-
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 →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.
Search results
-
Ask TCLA's New Community Managers Anything!
It is trying to assess how you deal with failure. You will fail a lot in a law firm. You’ll lose clients, you’ll fail in negotiations, you’ll lose cases in court. You need resilience and an ability to bounce back after failure. Firms are checking you have this ability - without it you are a...- TCLA Community Assistant
- Post #142
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)
AFAIK, English qualified lawyers can easily cross qualify into Ireland much more than they can into other European countries. https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/ireland-re-opens-door-to-england-and-wales-solicitors-/5107898.article- TCLA Community Assistant
- Post #8,655
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)
Different firms will have different approaches. However many firms make offers as they go so not to lose talent to competitors. However, so later candidates are not disadvantaged, they will often either under offer or put candidates on hold until all interviews are conducted to ensure standards...- TCLA Community Assistant
- Post #8,650
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
Do law firms look for perfection?
Perfection doesn’t exist. If firms are looking for it, they are going to really struggle to do anything, let alone recruit people!- TCLA Community Assistant
- Post #3
- Forum: Interviews Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)
Unfortunately there won’t be a set way firms deal with this, but many firms will offer you a different type of opportunity if they are impressed with you. That could be a later scheme or it could be a direct training contract recruitment process/offer.- TCLA Community Assistant
- Post #8,646
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)
It will include the 16th.- TCLA Community Assistant
- Post #8,645
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)
If they are responsibilities you held outside of your contracted job (eg your involvement in a network group, fundraising for the employer’s charity, involvement in CSR initiatives), then you can include them. What you can’t include is any responsibilities you were ultimately employed to do!- TCLA Community Assistant
- Post #8,644
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)
Often good answers will explain how they have defined competitors - there is no one way about this, but explaining how you have categorised competitors can often lead to a more compelling answer. Often the factors people use are one or more of the following: - location - practice areas (and...- TCLA Community Assistant
- Post #8,554
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)
Having done IB recruitment, I would stress that what they are looking for can be very different to law firms. I would encourage you to get your applications reviewed by someone from your careers service with specific knowledge of law firms or by someone in the profession. As well as TCLA’s...- TCLA Community Assistant
- Post #8,550
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)
It doesn't really work like that - for the recruiter they don't really worry about the number of examples, they just want to see the depth of thinking and more about you as an individual candidate. Hence my point on trying to explain what it was about the experiences that made it interesting...- TCLA Community Assistant
- Post #8,535
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)
Either approach will be fine - it is whatever your genuine reasons for pursuing it is really. Try to explain what it is about those experiences that has driven you, rather than experiences themselves (if that makes sense!).- TCLA Community Assistant
- Post #8,526
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)
You don't need to explain what you did in the work experience as that is covered elsewhere, but you can explain how that work experience has shaped your career motivations.- TCLA Community Assistant
- Post #8,511
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)
I completely understand the frustrations. What I will say is that, in my opinion, video interviews have transformed graduate recruitment for the better. They are far much more personal than making arbitrary decisions on an application form. I was really sceptical about video interviews to...- TCLA Community Assistant
- Post #8,476
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)
I have never heard of a firm prioritising RG or Oxbridge applicants. Shearman have an AAB at A-level requirement. By default, this means that most applicants will come from RG universities as these universities also have that requirement. I worked for firms with similar A-level requirements...- TCLA Community Assistant
- Post #8,474
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)
It isn’t rude to ask. You should just explain you will find it hard to cover the costs of a hotel and you are asking whether the firm can support in anyway. Make sure you have done some research as to how much the hotel might cost. My recommendation is to also look at halls of residence as these...- TCLA Community Assistant
- Post #8,433
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)
No - it’s just a polite update to say they will get around to reviewing your application soon.- TCLA Community Assistant
- Post #8,428
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
Ask TCLA's New Community Managers Anything!
You can quantify something without facts and figures. You can use your thinking, analysis and opinions to back up your claims. Context is great (for instance how many days you had for a deadline, how many people worked in your team, how much budget you had to manage) and often facts and figures...- TCLA Community Assistant
- Post #139
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
Taking a year off/re-doing second year?
Hi there, Sorry to hear about your circumstances. I think you are doing the right thing as your health has to be prioritised. No - I don’t think this will be an issue. There are mitigating circumstances and if you go on to do well in your second year and/or further studies you will be able to...- TCLA Community Assistant
- Post #2
- Forum: General Discussion
-
Ask TCLA's New Community Managers Anything!
I think you are probably looking at this too literally. Your example is a fact as it happened. I would probably challenge you on your thinking around facts and figures though. These rarely make an answer more convincing. Firms are not interested in you reciting facts (as in figures), they want...- TCLA Community Assistant
- Post #137
- Forum: Applications Discussion
-
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)
If it’s on Launchpad it means 23.59 on the date stated.- TCLA Community Assistant
- Post #8,249
- Forum: Applications Discussion