TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[AlegalA]

Hi guys, one of hill Dickinson's questions is "As a firm, we operate across a number of sectors and specialisms, and offer sector-specific training contracts in each of our business services, health and marine groups. Which of our teams would you be most interested in completing a seat in and why?"

Are they asking why we want to do the specific sector that we chose or a specific seat within that sector? Eg: Health sector or Employment NHS within the Health sector.

 

[manifestingthetc]

In the interest of transparency, my results were:

Grit: 6/9
Applied Intellect: 7/9
Creative: 3/9
Digital: 6/9

Applied Verbal: Excelled

Tbh i don't know what to make of these results, especially the 3/9. Will not keep hopes high.

I got the exact same score as you ! and the 3/9 was for digital so not feeling hopeful either. I'd be curious to know the benchmark and whether they review the application at the same time ?

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

@Andrei Radu May I ask did you attend open days at the firms you did a Vacation Scheme with, particularly Davis Polk? Would you say attending an Open Day is necessary for these firms, and if not, would an applicant be disadvantaged in any way?

Hiya @BBsharkk

Just wanted to jump in here, but I'm @Andrei Radu would have more insight.

Attending an open day is not a requirement to secure a vacation scheme. Personally, I was able to secure vacation schemes with several US firms without attending any of their open days or insight events, and I know others who have done the same. If you’re either rejected from an open day or unable to attend one, I wouldn't be discouraged. However, if you have the opportunity to attend one with Davis Polk, it can be valuable for learning about specific practice areas or types of work that might otherwise be harder to research. This knowledge can also help you write an even stronger, more tailored application, which will play an important role in whether your application is progressed.

Overall (and I can't emphasise this enough), I'd encourage you to focus on the written quality of your application. In particular, many applicants underestimate the importance of ensuring their application is highly tailored and well-researched. Well-researched and convincingly answered application questions can often be a strong indicator of a candidate's genuine interest in a firm, even over and above whether or not they've attended an open day with the firm. Good luck with your application!

 

[LB24]

Anything from AG after the critical thinking test?

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

Hi guys, one of hill Dickinson's questions is "As a firm, we operate across a number of sectors and specialisms, and offer sector-specific training contracts in each of our business services, health and marine groups. Which of our teams would you be most interested in completing a seat in and why?"

Are they asking why we want to do the specific sector that we chose or a specific seat within that sector? Eg: Health sector or Employment NHS within the Health sector.

Heya @AlegalA

Would be curious to get thoughts from @Jessica Booker @Andrei Radu and @Amma Usman here, but based on my initial understanding of the question and a quick glance of their Chambers Student profile, I think the question is asking you to focus on a particular team/seat within your chosen sector (e.g., Health Litigation seat in the Health sector, or Tax and Financial Services seat in the Business Services).

When answering this question, it might be worth structuring your answer in the following way. Start by explaining the team/seat you're interested in. This is where you can also demonstrate some of your research not just in that particular sector, but also the sort of work that's typically carried out for clients when you're sat in that team/seat. You can also use this section to demonstrate an understanding of Hill Dickinson’s experience in that sector, perhaps referencing a recent deal or case done by the team. Finally, I'd tie your response to specific skills, experiences, or interests that align with the work of that team. That is, you'll want to briefly say why that work resonates with you.

Hope this helps and let us know if you have any other questions! Best of luck with your application 🥳

 

[Law queries]

Did anyone get a confirmation email after doing the Latham SJT? I haven’t received anything

Yes. So they send a feedback report. I received mine a day after taking the test

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

does anyone have any resources to prep for case studies? i have an upcoming ac with jones day and i know one part of the ac is the case study interview.

Hiya @unknownnn7372

Well done on getting to the AC! When I applied to Jones Day, they didn’t have a case study at the AC, but I’ve got some resources that might help, which include three fantastic threads by Jacob Miller.

• One for case studies
• One for negotiations
• One for general interview preparation.

These guides are super practical and detailed, and so definitely worth checking out! If you have any further questions, do let us know! Good luck with your preparation

 

[eleven14og]

Out of curiosity, which firms explicitly mentioned they are ok with candidates using AI? I'm seeing this as a green flag🤩

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

Hi did you use the full 500 words for each question for BCLP application? My current word count for each question is around 400 I am wondering if that would look bad?

Hiya @Gg2001

Having applied in a previous cycle, I was able to get through without using the entire word 500 word count limit. Most of my answers were between 430-460 words. In terms of structuring your answers to the questions and using the word count effectively, I'd recommend sticking with a minimum 2-3 points to ensure that your answer for each question demonstrates breadth, whilst also giving you enough word count to go into adequate detail. I'd also refer you to this BCLP thread here in case you have any other BCLP related questions.

Hope this helps and good luck with the application!

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

@Andrei Radu @Jessica Booker @Ram Sabaratnam

How would you guys advise on answering the following application question: Imagine you are advising a client in one of our sectors who is facing a major commercial challenge. Identify a recent business or current affairs issue which may impact them and describe how you would determine the appropriate support they would need from 'X' firm.

Specifically, for the part which says '...how you would determine...', what does it mean by this ?

Thank in advance !

Hiya @abhuzaifa


Just adding to what was mentioned by @Jessica Booker here. From my initial reading of it, I think this question is definitely about showing a structured approach to understanding a client’s needs and how you would use the firm’s expertise to help them. For the “how you would determine” part, focus on explaining the steps you’d take to identify the support the client needs.

