TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Awesome - thank you so much! I'm a British national so visa sponsorship wouldn't be a consideration and my student debt has already piled up so I hesitate to add to it sadly..a little holiday & work sounds like what I'll likely end up doing!

I'll also add two bonus questions here

1. I understand that there's no disadvantage to doing the SQE independently - although I'm not really sure if firms prefer you to study it in a certain way (e.g., ULaw vs. BPP, the City Consortium version seems to have an extra element)?

2. If I self-funded the SQE whilst I'm in this grad role (it's full-time, not finishing ridiculously late so maybe 7pm finishes), would it be more sensible to go for a 24-month course or a 12-month SQE course? I would have already done a law degree so have some legal knowledge already but it is a bit foggy!

1) Doesn't matter where you study if you self fund. Firms only have preferred suppliers because it is commercially/financially better for them to do so where they are putting a cohort of students through the same course - it basically means they get cheaper rates than individual's buying the course.

Some firms run bespoke SQE prep courses, but 80% of it will be a SQE prep course. If they are very keen for you to do the additional/bespoke modules, they could have an arrangement with the provider for you to complete just the additional modules at an appropriate time, but many firms won't think this is necessary.

2) Balancing a full-time job and the SQE will be tricky. I would speak to the specific SQE providers as to what is best suited to you, as some courses could be done more flexibly (those that are not post-graduate certificates, MAs or LLMs) while a prep course that is a full academic course (that you gain a qualification from) may need more time/effort, and therefore might be better suited to a part-time course. The other thing to be mindful with the LLM SQE prep courses is that some do not allow you to complete the course and gain your qualification until you have passed the SQE assessments. You also have to factor in the separate and additional costs of sitting the SQE assessments which are generally not included in the costs of any of the SQE prep courses.

 

[Flu1dity]

Anyone else still yet to hear from Mishcon post AC for summer vac? Pondering when it's reasonable to reach out to them as they said to expect correspondence by May 5th.

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Anyone else still yet to hear from Mishcon post AC for summer vac? Pondering when it's reasonable to reach out to them as they said to expect correspondence by May 5th.

Maybe wait until late tomorrow or early Friday. They clearly didn't anticipate the 5th being a bank holiday if they said they would get back to you by then.

 

[Flu1dity]

Maybe wait until late tomorrow or early Friday. They clearly didn't anticipate the 5th being a bank holiday if they said they would get back to you by then.

Cheers, I was thinking I should leave some extra time for bank holiday so glad you agree!

 

[EzeLaylor]

Similar to the questions earlier - does this mean that the prospective date for starting the SQE for a March 2027 TC would be September 2026 or even earlier?

Also has anyone continued working full time alongside doing the SQE sponsored by the firm? Or is that not allowed?

 

[EzeLaylor]

1) Yes - if you are applying in the autumn/winter, then most likely you wouldn't start the SQE until September 2026. You could potentially join a January/Feb SQE intake, but given most firms are recruiting for intakes at least 30 months ahead at that point, you would have plenty of time to start the SQE in September 2026 (or even later).

2) For the next cycle, firms will be generally recruiting for September 2028 or Feb/March 2029 TCs. If we take September 2028 as a minimum, your timeline is likely to be:

• October 2025 to July 2026 - Recruitment process
• August/September 2026 - SQE prep
• January 2027 - Sit SQE1
• April 2027 - Sit SQE 2
• August 2027 - Receive SQE2 results
• August 2027 - September 2028 - Gap year

The gap year and SQE period could potentially be swapped over.

3) Yes - unless a firm recruits exclusively or exceptionally heavy from their VS

4) I wouldn't worry about this as TC roles won't close as early as September. It would be November by the earliest (and for some it will be as late as July 2026) and by then you would have many months of experience.

Sorry I thought I quoted this - This is the message I’m referring to

 

[Chris Brown]

Similar to the questions earlier - does this mean that the prospective date for starting the SQE for a March 2027 TC would be September 2026 or even earlier?

Also has anyone continued working full time alongside doing the SQE sponsored by the firm? Or is that not allowed?

The SQE would begin at least a year before the TC start date. If the prospective date for starting the TC is March 2027, the latest you would begin the SQE is Feb/March 2026. 😅

You could start the SQE in September 2025 and finish it in September 2026. This would mean a 6 month gap between finishing the SQE and commencing the March 2027 TC.

I think some firms stipulate you can’t be in full time employment whilst studying the SQE full time. I think these firms would offer bigger grants to future trainees to compensate. 🥲​

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Similar to the questions earlier - does this mean that the prospective date for starting the SQE for a March 2027 TC would be September 2026 or even earlier?

Also has anyone continued working full time alongside doing the SQE sponsored by the firm? Or is that not allowed?

