TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[ADhillon01]

Quick question here for people that have been applying for the DTC route:

I’m an LPC Graduate with Distinction Honours
First Class LLB (Non Russell Uni - but still considered a top uni for law)
A Levels: BBB (but I have managed to get around the min A Level requirements, through my overall academic performance.

Have legal experience (paid and non-paid) and should be starting as a commercial litigation paralegal at a boutique firm just outside of London (pending final approval)

Is this profile good to apply for DTC? I have been applying mainly for vac schemes, because I wasn’t sure whether I have the profile for a DTC. Thank you if you read all this!

 

[InterestInPublicLaw]

Quick question here for people that have been applying for the DTC route:

I’m an LPC Graduate with Distinction Honours
First Class LLB (Non Russell Uni - but still considered a top uni for law)
A Levels: BBB (but I have managed to get around the min A Level requirements, through my overall academic performance.

Have legal experience (paid and non-paid) and should be starting as a commercial litigation paralegal at a boutique firm just outside of London (pending final approval)

Is this profile good to apply for DTC? I have been applying mainly for vac schemes, because I wasn’t sure whether I have the profile for a DTC. Thank you if you read all this!

From what I mostly hear from early careers from many firms, if a firm has no preference as to which route you apply for, they would strongly suggest you apply for a vac scheme if you don’t have or have limited legal exp. I don’t think that’s the case for you - you have a law degree, legal work experience, and you’re starting a COMMERCIAL Paralegal role soon so it’s all very relevant. I don’t think I’ve ever heard about academics being a factor in deciding which route to apply for. However if you make DTC to firms that take more from vac schemers, I guess it may make sense the overall benchmark for DTC to get past the initial application stage could be higher.

 

[panon]

Has anyone heard from GT? I know they said successful candidates will be contacted by 23rd Feb so getting a bit nervous loll

 

[lolololol]

i got work ethic and resilience as my top skills and innovation as the lowest for HL does anyone know what they look for typically?

 

[nordicnomad]

anyone heard back from CC today?

 

[TheSaulGoodman]

i got work ethic and resilience as my top skills and innovation as the lowest for HL does anyone know what they look for typically?

I'm unsure, my top 2 were work ethic and innovation and my lowest was resilience so I'll be interested to find out. To be completely honest Idk how much stock firms actually put in the results

 

[Rosie_Kitten]

I'm unsure, my top 2 were work ethic and innovation and my lowest was resilience so I'll be interested to find out. To be completely honest Idk how much stock firms actually put in the results

The highest and lowest skills don't mean anything, as it's not a comparison to the others. It's just to let you know where you did well and badly on the test (so in future you can modify your answers to their criteria). The test is scored, but you don't ever get a raw score.

 

[FutureLawyer_]

Are there any video questions in the HL test? Also, is it automatic?

 

[lolololol]

Are there any video questions in the HL test? Also, is it automatic?

no video questions

 

[alphabravocharlie]

Post KE PFO, has anyone been offered feedback after requesting it

 

[rs_2002!]

Does anyone know what the Hogan Lovells Online Immersive Assessment consist of? My research says SJT, Watson Glaser and Proof Reading - is that correct? (Don't want any surprises!)

 

[Rosie_Kitten]

Does anyone know what the Hogan Lovells Online Immersive Assessment consist of? My research says SJT, Watson Glaser and Proof Reading - is that correct? (Don't want any surprises!)

Id recommended doing the practice hub assessments, they explain everything.

 

[nicoledm]

has anyone heard back from Harbottle post interview/know when we can expect to hear back

 

[thepfocollector]

Quick question here for people that have been applying for the DTC route:

I’m an LPC Graduate with Distinction Honours
First Class LLB (Non Russell Uni - but still considered a top uni for law)
A Levels: BBB (but I have managed to get around the min A Level requirements, through my overall academic performance.

Have legal experience (paid and non-paid) and should be starting as a commercial litigation paralegal at a boutique firm just outside of London (pending final approval)

Is this profile good to apply for DTC? I have been applying mainly for vac schemes, because I wasn’t sure whether I have the profile for a DTC. Thank you if you read all this!

I attended an open day at Baker McKenzie in October and one of the trainees said that they secured their TC through the direct route without any legal experience.

 

[ADhillon01]

I attended an open day at Baker McKenzie in October and one of the trainees said that they secured their TC through the direct route without any legal experience.

Damn 😳

I guess I’m good to have a go at DTCs then. Open days/insight events do definitely help esp at a targeted firm, they cover that experience gap.

 

[ADhillon01]

From what I mostly hear from early careers from many firms, if a firm has no preference as to which route you apply for, they would strongly suggest you apply for a vac scheme if you don’t have or have limited legal exp. I don’t think that’s the case for you - you have a law degree, legal work experience, and you’re starting a COMMERCIAL Paralegal role soon so it’s all very relevant. I don’t think I’ve ever heard about academics being a factor in deciding which route to apply for. However if you make DTC to firms that take more from vac schemers, I guess it may make sense the overall benchmark for DTC to get past the initial application stage could be higher.

Hey 👋

Sorry I forgot to reply this yesterday. I really appreciate that 🙏 & yeah that’s what always put me off the DTC route because I felt the difficulty level was extremely higher than VC.

I presumed that academics (finishing undergrad and postgrad) would be a contributing factor for DTC. I think it’s a mixture of everything. But I’m going to give DTCs a try if (hopefully not “when”) my VC apps end in tears …

 

[Starfish31]

Might be quite late but has anyone heard from slaughters since sending an app?

 

[Applicationally-challenged]

Has anyone else not heard from Macfarlanes since their first stage test, or been PFOed? I completed it about a month ago and have had silence, but seen that other people got the second stage really quick

 

[nordicnomad]

anyone heard back from cc today?

 

[SueD]

has anyone heard back from Harbottle post interview/know when we can expect to hear back

I thought they hadn’t done any interviews yet?