TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[YS391]

Hey guys, Farrer & Co's graduate rec page says that in the work experience section, we should 'describe the skills acquired and explain how they could transfer into a career in law.'

Does that mean they're expecting us to include lines like, "I will apply my attention to detail to identify errors or potentially harmful clauses in contracts, safeguarding clients' interests"? after each skill we demonstrate?

Any support would be amazing!

 

[student353]

Hey guys, Farrer & Co's graduate rec page says that in the work experience section, we should 'describe the skills acquired and explain how they could transfer into a career in law.'

Does that mean they're expecting us to include lines like, "I will apply my attention to detail to identify errors or potentially harmful clauses in contracts, safeguarding clients' interests"? after each skill we demonstrate?

Any support would be amazing!

In this type of question, I always first considered what skills I thought were required in law (start mind mapping them and think about WHY they are important). With this consider your own experiences, what you gained from them and how they will support you in a career in law (correlating this with skills you think are relevant)...

for example " working within a pharmacy for example, there were many occasions in which being adaptable and resilient within a collaborative workspace was necessary to ensure efficient processing of prescriptions. This reinforced the importance of both teamwork and accountability in a working environment, as taking ownership of one’s own work and that of other members of the team allowed the practise to run effectively and ensured that whilst working at pace, the standards were always maintained through the coordinated efforts of the staff." link this back to why this experience would support you. This is what I have done and its ended with a successful vs application, PW partner interview and a careers commitment scholarship

 

[YS391]

In this type of question, I always first considered what skills I thought were required in law (start mind mapping them and think about WHY they are important). With this consider your own experiences, what you gained from them and how they will support you in a career in law (correlating this with skills you think are relevant)...

for example " working within a pharmacy for example, there were many occasions in which being adaptable and resilient within a collaborative workspace was necessary to ensure efficient processing of prescriptions. This reinforced the importance of both teamwork and accountability in a working environment, as taking ownership of one’s own work and that of other members of the team allowed the practise to run effectively and ensured that whilst working at pace, the standards were always maintained through the coordinated efforts of the staff." link this back to why this experience would support you. This is what I have done and its ended with a successful vs application, PW partner interview and a careers commitment scholarship

Ahh okay so we should link it back to how it will support us as a lawyer.

Thanks so much, really appreciate it!

 

[aphelion]

Can't believe it will take Mishcon 6 weeks to come back with AC results 😭😭😭

 

[trainee4u]

she’s now working in a finance role. If that was me, it would be back to my minimum wage supermarket job and a kiss goodbye to even the thought of a legal career.

she's taken down her linkedin, which was up when I checked earlier.

it appeared that she was out of work for a few months. in this kind of scenario she might well not have disclosed the circumstances of her departure to her new employers, who might not be too impressed!

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Please can I remind people to keep things civil and avoid speculation, especially in conversations regarding a named individual.

Just as we wouldn’t expect judgement and negative comments within our community, it is not appropriate to direct the same behaviours to someone just because they are in the legal press.

 

[Miss Chocolate]

Can't believe it will take Mishcon 6 weeks to come back with AC results 😭😭😭

When you were choosing your AC date, what was the last date available?

 

[Chris Brown]

I wouldn’t say “most” firms at lenient on resits. There are enough out there that do not allow resits and will rescind offers - whether they then clawback money is another matter though.

Do you know of any city law firms that do allow people to retake SQE 1 and/or 2 if they don’t pass it the first time? 🥲

Also, why do firms clawback money they give as a grant? How are people expected to pay the money back? 🫤​

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Do you know of any city law firms that do allow people to retake SQE 1 and/or 2 if they don’t pass it the first time? 🥲

Also, why do firms clawback money they give as a grant? How are people expected to pay the money back? 🫤​

I don’t have a list of these details to be able to comment on who does or doesn’t. Just based on the number of conversations I have about this topic, it’s not rare. I think a lot of it can come down to discretion rather than a hard policy too.

Some firms will just see it as appropriate to get the money back from someone, especially given the size of the money invested. I don’t necessarily agree with it, but I can understand why they 1) have the policy and 2) utilise it. It could be very costly to be seen as a firm who is generous and doesn’t reclaw money - this is not just about people failing the SQE but also people reneging TC offers or leaving their TC part way through.

Some firms have these terms that mean you could still be paying back some money if you leave upon qualification. It isn’t unknown that you have to get to 1-2 years PQE before you don’t have to pay something back.

I have never heard of a firm trying to clawback all the money immediately though. That’s unrealistic and, IMO, try dangerous in terms on the impact it could have on the individual and their families mental health.

I responded to Chris Lee’s post - years ago I did a clawback that was over £30k and the individual was paying it back over about 7-8 at around £300 a month. That was agreed with the individual based on what they thought they could afford.

 

[BuddyingLawyer744]

after a string of rejections I have decided to self-fund the PGDL/MA Law conversion course next year. Can anybody advise on the structure of these courses at ULaw in London? If I am to land vac schemes in the winter/spring/summer break how would that line up with the class schedules? Half the reason I could not apply to more winter vac schemes this year was because they clashed with uni.

 

[VacSchemer]

Has Pinsent Masons gotten back to anyone regarding their direct TC?

