TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[Abbie Whitlock]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone has advice on where to find a bunch of mock case studies/ commercial awareness exercises, as well as written tasks to practice for an assessment centre?

I'm not sure if TCLA does this with Premium, but I would really appreciate any free or affordable options. Thanks.

Hello!

I've collated a few resources below that I used / might be useful:

• Definitive Guide to Law Firm Case Studies (whilst this is a case study, instead of a written exercise, I found it super useful last cycle!)
• TCLA Written Exercises (a good way to practice if you are able to pay to access resources)
• Some law firms upload example written exercises online - I believe DWF has one available!

Hopefully they help as a starting point - best of luck!

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Morgan Lewis telephone interview! This is my first TI so any advice is appreciated

Hey!

Congratulations on the TI invite!!

Whilst I haven't completed a telephone interview myself before, I have written a few previous posts that outline my general advice on how I would approach it - I have quoted them below

Wishing you the best of luck - you've got this!!

Hey!

Congratulations on being invited to the telephone interview stage!

Whilst I‘m not too sure on the specifics of Akin’s process, telephone interviews tend to focus on getting to know you and discussing your motivations for applying to the firm. If I was preparing for a telephone interview, I would focus on:

1. Motivational Questions

I would generally expect the classic three questions - why commercial law, why Akin, and why you. This can come in various forms, such as “why are you interested in our core practice areas” or “what makes you a good fit for Akin’s culture”. These approaches tend to blend a few of the motivational questions together, so I would just make sure that you address each aspect when answering the questions.

2. Competency Questions and Scenario Questions

I’d expect the common ones that are relevant to the role of a trainee solicitor - such as teamwork, resilience, handling pressure, solving problems, proactivity, etc. Using a clear structure such as STAR is ideal, as it ensures that you discuss each situation and competency in depth. I would always encourage you to read this guide by Andrei for competency questions

Scenario questions are quite similar to what would appear in an SJT, and could include things such as:

• ”What would you do if you had competing deadlines?”
• ”How would you handle a difficult colleague?”

They are not necessarily looking for a ‘right’ answer - they want to see your judgment, approach, and thought process. I’d make sure to talk them through each stage in your process, and outline what you’d take into consideration at each point.

3. Commercial Awareness

I would prepare for questions that follow the lines of “Tell us about a recent news story that interested you” or “Tell us about a recent news story that will impact the firm and our clients”. Make sure to research a few stories that you are able to understand well and that you are genuinely interested in, and explain:

1. The context of the story (i.e. what is actually happening)
2. The commercial implications
3. How it might affect Akin’s clients or practice groups.

As it is a telephone interview, it will be slightly different than a normal interview in a few ways. I would make sure to keep your answers structured and concise, and speak with energy and genuine interest - this will help you build a rapport with the interviewer! You might also find it useful to clearly signpost your answers so that the interviewers are able to clearly follow along.

I hope that helps, and best of luck with the interview!

Hey!

Congratulations on the TI invite! Whilst I wouldn't have any specific insights into Morgan Lewis' TI, I can offer some general tips on how you could approach this interview. Given the interview is only 20 minutes, I think preparation is less about covering lots of ground and more about having very clear and concise answers.

I would re-read your application carefully and be prepared to speak about anything that you mentioned on it, as questions are often taken directly from it. For example, in similar interviews, I have been asked about some of the academic modules that I studied or particular initiatives that I was a part of.

Additionally, I would create a mini-bank of competency examples that you can adapt to different questions, keeping the background / context of them structured and to the point. This could involve picking 2-3 main experiences from your work experience or academic background and highlighting what competencies you displayed.

I would make sure that you have a clear and specific answer to the more common interview questions - namely, "why Morgan Lewis", "why law" and "why you". Try to focus on a few genuine reasons, rather than trying to cover everything, and always make sure to back up your points with evidence.

As there is a time constraint, it will help to focus on clarity and structure - it might be the case that they are looking at how well you can communicate and prioritise under pressure rather than how much detail you give.

Best of luck!!

 

[HasRez]

Apart from HFW, what other DTC's are open this cycle?

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

PFO FROM S&C, TLT, Travers Smith DTC

WAITING FOR BCLP.

Should I apply to HFW? Any advice for that? Considering I have completed a vac scheme at RS recently this year. @Abbie Whitlock

Hey!

I am really sorry to hear about the PFOs - I know that is never easy, especially when you make it further into the process.

Whether you should apply to HFW really depends on whether you are interested in the firm and can put together a tailored application - you have clearly been competitive enough to secure a Travers Smith DTC interview and a Reed Smith vac scheme, which suggests your fundamentals are strong!

One thing that may work in your favour is that HFW and Reed Smith have a number of overlapping strengths, particularly in areas like shipping and international trade. If those are practice areas that you have enjoyed learning about during the vac scheme and are genuinely interested in, you may find it easier to articulate your motivations for both those areas of law and HFW more broadly. This is because drawing on your experiences from Reed Smith could help give you more informed and authentic reasons for why HFW appeals to you, and backs up those motivational elements.

I would also make sure you have taken some time to reflect on your recent interview experiences so that you can continue refining your approach - every process is different, and one firm's decision doesn't necessarily predict another's.

Wishing you the best of luck with BCLP - fingers crossed!

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

As a future trainee with a firm, who should I email if I have questions about onboarding etc?

There are 4 different people in the graduate recruitment team, who have all been in contact separately throughout the application and vacation scheme and TC offer processes, we've never been given one point person for future trainee queries or anything.

Should I just emails the general earlycareers@? or the senior person in the team? or the one who handled us most throughout the scheme?

Hey!

If you are not sure who your point of contact is, I would personally just email the general early careers inbox as that is likely the easiest option. They'll probably just forward it to the right person in the team, and you can then communicate with them from that point onwards.

However, I'm sure whichever member of the graduate recruitment team you contact will make sure that it gets to the right person. They are very used to future trainees having onboarding questions, so I wouldn't worry too much about getting it wrong. When I started my SQE year, I had emailed the wrong member of the early careers team and they simply forwarded it to the right person - it won't matter too much either way!