TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25
- Thread starter Jessica Booker
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hate to sound like a broken record but has anyone else heard back from w&c for the spring vac scheme?
Has anyone heard back about Linklaters summer VS other than being on hold? Also, does it make a difference if there is a tick next to candidate review?
No, and for the second part, please don't worry about it being 66% or 77%, with a tick or without... I feel like everyone is emphasizing on the percentages and ticks, but it really does not mean anything; i know we are all desperate to hear back from them, me included, but I also feel like we're over-reading into it, and traumatizing everyone else by seeking an imaginary comfort...
Please guys dont take what i am saying negatively or in an insulting manner, i really mean it with good intentions; i just feel like everyone is worrying over something that doesn't even exist; the percentages don't mean anything really... Just pray for the best and try not to overcomplicate your life by focusing on percentages that add no value... because some have 66% but will get an invite while others may have 77% and still not get through...
Jessica Booker
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With the back and forth so far, I would recommend going ahead with the date unless there is a clear commitment you have on the day.
This is why it’s really important to be clear upfront to the dates you could do. If the date wasn’t ideal for you, then it would have been better to not include it when responding with your availability.
If something has changed since you sent them your availability, then explain this and they may be able to reschedule you.
Jessica Booker
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We would recommend the SPAG exercise for Freshfields:
Written Exercise (SPAG) | The Corporate Law Academy
Simply order below. 1. Select your preferred time slot the next working day in your order notes. 2. You will be sent the written exercise, together with the instructions, at the beginning of the time slot. 3. You will email your response in a Word document. 4. We will provide you with...
www.thecorporatelawacademy.com
Not a future trainee, just someone who's been through quite a few ACs (both successful and unsuccessful ones), here's my two-cents:
1. This is dependent on the firm, but generally speaking I find that firms are never really that detailed when it comes to AC feedback. This kind of makes sense in that your actual interviewers likely only dropped brief comments during the interview and the HR who called you was simply "interpreting" the comments on the spot based on the very limited information they have. Imagine this: you (the HR lead) hosted ACs with 200 candidates, you have to reject 160 of them and you offer feedback call to some of them as late as 4-6 weeks after the actual AC, with the only information you have being the scoring sheet the 2 lawyers gave you. How helpful/bespoke do you think the feedback would be?
2. Even if we assume the process is completely fair and the assessment is fully accurate (I sincerely believe that it's impossible), it might simply be that other candidates were doing very well as well, and even the HR was struggling to pick the ones that stood out. If they assess you based on scores, there might very well 50+ people with the exact same scores, and there aren't places for all of them. So yes, it's a numbers game unless you performed so well above most of other candidates that they can't reject you even if they tried. And based on the quality of the pool of people that apply to top law firms, this is very very difficult.
3. Ultimately, please remember that a TC/VS in Biglaw is extremely competitive, if not the most competitive field in the UK. Law firms don't operate on a CV basis so the barrier of entry is already quite high. For any given law firm, if there are 10-20 places for TC, and you have 3000+ applications (most of which are at least 2:1 RG candidates) for them, some being career changers or had paralegal experience, while some having almost seemingly impossible resume (e.g. founder of start-ups, 15 different internships at elite institutions, etc.), I can't tell you enough how difficult this process is. The average 1.5% acceptance rate resembles that of a top Ivy-League university admission rate (much lower than the Oxbridge admission rate), so yes, it is unimaginably difficult. You simply need to get lucky, or be good enough and try for multiple cycles.
I imagine they will be sending them out over the next few days. Paul, Weiss began updating people today and I have only seen PFO’s on the forum but not any AC invites. Paul, Weiss sent out test invites over a period of a few days so it will probably be the same for post-test outcomes (AC or PFO). 🙂
Best of luck to everyone still waiting for Paul, Weiss. Hopefully it’s good news for all of us. 🥲
Best of luck to everyone still waiting for Paul, Weiss. Hopefully it’s good news for all of us. 🥲
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I think I might be tired of waiting but still hoping😅 anyone heard from Latham (applied after first week of dec for the summer scheme, it’s been more than two months💀) and awaiting response/heard back ?
I sent my app in September. I got the email about them still reviewing them last week. I am sure will be a PFO but cant be 100% or they wouldn't have sent that email
Oh my god it’s been like 5 months for you..I thought I was not ok but HOW ARE YOU COPING😭
Haha, I have been focusing on other ACs etc, you just put it in the back of your mind ig
That’s amazing and maybe I should take a page out of that book, I hope your other ACs are going well!🧿
- Sep 9, 2024
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Just to add a couple of points to @Jessica Booker 's great response:
1. Judging the building of rapport is difficult as partners have very different approaches to interviews. Whilst I think discussing personal life is a positive sign in this regard, it is definitely not conclusive. Besides Jessica's tips, I would also advise you to aim to mirror the attitude of the interviewers and to continuously update your approach depending on the interviewer's reactions (including body language, facial expressions etc). Some interviewers are more formal and like looking 'strict' - when speaking with them, it is good to always be maximally focused and act a bit like you are responding to a judge in court. Some may be very direct, in which case you may want to cut the use of buzzwords and exaggerated claims about yourself or the firm. Others may be a lot more relaxed and interested in learning about you as a person, and if so it would be ideal to also relax a bit as well and drop the unnecessary formalism. Point is, different approaches will work with different people and you cannot know which is the best before you enter the interview room. Start from a point of a formal yet enthusiastic attitude and then adapt based on the cues you receive.
Similarly, this applies to the substantive content of your answers as well. Some partners will appreciate really detailed commercial analysis and knowledge of the legal market - and if so, you may want to integrate that in your answers as much as you can. Others will really like detailed explanations of your non-legal experiences and ask a lot about them, in which case you should aim to bring them up more often than you would have otherwise. The idea is just that you should try to learn as much as you can about what works during the interview itself and not hold to a pre-established rigid approach. My best interview performances happened when I deviated from the "ideal" answers I prepared initially.
2. As Jessica said, I think in most cases it is better to build in the detail into your initial answers rather than inviting follow ups. The partners can appreciate a more complete analysis of your experiences and motivations without wanting to open a whole new discussion on them. Of course you do not want to overdo it and overload them with information, but I think most candidates worry too much about this. If your answer is well structured and your tone is right, I think it can go well into three minutes without being considered "too long".
So do u think u got a pfo because u didnt do very well in the amberjack assessment. i am asking this because i am first-year student and plan to apply next year
- Sep 9, 2024
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I think you should introduce yourself first but only very briefly - something like "Hi, my name is X and today I will be presenting on ..." should suffice. As for the short summary, I think in many cases that works better at the end, as you want the interviewers to remember that you covered the key points. In the introduction, I think you could just lay out the structure of the presentation (explaining how many parts it has and in what order will you address them) without going into the substance of each element.
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