TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[Ram Sabaratnam]

Paul Hastings first stage interview invite for their PHirst scheme ?!

I've already accepted a summer scheme during their placement - do you think I could ask to be considered for the DTC route for Paul Hastings instead?

Hiya @abbiewhitlock03

Well done on securing both opportunities! I think @Jessica Booker would have more to add here, but I definitely think it’s worth reaching out to Paul Hastings to ask if you could be considered for the direct training contract route instead. As I've mentioned before, a good number of their trainees have come through that pathway, so it’s not at all unusual. You could simply explain that while you're really interested in the firm and keen to accept, you’ve already accepted another vacation scheme that overlaps with their PHirst scheme, and you’d really appreciate any flexibility they might have to consider you via the DTC route. If they say that’s not possible, then it may come down to which option you feel is better suited to your interests and where you’d most like to train. But it’s absolutely worth asking first.

Best of luck with the interview!

 

[abbiewhitlock03]

hey huge congrats, out of interest when did you apply? and is this the stage after app?

Thank you!! I applied on the 1st March. Yep I believe so, I haven't completed any tests or anything

 

[BobThebIlly]

Thank you!! I applied on the 1st March. Yep I believe so, I haven't completed any tests or anything

Hugeee congrats man! You might be the first person on the forum who has received an interview lmao -- good luck!!

 

[abbiewhitlock03]

Hiya @abbiewhitlock03

Well done on securing both opportunities! I think @Jessica Booker would have more to add here, but I definitely think it’s worth reaching out to Paul Hastings to ask if you could be considered for the direct training contract route instead. As I've mentioned before, a good number of their trainees have come through that pathway, so it’s not at all unusual. You could simply explain that while you're really interested in the firm and keen to accept, you’ve already accepted another vacation scheme that overlaps with their PHirst scheme, and you’d really appreciate any flexibility they might have to consider you via the DTC route. If they say that’s not possible, then it may come down to which option you feel is better suited to your interests and where you’d most like to train. But it’s absolutely worth asking first.

Best of luck, and again, congrats!

Thank you so much!!

I will definitely contact them and ask about the DTC route - whilst I am keen to be considered for the PH scheme, I am also looking forward to my other summer scheme and I'd hate to renege on the offer so I think asking to be transferred to the DTC route is probably best. The initial interview would also be right after a spring scheme I'm doing, so I don't think I'd be able to adequately prepare for it as well.

Thank you again! I really appreciate your help

 

[BobThebIlly]

Thank you so much!!

I will definitely contact them and ask about the DTC route - whilst I am keen to be considered for the PH scheme, I am also looking forward to my other summer scheme and I'd hate to renege on the offer so I think asking to be transferred to the DTC route is probably best. The initial interview would also be right after a spring scheme I'm doing, so I don't think I'd be able to adequately prepare for it as well.

Thank you again! I really appreciate your help

Sorry if this comes across as blunt but do you mind sharing how long you have until the interview

 

[abbiewhitlock03]

Sorry if this comes across as blunt but do you mind sharing how long you have until the interview

Hi, no worries at all! I'll PM you

 

[tomaspessanha]

Paul Hastings first stage interview invite for their PHirst scheme ?!

I've already accepted a summer scheme during their placement - do you think I could ask to be considered for the DTC route for Paul Hastings instead?

Did they contact your referees prior to sending you the invitation?

 

[abbiewhitlock03]

Did they contact your referees prior to sending you the invitation?

I don't think so, it is just a first-stage interview so I'd imagine that would be later down the line

 

[SaniaC]

Does anyone remember the dates of when the AS Sky Work Placement will be?

 

[trainee4u]

Does anyone remember the dates of when the AS Sky Work Placement will be?

Sky Summer Work Experience Placement + Potential Training Contract​ To , Sign up by 5pm today! Apply to Sky's in-house work experience programme - a brilliant opportunity to gain commercial experience at a top legal department, with two training contract offers available for attendees, starting in September 2025. Key details Dates: Two placement weeks: w/c Monday 12 May OR w/c Monday 19 May 2025 - 5 full days Location: In person, West London Eligibility: LPC or SQE 1 completed, ready to start a training contract in September 2025 (further eligibility details via the link) Application deadline: 14 March 2025 at 5pm For more information and to apply, please click the link below.

 

[Alessio1642]

Any updates for PHB?

 

[trainee4u]

Any updates for PHB?

some (at least one) people have received ACs, most have been blanked, as of now.

 

[SaniaC]

​ ​ Sky Summer Work Experience Placement + Potential Training Contract​ To , Sign up by 5pm today! Apply to Sky's in-house work experience programme - a brilliant opportunity to gain commercial experience at a top legal department, with two training contract offers available for attendees, starting in September 2025. Key details Dates: Two placement weeks: w/c Monday 12 May OR w/c Monday 19 May 2025 - 5 full days Location: In person, West London Eligibility: LPC or SQE 1 completed, ready to start a training contract in September 2025 (further eligibility details via the link) Application deadline: 14 March 2025 at 5pm For more information and to apply, please click the link below.

Thank you!!