Most firms will expect you to do the SQE in the 12 months before starting your TC. Some may allow you to do it earlier if you have spare time between your offer and your TC starting though.

I would not advise working full-time while doing the SQE unless it was a highly flexible job in terms of hours and the time off you can get. Many firms are paying you a tax free maintenance grant to ensure you don't have to work full-time during this period. Many firms will allow you to work part-time though. We have heard of a couple of firms that don't allow you to work at all, because they want you to focus on your studies, but I would say working part-time during your SQE is possible and manageable (many of our past and present TCLA team have done exactly this).

 

[EzeLaylor]

The SQE would begin at least a year before the TC start date. If the prospective date for starting the TC is March 2027, the latest you would begin the SQE is Feb/March 2026. 😅

You could start the SQE in September 2025 and finish it in September 2026. This would mean a 6 month gap between finishing the SQE and commencing the March 2027 TC.

I think some firms stipulate you can’t be in full time employment whilst studying the SQE full time. I think these firms would offer bigger grants to future trainees to compensate. 🥲​

Most firms will expect you to do the SQE in the 12 months before starting your TC. Some may allow you to do it earlier if you have spare time between your offer and your TC starting though.

I would not advise working full-time while doing the SQE unless it was a highly flexible job in terms of hours and the time off you can get. Many firms are paying you a tax free maintenance grant to ensure you don't have to work full-time during this period. Many firms will allow you to work part-time though. We have heard of a couple of firms that don't allow you to work at all, because they want you to focus on your studies, but I would say working part-time during your SQE is possible and manageable (many of our past and present TCLA team have done exactly this).

Thank you both! That’s is very helpful info

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Thank you both! That’s is very helpful info

I should have been clearer that you will need around 12 months to do the SQE (unless you have an exemption from either SQE1 or SQE2). You will need 4-5 months of prep before SQE1, you then will have to wait 3-4 months for the next SQE2 sitting (if you were to start an SQE course in February, you would sit SQE1 in July, sit SQE2 in October/November), and you will then need 4 months to wait for your SQE2 results.

 

[sc13]

Hi @Ram Sabaratnam! I have the CRS pre AC assessment coming up and I’m not sure how to go about preparing for the task.

I was wondering if you had any tips (is it a case study, memo format etc)?

Thank you!

 

[V2002]

Any updates re michelmores for anyone?

Hi have you heard back?

 

[TCseeker101]

I got a VS offer! Turns out I was a reserve 🥺 Would love to receive any tips please!

 

[wz_13]

Anyone heard about samsung dpo paralegal?

 

[Amehta1]

Anyone heard back from Browne Jacobson post AC for any office?

 

[Wannabe_Lawyer]

Faegre pfo

 

[Tangcy]

Hi guys! Just wanted to ask is it worth to apply to firms that has an A-level requirement, when my A-level result did not meet the requirement?

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Hi guys! Just wanted to ask is it worth to apply to firms that has an A-level requirement, when my A-level result did not meet the requirement?

Generally the rule would be not worthwhile applying unless:

- you have mitigating circumstances

- the firm uses language like “we typically look for candidates who have achieved” rather than “candidates must have achieved”

- you think you would have multiple flags in a contextualised recruitment process and you are marginally off the criteria the firm has.

 

[V2002]

I got a VS offer! Turns out I was a reserve 🥺 Would love to receive any tips please!

Was this for Bristol or Exeter?

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Hi guys, I've received a TC offer from a huge US firm in my first cycle of applications, and I'm quite happy about it! Couldn't have done it without TCLA and this forum!

However, I wanted to wait until after my summer VS at an MC to see which one might be a better fit. So I asked them to extend my signing period, and they've given me until after the SVS.

This might sound a bit funny, but I just keep thinking “what if they suddenly rescind it?” since technically I haven’t signed the contract yet. Has anyone heard of this actually happening? I'm terrified of this happening during the wait for the SVS in case all their slots fill up or something. Just wondering if this fear is normal or if I’m overthinking. 🥲

After putting all the effort into recruit you, a firm isn’t going to rescind an offer just because you have asked for time to consider another vacation scheme. They want you to make an informed decision, and if anything are probably thinking more about how they can convince you to join them over another firm.

In 20 years I have never heard of a firm rescinding an offer while someone has been given time to decide on the offer or not.

If you wanted to be very cynical about it, there would be no real difference in a firm rescinding an offer even if you had accepted it. Technically they could do this as easily as if you were still deciding.

And before everyone’s paranoia kicks in, that doesn’t happen either. TC offers are not retracted post acceptance without there being some serious issues for the business (only time I have seen it happen since 2008 is when a firm has gone bust).