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17 December 2025
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm (UK)
Hosted on TCLA TV
Join Isabel Elsey, Legal Recruitment Manager at BCLP, for a live Q&A session. Get details on secondments, innovation, growth areas, and everything else you’ve wanted to ask about life at BCLP!
Hiya @alfyundercat
A&O Shearman typically has both vac scheme and direct training contract routes. As their recruitment process has undergone some changes since their merger, it's difficult to say what proportion of their trainees come directly through the vac scheme versus the direct training...
Hiya @Poppypops124
First of all, congratulations on both offers! That's no small feat!
I don’t think there’s a universally right answer here. As you've indicated yourself, both options have clear advantages. I think that if you’re considering this as a question of which firm is better, you’ll...
Hiya @whywhy88
While you could resubmit the same application, I'd encourage you to try and update the statement even slightly. Most firms expect applicants to show that they’ve developed their thinking or deepened their understanding of the firm and its work since their last application. That...
Hiya @Hanzeeb,
Yes, it is possible to secure a training contract through the direct TC route without having done a vacation scheme. While it’s less common (many firms do recruit primarily through their schemes or expect candidates to have some vacation scheme experience), there are absolutely...
Hiya @trainee4u
If you applied for the summer vacation scheme during this cycle in February, you unfortunately won't be able to apply for the direct training contract application which closes at the end of this month (you would in effect be making two applications in the same cycle). You can...
Hiya @badmintonflyinginsect
Having been in a similar position myself, I can say that it's highly unlikely that firms will sponsor a visa for a vacation scheme. Most firms expect applicants to already have the right to work in the UK for the duration of the scheme, and I've rarely (if ever)...
Hiya @BillSikes
The test is sent out to candidates if they have passed the application form stage. From my understanding, it is not automatic. It's called the Future Potential Assessment and involves some numerical and verbal questions, as well as situational based judgment questions...
Hiya @trainee4u
If you're unsuccessful with your first application you can definitely reapply, but Stephenson Harwood only allows you to apply once in every recruitment window. I think you should definitely consider reapplying if the main reason you didn't get through this cycle was because of...
Hiya @AS24
TCLA had a question bank, which included some scenario based questions. I've attached them below for your reference:
What would you do if a client asked you to do something which you didn’t think was the best move for them to make?
What would you do if you have a flight to catch...
Hiya @ilovegardening1111
Highly recommend the posts by Andrei that @Chris Brown mentioned. In terms of your question, I’d encourage you to focus on the firm’s competitors in London, as that’s the market you'll be training and (most likely) qualifying into. While it's tempting to only discuss US...
Hiya @Charles Leclerc
Just wanted to add to what @legallady123 has already insightfully said in response to your question.
I don't think your grades will necessarily be an issue. Many firms understand that first year can be a difficult adjustment, and what matters is how you’ve responded...
Hiya @x_lauren112
Not necessarily, since firms don’t always release outcomes all at once. It’s possible you’re still under consideration, or they’re just moving more slowly than expected (which, to be fair, happens a lot). Once the deadline they've sent passes, I think you can send a polite...
THIS! No Russell Group? No perfect grades? Didn't stop you and you nailed it! Big, big congratulations!! Also appreciated the emphasis you put on showing kindness and choosing collaboration over competition during your vac scheme. Hope you can rest easy for a few weeks and enjoy the win 🥳
Hiya @RgA
Really glad to see more career changers on this forum (especially those coming from public service backgrounds!). 20 years in policy and government certainly gives you a wealth of transferable skills. As mentioned in my previous response, it might be helpful to get some exposure to...
Hiya @Kakaboo
Not necessarily. If the firm has a waitlist/reserve list, then an offer will normally be made to someone on that list. However, if there is no one on the waitlist, the firm will often bring someone forward in a subsequent application cycle.
Good luck if you're still waiting to...
Hi @Jasmene
We don’t have SQE notes available for download, but if you let us know what specifically you’re looking for (e.g. help with understanding the SQE exams, choosing a course provider, or tackling a particular SQE topic), I'd be more than happy to point you in the right direction or...
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