If I’m made a TC offer from one firm following a spring scheme while also having another vac scheme in the summer, what are my potential options (all of this is wishful thinking)
Depends on how long you have to accept your TC offer and the terms and conditions of both your TC and VS offers.If I’m made a TC offer from one firm following a spring scheme while also having another vac scheme in the summer, what are my potential options (all of this is wishful thinking)
Thank you, that's very helpful!Congratulations!! A lot of firms are now completely transitioning to the SQE, I've seen many state that they would require LPC Grads to do the SQE. You're exempt from SQE1 if you've done the LPC but will have to sit SQE 2.
The firm I did a vac scheme for have space for two intakes. They said that their 2024 intake won't have to do the SQE if they've done the LPC, but their 2025 intake would. So really think it depends on the firm and what stage they are in regarding their transition to qualifying via the SQE
Technically if you have accepted a TC you shouldn't really be applying to VS or TCs going forward.Does anybody know the rules on applying to vacation schemes/direct training contracts after already accepting a TC? @Jessica Booker I would love some insight if you have any. Many thanks!
You can accept and then renege on firm B if you wanted to.Hi @Jessica Booker , would really appreciate your thoughts on this:
I was supposed to hear back from a firm (say Firm A) for a summer vac scheme by 3 Apr, and found out on 12 Apr that I had been placed on the reserve list, and that I should hear back with a decision by early last week (so roughly 18 Apr). On 19 Apr I hadn't heard back, so I emailed grad rec, who said she would check and get back to me. On 21 Apr I emailed again as I was being pressured by a different firm (Firm B) to make a decision on them, but this firm I am on the reserve list for is my first choice, and the grad rec member I was speaking to told me her colleagues are out of office but that she was waiting to hear from them, and she asked me if I could get an extension on Firm B to mid of this week (yesterday). Yesterday I tried emailing Firm A again but the email of the grad rec member I was speaking to no longer works (emails just bounce, rather than an 'out of office' message), so I tried emailing the general grad rec email. I still haven't heard back from Firm A, and need to make a decision on Firm B (they have emailed me again saying they really need a decision as other candidates are on hold). Would it be acceptable to call Firm A? I don't want to come across as pushy or annoying, but a decision from them would be really helpful. Thanks for your help in advance!
@Jessica Booker Is there any code / best practice that firms typically go by when it comes to deciding how much time they would allow candidates to hold an offer for?Depends on how long you have to accept your TC offer and the terms and conditions of both your TC and VS offers.
If you accept the TC, you may find either firm does not allow you to continue with the VS.
If that is the case, you can try to ask for an extension period of the TC offer for you to hold an offer but not make a decision on that offer until your vacation scheme concludes. The TC firm could say no to this though.
There is a voluntary code that states 4 weeks if you are in your final year or have graduated, and mid September, if you are a penultimate year undergraduate. Many firms don’t stick to the code though - I would say four weeks is common unless the programme is due to start soon (whether that be the TC itself or the training for it).@Jessica Booker Is there any code / best practice that firms typically go by when it comes to deciding how much time they would allow candidates to hold an offer for?
For firms like CC where they offer TCs in candidates' first year of university (through SPARK) I've heard that they give candidates up to 2 years to decide whether they want to accept - which makes sense given they offer TCs so early on. But I remember seeing somewhere there is standard practice something along the lines of giving candidates at least until the start of their final year at university to decide - but not sure (i) whether law firms are still doing this and (ii) how it would apply to candidates who are no longer at university.
Been hearing rumours about how US firms are increasingly putting pressure on candidates to decide very swiftly e.g. only giving 1-2 weeks to deliberate and UK firms starting to follow suit and cut down on the time given to candidates to decide as well because it just makes more sense for them to do so if competitors are forcing candidates to decide that quickly. And to be fair, I can see where they are coming from - they have to adapt to whatever the rest of the grad rec market is doing.
I'm finding this a bit tricky to navigate especially if you get a TC offer off the back of a spring vac scheme but would still like to do a summer vac scheme before you make any final decisions. How should candidates approach this conversation with grad rec?
Not yet - the wait is agonizingHas anyone heard back from CC ME post VI for the summer vac scheme?
Wait, hold on a minute! Orrick said that they only open their TC applications if they have spaces? But they already have a deadline for the direct TC app in May (before their VS).Yes they said this at their open day and they only open TC applications if they have spaces.
Also curious about that, I also read somewhere that they supposedly had a decent direct TC intake... wondering if it is worth applying!Wait, hold on a minute! Orrick said that they only open their TC applications if they have spaces? But they already have a deadline for the direct TC app in May (before their VS).