• 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 →

Search results

  1. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

    I would not write to grad rec about it. The general rule is that you should email recruiters about a mistake only if it is necessary to correct that mistake so that they are able to consider your application on its true merits (e.g. correcting a wrong grade entry) or to explain an error that may...
  2. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

    In my view, having a VS without a peer firm is one of the (if not the most) impactful experience you can add to your candidate profile in terms of improving your progression chances. This is because it demonstrates that a competent recruiter in another firm identified you as being among the very...
  3. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

    Hi @jaccobbhx I do not have a lot of specific information on this topic (so I'll tag @Abbie Whitlock again here in case she knows more), but what I can say is that you should be able to ask about additional preparation time without this being held against you. Ideally, I would advise you to...
  4. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

    In terms of current affairs topics, a few that come to mind are: The aftermath of the US' trade policy changes on global markets and the present stabilisation of tariff policy The possibility of an AI bubble and the general worry of inflated valuations of public companies (with historical...
  5. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

    Very happy help, and hope you have a great evening as well :)!
  6. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

    Hi @Legallylaw I hope you have had a good weekend as well! You certainly do not need to chance everything in your reapplication - in fact, if you put yourself in the perspective of the firm, it would be quite surprising if all of a sudden all of the main themes of your motivations and skills...
  7. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

    I think it should be fine, as the additional information form will serve as concrete proof the mistake was unintentional and that you gave the firm notice of it as soon as you realised it. Nonetheless, if you want to be extra safe, there is no problem with emailing grad rec about it to ensure...
  8. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

    Hi @Rads Slaughter and May has never had a reputation for caring a lot about how early an application was submitted. If anything, the firm is know to look for a particular type of academics-focused applicants and to often depart from common recruitment practices when targeting them. As such, if...
  9. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

    Hi @ashwright I have personally experienced this as well and progressed to an AC with V&E after a video interview I thought I had completely fumbled. I got cut off at the end, said I would speak through multiple points when starting my answer that I subsequently never got to, and just generally...
  10. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

    I would not say so, provided you integrate your mention of this in a way that makes sense in the context of the point you are making. For instance, if you are describing your ability to manage time well and juggle commitments well, you could explain how alongside academics, extracurriculars, and...
  11. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

    I do not have any insider knowledge about this matter, but I did this back in the day when I applied, and I would advise you to do this as well. As for who to address it to, it should be fine to write "Graduate Recruitment Team/Early Careers Team".
  12. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

    I would say Barbri has a couple of important pros and cons as a course provider, which makes it well-suited for some people but not others, depending on how you best learn. Its main advantages would include: Flexibility: as an online and self-paced course, you can study anywhere and at any...
  13. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

    I definitely agree with you on the tailwinds you mentioned - in fact, from what I have been reading and hearing, global dealmaking has been surging in the last quarter, and some people in the field have actually drawn comparisons to the 2021 boom. Basically, a number of different factors seem to...
  14. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

    I would not expect the new Budget and the associated increased government borrowing to have much of a positive impact in terms dealmaking activity, outside of perhaps some specific sectors the government will be able to invest more into - although it is doubtful that given the current budget...
  15. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

    Hi @flower1 I would recommend the following resources here: Chambers practice descriptions/practitioner rankings: while the general Chambers ranking will not tell you anything about its subareas of particular expertise, if you click on the firm's practice profile, sometimes that provides you...
  16. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

    Hi @badmintonflyinginsect I think the effects you mentioned are natural consequences of increased government borrowing. Increased borrowing firstly means an increase in demand for government bonds, which, in the absence of a proportionate increase in supply, results in a decrease in bond price...
  17. Andrei Radu

    How to explain using AI in applications

    A recurrent question a number of firms have been asking this cycle which applicants have struggled with is: how have you used generative AI when preparing your application to the firm? To help you write a good answer here, I think it is firstly important to clarify that the "How did you use...
  18. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

    To show a genuine interest in a particular firm's work, you need to identify the right level of generality to link your motivation to. At the broadest general level, you could attempt to discuss the firm's work as a whole, on a cross-departmental basis, but that is often unpersuasive - it...
  19. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

    Unfortunately, I have no specific Kirkland VI tips as I did not apply to the firm, but I still thought to share some general tips and resources - from what heard from some friends who did the Kirkland VI in prior years, it did not seem to differ a lot from a "usual" VI experience. Firstly, in...
  20. Andrei Radu

    TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

    From my understanding, at this stage they look at the the written application again together with the WG results to make a holistic judgement as to your progression. Any benchmark the firm uses would thus just serve to exclude a given percentage of low-scoring candidates, rather than guarantee...

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.