TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Hi everyone, does anyone (particularly Jessica Booker) have insight on not hearing back at all after a video interview? I completed it in late Feb, and did not worry too much about not hearing, as I know it can take a long time and HR has a lot on their plate. However, last month I sent an email and then another this week, as it's been 3 months. I didn't get a reply to either of them.

I, of course, take this as a rejection since the vacation scheme is in a month making me assume ACs are over. My question is whether there is generally a reason why they do not send an automated rejection to a candidate like they did for other candidates - ie is this just an unfortunate reality of too many applications for HR to get through, or is the cause something else?

Thanks!

This is going to be one of two things, but with really poor communication from the firm. I would really expect better, especially given you have asked them to update you a couple of times:

1) They have your application and video interview on hold. It is possible they have paused their recruitment or alternatively are waiting to see how other programmes/applicants get on before deciding on your application/candidacy.

2) They have made a decision on your application and have failed to communicate this to you. I suspect this is the more likely given the vacation scheme is in a month's time.

It is not to say that (1) isn't possible. I have worked in firms where they were making last minute decisions and conducting last minute recruitment processes/interviews to either backfill roles that have been reneged/declined, or where recruitment has been conducted exceptionally late due to lack of resource internally to do it earlier. However, given the timings, I suspect its unfortunately (2), which is just really poor recruitment standards and candidate engagement set by the firm (in my opinion!).

 

[Amma Usman]

Anyone know if you count as a 'student' for student discount purposes whilst studying the SQE?

I am quite unsure about this, but I believe so. I think most student discount providers will include the universities that provide SQE services, and you can register accordingly using your student email address.

 

[Amma Usman]

does anyone know ballpark what you need to score in Amberjack SJT's to progress to next stage? Does it vary from firm to firm?

I agree with @Chris Brown. It varies depending on the firm and the values they prioritise more. Of course, all values will be important, but some may be looked at more closely than others. I have done SJTs that have looked very similar off the bat of it, and passed some, but missed some. For some firms, it also varies per the recruitment year for things like verbal/numerical reasoning tests, as the threshold will differ based on applicant performance. One thing that helped me (as hard as it actually is to do this), is to not look at the numbers. With SJTs, trust your gut - it’s almost always more right than you think, and will not fail you most times. Try to not look at the numbers and just try your best. With situational assessments, there will often be more than one correct answer, so try starting off by mentally cancelling out one’s that are obviously incorrect and directly go against any law firm’s values/goals. This will help narrow down your options, consequently increasing your speed. Secondly, verbal and numerical reasoning tests need more practice - Assessment Day was one source that helped me, but there are loads of others online.

Good luck, I know you will nail them...!

 

[Amma Usman]

Yay me too!

Congratulations! Love to see it….. smashing it @TCseeker101 @Flu1dity

 

[trainee4u]

Anyone know if you count as a 'student' for student discount purposes whilst studying the SQE?

depends which purposes you mean.
the regulations are "full-time, 1 year or longer" for council tax exemption. However, this is certified by the university, not the provider, so a 9-month course is likely for example to be treated as "1 year" (being a whole academic year). However, a 3-month SQE1 course would likely not be.
separately. for things like student beans it's usually sufficient to have an active university email and there is no requirement for proper documentation as this is more marketing than a formal entitlement. However they will likely state "full-time student", which a 3-month course would still be (if not being studied part-time!).

 

[Dogsoooo]

Anyone heard back from Arnold & Porter direct TC application?

 

[Law queries]

Anyone heard back from Arnold & Porter direct TC application?

By when do they usually get back, if you have any idea?

 

[tarastar]

Is it disadvantageous to refer to the role as 'trainee' or 'trainee solicitor' in training contract applications when the (US) firm refers to them as 'trainee associates'? Would be great to hear your thoughts! @Andrei Radu

 

[efm99]

This is going to be one of two things, but with really poor communication from the firm. I would really expect better, especially given you have asked them to update you a couple of times:

1) They have your application and video interview on hold. It is possible they have paused their recruitment or alternatively are waiting to see how other programmes/applicants get on before deciding on your application/candidacy.

