TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[Wannabe_Lawyer]

The top 20 is dominated by Magic and Silver Circle firms which all pay £100-£110k to their trainees and offer grants of £15-20k. It can’t be HL or NRF either as they offer similar amounts to future trainees. That’s at least 10 firms out of question, which leaves 10. 🤔

It is unlikely to be Addleshaw Goddard, CMS, Simmons & Simmons, Taylor Wessing, Osborne Clarke or Pinsent Masons as they also offer around £100k+ to trainees across their training contract. All these firms are top 20 UK headquartered law firms. The only exception is if OP’s TC was for a regional office, in which case it could be Osborne Clarke or Simmons & Simmons (Reading and/or Bristol). 🙂

The only firms it could be is one of these firms: Bird & Bird, Clyde & Co, Eversheds Sutherland or RPC. I suspect it’s probably Bird & Bird or RPC that the OP is referring to. These firms are all also in the top 20. 😮

It says the maintenance grant was in excess of 5 figures. I think this implies it was probably over £10k but below £15k, at least for the SQE grant itself. These firms have a SQE grant between that range, and/or trainee salaries above £90,000 but below £100,000 (see below):

1: Bird & Bird trainee salary is £47,000 (1st year) and £52,000 (2nd year). This adds up to £99,000. Their SQE grant is £15,000.

2: Clyde & Co trainee salary is £47,000 (1st year) and £50,000 (2nd year). This adds up to £97,000. Their SQE grant is around £10,000.

3: Eversheds Sutherland trainee salary is £46,000 (1st year) and £50,000 (2nd year). This adds up to £96,000. Their SQE grant is £7,000.

4: RPC trainee salary is £46,000 (1st year) and £50,000 (2nd year). This adds up to £96,000. Their SQE grant is £12,000.

Whichever firm it is, I think it’s really unfair to not give the person at least 1 chance to retake the SQE. To then demand the cost of fees back despite being such a major UK firm, is pretty surprising tbh. 🫤​

Loving this analysis!

 

[Tintin06]

Holding myself accountable again (Winston rejection)

CC* ✅📝❌
HSF ✅📝❌
NRF ✅📝❌
Weil ✅❌
Akin ✅❌
Sidley ✅❌
Orrick ✅❌
Willkie ✅🎥❌
Cooley ✅❌
Latham ✅❌
Milbank ✅❌
Kirkland ✅❌
Dechert ✅❌
Ashurst* ✅
Skadden ✅❌
Goodwin ✅❌
Covington ✅❌
Linklaters* ✅📝❌
Paul, Weiss ✅❌
Slaughters* ✅❌
Freshfields* ✅📝❌
Fried Frank* ✅
Gibson Dunn ✅❌
Macfarlanes* ✅📝
White & Case ✅❌
Morgan Lewis ✅📞❌
Paul Hastings* ✅
White & Case* ✅
Morgan Lewis* ✅
Hogan Lovells* ✅📝
Cleary Gottlieb ✅❌
A&O Shearman ✅📝❌
Vinson & Elkins ✅❌
Arnold & Porter ✅❌
Baker McKenzie ✅📝❌
King & Spalding* ✅
Winston & Strawn ✅❌
Morrison Foerster ✅❌
Sullivan & Cromwell ✅❌

Key: ✅ = application submitted; 📝 = test received; 📞 = TI; 🎥 = VI; ❌ = rejection.

*Training Contract applications.

All VS apps rejected this cycle. Oh well, focus is TCs now.

 

[Wannabe_Lawyer]

Honestly is this even real or is the bloke just engagement farming?

Literally zero reason not to name the firm.

Would a lawyer do this just for the views? Am I naive in thinking that someone in the legal profession would hold themself out to a higher standard?

 

[yeezyee]

winston & strawn wg !!! 🤯

 

[User5678]

Winston and Strawn next stage invite - Watson Glaser test! (i applied on deadline day)

 

[billyonthespeeddial]

Winston WG but I don't even know if I can do this scheme anymore as I've already begged my full time employer for leave to do my other scheme 💀💀 It's a problem for if I receive the VS offer I guess

 

[User5678]

Does Winston and strawn only give out 2 TC offers???? That’s mad!!!

Also unpopular opinion but I really really suck at Watson Glaser and i literally prefer amberjack over them😭 any tips please?

 

[User5678]

Winston WG but I don't even know if I can do this scheme anymore as I've already begged my full time employer for leave to do my other scheme 💀💀 It's a problem for if I receive the VS offer I guess

Well, give it a shot, take it as it comes and deal with it later😭 especially if it’s a firm you would want to train at.

 

[trainee4u]

Does Winston and strawn only give out 2 TC offers???? That’s mad!!!

It's 1 or 2. Not necessarily 2.....

 

[User5678]

It's 1 or 2. Not necessarily 2.....

Wow one??? Even lesser, what even😭

 

[James Wakefield]

Wow one??? Even lesser, what even😭

The lack of TCs will have reduced the number of applicants (I didn’t look at W&S for example) so don’t lose hope!

 

[billyonthespeeddial]

Does Winston and strawn only give out 2 TC offers???? That’s mad!!!

watch me beg them to give one of those through direct tc 💀

 

[BillSikes]

Would a lawyer do this just for the views? Am I naive in thinking that someone in the legal profession would hold themself out to a higher standard?

Probably Naive yes.

 

[Maddy]

Has anyone heard back from Aspiring Solicitor's Sky internship?

 

[Kkarenwang]

DLA Piper London Vac scheme offer!

Thanks so much to the entire TCLA team for your help, really appreciate everyone’s support

Congratulations! This is such a huge achievement! Could you kindly share any tips on preparing for the AC? I'd really appreciate it.

 

[helloj]

Can anyone give any insight into Orrick's AC - its 6.5 hours but only has a written exercise and group presentation?!

 

[LawJ]

**UPDATE MAY 2025: Amy has been notified by her firm that they will not be pursuing the clawback after all, upon further consideration** | Chris Lee

**UPDATE MAY 2025: Amy has been notified by her firm that they will not be pursuing the clawback after all, upon further consideration** A couple of law graduates have reached out to me after their training contract offers were rescinded when they failed the SQE. Most have simply received an...

www.linkedin.com

Does anyone know which firm this could have been?

Macfarlanes have rescinded some TCs from trainees that failed the SQE.

 

[Livelaughlove]

Hey everyone, I did an interview for a scheme last Thursday and was told I should hear back the result on Friday. I haven’t heard anything since, should I follow up or just leave it? I’ve been offered another internship and have to give my dates to them soon so it’d be useful to know if I got the vac scheme or not.

 

[Z48]

Is anyone still waiting to hear from Winston & Strawn? And did anyone else not get a confirmation email when you applied?

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

Hi all, I am completing a vac scheme application and it asks: What recent developments in the legal industry do you believe could impact our business? What are the potential benefits and challenges associated? I have identified an area that I want to pursue, namely real estate law. I am struggling however to know where to start in researching recent developements that I feel will impact it. Any advice?

Hiya @lawaspirant!

I think it depends on the firm and the types of real estate matters they typically advise on. The work done by real estate-focused law firms can vary significantly depending on whether they primarily advise property owners, occupiers, developers, investors, or others. Your answer may also depend on whether the firm specialises in commercial or residential property.

I’d start by identifying the firm's key strengths and then researching news stories or trends affecting relevant areas/segments of the real estate sector. It’s also worth looking at client-focused publications from major real estate law firms, such as BCLP. If you let me know which firm you're applying to, I can put together a list of real estate headlines and trends that might be useful.