TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2024-5

[Anissa]

Withers interview invite! Does anyone have any insights/tips? It's for 1 hour with a member of HR and a Partner

Congrats !! When did you apply ?

 

[Wannabe_Lawyer]

I haven't even received the test, how long after applying have you received it ?

I received it the day after applying. Some people on the thread say it's automatic, but the wording on the invite suggests it was not.

 

[Aimeeb7]

I just completed the Browne Jacobson amberjack assessment and got my feedback report straight away, but it had someone else’s name on it. I’ve emailed them but I can’t work out if it’s my assessment feedback with the wrong name or just someone else’s altogether. Has this happened to anyone else?

 

[wannabe_solicitor]

Orrick DTC q2: ‘Why have you decided to pursue a career as a commercial lawyer in an international law firm’ 250words

Q1 is a cover letter. So I was gonna focus more on the international law firm part in q2 rather than the “why commercial law”. Would people agree or should I try and fit in commercial law stuff too? Thanks

 

[toad92]

The question in the DTC application of Baker McKenzie was of a similar nature, right?

Not sure, rejected post vac scheme VI so not sure they’d have wanted me to apply DTC too lmaoo

Difference is, KN is a firm with a lot of focus on criminal litigation + public, with smaller commercial teams, and with only one office here in London…. Bakers is already a global commercial law firm with loads of offices and a clear international focus 😭

 

[Gin]

Finally Monday is coming and I could start begging for emails again.

 

[TCseeker101]

Congrats !! When did you apply ?

Thanks! I applied early March

 

[optimistic_undergrad]

Not sure, rejected post vac scheme VI so not sure they’d have wanted me to apply DTC too lmaoo

Difference is, KN is a firm with a lot of focus on criminal litigation + public, with smaller commercial teams, and with only one office here in London…. Bakers is already a global commercial law firm with loads of offices and a clear international focus 😭

Not exactly what I meant originally, but yeah, understandable. Have a nice day!

 

[Chris Brown]

Has anyone heard back from Ashurst, Baker McKenzie or Hogan Lovells (for DTC) today?​

 

[Tintin06]

Has anyone heard back from Ashurst, Baker McKenzie or Hogan Lovells (for DTC) today?​

Nothing from Ashurst as of yet. Not feeling too hopeful about Cappfinity. Not a test I've passed yet.

Trying to focus on summer TCs. Paul Hastings feels more likely now. No VS to speak of, obviously. Plus, attended their selective open day. Did you also apply to PH?

 

[Andrei Radu]

Orrick DTC q2: ‘Why have you decided to pursue a career as a commercial lawyer in an international law firm’ 250words

Q1 is a cover letter. So I was gonna focus more on the international law firm part in q2 rather than the “why commercial law”. Would people agree or should I try and fit in commercial law stuff too? Thanks

Ideally, I think you would address both in q2 as well. I think you could achieve that by expressing an interest in the kind of work commercial lawyers do in an international law firm, rather than the work that they would do in a national one. Presumably, this will be an interest in complex cross-border transactions, cases, or advisory matters for clients with businesses in many jurisdictions. The challenge of understanding the legal and commercial implications in many foreign countries could be one that is appealing to you. Similarly, the types of clients you would get to work for - multinational corporations, huge financial institutions, and sophisticated investors - could once again be attractive for various reasons. The point is that if your interest in working at an international firm has to do with the particular type of commercial law work that entails, your motivation will answer both parts simultaneously.

If, however, your motivations for wanting to work for an international law firm are not very commercial-law related (say, if it has to do with wanting to get exposure to different legal systems - something you would get if you were working at an international law firm even if it specializes in something like family law), I think you should address the commercial law point specifically as well. If you feel you have adequately addressed it already in the cover letter you do not need to elaborate a lot. It should be fine to build on some of the conclusions you have reached in the cover letter and move on to motivate the international firm element more quickly.

 

[Chris Brown]

Nothing from Ashurst as of yet. Not feeling too hopeful about Cappfinity. Not a test I've passed yet.

Trying to focus on summer TCs. Paul Hastings feels more likely now. No VS to speak of, obviously. Plus, attended their selective open day. Did you also apply to PH?

Same here tbh. Not super hopeful about Cappfinity. I’ve yet to pass one. Think Breezy applied to Ashurst for their WVS and Hogan Lovells for SVS. I applied for their DTCs. Hoping to hear positively soon.

I’m looking to apply to Paul Hastings for DTC. I haven’t applied to them yet. Breezy applied for their Phirst Steps SVS. Has an interview coming up with them soon. Could be his 6th VS offer this cycle.

I saw a few people post rejections on this thread for Baker McKenzie. Me and Breezy are still waiting to hear post app. Assuming the test isn’t automatic for them? Is the test a WGT or SJT? Is the VI stage separate to the test?​

 

[Mug Fan]

Same here tbh. Not super hopeful about Cappfinity. I’ve yet to pass one. Think Breezy applied to Ashurst for their WVS and Hogan Lovells for SVS. I applied for their DTCs. Hoping to hear positively soon.

I’m looking to apply to Paul Hastings for DTC. I haven’t applied to them yet. Breezy applied for their Phirst Steps SVS. Has an interview coming up with them soon. Could be his 4th VS offer this cycle.

