• Get Everything You Need to Secure a Training Contract
    Now half the price. Join TCLA Premium for £30/month and get step-by-step application support, daily commercial awareness practice, and 700+ successful examples of past applications and interview experiences. Plus so much more.
    Join Premium →
  • From AI to Energy Deals: Inside a Full-Service Law Firm with Osborne Clarke
    8 Dec 2025 · 6pm (UK) Zoom · Registration Required
    You want to write a strong Osborne Clarke application — but what really makes the firm different, and how do trainees experience the work day-to-day? In this session, you’ll hear directly from current trainees and Recruitment Advisor Patrick Fermin Ryan, so you can speak with clarity and specificity in your applications and interviews.
    Register →

TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2022-23

Status
Not open for further replies.

TCLA Community Assistant

Legendary Member
TCLA Moderator
Gold Member
Graduate Recruitment
Premium Member
Forum Team
Aug 1, 2019
15,526
21,763
Please could I ask for some insight into the L&W Behavioural Assessment (SJT) in terms of outcomes. I’ve been trawling forums for a while but not found much around feedback.
Being completely transparent mine came back:
Strengths - Effective communication and judgment
Development - Personal responsibility

I’ve no idea whether this is good, bad or ugly and would love to know other’s results/if you progressed to the next stage. Of course, I know they won’t be viewed in isolation but I’m curious as to whether a result like mine could be positive or negative.

@Jessica Booker your insight would be super if at all possible please.

Have a lovely evening all 🙏
I don’t know enough about how the test was designed to advise on this unfortunately.

Generally though, it’s not individual competencies highlighted, but the combination of this competencies that lead to an outcome either way.
 

futureTS2025hopeful

Legendary Member
Premium Member
Oct 23, 2020
175
218
Hi everyone,

What's the difference between a Spring and Summer Scheme? Can you still typically convert from a VS to a TC during Spring/Easter? For example I know Milbank offers both, but states 'we typically recruit all our trainees from the summer VS'.

Does that mean theres a disadvantage from completing a Spring VS if we wanted to get a TC?
 

TCLA Community Assistant

Legendary Member
TCLA Moderator
Gold Member
Graduate Recruitment
Premium Member
Forum Team
Aug 1, 2019
15,526
21,763
Hi everyone,

What's the difference between a Spring and Summer Scheme? Can you still typically convert from a VS to a TC during Spring/Easter? For example I know Milbank offers both, but states 'we typically recruit all our trainees from the summer VS'.

Does that mean theres a disadvantage from completing a Spring VS if we wanted to get a TC?
I think that is just bad wording, and that they mean they convert vacation schemes students generally, not just Summer candidates.

I don’t think there will be any difference between a summer and spring scheme, and that you are likely to convert the Spring scheme as much as the Summer. You might convert shortly after the scheme or have to wait until all programmes are concluded.

The exception may be if the Spring scheme is specifically designed as an early opportunity, for instance for first year law students who wouldn’t convert into a TC until their penultimate year.
 
  • Like
Reactions: futureTS2025hopeful

FutureLawyer99

Esteemed Member
Premium Member
Dec 28, 2021
96
225
In an article written exercise, should I reference my research during my written piece? For example ‘according to X....’. Or, is it acceptable for me to just state my research without referencing it? I’m so used to referencing sources for academic articles but I’m not sure if it applies to law firms 😩

Any advice would be appreciated!
 

TCLA Community Assistant

Legendary Member
TCLA Moderator
Gold Member
Graduate Recruitment
Premium Member
Forum Team
Aug 1, 2019
15,526
21,763
In an article written exercise, should I reference my research during my written piece? For example ‘according to X....’. Or, is it acceptable for me to just state my research without referencing it? I’m so used to referencing sources for academic articles but I’m not sure if it applies to law firms 😩

Any advice would be appreciated!
I would still make references - it doesn't need to be formalised like an academic piece of work, but it is still best to reference where you have found the information like in the format above.
 
  • Like
Reactions: FutureLawyer99

Ameliaa

Legendary Member
Premium Member
Jan 4, 2022
151
260
Anyone who did the Kennedys SJT, did you receive a confirmation email saying it was submitted? I did it yesterday and still haven't got an email or my feedback report
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

About Us

The Corporate Law Academy (TCLA) was founded in 2018 because we wanted to improve the legal journey. We wanted more transparency and better training. We wanted to form a community of aspiring lawyers who care about becoming the best version of themselves.

Get Our 2026 Vacation Scheme Guide

Nail your vacation scheme applications this year with our latest guide, with sample answers to law firm questions.