I think you could start by researching the client’s sector and then identifying an issue that you can convincingly explain would affect them. As Jess mentioned, you can then set out the specific steps that you'd take to assist them with the issue/challenge/news story you've identified. This could include mentioning attempts to engage with the client to understand their specific concerns, goals, and constraints; conducting any research into the legal and commercial implications of the issue; or using the firm’s resources, such as knowledge databases or 'knowledge lawyers', any market insights, or previous cases. You can also mention the role of collaboration within the firm's team to get a well-rounded understanding of the problem and potential solutions (e.g. perhaps you can mention consulting partners or senior associates with expertise in the client’s sector). I'd try to end off by suggesting whether there's a specific range of solutions that you might consider implementing (whether immediate advice on compliance or risk mitigation strategies).

Hope this is useful and helps prompt ideas for you! Good luck!

 

[AlegalA]

Heya @AlegalA

Would be curious to get thoughts from @Jessica Booker @Andrei Radu and @Amma Usman here, but based on my initial understanding of the question and a quick glance of their Chambers Student profile, I think the question is asking you to focus on a particular team/seat within your chosen sector (e.g., Health Litigation seat in the Health sector, or Tax and Financial Services seat in the Business Services).

When answering this question, it might be worth structuring your answer in the following way. Start by explaining the team/seat you're interested in, highlighting why that particular team/seat interests you within the sector. This is where you can also demonstrate some of your research not just in that particular sector, but also the sort of work that's typically carried out for clients when you're sat in that team/seat. You can also use this section to demonstrate an understanding of Hill Dickinson’s work in that sector, perhaps referencing a recent deal or case done by the team. Finally, I'd tie your response to specific skills, experiences, or interests that align with the work of that team. That is, you'll want to briefly say why that work resonates with you.

Hope this helps and let us know if you have any other questions! Best of luck with your application 🥳

Thank you so much!

 

[AlegalA]

Hellooo I have a question,

I am currently applying to Withers. I applied last year and got through to the test. The issue I have is that their questions are very very short (60w), and my answers to why law and why Withers have not changed enough for there to really be a change in my answer (Because of the word count the answers are relatively surface level).

Some questions I can obviously change (such as my biggest accomplishment, as it's been a year since the last one), but I'm unsure what to do for those two questions.

I can potentially tweak them slightly? Has anyone experienced this for Withers specifically (or any firm with a low word count, although I think Withers is the lowest!)

Thank you!!

@Ram Sabaratnam I was wondering if you might have an opinion on this?

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

Hellooo I have a question,

I am currently applying to Withers. I applied last year and got through to the test. The issue I have is that their questions are very very short (60w), and my answers to why law and why Withers have not changed enough for there to really be a change in my answer (Because of the word count the answers are relatively surface level).

Some questions I can obviously change (such as my biggest accomplishment, as it's been a year since the last one), but I'm unsure what to do for those two questions.

I can potentially tweak them slightly? Has anyone experienced this for Withers specifically (or any firm with a low word count, although I think Withers is the lowest!)

Thank you!!

Hiya @AlegalA

I have thoughts (I think haha). I'd definitely be curious to know what @Andrei Radu and @Amma Usman might say here.

With such a tight word count, I think even small changes to your answers can make a difference. I’d suggest looking for subtle ways to refine your responses. For "Why law," you could think about how your understanding of or motivation for pursuing law might have deepened over the past year. Are there any new insights, experiences, or reflections you could incorporate? Even rephrasing your previous answers to make them more concise or impactful can give them a refreshed feel.

For "Why Withers," you could see whether anything about the firm has stood out to you more recently. Maybe there's a recent deal, initiative, or cultural aspect you’ve learned about that you can weave in. Updating this part, even slightly, could make your answer feel more current and tailored. If you’re finding it hard to tweak those two questions significantly, your updated answers to other questions, like your biggest accomplishment, will still help ensure your application feels fresh/updated overall.

Don’t stress too much about repeating some elements if they’re still true and relevant. The key is to focus on making each answer as clear, engaging, and precise as possible. Hope this helps!

 

[ashwright]

does anyone know if being <80 percentile for Linklaters’ Watson Glaser is fatal to the application? Or could a decent CAPP etc make up for it? Thank you

 

[lilymawe1]

does anyone know if being <80 percentile for Linklaters’ Watson Glaser is fatal to the application? Or could a decent CAPP etc make up for it? Thank you

From what I have heard (so anyone correct me if I am wrong), they seem to place greater emphasis on CAPP scores.

 

[mariistm]

Does anyone know what attributes Linklaters are actually looking for in the CAPP assessment? Every time i’ve done it I received different results and was rejected every time, but with no feedback you don’t know whether it’s the grades, CAPP or WG…

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Hi guys, one of hill Dickinson's questions is "As a firm, we operate across a number of sectors and specialisms, and offer sector-specific training contracts in each of our business services, health and marine groups. Which of our teams would you be most interested in completing a seat in and why?"

Are they asking why we want to do the specific sector that we chose or a specific seat within that sector? Eg: Health sector or Employment NHS within the Health sector.

I think it is effectively alluding to both why the specialised programme and if there are any seats you specifically want to do within that area. It is probably to make sure you understand the realities of the different programmes to ensure you are best aligned to the sector specific programme you are choosing.

 

[NJS]

weird question, but to those who have done the Linklaters test, is the percentage on the application portal 77%?

 

[Tcvspfo]

Anyone applying for Weil this is of HIGH IMPORTANCE TO YOU!!!!!

 

[lilymawe1]

weird question, but to those who have done the Linklaters test, is the percentage on the application portal 77%?

Mine is at 66% and have also done both tests, I wonder what this means then?