TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[cookedlawstudent]

I think they’ll reply post deadline. So, starting tomorrow

saw someone who applied on the day the application opened and they were invited to the AC, for VS

 

[rain2801]

Hi, for Freshfields, long after submitting the application did you get the Stage I invite? Been two days, haven’t had an update yet. Worried it’s a PFO before it even began 😭

 

[yk1906]

Hi, for Freshfields, long after submitting the application did you get the Stage I invite? Been two days, haven’t had an update yet. Worried it’s a PFO before it even began 😭

I waited for around a week. Good luck!

 

[yk1906]

saw someone who applied on the day the application opened and they were invited to the AC, for VS

I saw that as well. Maybe VSs work differently, I wish I knew what was going on, hahaha

 

[WeGotThis!]

Any idea if A&O is going to send more invites or ask decisions have been made? As I've applied for the 2028 intake.

 

[choicefox212]

Hi all, first post here and I'd love some advice. I'm an Oxbridge non-law grad (2:1) currently doing the PGDL, hoping for a training contract to materialise this year...

I have a few pieces of legal work experience - time spent in a corporate set, vac scheme in a regional firm, and two weeks of quite intense work experience in private wealth at a big London/international firm (I'm speaking to their recruitment team today). I have also have some semi-relevant work (including an internship at a private tax company in Switzerland) and generally useful trustee experience and my own small business.

I'm applying for small-medium UK-based firms, with view to working in private client (wealth, trusts, family, etc.) teams. So, not many training contracts available.

Do I apply for vac schemes or direct TCs? Some firms mainly / exclusively recruit through VS so I'll obviously apply for those, but for the firms that don't - do I have to apply for a VS? I know there are many pros, but I know the application pools are much bigger than for DTCs. Does this matter? I'm not just trying to game the system, because I can't make many of the spring VS and I have no idea when I'll be free for some of the summer weeks. However, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to apply to VS because there are generally more applicants.

Would it be really stupid for me to only focus on DTC applications?

 

[adh3]

Hi all, first post here and I'd love some advice. I'm an Oxbridge non-law grad (2:1) currently doing the PGDL, hoping for a training contract to materialise this year...

I have a few pieces of legal work experience - time spent in a corporate set, vac scheme in a regional firm, and two weeks of quite intense work experience in private wealth at a big London/international firm (I'm speaking to their recruitment team today). I have also have some semi-relevant work (including an internship at a private tax company in Switzerland) and generally useful trustee experience and my own small business.

I'm applying for small-medium UK-based firms, with view to working in private client (wealth, trusts, family, etc.) teams. So, not many training contracts available.

Do I apply for vac schemes or direct TCs? Some firms mainly / exclusively recruit through VS so I'll obviously apply for those, but for the firms that don't - do I have to apply for a VS? I know there are many pros, but I know the application pools are much bigger than for DTCs. Does this matter? I'm not just trying to game the system, because I can't make many of the spring VS and I have no idea when I'll be free for some of the summer weeks. However, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to apply to VS because there are generally more applicants.

Would it be really stupid for me to only focus on DTC applications?

Honestly, it sounds like you have more than enough experience to be making DTC applications. If that's the route you want to take, you should go for it.

 

[ashwright]

Hi @Andrei Radu, @Abbie Whitlock and the team,

Hope you're doing well!

Do you guys have any advice for preparing for an AC in a short space of time? I received my first AC invite ever (A&O Shearman) and I don't have much time to prepare. I never thought that I would reach this stage (years of rejection have made me uber-cautious!), so I would greatly appreciate any firm-specific and/or general guidance.

Whilst I read/listen to the standard commercial awareness podcasts, my technical knowledge (e.g., how to calculate EBITDA, company value, market cap) is lacking. Any advice on this in particular would be especially appreciated.

On a separate note, I would also appreciate any guidance on building confidence. I am not sure whether I can change how I feel inside in just a few days, but I would appreciate any advice at least on appearing confident to others (even if just for a couple of hours).

Thank you

 

[sunsoul]

Hi @Andrei Radu, @Abbie Whitlock and the team,

Hope you're doing well!

Do you guys have any advice for preparing for an AC in a short space of time? I received my first AC invite ever (A&O Shearman) and I don't have much time to prepare. I never thought that I would reach this stage (years of rejection have made me uber-cautious!), so I would greatly appreciate any firm-specific and/or general guidance.

Whilst I read/listen to the standard commercial awareness podcasts, my technical knowledge (e.g., how to calculate EBITDA, company value, market cap) is lacking. Any advice on this in particular would be especially appreciated.

On a separate note, I would also appreciate any guidance on building confidence. I am not sure whether I can change how I feel inside in just a few days, but I would appreciate any advice at least on appearing confident to others (even if just for a couple of hours).

Thank you

congrats!! when did you get the invite if you don’t mind me asking? and is this for dtc 2027 or 2028? and don’t worry, the key to confidence is to fake it til you make it. you deserve to be there, you just gotta show them once!

 

[yasmars]

Hi @Andrei Radu, @Abbie Whitlock and the team,

Hope you're doing well!

Do you guys have any advice for preparing for an AC in a short space of time? I received my first AC invite ever (A&O Shearman) and I don't have much time to prepare. I never thought that I would reach this stage (years of rejection have made me uber-cautious!), so I would greatly appreciate any firm-specific and/or general guidance.

Whilst I read/listen to the standard commercial awareness podcasts, my technical knowledge (e.g., how to calculate EBITDA, company value, market cap) is lacking. Any advice on this in particular would be especially appreciated.

On a separate note, I would also appreciate any guidance on building confidence. I am not sure whether I can change how I feel inside in just a few days, but I would appreciate any advice at least on appearing confident to others (even if just for a couple of hours).

Thank you

Omg amazing, so happy for you!!!

 

[choicefox212]

Honestly, it sounds like you have more than enough experience to be making DTC applications. If that's the route you want to take, you should go for it.

Thank you - I think that's the direction I'm leaning towards now. Just don't have masses of time or emotional bandwidth to have to jump through even more hoops....

 

[ashwright]

congrats!! when did you get the invite if you don’t mind me asking? and is this for dtc 2027 or 2028? and don’t worry, the key to confidence is to fake it til you make it. you deserve to be there, you just gotta show them once!

Thank you so so much!! I really appreciate it a lot. ❤️❤️ I received the invite on Monday late morning & unfortunately, I am not sure whether I clicked 2027 or 2028. If there is a way I can check, please let me know & I can have a look for you guys

 

[ashwright]

Omg amazing, so happy for you!!!

Thank you so much!! I really appreciate it!! The TCLA family has been one of the main sources of support on my journey, so I am really grateful for your kindness, along with everyone else's ❤️❤️

 

[enyildiz]

Slaughter PFO

 

[yk1906]

Thank you so so much!! I really appreciate it a lot. ❤️❤️ I received the invite on Monday late morning & unfortunately, I am not sure whether I clicked 2027 or 2028. If there is a way I can check, please let me know & I can have a look for you guys

Congrats!!