TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[DaemonBlackFyre]

pretty much because of your essay, i knew ppl who got rejected because apart from shipping/transportation practice, they mentioned life science. For example, at an insight day, grad rec told the life science sector in London office is so small, not like in the US so they expect candidates to mention other sectors like energy, finance and media/entertainment.



For finance, i don't think their sector has advised many PE restructuring or sport sponsorship, instead they advised institutions and regulatory side like crypto, fintech, etc.

So the question was 'Focusing on one of Reed Smith`s five Industry Groups, what current issues, aside from the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), do you think will impact this sector? What opportunities or challenges could this present Reed Smith or our clients?

I chose financial services as one of the five industry groups to focus on, the main issue i referenced was rising gilt yields.

I said for RS PE clients , a key challenge is the increased cost of new acquisitions due to reliance on leverage debt. I also said an opportunity would be for RS to advise these PE clients on exiting mature investments to free up capital for new acquisitions.

I also mentioned how rising gilt yields will affect the demand for lending services from banks as companies take a risk conscious approach to borrowing - as well as some distressed borrowers being unable to repay loans, potentially leading to insolvency. RS advises the top ten banks in the US, UK, and EU so it is an opportunity for the restructuring and insolvency team to advise on debt recovery etc

So the PE point is separate to the R&I point.

Ultimately, I think this answers the question fairly well. - Ofcourse, i would always appreciate feedback!

 

[tedkiss]

Does anyone know whether the phone interview for the ML TC is the same as for their VS?

 

[Mordecaidown]

Does anyone know whether the phone interview for the ML TC is the same as for their VS?

Did Morgan Lewis get back to you?

 

[ghostyb]

Hey!

I am really sorry to hear about Mayer Brown - particularly as it was your strongest Amberjack result. I can completely understand why that feels frustrating and confusing.

I've shared a few thoughts below (although with the caveat that none of us can know for sure).

Firstly, I wouldn't jump to concluding that this is a UK work experience issue, as plenty of firms value international experience and I think that internships + paralegal experience abroad can be a real strength to your application if framed well. Equally, I probably wouldn't fixate too much on not having a 2:1 in every module if you still achieved a 2:1 overall (unless a firm specifically says otherwise, as I know some are slightly stricter).

Personally, I found that DTCs and VSs can sometimes reward/value slightly different things. VS processes often give you more opportunities to demonstrate potential over multiple stages, whereas DTC applications can sometimes be much more compressed and competitive at the application stage as firms are trying to assess whether someone is TC-level immediately.

You also mention that your drafting hasn't changed, which actually might be worth revisiting slightly. If your VS style worked as it focused more on potential, curiosity, and exploration, DTC answers sometimes need a slightly different emphasis - i.e. more evidence on readiness, clearer commercial judgement, stronger examples of ownership, and more direct articulation of why you'd succeed as a trainee.

I also wouldn't discount things like timing and cohort effects too much. If you have previously been progressing well in VS processes, this would suggest that your underlying application skills are stronger than it currently feels, and it might be things out of your control that are causing the outcome.

If I were you, I would perhaps treat this more as a diagnostic exercise than evidence that something is fundamentally wrong. It might be helpful to compare a couple of your strongest VS applications against your DTC ones and see whether there are any differences in positioning - for example, whether your DTC answers lean more towards listing achievements rather than showing impact, or whether your answers have become a bit too polished and lost some of the specificity that made them stand out.

From your post, you come across as reflective and thoughtful rather than someone who is completely missing the mark - therefore, I wouldn't assume there's an obvious issue causing all of this! Sometimes an application cycle is just more competitive or the timing is off, and the best thing you can do is just tweak a few things rather than trying to overhaul everything.

Resilience and continuous improvement are really key traits that are essential to succeed in this process - based on what you've written, I'm sure you are more than capable of receiving an offer. Wishing you the best of luck with whatever you apply for next

Thanks Abbie!! That's brilliant advice, thanks for articulating what I couldn't. Funnily enough, I actually received RS AC invite later that day. I think I was subconsciously changing up my writing style then too since what I was doing previously clearly wasn't working. Either way, your message gave me a real boost, so thanks for your insight

 

[shays]

So the question was 'Focusing on one of Reed Smith`s five Industry Groups, what current issues, aside from the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), do you think will impact this sector? What opportunities or challenges could this present Reed Smith or our clients?

