Last year I only got invited to interview on the 20th of February so don't worry!
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TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25
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You can always ask but be prepared for them to say no. Some people apply to regional offices thinking it’ll be less competitive then try to switch to London and firms are aware of this. But if your circumstances have genuinely changed I don’t think there’s harm in asking (someone else might have better advice on whether to do this before or after the AC)
genuine question here - are regional offices really less competitive by a significant amount? Or is it just an assumption? Sorry guys for butting into your convo lol
In my experience, yes 🙁 and I think it is largely down to numbers. There are just so many more candidates with similar grades and experience to compete with in London. I have a TC offer in a regional office (in Scotland) and have never been outright rejected for any firm in this city. I’ve made it to AC / interview stage in every application I’ve ever done until now. This is my first cycle applying to London firms and I’m getting rejected at first stage fairly often!
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If anyone has insight into the Eversheds AC DM me pls! would be willing to give insight into AC for Slaughter, Freshfields, Travers, Hogan Lovells, and TLT. Done VIs with quite a few firms too
Grad Rec are more than aware that people apply to regional offices with absolutely no intention of working there, and with the full aim of transferring to their London office. Personally, if I was Grad rec I would just reject you immediately.
Other than that, I would reassess your application with respect to the London applicants, and it's likely that you would not make the cut, as London is soooo competitive.
I think it’s an assumption. There are less people applying to regional offices but they also have less spaces, so proportionally the competition could be similar. But I’m not 100% sure!
I think they are somewhat less competitive but not by a significant amount. Regional offices tend to receive less applications than London offices but they also offer less TC’s, so it works out to be roughly the same % wise.
I think it also depends on the firm itself. I would imagine international firms like DLA Piper, Squire Patton Boggs and Pinsent Masons are competitive in the regions and in London. 🥲
For example, I went to the DLA Piper Discovery Day in Manchester. In the email confirming my offer of a place, they mentioned they had been overwhelmed with a very high number of quality applications.
This would imply it’s more of an assumption that a firm’s regional offices are less competitive. 🙂
I think it also depends on the firm itself. I would imagine international firms like DLA Piper, Squire Patton Boggs and Pinsent Masons are competitive in the regions and in London. 🥲
For example, I went to the DLA Piper Discovery Day in Manchester. In the email confirming my offer of a place, they mentioned they had been overwhelmed with a very high number of quality applications.
This would imply it’s more of an assumption that a firm’s regional offices are less competitive. 🙂
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i know this is probably a very obvious question but just want to check so im covering all bases but have a 'critical thinking test' coming up and not sure if it will just be WG based or further than this? there are zero details in the email
is this also for DACB? I was planning on doing it now, could give you insights if it's that
- Sep 7, 2024
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Hiya @lawyersum
Don't apologise! This is a great question, though it’s challenging to answer with precision. One reason for this is the lack of reliable data on training contract statistics for the regional offices of large firms. Most available insights that I've seen tend to focus on London.
From my experience mentoring applicants who’ve applied to both regional and London offices, my impression is that regional offices are sometimes less competitive in a very specific sense - largely because they tend to receive fewer applications. London, as an international legal hub, attracts a high volume of candidates due to its global reputation and the broad scope of work offered. Regional offices, on the other hand, often appeal more to candidates with ties to the local area or a particular interest in specific practice areas such as agriculture, healthcare, or manufacturing.
That said, regional offices are by no means “easy” to get into. I’ve met highly capable candidates who have faced challenges securing training contracts at firms with offices in cities like Birmingham or Manchester. The standards remain high, as these offices still handle complex and high-quality work, often have leaner teams, few training contract spots, and maintain rigorous selection processes.
Hope that helps!
- Sep 7, 2024
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Hiya @LawLawLawLawLaw
This isn’t an obvious question at all, so don't worry. Always good to check these things!
In my experience, when firms mention a “critical thinking test,” it tends to be based on Watson Glaser-style questions. That’s because “critical thinking” is often a catch-all term for skills like analysing information, evaluating arguments, drawing inferences, making deductions, and spotting assumptions (all of which the WG test is designed to assess).
If the email didn’t provide details, it’s a safe bet to brush up on Watson Glaser practice, as these questions are super common for law firm assessments. That said, if you want to be extra prepared, it wouldn’t hurt to check with the firm or recruiter (if possible) or review general critical thinking exercises just in case.
Good luck 😊
Generally yes, but I think it really does vary by firm, quite often there's significantly fewer places on a vac scheme/training contracts than in London. I spoke with someone at a firm's event about this. Wasn't given specific numbers of course, but was essentially advised that in some years a regional opportunity can even be more competitive, as the vast majority of TCs are on offer in the London office, vs only a handful in some regional offices. 2000 applications for 50 spots in London, is better odds than 300 apps for 5 spots in Manchester
- Sep 7, 2024
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Hiya @GSJ
Amazing job on getting to the AC! The Jones Day recruitment process has changed slightly since I was on the scheme, but I hope the following is useful to you. In addition to having strong research about the firm, you may be asked questions about areas of law or business that you’ve expressed interest in at the application stage. For example, I was asked several questions about the National Security and Investment Act, and I'd prepared for this because I'd mentioned my interest in the defence sector in my application and knew it might come up again.
Think about what makes Jones Day particularly appealing to you. Many applicants discuss the non-rotational training system, which you can definitely mention. However, I'd encourage you to consider other aspects of the firm that really affect how it delivers client services and demonstrates real legal expertise. You might want to think, for instance, about the firm’s global structure (the “one firm worldwide” approach), the sectors/practice areas it’s particularly strong in (real estate finance and mid-market private equity matters, as well as in areas such as fraud and civil litigation), its top-tier reputation for client service (Jones Day consistently ranks highly in surveys on client satisfaction), and also its chief competitors in London. Being able to convincingly articulate why 2-3 of these reasons matter to you will help your answers stand out during the partner/associate interview. Best of luck with the AC!
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