TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[Z48]

Hi, grad rec have reached out and asked about reasonable adjustments for AC.

Apart from extra time - does anyone know what adjustments I can get for being neurodiverse?

Has anyone ever been successful in getting the interview questions in advance?

Coming in on this late 😅 but if you think an adjustment will be helpful, I think it’s worth asking, they can then consider whether or not it is something they can do. I would also consider messaging @Jessica Booker as she may be able to advise based on your specific needs.

I have previously received questions five minutes before the interview once, but it was for a firm with a set list of possible questions (not all the questions on the list were asked).

Most firms don’t have set questions so this is difficult. But as suggested by others they might be able to offer the questions in written form during the interview.

 

[EA95]

just got this from Latham's after not hearing if I have progressed for an AC "Due to the volume of applications we received we are still working through reviewing these. We are therefore hoping to provide you with a further update on the status of your application within the end of February."

Yeah I got that too, when I saw it I was immediately thinking PFO.

 

[yasmars]

Hi everyone @Amma Usman @Ram Sabaratnam @Andrei Radu could I please get some advice on video interviews? Would also love to hear some thoughts from my peers who went from failing VIs to passing. Have received VI PFOs from Clyde & Co, DWF, Reed Smith, Baker McKenzie & CMS. So all tips welcome please as I do not know what I am doing wrong.

My number one tip would be to be very specific in your answers. Instead of answering generically or repeating what you have already mentioned in your application such as to ‘why the firm’, try and add new reasonings or build on your previous answers with very specific and detailed examples. This has worked well for me currently!

Also don’t worry about structure too much. I know some people say you should start your VI by saying “there are three main reasons…etc” but often the time limit does not allow for this.

 

[OliverTwist]

just waiting for pfo from cooley..

Post-WG?

 

[Amma Usman]

WHAT IS AN IPO (INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING)?

Imagine you and your friends have a lemonade stand. At first, you and your family pay for everything; lemons, sugar, cups, so you own the whole business. But one day, you want to make your stand bigger, buy better ingredients, and maybe even open more stands.

Since you don’t have enough money yourself, you decide to sell small parts of your business (called shares) to other people. In return, they give you money to help your business grow.

When a big company does this for the first time, it’s called an IPO (Initial Public Offering). They sell shares to the public on the stock market, allowing regular people to buy a small piece of the company. If the company does well, those shares can become more valuable, and the people who bought them can make money!

 

[lawbear123]

did anyone not get a test from paul, weiss but also had no errors in their application??? 😭😭😭😭

 

[confusedbird]

I don’t want to turn this into a dispute either. But I don’t want people to be disingenuous and lack integrity either. Especially if they are applying to a profession where they will be bound by a code of conduct…

Hi,

I'm sorry if this comes off as mean or anything ..I promise I'm not trying to be. I see where you are coming from but there are aspects of the situation you might not have considered like - not everyone's support plan has all the reasonable adjustments they might need. Additionally, if OP was recently diagnosed or hasn't asked for adjustments before, it is very nerve wracking because they themselves might not know what they need or are entitled to. It's hard figuring out what you need and what is the impact of your neurodiversity on your life, especially if you're late diagnosed.

Asking for 'what they can get' can also be interpreted as them being anxious and not wanting to overburden gradrec / be dismissed by them. A lot of us were not privileged/lucky enough to be diagnosed early and assuming their intentions based on your interpretation feels plain wrong.

I don't mean to hurt anyone's feelings. All I'm trying to do is point out the other side of this situation. Hope you understand and we can all support each other through this very exhausting process!

 

[Chris Brown]

did anyone not get a test from paul, weiss but also had no errors in their application??? 😭😭😭😭

They might send out more tests today. I think they were sending them out gradually to people yesterday.

Best of luck for Paul, Weiss! 🙂​

 

[jojo23]

My ropes and gray answer is 325 words... do I need to pump those numbers up to reach closer to 500?😭😭

 

[Cara888]

This forum is like Lord of the Flies 🤣

 

[zonnonomo]

man can we take smoke breaks during assessment centres

 

[Mug Fan]

White & Case AC! Anyone has tips about that?

Congrats on the AC, mind if I ask when you completed your VI?

I literally just came on to ask what the usual turnaround time is and saw you’d posted!

 

[papaya]

So it’s looking unlikely that I will get a vac scheme this year 🙃 Is it worth applying to a few direct TCs? I’m career changer and plan on starting the gdl in the fall. It would be ideal to have an offer before then but I’m just wondering how realistic that is? I graduated from architecture and have worked in practice for about 1.5 years, but it seems like most people who get a direct TC worked as paralegals beforehand.

Working full time and going through the application process has been torturous. I don’t want to put myself through it again unless there’s some hope.

 

[marisachr]

man can we take smoke breaks during assessment centres

realest thing i have ever read on this forum tbh

 

[studentdelaw786]

“Does anyone know what I can get”

You are making your reasonable adjustments sound like you have just won a free burger at Burger King.

Ideally, you should have a support plan in place which has been created by a medical expert or disability coordinator. That’s where you will find out what adjustments you will require for work/studies. If they deem that you require written materials or questions in advance, then absolutely you may request this.

If you do not have this, and you have self diagnosed your neurodivergence, then it is most likely self curable too.

It’s highly unlikely that you will get the questions in advance as this is a massive risk to law firms and they have no way to stop you from circulating or leaking the information.

this was very inappropriate of you.

 

[Rhohia]

“Does anyone know what I can get”

You are making your reasonable adjustments sound like you have just won a free burger at Burger King.

Ideally, you should have a support plan in place which has been created by a medical expert or disability coordinator. That’s where you will find out what adjustments you will require for work/studies. If they deem that you require written materials or questions in advance, then absolutely you may request this.

If you do not have this, and you have self diagnosed your neurodivergence, then it is most likely self curable too.

It’s highly unlikely that you will get the questions in advance as this is a massive risk to law firms and they have no way to stop you from circulating or leaking the information.

Why is it your business? It’s an open forum to ask questions - drop the self-righteousness

 

[Rhohia]

Hi guys- does anybody know off the top of their head which deadlines today are non-rolling before I go ahead and search? Thank you!

 

[desperateTCseeker1998]

All adjustments that someone requires are clearly stated in a support plan or needs based report. The OP should just refer to what is in there and let grad rec know.

However, from the tone of the post, It seems like they were trying to get extra adjustments which they were not entitled to

This is just not correct? What constitutes reasonable adjustments will vary depending on the format of an assessment/interview. Also I’ve personally never been given a support plan or needs-based report with a list of examples even..

 

[Chris Brown]

Hi guys- does anybody know off the top of their head which deadlines today are non-rolling before I go ahead and search? Thank you!

Ropes and Gray and Orrick are both non-rolling and the deadline is today. 🙂

 

[desperateTCseeker1998]

My ropes and gray answer is 325 words... do I need to pump those numbers up to reach closer to 500?😭😭

I think Jessica has previously said that the most an answer should be below the word limit is around 10%? Might be misremembering but pretty sure