Very informative. You are right there are still alot of unknowns. But from what I have seen you definitely have to apply. The facts sheet has it as a route you have to actually apply for. Which means it could possibly be possible with current visa rules which will give you the 4 months that you currently have on normal tier 4 visas. However you are right it is currently unclear if doing the LPC will make you eligible. However, doing the LPC LLM should because it would be a masters degree. For firms that make their trainees take it as a masters, I am pretty sure it would make you eligible. Infact the fact sheet stipulated that as long as you start an undegraduate or masters degree in the 2021/21 session, you will definitely be eligible for it. But then again, alot of unknowns and it will all be solved when it is introduced properly in the summer of 2021.
-
Hey Guest, the first open day of the new cycle has opened! Click here to apply to Simpson Thacher by 1 July 2026.
General Discussion Thread 2020-21
- Thread starter Jaysen
- Start date
- Status
TCLA Community Assistant
Legendary Member
TCLA Moderator
Gold Member
Graduate Recruitment
Premium Member
Forum Team
yes - you definitely have to apply. The application process is fairly straight forward though. It’s only the health premium that is why people are having to apply this time around.
I expect it to be very similar to the old post study visa. Most firms will just apply for the Tier 2 as its is a lot less risky and it is attached to them as the employer (as sponsor) rather than the individual.
Here is my AC experience at BCLP in case it helps anyone. 
We started with a drafting exercise which was simple - we had to read different materials and write a letter to a colleague explaining key points. If I remember well it was about different airlines and their offerings and we had to summarise their strengths and weaknesses - e.g. airline x had a recent press scandal, would this affect the profitability/profile of the company? (we used a laptop for this).
Next, we did a role play exercise - I met with an associate and I had to summarise the findings that I drafted earlier in the drafting exercise. He pretended he was under time pressure so I had to be clear and concise. He also asked me questions about the materials I read so make sure you read them carefully.
Then we had a negotiation group exercise which tested my commercial acumen. We had to agree head of terms between a mobile manufacturer and a supplier. No specific legal knowledge is needed for this. Have a look online for practice tests so you know what to expect.
Finally, the interview was very straight forward and basic. Discussed work experience, mix of competencies and why BCLP, role of trainee etc. It felt more like a chat than an interview - the partner was super chilled.
After the AC, they provided great feedback. My understanding is that they score all four sessions and if you pass them you get through. I passed all of them apart from the group exercise - I got marked down for missing a couple of points in the discussion and for being quiet in the beginning. During the feedback call, they told me what they are looking for in each of the exercises. You can see this below:
Drafting exercise:
We started with a drafting exercise which was simple - we had to read different materials and write a letter to a colleague explaining key points. If I remember well it was about different airlines and their offerings and we had to summarise their strengths and weaknesses - e.g. airline x had a recent press scandal, would this affect the profitability/profile of the company? (we used a laptop for this).
Next, we did a role play exercise - I met with an associate and I had to summarise the findings that I drafted earlier in the drafting exercise. He pretended he was under time pressure so I had to be clear and concise. He also asked me questions about the materials I read so make sure you read them carefully.
Then we had a negotiation group exercise which tested my commercial acumen. We had to agree head of terms between a mobile manufacturer and a supplier. No specific legal knowledge is needed for this. Have a look online for practice tests so you know what to expect.
Finally, the interview was very straight forward and basic. Discussed work experience, mix of competencies and why BCLP, role of trainee etc. It felt more like a chat than an interview - the partner was super chilled.
After the AC, they provided great feedback. My understanding is that they score all four sessions and if you pass them you get through. I passed all of them apart from the group exercise - I got marked down for missing a couple of points in the discussion and for being quiet in the beginning. During the feedback call, they told me what they are looking for in each of the exercises. You can see this below:
Drafting exercise:
- intellectual rigour
- commercial awareness
- clarity
- People skills and interacting with others
- Articulate using arguments and be coherent
- Create a positive and professional impression
- Client relationship
- Collaboration
- People skills
- Get your points across and collaborate
- good understanding of role of trainee - and tasks would entail
- have a good logical thought process
Thanks for this, was this for direct or VS? And if for direct, when did you hear back?Here is my AC experience at BCLP in case it helps anyone.
We started with a drafting exercise which was simple - we had to read different materials and write a letter to a colleague explaining key points. If I remember well it was about different airlines and their offerings and we had to summarise their strengths and weaknesses - e.g. airline x had a recent press scandal, would this affect the profitability/profile of the company? (we used a laptop for this).
