TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[Jessica Pearson - Managing Partner]

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I'll start off by saying, obviously my numbers are exaggerated at a macro level, but might be the case for individual contractions in the demand for trainees.

Of course, it's partly due to TCs increasing up until 2024, it's a contraction/correction rather than necessarily being a decrease (only around 8% since 2024). Finance is another field lowering graduate intake (although more aggressively than law).

I do worry though this trend is more than a correction. The benefit of commercial law, is companies will need advice both during economic boom and recession (which is part of the 'stability ' of the profession), however the demand for legal services is not extremely elastic. If AI does make the job more efficient, it may not replace lawyers as such, but it might reduce the hiring rate (as with any field), and I do wonder if the contraction is partly due to this implementation.

Maybe I'm just worrying too much / too paranoid.

i think this is a fair conjecture. i would also add that (in addition to what i stated yesterday) i feel like, anecdotally, people are just making more applications because it is more competitive. the idea to focus on 8ish app that i have heard from so many people seems unrealistic and i personally don't want to be doing this for several years

 

[Jessica Pearson - Managing Partner]

does anyone have any covington insights?

 

[Sharkfin]

Post-AC wait is so gutwrenching I am swimming around like a zombie - fins and teeth crossed for everyone

 

[sbbusybee]

Has anyone done the W&C WE? Any insights plss so stressed!!!

Last year mine was a client bulletin summarising news articles about private equity for a variety of clients in the sector. Can’t really remember what the articles were about but they were quite recent to the time of me doing the WE.

I didn’t get the VS due to my interview but I was told my WE was exactly what they were looking for. I used subheadings and bullet points, I’m pretty sure I explained the impacts of the articles on the types of clients, and I brought in some of my commercial knowledge (I somehow remember Elon Musk’s Twitter debt being relevant?)

I knew nothing about private equity and struggled so much lol. Somehow did well.

 

[Deleted member 43292]

Post-AC wait is so gutwrenching I am swimming around like a zombie - fins and teeth crossed for everyone

ugh i get you

fins and teeth crossed!

 

[Novaa]

anyone else feel like such an imposter during the application cycle, like a year and a half ago i lowkey didn't know commercial law firms were a thing

Me this cycle discovering a firm which I thought was British is actually American, and a firm I thought was French is British.

 

[Jessica Pearson - Managing Partner]

I'm thinking about getting to know Lee & Thompson this year. They specialise in film and TV, which has good continuity with my background.

Has anyone had experience of their recruitment cycle?

I applied for them last year and they said I needed to go further in my legal studies (I was doing my PGDL). Might do so again this year but I think I might reach out first.

 

[Novaa]

anticipating PFO from W&C

Sending positive vibes and hope an offer is coming your way!!

 

[Harvey Specter - Presiding Partner]

Post-AC wait is so gutwrenching I am swimming around like a zombie - fins and teeth crossed for everyone

I feel this one ngl! Fins and teeth crossed for all of us waiting to hear back post AC!

 

[letsdothis]

If I don't have a watch I can use during an AC, am I allowed to keep time on my phone for group exercises? Or will the firm somehow show us the time left for the prep/speaking period?

 

[Deleted member 43292]

If I don't have a watch I can use during an AC, am I allowed to keep time on my phone for group exercises? Or will the firm somehow show us the time left for the prep/speaking period?

Usually the way to go is to ask whoever does have a watch to time keep, or ask the grad rec/partners during the exercise.
I've not seen anyone use their phones, and frankly I think it might be slightly frowned upon - but that is up to the firm also!

Edit: sorry I just saw that this was indicating to the prep/presentation time - at a firm a few weeks ago, we each had 1 min to present - usually the grad rec/partner would just stop you once you passed 1.10, but most people were able to gauge, without looking at any time, how much to say. Otherwise, you can ask beforehand whether quickly checking your phone for the time while prepping is acceptable. At another firm the grad rec directly told us that if we wanted to use our phones to keep an eye on the case study prep time, we were welcome to.

 

[CupOfTea17]

I applied for them last year and they said I needed to go further in my legal studies (I was doing my PGDL). Might do so again this year but I think I might reach out first.

Damn... I was planning on applying to them (I'm currently doing my PGDL) but now I am wondering whether it is worth it :/

 

[Deleted member 43346]

DLA Piper Manc pfo did my ti early December. Actually so done with this process so many PFOs and only got 2 firms to hear back from

 

[Novaa]

Application limbo is so weird… like is an AC coming? Am I getting the VI? Will I hear back next month??

Looks like it’s time to finalise my DTC application list.

 

[Rosie_Kitten]

Application limbo is so weird… like is an AC coming? Am I getting the VI? Will I hear back next month??

Looks like it’s time to finalise my DTC application list.

I've started researching very local, almost unknown firms, just to see what obscure applications I can make that I haven't already made to keep my mind off the applications ive made

 

[tclauser77898]

Damn... I was planning on applying to them (I'm currently doing my PGDL) but now I am wondering whether it is worth it :/

"we will only consider applicants to have graduated and attained a 2.1 degree in Law OR graduated and attained a 2.1 degree in another subject and completed the law conversion (GDL or the equivalent) by time of joining."
im also doing pgdl and going to apply

 

[arbitrationfan]

Anyone heard back from FF, MdR or Stephenson Harwood re AC?

 

[WillKitchen]

I applied for them last year and they said I needed to go further in my legal studies (I was doing my PGDL). Might do so again this year but I think I might reach out first.

Good idea. I plan to sit SQE 1 in July, so they might look more favourably on me if I pass that first.

Best of luck!

 

[WillKitchen]

Anyone heard back from FF, MdR or Stephenson Harwood re AC?

Nothing from Mishcon so far. I'm currently at stage 3.

 

[topkop]

Does anyone have some advice or information about the Dechert written assessment, as I am currently clueless