TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[Irishman11]

Freshfields DTC PFO

Did you get stage 2?

 

[Shaky_Pete]

Anyone else still waiting on a response from Osborne Clarke post test?

 

[Madison Pinewall]

How should I go forward after a post AC PFO. It was my first one and I thought it generally went well (asides having a tough time with my partner speaking over me a lot in the group exercise...). I have an interview on Monday before my feedback call and then thats it for me. I don't want to repeat the same mistakes.

 

[elle woods]

How should I go forward after a post AC PFO. It was my first one and I thought it generally went well (asides having a tough time with my partner speaking over me a lot in the group exercise...). I have an interview on Monday before my feedback call and then thats it for me. I don't want to repeat the same mistakes.

🫂 I understand that feeling so so much

My advice would be to give yourself the best chance going into your next interview. Since your feedback call is after your interview, try anticipate what you could've done better by yourself and implement them into your next performance as best as you can. Sometimes the external factors can have an effect too, so don't beat yourself up about it. Hopefully from the sounds of things that the next interview doesn't include a group exercise? Group exercises are so tough as you can't anticipate what type of teammates you will get...

But yea, I am in a similar situation too, I flunked my last few chances and now have one more left and that's it for me too I think. There's definitely a lot of pressure to do better in this one, but don't push yourself into burn out etc.! Go into that interview looking to enjoy yourself, and bring your best genuine self! I think all we can do from then on is pray our hearts out! Best of luck Madison, I'm cheering for you!

 

[Madison Pinewall]

🫂 I understand that feeling so so much

My advice would be to give yourself the best chance going into your next interview. Since your feedback call is after your interview, try anticipate what you could've done better by yourself and implement them into your next performance as best as you can. Sometimes the external factors can have an effect too, so don't beat yourself up about it. Hopefully from the sounds of things that the next interview doesn't include a group exercise? Group exercises are so tough as you can't anticipate what type of teammates you will get...

But yea, I am in a similar situation too, I flunked my last few chances and now have one more left and that's it for me too I think. There's definitely a lot of pressure to do better in this one, but don't push yourself into burn out etc.! Go into that interview looking to enjoy yourself, and bring your best genuine self! I think all we can do from then on is pray our hearts out! Best of luck Madison, I'm cheering for you!

Thanks Elle!! I'm definitely doing a good personal reconstruction of what I did and I'm gonna honestly bin off academic worries tomorrow and just prepare prepare prepare. It's WE and an interview with partners (slaughters!!). Plus all online which is nice! I'm sorry to hear things have been tough for you recently too, I believe in you!!

 

[c.t.tc]

I had an AC this week and am having a really hard time figuring out if it went okay or not. I know I should just put it out of mind for now because there’s nothing more I can do but does anyone have any thoughts on how I could approach gauging whether it went well and how to stop overthinking it?

 

[asplawyer100]

When is your AC? The email said we’ll receive a login at least 24 hours before our AC, and to email them if we haven’t received it by 12pm the day before

I just checked again and neither one of the emails they sent me say that, but thanks for letting me know. My AC isn’t for a few more days so I’m guessing it’s all fine.

 

[panda1989]

the way freshfields still haven't rejected me post stage 2 for the vac which i did in NOVEMBER (early too might i add)

 

[Harvey Specter - Presiding Partner]

so cool! congrats!

i defo think you can use it - just maybe before or after your allocated work hours etc. I wouldn't recommend going during lunch etc because that's normally when they expect you to be doing coffee chats or engaging with other participants. But then again, if you're going before or after work, it might just be easier and more convenient to use an external gym!

also I really need to get glasses or smth cos I read that as "Ive been offered a scheme at an in-house gym". I was about to congratulate you on that achievement before I realised something was wrong 😂

When you want to use the gym at 8am but your job as an in-house lawyer starts at 9am:​

 

[llblawstudent]

the way freshfields still haven't rejected me post stage 2 for the vac which i did in NOVEMBER (early too might i add)

SAME! There ain’t no way we could still be in with a shot right? Surely the ACs are over

 

[panda1989]

SAME! There ain’t no way we could still be in with a shot right? Surely the ACs are over

no because i had deluded myself to think i was on some special waiting list (it might be safe to embrace to the pfo so many people have had offers lol) - im proud of us though hahaha

 

[Novaa]

The equal opportunities page is always my favourite to read back, like grad recruitment I promise I’m not trolling you and I’m being so for real right now 😭😭😭

 

[Chak]

Who so many firms have a deadline today😭

 

[aria_d]

Guys this is a really weird question but should I read into it if the partner who was interviewing me said I should hear back from grad rec soon and they wouldn't keep me waiting too long?

 

[LaDiva]

just did the WBD test and 2 particular questions my finger just jumped and I picked the complete wrong one, oops. I’ve probably helped some people out here hahah😵‍💫

I'm not sure how they'll go about selecting candidates after the test, some questions were so obvious, perhaps they'll give more weight to the candidates' profiles? they didn't even have application questions

 

[llblawstudent]

no because i had deluded myself to think i was on some special waiting list (it might be safe to embrace to the pfo so many people have had offers lol) - im proud of us though hahaha

You might be onto something with the waiting list I mean I know a lot of post stage 2 pfos so surely our app hasn’t just been lost in the mail or something lol. I wonder if they are in fact holding anymore ACs

 

[Novaa]

Just a heads up for those doing last minute applications, Vantage is being very slow rn… and I feel like it’s going to try pull a midnight stunt 🤨

 

[Rosie_Kitten]

I'm not sure how they'll go about selecting candidates after the test, some questions were so obvious, perhaps they'll give more weight to the candidates' profiles? they didn't even have application questions

There was also one or two sneaky questions (I won't discuss until everybody has done the test) where the 'obvious' answer wasn't the one I'd consider "correct"

 

[Harvey Specter - Presiding Partner]

Just a heads up for those doing last minute applications, Vantage is being very slow rn… and I feel like it’s going to try pull a midnight stunt 🤨

This is gna be vantage between 11pm and 12am:

This will be our reaction:

 

[lawyersum]

I had an AC this week and am having a really hard time figuring out if it went okay or not. I know I should just put it out of mind for now because there’s nothing more I can do but does anyone have any thoughts on how I could approach gauging whether it went well and how to stop overthinking it?

I recently heard someone say this: 'If it's meant for you, it won't pass you by' - So if that firm is your future - there's nothing that you could've said or done that would've jeopardised that - Even if you didn't perform at your best, the firm still won't reject you because it was meant for you, so all their assessment criteria/marking criteria or the quality of the other candidates, lined up in YOUR favour, even if it wasn't your best performance.

I hope I'm making sense, but this has been a nice way of not overthinking for me! I hope it helps