Next, we did a role play exercise - I met with an associate and I had to summarise the findings that I drafted earlier in the drafting exercise. He pretended he was under time pressure so I had to be clear and concise. He also asked me questions about the materials I read so make sure you read them carefully.
Then we had a negotiation group exercise which tested my commercial acumen. We had to agree head of terms between a mobile manufacturer and a supplier. No specific legal knowledge is needed for this. Have a look online for practice tests so you know what to expect.
Finally, the interview was very straight forward and basic. Discussed work experience, mix of competencies and why BCLP, role of trainee etc. It felt more like a chat than an interview - the partner was super chilled.
After the AC, they provided great feedback. My understanding is that they score all four sessions and if you pass them you get through. I passed all of them apart from the group exercise - I got marked down for missing a couple of points in the discussion and for being quiet in the beginning. During the feedback call, they told me what they are looking for in each of the exercises. You can see this below:
Drafting exercise:
Role play exercise:
- intellectual rigour
- commercial awareness
- clarity
Negotiation exercise:
- People skills and interacting with others
- Articulate using arguments and be coherent
- Create a positive and professional impression
Interview:
- Client relationship
- Collaboration
- People skills
- Get your points across and collaborate
- good understanding of role of trainee - and tasks would entail
- have a good logical thought process
Here is my AC experience at BCLP in case it helps anyone.
We started with a drafting exercise which was simple - we had to read different materials and write a letter to a colleague explaining key points. If I remember well it was about different airlines and their offerings and we had to summarise their strengths and weaknesses - e.g. airline x had a recent press scandal, would this affect the profitability/profile of the company? (we used a laptop for this).
AC's have changed for this cycle, they have removed the drafting and replaced it with a mark-up exercise. You still have a case study and presentation, group negotiation and then interview.
PART 1
I'm in the same position as you as well as many other people!
Last week, I did a VS and received no TC offer. I had that awful sinking feeling. I was hoping that this would be it! But by the end of the day, many factors and people are involved in making that decision and can go either way.
Day after, I woke up with a positive, can-do mindset. I told myself ‘I didn't get a TC offer, and I don’t know when I’ll get one - but what I do know is that I WILL finish this cycle with a lot more than what I had last year'. Last year, I failed at the application stage/ psychometric tests. This year I was invited to several ACs and secured a VS. The progress made means I have a chance. I’m not giving up; neither should you.
In addition:
1) Be kind to yourself: You're entitled to feel sad and frustrated. We're human - that's ok. Give yourself time to properly process it. I took the weekend off. I walked in the countryside, did some photography and baking in the evening - decided to take on some Chloe Ting challenges (died in the process). We’re constantly on a racetrack working from one deadline to the next. Stop. Take a deep breath and have a moment to yourself. You deserve it.
2) Reflect and be proud of your achievements: A huge part to my positive mindset was reflecting and actually realising how far I've come. When you compare what you've achieved and how much you've changed, despite no TC offer, you still gained something from the process. Realising that comforted me. To get a VS, you had to be picked from hundreds of candidates. The fact that you managed to get this far is a testament to yourself! You have what it takes - don't doubt yourself!
Everything we do presents a valuable learning opportunity. Reflect on feedback and how you can improve going forward. The one thing which you have control of is yourself. Use this to your advantage to put yourself in a stronger position. Alongside this, reach out to future trainees for advice. I've set up a call today with a future trainee from DLA Piper who was more than happy to oblige! These people are willing to help as they’ve been through the same process!
PART 2/ FINAL
3) Don't compare: We are all guilty of this. LinkedIn does not help - a corporate Instagram as someone mentioned. It's hard not to feel like you're falling behind others. I'm still working on this myself. My supervisor told me that the average age lawyers qualify is 29. This shows that everyone reaches their goals at different points in their life. For my supervisor, it took a few cycles before he secured a TC. During this, he gained experience that gave him skills which he still uses today. It takes perseverance, hard work and patience to see results. These three things will never let you down.
4) YOU'RE JUST ON TIME: It's self-explanatory through a poem I found (it's not cheesy I promise). It really helped to bring things into perspective and look at my journey differently. The key part is:
Everyone in this world works based on their time zone.
People around you might seem to be ahead of you,
and some might seem to be behind you.
But everyone is running their own race, in their own time.
Do not envy them and do not mock them.
They are in their time zone, and you are in yours.
Life is about waiting for the right moment to act.
So, relax.
You're not late.