2) They have made a decision on your application and have failed to communicate this to you. I suspect this is the more likely given the vacation scheme is in a month's time.

It is not to say that (1) isn't possible. I have worked in firms where they were making last minute decisions and conducting last minute recruitment processes/interviews to either backfill roles that have been reneged/declined, or where recruitment has been conducted exceptionally late due to lack of resource internally to do it earlier. However, given the timings, I suspect its unfortunately (2), which is just really poor recruitment standards and candidate engagement set by the firm (in my opinion!).

Thank you for your thoughtful response. It is a silver circle firm, so I am a little surprised at the poor communication, but I know mistakes happen.

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Is it disadvantageous to refer to the role as 'trainee' or 'trainee solicitor' in training contract applications when the (US) firm refers to them as 'trainee associates'? Would be great to hear your thoughts! @Andrei Radu

No - this will not be an issue even if you are applying to a US firm.

I would try to use the term that the firm uses if you can, but “trainee” or “trainee solicitor” is a standardised industry term and it won’t be seen as a negative if you use either of these instead.

 

[Sandra20]

Does anyone know, roughly, what the % conversion rate is for ACs -> VCs? Is it generally above or below 50%?

From what I’ve seen, the AC to VC conversion rate is generally below 50%, but it can vary depending on the process and criteria.

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Does anyone know, roughly, what the % conversion rate is for ACs -> VCs? Is it generally above or below 50%?

This will vary significantly from firm to firm. I wouldn't say that there is a "general" figure unfortunately as it really depends on the hiring numbers, recruitment processes etc from firm to firm.

 

[Amma Usman]

From what I’ve seen, the AC to VC conversion rate is generally below 50%, but it can vary depending on the process and criteria.

@Tsitsipas10S @Sandra20 , good question. Nothing to add to @Jessica Booker ’s great response on this.

@Ram has made a post on this for specific firms, which I have linked here - https://www.thecorporatelawacademy....eme-vs-direct-tc-applications-2024-2025.9147/

It differs between firms and sometimes firms are flexible on their trainee intake when they get a particularly good number of applicants that cycle - so might increase by a couple numbers. Though, this is usually set to a standard limit as seen on their recruitment websites.

 

[User5678]

Sharpe Pritchard Watson Glaser test invite

Has anyone else got this? Grad rec said link email will follow soon so just want to check if someone got the email yet as I have not received it!

 

[Gr33n]

Is the test the final stage for the SH summer vac scheme or is there an AC to complete?

 

[Chris Brown]

Is the test the final stage for the SH summer vac scheme or is there an AC to complete?

The AC is on the VS itself. The final stage prior to the VS is the SJT + VI. 🙂​

 

[sammy01]

anyone know if fried frank sends out WG invites automatically? Or do they review your app first?

 

[Andrei Radu]

Is it disadvantageous to refer to the role as 'trainee' or 'trainee solicitor' in training contract applications when the (US) firm refers to them as 'trainee associates'? Would be great to hear your thoughts! @Andrei Radu

I completely agree with @Jessica Booker here. While I think it is generally preferable to use the same terminology the firm uses when writing your application, particularly when discussing more nuanced concepts like firm values and initiatives, it is very unlikely this would be an issue in this case. The terms 'trainee associate' and 'trainee/trainee solicitor' refer to the exact same concept, and everyone in the industry will be aware of this. Since the use of the 'trainee/trainee solicitor' is so much more prevalent than 'trainee associate', I suspect the vast majority of applications received by the firm will have the former terms rather than the latter. Thus, graduate recruiters will likely not even spot your language as different from any expected standard. Even if they do, I cannot imagine a situation in which this factor would be given any real weigh in regards to the decision on progression.

 

[Andrei Radu]

Hey everyone

I was due to sit my SJT/VI with SH by 5pm today but I had to withdraw last minute due to a sudden health issue. I am gutted about this because it was my only invitation post initial app and I put in a lot of work for the initial app.

