TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[Ijustwanttobealawyer]

Hello!

Not a stupid question at all! The short answer is that it is absolutely fine to talk about a deal from another office - the interviewers will mainly be testing:

• Whether you understand what the firm actually does
• Whether you can explain why the deal interested you, and
• Whether you can link it back to the practice area or skills relevant to the London office

If you wanted to be clear in your answer, you could briefly acknowledge that the deal is from another office and explain how the same practice area or client work is relevant to London (e.g. cross-border nature, collaboration between offices, similar clients / sectors).

What matters more is that you can talk about the deal commercially and with genuine interest - a well-understood and well-explained deal from another office would land better than a London deal that you only half understand.

Best of luck with the AC!!

This is so so helpful Abbie - thank you very much!!

 

[anonymous.15]

apparently R&G would like headings lmao

WHATTT BUT IN THEIR INSIGHT SESSION THEY DIDNT MENTION ANY OF THAT TF ....INCOMING PFO

 

[SNA99]

Just completed the WBD online test. I agree with previous posts on this thread about not knowing how it assesses who passes onto the next stage but I'll hope for the best

 

[anonymous.15]

Has anyone heard back from White & Case summer post app?

yess PFOOOOOD

 

[anonymous.15]

Who’s gna take it for the team and message one of R&Gs future trainees to see if they used headings for their R&G response. I feel like grad rec would tell us the opposite of the truth lmao. Makes their job to filter apps so much easier too.

I GOT GHOSTED LMAOOO

 

[nicoledm]

Who’s gna take it for the team and message one of R&Gs future trainees to see if they used headings for their R&G response. I feel like grad rec would tell us the opposite of the truth lmao. Makes their job to filter apps so much easier too.

I got through to the AC last year and never used headings

 

[Novaa]

I got through to the AC last year and never used headings

Oh Nicole you’re a star for this

Now let me make a note of your user in case I need to return in the near future for insights LOOOOOL JK (Or am I? )

 

[Hopeful applicant]

Debevoise (haven’t heard but I think it’s a PFO because I don’t think they do their open day AC invites in batches)
V&E- Invited to video interview to be completed by Sunday
PW- PFOed on Tuesday
Goodwin - Silence post VI

may I ask, whether V&E is for spring or summer? thanks!

 

[ACHat8r]

yess PFOOOOOD

whennnn. I guess PFO incoming tomorrow morning.

 

[Novaa]

The TCLA Premium Database has an example of a successful application from last year and there were no headings. In one of the commercial awareness webinars, one of the speakers shared a snippet from his successful answer and there were also no headings - I wouldn’t worry too much !

Ohhh Wanda… Ender of Earth-616 *Insert fancam*

 

[Novaa]

yess PFOOOOOD

Heyyyyyy…. Sorry to hear this

Um, can I just ask when exactly you got your PFO?

 

[adf43256]

Guys whats the best way to prepare for an AC that consists of a group task and some individual tasks?

 

[corporatebaddie1506]

This is most likely due to the next stages only being Assessment Centre & Partner Interview

I think the deadline is tonight at 12am for the VI questions, so we should heard back soon. When did you send your application away?

 

[corporatebaddie1506]

Is yours due today at 12am?

 

[Ijustwanttobealawyer]

may I ask, whether V&E is for spring or summer? thanks!

I may be mistaken but I don't remember getting to choose whether it was spring or summer?

 

[corporatebaddie1506]

Manchester – I emailed recruitment and she said we will know in February with whether we got into the AC or not.

 

[Jessica Pearson - Managing Partner]

They changed it! Did you not get an email about it?

Further to our recent emails I am writing to let you know of a change to the structure and format of your upcoming virtual assessment centre.

The exercise that you'll be completing has changed from a research exercise and presentation to a commercial interview. In place of the preparation time you will be given all the required information 5 minutes before your interview starts. We appreciate that this is a change from what you were expecting; it has been introduced to allow us to assess your own real-time reasoning and to give you a greater opportunity to showcase your analytical skills, knowledge of Osborne Clarke and the legal sector, verbal communication and business awareness and understanding.

This change also reduces the amount of time that you need to allocate to the virtual assessment centre.

My guess is they had a much higher volume of applications this year (each AC I’ve been too they have said they had at least 1,000 more applicants than normal, thanks AI) and they want to halve the time to screen more people.

Edit: to add, I think we will see these short prep time exercises more to overcome the AI issues. The job really does demand us to be able to think on our feet after all!

I think more than AI though, I think that there are just more people in the pool. Career changers, people who have been applying for x number of years, new grads etc.
It seems like there are just so many people applying for jobs & I don't know if this is a reflection of the job market or the economy or what