 

[badmintonflyinginsect]

@Andrei Radu Hi Andrei! Is there a format you followed when writing minutes of the meeting and a legal memo during your VS?

 

[fairbourne]

Hi, I did an AC there last year and made it to the final interview (unsuccessful after that).

I don't know if they will have changed any aspects this year, but this is what it was like last year and sorry if I miss some parts out, I might not be remembering everything.

In the morning it began with an ice breaker activity, which involved everyone individually speaking for couple of minutes.
Then (to be honest I can't quite remember if this was before or after lunch) there were short presentations from different members of different areas of the firm, with the chance to ask questions.
At lunch we networked with some of the trainees.
Afterwards there was a group excercise which was observed by a firm partner/associate - the group excercise was in regard to making decisions for running a business and we were given an information pack on the business.
Lastly, we had to complete a writing task - again we were given an information pack for details etc.

Sorry I can't really remember timings for the group and written tasks!

I emailed to ask what the day would consist of before attending and the HR manager jumped on a short call with me, so I think they are very much open to questions.

Overall I would just say to be yourself and I know it can be hard, but to be confident and to make sure you are keeping up with the news at the moment.

Hope that helps!

Thank you so so much for this!

 

[baj5]

I think the approach suggested by @trainee4u is the right one. To add to his points, I have made a list bellow of crucial aspects to consider. Essentially, I think you should choose a new office location that seems to you to best fit the criteria you deem most important from those listed bellow; and then in the second part explain how reasons against it consist of the criteria the new location would not score so well in. This should be relatively unproblematic, as it is hard to think of any potential jurisdiction in which the different considerations would not pull in different directions. For instance, if clients in a given location are willing to pay high legal fees, the legal market is likely to be more saturated than other places and costs of setting up shop will also likely be higher.

Now, to list the factors I would consider most important:

1. Projected growth: Which regions in the world are projected to see significant growth in their legal markets? Here, there's many that come to mind, such as Singapore, Brussels, Sao Paolo, Boston, and Texas. You can further research this topic to determine what regions are likely to see the most growth and which regions have the highest potential legal fees.
2. Practice area and sector expertise: In which regions in the world would the firm's most well-known practices have the most demand? If your firm is transactional-focused Singapore might make sense, whereas if the the firm does a lot of competition/competition litigation work, Brussels might be the better choice.
3. Legal market conditions: A relevant factor for consideration is also how difficult it will be for the firm to establish itself as a serious player in a new region. Establishing an elite office in New York might be substantially more difficult than doing so in Sao Paolo, as seen by the struggles the Magic Circle firms have faced there.
4. Firm strategy and current network of offices: Does the firm prioritize revenue growth or retaining profitability? What is its current geographical reach, and what is its general international expansion strategy? A firm like Sullivan & Cromwell will normally focus on the highly-profitable legal markets in developed economies, while a firm like DLA Piper will have to ensure coverage of developing economies as well.
5. Legal fees: as indicated above, another crucial consideration is the range of billing rates clients in that jurisdiction are willing to accept. In developing countries companies expect to pay significantly lower fees than in the US and Western Europe. Thus, setting up shop there can result in a dilutive effect on profit pools.
6. Current client demand: for many firms who consider expanding a crucial point is whether current clients have any operations or need for legal services in that foreign jurisdiction. If you already have an established relationship in London or the US, it is a lot easier to win mandates from a given client in the new jurisdiction rather than winning mandates from new clients (where the firm would have to impress in a pitch to convince them to leave the firm they were previously working with). Furthermore, expanding in the main jurisdictions where your current clients need advice is a way of reducing the risk of them being won over by other firms (as a firm who advises a firm for a mandate in, say, Spain, might as well impress them and then persuade them to give them UK mandates as well). These two factors were central in Brad Karp's decision to invest as much as he did in Paul, Weiss' unprecedented expansion in the City- the firm was reportedly facing increasing demands to have a top London practice form Apollo, one of its most important PE clients.
7. Cost of setting up shop: depending on the state of the legal market in the jurisdiction and the method of expansion chosen (acquisition/merger of a local firm, lateral hiring, organic growth or a combination of the three), the costs of investing in a new office can differ immensely. Establishing a top office in New York for instance is a herculean task, as the combination of sky-high associate and partner salaries and the size of competitors requires a huge amount of invested capital (which, among other things, explains why the Magic Circle firms have found it so difficult to compete with the US firms on their home turf).

thanks so so much!

 

[Mayooshi]

Nope, I don’t think dtc will hear back this soon, their applications just shut for dtc and I don’t think vac schemers have heard back with offers yet

What about you? Did u apply for direct tc?

Yeah i applied dtc, i did have a call w HR at the start of march, but that was it

 

[Miss Chocolate]

Has anyone completed the Shoosmiths online test? Is it automatic or selective?

 

[S7321]

Anything from Orrick post-AC?

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

@Andrei Radu Hi Andrei! Is there a format you followed when writing minutes of the meeting and a legal memo during your VS?

I’d recommend looking at the firm’s templates or previous examples that they will have on their filling systems for this as formats can vary quite considerably from firm to firm.