I saw a few people post rejections on this thread for Baker McKenzie. Me and Breezy are still waiting to hear post app. Assuming the test isn’t automatic for them? Is the test a WGT or SJT? Is the VI stage separate to the test?​

Remind me what the alias is all about again? I think I missed something…

 

[legallycece]

Anyone still waiting for HL ? Completed my WG on the 13th Feb fyi

 

[spamelinazoid]

Anyone still waiting for HL ? Completed my WG on the 13th Feb fyi

was hoping for news today, as seems they indicated last week that next stage would be communicated by end of last week...

 

[Tintin06]

Anyone done Paul Hastings TC interviews?

 

[Chris Brown]

Anyone done Paul Hastings TC interviews?

Paul Hastings’ DTC is non-rolling. Deadline is 30th June 2025. I think interviews will take place July and August. They are interviewing people for the Phirst Steps SVS’ currently. They take place in June (16th - 20th and 23rd - 27th June).​

 

[wannabe_solicitor]

Ideally, I think you would address both in q2 as well. I think you could achieve that by expressing an interest in the kind of work commercial lawyers do in an international law firm, rather than the work that they would do in a national one. Presumably, this will be an interest in complex cross-border transactions, cases, or advisory matters for clients with businesses in many jurisdictions. The challenge of understanding the legal and commercial implications in many foreign countries could be one that is appealing to you. Similarly, the types of clients you would get to work for - multinational corporations, huge financial institutions, and sophisticated investors - could once again be attractive for various reasons. The point is that if your interest in working at an international firm has to do with the particular type of commercial law work that entails, your motivation will answer both parts simultaneously.

If, however, your motivations for wanting to work for an international law firm are not very commercial-law related (say, if it has to do with wanting to get exposure to different legal systems - something you would get if you were working at an international law firm even if it specializes in something like family law), I think you should address the commercial law point specifically as well. If you feel you have adequately addressed it already in the cover letter you do not need to elaborate a lot. It should be fine to build on some of the conclusions you have reached in the cover letter and move on to motivate the international firm element more quickly.

Thank you so much!!!

 

[wannabe_solicitor]

I haven’t got a report back from my Ashurst Cappfinity yet… should I reach out to grad rec?

 

[AlegalA]

For that, Chambers & Partners helps. Helpfully, it’s integrated with Chambers Student. Still, only gets you so far. Good to combine with other resources.

I think Chambers Student and RollOnFriday are two underrated sources that go a long way at not only describing firm's practice but the trainee experience at each law firm. However, I think there are limits to what you can research. Not every major deal a law firm makes is on headlines and I've noticed that many firms don't document their pro bono work as much. A number of US firms only put up pro bono work done in the US, which while helpful is irrelevant to the UK practice. Lastly, there is only so much you can say to impress a firm about what practice areas you are interested in and talking about how good they are.

Hiya @AlegalA

I'm sure @Andrei Radu, @Amma Usman, and @Jessica Booker may have more to add here, but I think this is actually a difficult question to answer because rankings depend on what you're measuring (practice area strength, profitability, headcount, client feedback, training quality, etc.). As I'm sure you already know, different publications rank firms for different purposes. For instance:

• Legal 500 and Chambers UK: These are the most widely used legal directories and rank firms (as well as individual lawyers) by practice area. Although I'm not entirely sure about this, it seems as though their rankings are based largely on client and peer feedback.
  
  
• The Lawyer: This is more commercial/industry-focused. Having read through a lot of their reports, I've found that most of their rankings and data are based on financial performance, RPP, headcount, etc., and they often divide the rankings according to whether they're focussed on UK- and US-headquartered firms.
  
  
• RollOnFriday/Legal Cheek: Based on my own reading of these rankings, I've genereally found that these are more focused on culture, trainee satisfaction, and work-life balance, and very often based on anonymous surveys. This is less “formal” but helpful if you’re choosing where to apply.

If you provide more context and let us know what you're trying to compare or find out (for example, are you comparing firms in a specific practice area, or trying to understand the market more broadly?), I can try to find the most relevant rankings or data for you. Hope that helps

I don’t have much to add to Ram’s great response, but just a quick note to be mindful of how rankings are interpreted. A firm might be placed in Band 3 for a broader practice area but still hold a Band 1 position in a specific niche within that area - whether that’s regionally, globally, or based on sector expertise.

For instance, Clyde & Co is highly regarded for its global insurance practice, even if its ranking in broader corporate categories might differ. Similarly, Travers Smith is exceptionally strong in private equity M&A within the UK, even if it appears in a different band in more general corporate rankings.

The point I’m trying to make is that while band rankings are definitely useful and worth considering, they aren’t everything. It’s always helpful to look a bit deeper into what the rankings actually reflect.

Unfortunately there is not such a ranking. You need to combine the information.

As said by @Ram Sabaratnam,
Legal 500 and Chambers are mostly based on client and peer feedback. Firms submit forms with 20–40 key publishable and non-publishable matters (deals, litigation, investigations, etc.) and client contacts. They assess the work and feedback to rank individuals and teams. That is why you might see a partner ranked but not the practice area. They probably stand out, but here long term relationships and networking really matter too.

The Lawyer ranks firms by revenue and profit per partner. I believe that UK firms are required to publish annual reports with this info. Still, those reports can give you a deeper view of their strategy beyond just financials.

Legal Cheek, Chambers Student and RollOnFriday are good sources for day to day insights from the trainees and associates. Also consider the UKLaw community at Reddit. I have seen interesting (anonymous) comments from people moving between firms or quitting private practice, including partners.

Hi guys, thanks for all of these answers!

I use all of these for my research, and as you've all mentioned compile information to have a more holistic understanding.
I was simply trying to simplify things for my grandma 😅 so checking if there was a simplified list.

Thanks for all your help!!