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TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26
- Thread starter Ram Sabaratnam
- Start date
Jaysen is on holiday till 27thHey @Jaysen ! i messaged you with a question privately and would be very grateful if you could check that out at your convenience
Spoke to someone and it seems that the competition is strong and the firm is happy. This makes me believe that no many places are available!
They ran 6 ACs in 2024 and I believe 5 last year. They definitely interview around, but they may be cutting back on the number of trainees for future. Though they did raise it only a few years ago (I think 2023 or 2024)
I dont think that’s likely… if they have a DTC route advertised then likely they intend to recruite that way too
Hi Reed Smith">@Abbie Reed Smith @Abbie Whitlock I have an upcoming insight day/final stage interview for a direct training contract- this is the last stage of it and I'd love some advice/insight for what you think I should be doing if that's okay!
The insight day is all day, has a lot of different talks ill be attending such as a trainee talk, networking lunch, sessions from different legal teams, all in which I can ask questions.
For the final stage interview, it doesnt say anything much at all. All it says is that its 30-45 mins and to think of the role of a trainee solicitor at that firm, and do research on the firm for preparation.
I have done the AC there and had an interview already, so I have no idea what to expect from this
Do you think the sessions throughout the day are assessed? Also for the interview, what sorts of questions should I be preparing? 'Role of a trainee solicitor'- what questions could they be asking? I also dont know if this stage is a cutting stage where they are still removing people at this stage, or everyone who gets invited to this last part of the process they believe can do the job and will offer them a TC as long as they like them!
Thank you and hope this is okay!
The insight day is all day, has a lot of different talks ill be attending such as a trainee talk, networking lunch, sessions from different legal teams, all in which I can ask questions.
For the final stage interview, it doesnt say anything much at all. All it says is that its 30-45 mins and to think of the role of a trainee solicitor at that firm, and do research on the firm for preparation.
I have done the AC there and had an interview already, so I have no idea what to expect from this
Do you think the sessions throughout the day are assessed? Also for the interview, what sorts of questions should I be preparing? 'Role of a trainee solicitor'- what questions could they be asking? I also dont know if this stage is a cutting stage where they are still removing people at this stage, or everyone who gets invited to this last part of the process they believe can do the job and will offer them a TC as long as they like them!
Thank you and hope this is okay!
Can I assume a pfo from withers if they haven't responded to me after the proofreading exercise? I know a couple of candidates getting first round of interview.
I contacted the grad recruitment and they said they are taking longer to respond since they have gotten a lot of applications.
What do you all think?
I contacted the grad recruitment and they said they are taking longer to respond since they have gotten a lot of applications.
What do you all think?
How long ago did you do the proofreading? I did it Thursday evening and was invited to interview on Monday. Don't read too much into it though - people have been getting them all over the place and on very different timescales!
I guess i did the proofreading in the first week of April- around April 3rd or 4th. I couldn't complete the whole exercise as it took me two minutes to navigate through the user interface. I missed out on the last one paragraph :/
I hope this doesn't go against me and I actually get the interview
Fingers crossed! They were VERY slow to get back to me the first time - almost 6 months between my application and the cappfinity thing. All will be wellI guess i did the proofreading in the first week of April- around April 3rd or 4th. I couldn't complete the whole exercise as it took me two minutes to navigate through the user interface. I missed out on the last one paragraph :/
I hope this doesn't go against me and I actually get the interview
Not sure if it's any consolation, but I've never progressed past SJT at Withers but approached their SJT and the KN one pretty much the same way last cycle and did progress at KN--I wonder if a lot of it is down to culture/ a specific type of personality the firm prefers.
Does anyone actually know if Mayer Brown offers TCs from the direct TC process? They say that they primarily recruit from their VS and with only 15 TCs, I find it had to believe that they cannot find 15 people sufficiently good.
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