TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[A worried graduate]

Just to add to the great post by @Amma Usman perhaps it would be useful for you to see some of the other resources I used and my process management method. The the starting point would be to "split" the law firm up between a number of different categories, which I would then represent as subheadings in a Firm Research document on Word. Among the categories I used I included: Firm Basics, Financial Results, Business Strategy and Outlook, Main Practice Areas, Deals/Cases, Client Base, Awards & Recognition, Training Programme Details, Lateral Hires and Other News, Culture, DEI, and Pro Bono. This helped me immensely not just in better organizing the information I found, but in knowing what to look for.

In terms of the steps I took and the resources I used, I followed the approach bellow:

1. First, get the 'Firm Basics' right: what is its size, what countries does it have offices in, what work is it known for, what does its history look like and in particular what does its history in London look like etc.
2. Then, using a combination of searches using key terms on Google, the firm's own website and their LinkedIn account, try to fill as much information under those headings as you can.
3. Thirdly, use Chambers Student Guide, Chambers UK 2025 and Chambers Global; but also Legal 500 and for US firms Vault 2025 to get (i) a good firm overview; and (ii) a deeper analysis of practice area/sector expertise.
4. Fourthly, use the wider legal press to find out more insights on all of the previous points, but in particular for practice area expertise and business performance compared to competitors. Here I advise you to simply type the name of the firm in the search bar of the following publications: The Lawyer, Law.com, Bloomberg Law, The Global Legal Post, Business Law, and sometimes even Legal Cheeck. Some require a subscription but you may be able to access without paying using your university account.
5. Fifth, if the time allows for it look if there are any further resources you can use, such as podcasts and youtube channels - some done by the firm itself, and some run by the legal press (see The Lawyer's, Bloomberg Law, and Law, Disrupted).

In have also quoted bellow a post that I think you may find very useful; it explains in depth what questions to ask yourself to really individuate a firm and distinguish yourself from other top candidates with the depth of your understanding.

Do you have guidance for dealing with paywalls in these instances?

 

[splishsplash1234]

has anyone else also heard nothing from Debevoise? should I assume the worst? Is there feedback?

 

[Someoneinlaw]

Did anyone apply to Linklater’s link up event? If so, have you heard back?

 

[trainee4u]

Do you have guidance for dealing with paywalls in these instances?

It's not clear how legal it is to bypass paywalls.

You can read about a popular tool that does this here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bypass_Paywalls_Clean

 

[A worried graduate]

It's not clear how legal it is to bypass paywalls.

You can read about a popular tool that does this here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bypass_Paywalls_Clean

I was wondering about alternative sites too as the lawyer and law.com have always been a nuisance

 

[wantatc]

Did an AC for a direct TC and they offered me the Vac Scheme, unsure how to feel??

 

[student_0123]

How long after an AC do we find out from Hogan Lovells? I understand that people tend to hear back within a couple of days if they are successful. (looks like I haven't been).

Also wondering this. Has anyone received HL SVS yet?

 

[tarty23]

Is there anyway to read The Lawyer articles without an institutional subscription? It seems like a weird business model to me haha

 

[legal18]

Has anyone on the Willkie VS waiting list heard anything?

 

[saminoriya]

Stevens & Bolton VS offer!

 

[Applebanana425]

still nothing from OC?

 

[g.cl.2020344]

still nothing from OC?

Still nothing!!

 

[agx]

Has anyone heard from disney post online-test?

 

[wantatc]

Has anyone heard from disney post online-test?

Just an email saying they got the results and would reply ASAP

 

[GV]

Has anyone heard back from Linklaters for the Link Up event next month?

 

[g.cl.2020344]

Did an AC for a direct TC and they offered me the Vac Scheme, unsure how to feel??

Was this for OC?

 

[trainee4u]

I was wondering about alternative sites too as the lawyer and law.com have always been a nuisance

thelawyer uses Wordpress back end. Said Wordpress REST API is publicly exposed, and contains all the content for all the articles in JSON.

thelawyer has made a rather basic attempt to obfuscate this by adding a second / (which doesn't change its destination) and then blocking accesses to the normal single / on their firewall, but this doesn't stop you viewing the content.

afaict law com's content is free to read!?

 

[LiveLaughLawyer]

Anyone with any insight into Mishcon's assessment centre ? Could you please message me.
I can provide insight into many many law firms

 

[A worried graduate]

thelawyer uses Wordpress back end. Said Wordpress REST API is publicly exposed, and contains all the content for all the articles in JSON.

thelawyer has made a rather basic attempt to obfuscate this by adding a second / (which doesn't change its destination) and then blocking accesses to the normal single / on their firewall, but this doesn't stop you viewing the content.

afaict law com's content is free to read!?

Maybe it’s just the rankings that cost

 

[A worried graduate]

As @Jesscia Booker said, there is not a right or wrong answer as this will be highly dependent on one's circumstances; moreover, I definitely do not think the choice is a 'decisive' one, in that there are plenty of people who succeed with both approaches. That said, if I were in this position, the following would be the central factors in my decision-making:

1. How easily can you self-finance? Would parents or family be able (and willing) to cover it, or would you need to take any debt? If the latter, this would be a huge minus. However, even if you can self-fund, if this will make a significant dent into your/your family's savings, this is also a factor to consider.
2. What does your applications history look like? Have you gave it your all (making lots and lots of high quality applications, have through research on each firm, went to firm events, kept up with commercial awareness etc) consistently and still not succeeded? If so, perhaps it is a good idea to do the SQE to boost your candidate profile - since there would not that much you can do independently of such a boost to significantly improve success chances. If however your application cycle efforts have not quite been up to the (quite high) standard I was describing above, perhaps it is worth another shot; particularly as if you do not do the SQE you would have a lot more time to invest to ensure you do everything right and maximize your chances to score well in every assessment criterion.
3. Would there be anything else I can and want to do besides applications if I do not self-fund the SQE, or would this just be a 'gap year'? Of course, another job/do a postgrad would clash with the idea of not doing the SQE to have all the time in the world for applications. However, if you could take on a part-time role or enroll in a course that is not very demanding (at least during the main application cycle months), this could serve the SQE's function to boost your candidate profile.
4. What firms are you targeting? Apparently, different firms care to a different extent whether you have already completed the SQE. While the cost-saving involved would likely be a benefit in the eyes of any firm, the level to which this will increase your chances will vary. Anecdotally, US firms in particular but MC firms as well tend to care less about it; whereas more mid-market firms tend to care more. The reason would be that the former category simply have a significantly stronger financial position, and as such, the savings involved in not having to sponsor your SQE would be more of a drop in a bucket than for the latter.

As a bonus point

Self-funding prevents you from doing GSA’s which is how most in-house “TC’s” are arranged