TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[Katy12345]

I am genuinely curious as to why you would reapply to firms where you already did vac schemes?

Quite often grad rec or partners tell you to reapply if they liked you, maybe this happened here

 

[NJS]

I am genuinely curious as to why you would reapply to firms where you already did vac schemes?

Because when a recruiter encourages you to re-apply it would be silly to not try again

 

[James Wakefield]

I am genuinely curious as to why you would reapply to firms where you already did vac schemes?

You can probably write an application pretty quickly and tailor it to the firm (as you’ve experienced working there) so like, why not, if it can be a quick application.

I think a downside would be the emotional toll because you’re likely to get a PFO (again), but if you’ve come to terms with that then fine.

 

[Lawuncoded]

Because when a recruiter encourages you to re-apply it would be silly to not try again

Ahh, so it’s not a generic thing they say?

 

[NJS]

Ahh, so it’s not a generic thing they say?

No, they definitely just say it for the sake of it, in both feedback calls I asked if I should reapply and they both said “yes we encourage to reapply again”, it saves everyone time if they just say you can’t

 

[Zaraa.x]

any insights/tips for slaughter & may interview? would be very grateful!!

I have no insights unfortunately but is this for the Direct TC or Vac scheme pls

 

[rapunzel]

any insights/tips for slaughter & may interview? would be very grateful!!

Reread your cv because my interview consisted of them grilling me on an EPQ I did 5 years ago for half the interview. The article is very random be sure to debate pretty much anything!

 

[NCTC2025]

Reread your cv because my interview consisted of them grilling me on an EPQ I did 5 years ago for half the interview. The article is very random be sure to debate pretty much anything!

Second this! They asked me if Id considered Oxbridge for uni - I said I got rejected after an interview and they asked me what the interview question was and proceeded to grill me on that specific question for most of the interview.

 

[Katy12345]

No, they definitely just say it for the sake of it, in both feedback calls I asked if I should reapply and they both said “yes we encourage to reapply again”, it saves everyone time if they just say you can’t

@Jessica Booker could you share your opinion/insights on if firms just encourage you to reapply for the sake of it maybe please?

 

[rapunzel]

Second this! They asked me if Id considered Oxbridge for uni - I said I got rejected after an interview and they asked me what the interview question was and proceeded to grill me on that specific question for most of the interview.

I’ve heard so many harrowing stories it seems like some of these partners who are interviewing are just out to get you really 😭

 

[BillSikes]

Second this! They asked me if Id considered Oxbridge for uni - I said I got rejected after an interview and they asked me what the interview question was and proceeded to grill me on that specific question for most of the interview.

Slaughters man honestly what’s with their Oxbridge obsession💀

 

[NCTC2025]

Slaughters man honestly what’s with their Oxbridge obsession💀

yea lowkey why were they digging up buried trauma 😭

 

[BobThebIlly]

yea lowkey why were they digging up buried trauma 😭

If I was asked about my Oxbridge rejection I fear I would just break down

 

[ohnoselim]

does anyone know if russell cooke is rolling?

 

[BillSikes]

Does anyone have insights on RPC AC?

When did you get this

 

[badmintonflyinginsect]

any insights on:
- weil after vi
- sidley
- milbank
- dpw
- links

bc why am i still waiting on ALL these firms?

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

No, they definitely just say it for the sake of it, in both feedback calls I asked if I should reapply and they both said “yes we encourage to reapply again”, it saves everyone time if they just say you can’t

I'd stress it isn't always just saying this for the sake of saying it - I don't think any recruiter wants to waste the candidate's or the their time.

I have encouraged people to reapply in the hope they would improve in the areas we identified where they needed a stronger performance on the vacation scheme, and then when it has come around to them applying, we just didn't see enough evidence of that development to warrant bringing them through again. Sometimes their application form just hasn't met expectations the second time around or they didn't perform as strongly in certain assessments. Its been disappointing when that has happened, as I generally only encouraged people to reapply if I felt there was a chance they could improve.

On the other side, I gave very strong hints to people that we didn't feel they should reapply (but couldn't tell them not to) as we didn't feel they were suited to the firm, but many would reapply anyway!

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

@Jessica Booker could you share your opinion/insights on if firms just encourage you to reapply for the sake of it maybe please?

See the post above.

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Hi everyone,

Just a reminder about our TCLA rules.

Please can you note provide details of assessments such as case studies, articles interviews etc where you explain the specific topic/theme of the assessment. We are happy for people to provide general guidance and talk about general themes on the best way to prepare, but please avoid specific references to the assessments content like topics it covers.

Many thanks

Jess

 

[suhana]

Hiya @suhana

@Andrei Radu and @Amma Usman would definitely have more to say here, but I just wanted to chime in beforehand.

I think this is a really good question. It's easy for discussions of “commercial" and "legal" factors to overlap significantly when drafting a written exercise. That said, I think the most straightforward way to conceptualise the difference is by thinking of "commercial factors" as including, more broadly, the financial, strategic, or operational implications of a business decision (whether an acquisition, a restructuring, or investment). When law firms ask applicants to discuss commercial factors, they want to see that you’re able to think about such factors when drafting your answers.

I've generally found that econ and business students are more likely to have come across the factors below, but it's worth bearing in them in mind when completing an exercise that's testing your commercial awareness. The factors below are just some of the things you'll want to think about:

1. Financial Factors

• Revenue Growth: Will the decision lead to sustainable increases in the company's income?
• Profit Margins: Does the decision help maintain or improve profitability?
• Cost Efficiency: How effectively are resources being used? Does it reduce costs or at least do the costs lead to measurable improvements in a client's operational efficiency?
• Return on Investment: Are the financial returns worth the cost and risk of the decision?

2. Strategy and Market Factors

• Goal Compatibility: Does the acquisition/investment decision align with the company’s long-term goals and vision?
• Competitive Advantage: Will the business decision strengthen the company’s position in the market (e.g. allowing the client to differentiate itself)? Is the client likely to be competitive in the particular industry or will it struggle to keep up as a result of the business decision?
• Market Expansion: Does the decision create opportunities to enter new markets or grow market share in existing ones?
• Market Needs: Does the decision address current or emerging customer demands effectively?
• Opportunity Cost: If you advise the client to pursue one option over another, what other opportunities are being foregone, and is this preferred decision the best use of resources by comparison?
• Timing: Is the decision being made at the right time to maximise impact or capitalise on opportunities?

3. Operational Factors

• Scalability: Can the decision be scaled up effectively if needed?
• Efficiency Gains: Does the business decision streamline processes or improve productivity?
• Integration Feasibility: If it involves merging or acquiring, how easily can the new entity be integrated?
• Risk Mitigation: How well does the decision anticipate and address potential challenges?
• Employee and Cultural Impact: Does the decision improve employee satisfaction, retention, or productivity? Are there cultural tensions that emerge as a result of the merger/acquisition that might need to be addressed?

In an M&A case, any of these factors could be discussed depending on the scenario you've been given. To ensure there's sufficient clarity, I'd encourage you to focus on the structure and organisation of your written work. You can simply signpost within the written exercise itself to indicate that you're moving from one set of commercial considerations to another, and then clearly state when you're discussing the more legal elements at play. This can help you easily distinguish the commercial from the legal in your answer. Apologies in advance for the length of this reply but I hope it helps!

thank you so much! this is incredibly helpful