I chose financial services as one of the five industry groups to focus on, the main issue i referenced was rising gilt yields.

I said for RS PE clients , a key challenge is the increased cost of new acquisitions due to reliance on leverage debt. I also said an opportunity would be for RS to advise these PE clients on exiting mature investments to free up capital for new acquisitions.

I also mentioned how rising gilt yields will affect the demand for lending services from banks as companies take a risk conscious approach to borrowing - as well as some distressed borrowers being unable to repay loans, potentially leading to insolvency. RS advises the top ten banks in the US, UK, and EU so it is an opportunity for the restructuring and insolvency team to advise on debt recovery etc

So the PE point is separate to the R&I point.

Ultimately, I think this answers the question fairly well. - Ofcourse, i would always appreciate feedback!

just jumping on this - that feedback was generic. also got rejected, similar stats as you though I did my masters abroad ultimately and I got into top unis so if it was good enough for them it should be good enough for a law firm (with the exception of the ones placing emphasis on extremely high grades (cough Slaughter). I did my answer on energy transition and decarbonisation (my general motivation was also shipping/transportation and music since it aligns with my background and interests) and basically analysed how it influences them as being a firm that only represents policy holders.

Either way, the feedback received fully contradicted what I have written so I would not put too much emphasis into that.

I think your answer sounds good so I would not be worried about that, it comes down to a lot of luck and numbers and what resonates with the person reading your file.

 

[CharlieandLola]

Does anyone know whether the phone interview for the ML TC is the same as for their VS?

I did it last year, happy to help if you want!

 

[QuillandCounsel]

Does anyone know if RS will be sending out more AC invites? Or can I now safely assume PFO

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Hi Abbie! Thank you for the helpful answer - yes, during the BTC were made to learn practical skills like conference (talking to clients, draw out more info to help them present their case, be nice and empathetic etc). So not everything is identical to the SQE, but it’s not entirely useless - there are transferable skills.

And actually I’ve always wanted to be a solicitor, because my uni focuses a lot on commercial awareness and asking bigger law firms to come to career fairs. It’s more like the people around me and my education so far? It’s something like this: I got influences by my surroundings / peers.

During my applications this round, I have tried to explain that I prefer being a solicitor over a barrister because barristers do a lot of law, whereas for solicitors they handle their work while considering issues in that sector / industry - like sanctions, war, or just increasing gov regulation. It just gives a lot more variety to my work life?? Is this a valid reason?

Hey!

That makes a lot of sense and I think there are definitely some transferable skills from the BTC that you can lean on. Conferences/client interaction, drawing out information, building rapport, communicating under pressure and presenting advice clearly are all things that trainees and solicitors do as well (just in a different context).

On your solicitor vs barrister point, I think there is a good idea underneath what you are saying - I would just be careful with the wording that barristers "do a lot of law", as solicitors do too! It might be more helpful to frame it along the lines of: "I am more attracted to the solicitor route as I enjoy combining legal analysis with understanding the client's broader commercial and strategic objectives. I like that solicitors often sit closer to the client and need to think about industry developments and wider external factors (for example, regulation, sanctions, geopolitics, market conditions, etc.) alongside the legal advice"

I also think it could be helpful to talk a bit more specifically about the type of work solicitors do and why that appeals to you compared to barristers. For example, do you enjoy managing longer-term client relationships, coordinating transactions/projects, working in teams across different practice areas, or helping clients implement solutions rather than focusing primarily on advocacy and disputes? These kinds of distinctions can sometimes make your answer feel more personal and concrete, and shows you have a clear understanding of what the role involves.

That is a completely valid reason in my view, and I actually think "variety" + "commercial context" + being drawn to the day-to-day work of a solicitor is stronger than simply saying that you were influenced by uni/peers.

However, I don't think being exposed to commercial law through your environment is a bad thing to mention (as most of us discover careers through people around us), but I would frame it more as what initially sparked your interest rather than the main reason you are pursuing a TC now