You're not early.
You're very much on time.
The person who will pick yourself up is YOU. It's YOU who will decide on how to bounce back from rejection. Do your past, present and future self a favour and be the best version of yourself. Ask yourself if what you're doing today is getting you close to where you want to be tomorrow. It starts from the mindset - your actions will follow. A quote my dad says to me is: I think I can, I know I can, I can. I'm sure your past successes prove that.
Keep going! Believe in yourself! You've got this!
Was wondering if anyone has heard back from Morgan Lewis post-telephone interview? Thanks
Hey! I haven’t but after my interview Grad Rec said end of this week / beginning of the next - so we might just have to wait! Hope your interview went well
thank you so much julie, honestly reading this and understanding that everyone has their own timeline is so imperative. 29 makes a lot of sense and a lot of this process is hard work and a bit of luck, so gotta keep going and working hard till one day, luck is on ur side.
Just FYI: If anyone just got an email from the government legal scheme asking them to complete the situational judgement test and you have already taken it just ignore the email. I had already done it so I rang the recruitment team and they said it had been sent out in error to nearly everyone including those who have already completed it.
I still can’t believe that I’m typing this, but I’m so happy to have accepted a training contract at an international firm that feels so right for me! Admittedly, I don’t post much on here, though I do check the forum frequently so I want to share my story with you.
I graduated from a non-law background last summer and this was my first cycle of applications. This time last year I knew NOTHING about law. I started taking more of an interest in it as a career around October 2019. I travelled from my home town to my university to attend the law fair for the first time on my own (I had no clue what I was doing, it’s so embarrassing to think about!). I sent off a few applications for insight days - I was rejected by all of them but one. At the beginning of November, I sent off my first vac scheme application, which of course flopped because I was still getting to grips with how this industry works and what lawyers even do! Eventually I somehow managed to secure four vac scheme interviews, was successful in one of them, and was then recently offered a TC by the firm.
Whilst I worked incredibly hard to get here - spending time self-reflecting on my skills and increasing my commercial awareness, it wouldn’t have been possible at all without this community. You guys have made me feel so much less alone in this process, and the support you provide to others is invaluable. I’m heavily indebted to TCLA. @Jaysen, thank you from the bottom of my heart for creating this platform, and thank you to all the amazing people who contribute and make it what it is. Without you guys I wouldn’t be here. I wish you all the best; I know you will all eventually get the dream jobs you’re working towards and truly deserve xx
I graduated from a non-law background last summer and this was my first cycle of applications. This time last year I knew NOTHING about law. I started taking more of an interest in it as a career around October 2019. I travelled from my home town to my university to attend the law fair for the first time on my own (I had no clue what I was doing, it’s so embarrassing to think about!). I sent off a few applications for insight days - I was rejected by all of them but one. At the beginning of November, I sent off my first vac scheme application, which of course flopped because I was still getting to grips with how this industry works and what lawyers even do! Eventually I somehow managed to secure four vac scheme interviews, was successful in one of them, and was then recently offered a TC by the firm.
Whilst I worked incredibly hard to get here - spending time self-reflecting on my skills and increasing my commercial awareness, it wouldn’t have been possible at all without this community. You guys have made me feel so much less alone in this process, and the support you provide to others is invaluable. I’m heavily indebted to TCLA. @Jaysen, thank you from the bottom of my heart for creating this platform, and thank you to all the amazing people who contribute and make it what it is. Without you guys I wouldn’t be here. I wish you all the best; I know you will all eventually get the dream jobs you’re working towards and truly deserve xx
Last edited:
Hi! They sent an e-mail back in June I think. I don't think they're reviewing applications until the start of 2021 (or at least not responding to them until then!) as they said they wanted to make sure that they'd be in a position to do 'in-person' assessments. Guess we just have to sit tight on that one!
TCLA Community Assistant
Legendary Member
TCLA Moderator
Gold Member
Graduate Recruitment
Premium Member
Forum Team
- Status
Similar threads
- Sticky
- Locked
Top Members
Posts
-
Abbie Whitlock
- +0
- 14
Jaysen
- +7
- 9
Non Billable
- -1
- 8
AryanAgg
- +3
- 6
-
Abbie Whitlock
- +86
- 7
Jaysen
- +86
- 3
AryanAgg
- +87
- 3
Non Billable
- +84
- 3
-
Abbie Whitlock
- +3
- 722
Novaa
- +289
- 411
Jessica Pearson - Managing Partner
- +550
- 365