TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[BillSikes]

I have an interview in a couple of days with Eversheds for a paralegal role.

Has anyone interviewed with them for a paralegal role before & have any advice?

P.s I know this is for VS advice, however, not really sure where else to post as there’s no paralegal forum 🥺

Are you currently working as a paralegal?

 

[trainee4u]

Hi @Jessica Booker i applied for a paralegal role and was instead offered month long placement which seems like a red flag as i have legal experience and a vacation scheme as well as non-legal experience in hospitality. They mentioned this will basically assess me for a permanent role. Why cant an interview do this instead? Is this normal? thank you

This is likely to be illegal.

See https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-minimum-wage-work-experience-and-internships and here

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7ca576ed915d6969f465a2/supporting-doc-foi-130498-annex-a.pdf

In general, unpaid work shadowing is legal so long as the role is limited to 'shadowing' (no work).

Something like https://www.kingsleynapley.co.uk/careers/early-careers/work-experience

is poor practice because the intern is performing actual work, but is probably not illegal so long as the intern is legally a volunteer (this is different from a "voluntary worker", who also does not necessarily need to be paid; a voluntary worker is a "worker" who works for a voluntary organisation such as a charity, whereas a volunteer is someone who does not meet the legal definition of worker). In KN's case, while the 4-week work experience is long, it does not appear to be tied to any promise of future work (such a promise is likely to be a benefit-in-kind, changing your status from 'volunteer' to 'worker') so is somewhat reasonable.

Also the length of the placement is a factor - a week's unpaid placement is less likely to be problematic, but the longer it gets the more likely it will be that you are a worker and thus entitled to NMW; in Hudson v TPG Web Publishing, a six-week one was found to be unlawful https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/may/23/unpaid-website-intern-court-victory

One approach would be to take up the placement and then take your case for unlawful deduction from wages to the ET (3 months minus one day time limit) or County Court (six-year time limit) to get paid for your month. But this might burn bridges, IDK.

The concept of them working you a month for free as an opening for them to possibly offer you further poorly-paid work is particularly egregious and I think that some kind of action against them is a good idea, whether it is reporting to SRA, HMRC, etc.

 

[lawyersum]

Hi, I was wondering what the best way to answer 'why commercial law' is?

I gave a verbatim answer at an AC I did recently where I outlined my interest in chronological order of my work experience and how this has sparked my interest - as this is what was recommended in the Jake Schooger book.

However, I received negative feedback for this answer. For those who have been successful at AC, how did you approach the 'why commercial law' question?

If you don’t mind me asking, what was the feedback? Did they say your response sounded rehearsed or did they not like the story format?

 

[BillSikes]

If you don’t mind me asking, what was the feedback? Did they say your response sounded rehearsed or did they not like the story format?

The feedback was very generic unfortunately. The interviewers ranked each answer 1-3 and I got the lowest score for this question is all I know.

 

[YS391]

Has anyone gotten their feedback post AC from PMC yet?

I had my AC for their London vacation scheme months ago. Was told we would get a feedback report by the end of April but have still not received anything yet.

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

The feedback was very generic unfortunately. The interviewers ranked each answer 1-3 and I got the lowest score for this question is all I know.

It may not be the structure - it may be the content that is also the issue. People can have great structures to answers but if there rationale is lacking, it can be that element that lets them down. Sometimes rationale can be quite superficial or alternatively not really aligned to the opportunity of a trainee/junior lawyer.

 

[User5678]

even though firms say that the cappfinity tests are not timed, do you think they consider how much time an individual takes to finish that test into consideration? I sometimes think that I may not pass some tests because I take too long to give these tests

 

[TCpleasex]

Are you currently working as a paralegal?

No, I’m travelling unemployed atm but coming back on time to start

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

even though firms say that the cappfinity tests are not timed, do you think they consider how much time an individual takes to finish that test into consideration? I sometimes think that I may not pass some tests because I take too long to give these tests

I would check how they describe the assessment. If it is described as untimed, it is unlikely that time taken to complete it would be factored in. However, if it says it has unlimited time, then timings might be factored in.

 

[fTS3002]

Did anyone else apply to the Bloomberg Legal & Compliance internship and had their first-stage interview?

 

[Meghna]

Hi everyone,
I have been invited to a final interview with Harbottle and Lewis for a TC and would appreciate any advice on how to prepare. It is a 1 hour interview with 2 partners.

 

[Deleted member 30442]

Just received GT final round AC invite - does anyone have any experience with this? Happy to provide insight on other firms ACs - feel free to PM. Thanks!

 

[User5678]

I would check how they describe the assessment. If it is described as untimed, it is unlikely that time taken to complete it would be factored in. However, if it says it has unlimited time, then timings might be factored in.

“Although the assessment is not timed, we recommend you allow 1 hour to complete the assessment.”

Thank you

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

“Although the assessment is not timed, we recommend you allow 1 hour to complete the assessment.”

Thank you

I don’t think how long you take will be assessed based on this. They are giving you the hour as a reference point just so you don’t think it will take 20 minutes and then you run out of time and have to leave it or be late for something else.

 

[FM302989]

Hi @Jessica Booker i applied for a paralegal role and was instead offered month long placement which seems like a red flag as i have legal experience and a vacation scheme as well as non-legal experience in hospitality. They mentioned this will basically assess me for a permanent role. Why cant an interview do this instead? Is this normal? thank you

This sounds like a Bradstone Allington style scam

 

[trainee4u]

This sounds like a Bradstone Allington style scam

I think BA is slightly different; they charge people to "train". This looks like exploiting unpaid labour.

 

[generalcuster98]

Has anyone heard back from Ashfords (Bristol) post app?

 

[ssszzg]

Has anyone heard anything from Sky since submitting their CVs last week? 🥲

 

[helenaskelton]

Any more people heard from Mishcon post AC?

 

[fairbourne]

Does anyone have any insights into GT's final stage assessment centre? thanks very much!