 

[legallyells]

after a string of rejections I have decided to self-fund the PGDL/MA Law conversion course next year. Can anybody advise on the structure of these courses at ULaw in London? If I am to land vac schemes in the winter/spring/summer break how would that line up with the class schedules? Half the reason I could not apply to more winter vac schemes this year was because they clashed with uni.

ive self funded the MA Law at Moorgate ULaw, alongside this i’ve obtained a vac scheme and final interviews and got distinctions in my exams, whilst working part time 2 days a week. the first semester is much more manageable in terms of work load, i did 1-2 applications a week by focussing on them every evening. you only have classes two days a week, with two two-hour tutorials on each of those days, meaning the rest of the week is reading prep, consolidating notes from class and time for applications. i know some of my classmates got winter vs and they fell in the winter break before exams with 3 weeks (ish) left to revise. spring vs fall in the easter break with two weeks left to revise (depending on firm ofc). ive never known of anyone here missing class at ULaw for a vs, except for interviews. also if you ever cant make a class, you can reschedule and join another class for that weeks works to ensure nothing is missed! it’s an intense year but very possible and rewarding - id recommend! feel free to pm me for more specifics!

 

[trainee4u]

after a string of rejections I have decided to self-fund the PGDL/MA Law conversion course next year. Can anybody advise on the structure of these courses at ULaw in London? If I am to land vac schemes in the winter/spring/summer break how would that line up with the class schedules? Half the reason I could not apply to more winter vac schemes this year was because they clashed with uni.

the classes are done every day for different students over a whole week. So for example if you've a class scheduled for Monday you can apply to switch (for that week) to Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, but not to a different week.

If you miss a whole week and are self-funding there are no formal consequences - just a need to catch up/self study.

 

[James Wakefield]

Does anyone else seem to have more luck with some application websites than others? I have never got past the application stage if the firm uses cvmail...

 

[Chris Brown]

Does anyone else seem to have more luck with some application websites than others? I have never got past the application stage if the firm uses cvmail...

Vantage + AllHires >>> CvMail. I don’t know how to work CvMail, especially the work experience entries. Those tiny text boxes are a nightmare and pain to navigate. Whoever designed the layout needs to go outside and touch grass. 🥲

I have yet to get past the application stage for a firm that uses CvMail as well. If Paul Hastings do get back to me with an interview invite, that might change things. That seems unlikely at this point though. It’s been 3 weeks. 🥲​

 

[Detachedhades]

I was rejected yesterday for the summer scheme at SH - hopefully there is still hope if you haven't heard back yet

SH is strange. I emailed them on the 19th for an update (thinking they might have missed sending me a rejection), and they replied that they’re still reviewing applications. But I’ve seen that many people have already received tests and even offers!

 

[M_m]

Hi guys! I’ve been lucky enough to secure a summer vacation scheme this cycle. I’m quite new to the UK, and while I’ve done commercial law internships back in my home country, I have very little idea about how vacation schemes work. I get that you’re assessed on the work you do as well more formal assessments such as interviews, groups tasks, etc. My question is, what are the more subtle, unspoken things I’ll be assessed on/should keep in mind/ will help me stand out?

I’m particularly intrigued by the whole concept of “coffee chats”. How do you go about them? Is it strictly mandatory?

Is there anything else similar I should keep in mind?

 

[aphelion]

When you were choosing your AC date, what was the last date available?

As far as I can recall it was 1 April

 

[Ash4202]

Vantage + AllHires >>> CvMail. I don’t know how to work CvMail, especially the work experience entries. Those tiny text boxes are a nightmare and pain to navigate. Whoever designed the layout needs to go outside and touch grass. 🥲

I have yet to get past the application stage for a firm that uses CvMail as well. If Paul Hastings do get back to me with an interview invite, that might change things. That seems unlikely at this point though. It’s been 3 weeks. 🥲​

I wouldn’t lose hope regarding PH bc i know someone who got an interview invite in the last 2 weeks of april last year.

 

[Bloo]

Amazing job @loe!!! They're an excellent firm!

Assuming the written assessment is similar to the one I completed in 2023, it's a fairly standard commercial/business-style task designed to test both your commercial awareness and your communication skills. I think the key to the task is demonstrating your ability to understand and analyse business scenarios from a client's perspective and then clearly articulating your advice in a concise, client-friendly manner.

To prepare effectively, I'd strongly recommend familiarising yourself with the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis method. Practising SWOT analyses on various businesses or commercial scenarios can help sharpen your ability to quickly identify relevant factors influencing a business decision. This skill will be especially useful in assessing opportunities or risks in the assessment scenario CRS gives you. I'm not sure if the TCLA written exercises have exactly the same scenario, but you may want to look into any practice exercises that involve scenarios that require such analysis. In addition to strengthening your analytical skills, I'd also take a stab at practising drafting memos or emails in clear, straightforward language (imagine you're addressing a client who might not have legal expertise). Aim for a balance of detail and simplicity, ensuring your advice is both professional and easily understandable.

Good luck with the written exercise!

Hi Ram! I was wondering how you would structure the SWOT analysis. Would you recommend using short bullet points, a paragraph for each Swot portion, or a mixture of both (i.e. bullet point + 1-2 sentences)?

Thanks in advance!