it is, copy and paste won't really be assessed/monitored, as you could copy something from your own documentation.
  4. TCLA Community Assistant

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

    Its probably just the firm's branding. Firms can often tailor the colour of these platforms to fit in with their corporate colours.
  5. TCLA Community Assistant

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

    Unfortunately I don’t know the answer - sorry I can’t be of more help.
  6. TCLA Community Assistant

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

    You can include your modules you will sit for the year you have started, and just leave the grades TBC, but it’s not an issue if you don’t include them. It can just be interesting to include them (especially if your elective modules are aligned to the work the firm does).
  7. TCLA Community Assistant

    Poor GCSEs, TC's and mitigating circumstances

    I very much doubt it will have any impact if you went on the get strong A-levels and also go on to get good grades in your degree. Feel free to PM me about your mitigating circumstances. I strongly advise not blaming the school though. That usually comes across pretty negatively in an...
  8. TCLA Community Assistant

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

    Technically I would assume a visa is an obligation, so unfortunately I think the answer is still yes. It is a shame you can’t clarify what the obligation is though.
  9. TCLA Community Assistant

    Ask A Graduate Recruiter Anything!

    I would still consider refining sections with anything that has helped you refine your motivations since your last application and also critically evaluate whether you can improve how you have written the content. It will be expected that a lot of the content will be the same (as it hasn’t...
  10. TCLA Community Assistant

    Ask A Graduate Recruiter Anything!

    Things have changed a lot in the last two years, and now it is much more acceptable to be dressed more casually when you are at home, even for things like video interviews (whether pre recorded or live). What you have suggested is perfectly acceptable, but especially so given what the firm has said.
  11. TCLA Community Assistant

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

    Is it a just a yes/no option or can you select yes or no and then provide detail?
  12. TCLA Community Assistant

    Ask A Graduate Recruiter Anything!

    I would expect any firm that is using a personal statement approach will also have a work experience section. If that is the case, remember that you won’t need to reiterate detail from the work experience section. Instead you can just focus on what you enjoyed and how that translates across to...
  13. TCLA Community Assistant

    Withers vacation scheme

    It can be either - I have seen everything from friends/family to obscure academics/artists/speakers/experts very few would have heard from, through to prominent individuals that most of the general public can name. The question is trying to assess your values - what is important to you, what...
  14. TCLA Community Assistant

    Ask TCLA's New Community Managers Anything!

    I'd find it hard to believe anyone is "deeply in love" with a news piece. I'd be a bit worried if they were. The legal world is a broad spectrum that covers a range of topics or matters. You just have to find the topics that you naturally gravitate to - you are never going to be able to read...
  15. TCLA Community Assistant

    Ask A Graduate Recruiter Anything!

    Only if you can format the application with bullet points or if the firm explicitly tells you to write in bullet point format. If you cannot add bullet formatting (like I have done on this forum post), then you should stick to prose.
  16. TCLA Community Assistant

    Ask A Graduate Recruiter Anything!

    Personally, I would advise focusing on inclusion only unless you can link the diversity aspects to inclusion.
  17. TCLA Community Assistant

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

    I don’t see this as an issue unless the firm is closing the practice. Even if it’s not doing as well as other practice areas, they will still need lawyers to work in it. Maybe just check they are currently sending trainees into that department for seat rotations.
  18. TCLA Community Assistant

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

    No - there is not a requirement to do this. If they wanted this information it would be included in the question. They just want to see you understand the realities of the job.
  19. TCLA Community Assistant

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

    It will only ever be an estimate as if you write lots of long words it will be a lower number than if you write lots of short words. It is likely to be around 200 words though (if you include spaces and punctuation which will register as characters)

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.