I wanted to ask if this would hinder my application to SH in the future? Also would love to hear some advice for what to do now until law firm VS apps open again in September.

It was my first cycle this year (I’m a second yr student) and I haven’t secured a single AC let alone VS 🙏

Hi @BobThebIlly I can imagine how frustrating your situation is, but I want to at least assure you that, provided you have emailed to explain why you cannot take the VI, it is quite unlikely this will have any negative impact on your future chances. Graduate recruiters are not absurd - they will understand that sometimes, circumstances you cannot control intervene in people's application journeys. Particularly since this is a health issue, I expect they will be sympathetic to your situation. Thus, if anything, a strong application next year will be seen as a clear indication of your resilience and the strength of your interest in the firm.

As for your second question, I have recently written a post with my best advice for summer preparation, I have quoted it bellow:

Hi @CupOfTea17 I think working on building your profile and knowledge and preparing for the next cycle over the summer is a great idea. For some reason, the majority of people concentrate the vast majority of their efforts in the normal applications cycle, which is also the time they tend to be busier with university and other commitments. However, starting preparation early can be hugely beneficial. A friend of mine who was previously unsuccessful took this very seriously over the last summer (treating it almost like a full time job towards the end) and now has several VS offers.

I would advise you to do the following things:

1. Start writing applications early: The first and most important thing is to start working on applications early. Some firms already open their applications in early August, and even for the ones that do not, you can (i) do the research work and determine what would go into your why the firm reasoning; and (ii) if the specific firm's applications questions stay constant between the cycle, you can have a go at answering them already. The most important thing for maximizing chances of securing a VS/TC is to send as many high quality applications as possible. Since researching and writing an application takes a lot of time, particularly before you have built your skills in this regard, it will be very difficult to attain this when you have other commitments and when you have to get many of them done over a short span of time. If you can do some of the work in the summer, this should enable you to improve both quantity (as ideally you can have many of them already completed by the time most people start - my friend had around 20-25 done by late September) and quality (as you will have more time to invest to ensure each one is up to standard).
2. Work on your commercial awareness: as you may have heard other people say, commercial awareness is a skill that you can only build over a longer time span. If you can invest time daily to read articles or listen to podcasts discussing the business world, this will pay huge dividends when you reach the interview stage.
3. Do Forage Work Experiences: these work experiences are very useful for a number of reasons - they help you learn about practice areas, give you proof you can mention of your interest in them, show commitment to pursuing commercial law, and can be used to showcase interest in a specific firm. The more you can do (ideally across a wide spectrum of practice areas and firms you are interested in), the better.
4. Try to find other work opportunities: I know this is quite difficult, but if you can get any work experience at law firm or in house legal department, even if not in the commercial sphere, or if merely a shadowing opportunity, this could be also very useful. A method that I have heard sometimes work with smaller firms and businesses is simply cold calling and emailing. If you do not necessarily ask to be compensated and want the experience more as an insight opportunity, given enough tries, I think this could work.

 

[Andrei Radu]

Shoosmiths AC! It involves a paired exercise, a group exercise, presentation and interview. I've never done a paired exercise, could anyone provide insights into what it's like? Since the interview is strengths-based, I'm assuming that the commercial awareness bit comes in during the presentation? Any advice at all would be appreciated!! 🙏 @Andrei Radu @Amma Usman @Ram Sabaratnam

Hi @hfbjsdhfbhf and congrats on the AC! I do not have a lot of information on the Shoosmiths AC specifically, but my best guess is that the paired exercise will involve working together with another AC participant on an exercise. You will probably be expected to show teamwork and organizational skills. Thus, you should try to constantly ask your partner for their input and not appear as antagonistic or competitive in ensuring your ideas always trump theirs. At the same time, however, you should try to make sure you are thinking critically and expressing your thoughts on each point of discussion. Finally, since you will likely be working under time-pressure, it would be good to introduce some structure early on and decide (i) how long you should take for each element of the task, (ii) in what order you will complete them, and (iii) how to divide the workload.