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TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26
- Thread starter Ram Sabaratnam
- Start date
Massive congratulations on securing two ACs! One thing that really helped me was focusing on my physical presence. I made a conscious effort not to visibly show my nerves through things like tapping my leg or fidgeting. By deliberately presenting myself as composed, it actually started to make me feel more confident and in control. It’s a bit like “acting as if”, and over time the feeling catches up with the performance.
@Abbie Whitlock Hello Abbie, hope you are doing well. I wanted to ask how to approach 'Why have you decided to pursue a career in commercial law'? Should I include only my motivations or also the skills I have that are matched to commercial law?
I remember struggling with this question a lot at the beginning of my application journey, so just to offer my two cents as to what worked for me. There is no fixed answer, but I found a lot more success when I broke each component of the cover letter/application form down into “stages” if you will. Each of which I told myself were assessing for a different thing. As for the “why law” portion, I decided this was to assess my pure motivation for the industry and not skill, and wherever I mentioned a skill - it was more in line with if I had a certain skill I was good at, was that pushing me to this career above others (but this was kept at a minimum, given the word count and all there is to say on motivation alone). It’s important to be honest to yourself too, think about where your motivation has genuinely come from, and rely on that to guide your overall answer. Hope this helps and good luck!
Thank you for this! Do you think if the application does not give you any space to talk about your skills then it is good to mention those in this answer?
It’s a tricky one because sure Mayer Brown may not be your first choice, but something about it must have taken your liking for you to apply right? I wouldn’t suggest compromising anything for a first choice, as nothing is set in stone, and you don’t want to leave yourself without options in the event your top choices aren’t successful.
That being said, I would only do the online assessment if it does not significantly affect the quality of your upcoming application/2 other firm assessments that you care more about. If you can make the time, then try, but if not, then avoid the Mayer Brown assessment. It seems like it’ll take some investment as I believe their VI’s require knowledge of the firm/work.
I agree, balancing is hard, but remember to be kind to yourself. One of my biggest regrets from my TC journey was the constant mental torture of trying to do so much at once. So, don’t do anything that pushes you towards a burnout.
If that's the case, then I wouldn't think strengths are what they're assessing at this stage. They'll typically assess that at a later stage of the application process, and I wouldn't suggest jeopardising the quality of you answer for a question that usually looks for those who are genuinely interested in this career choice. To err on the side of caution here, I would touch upon some skills, but again, only where they have pushed me to this career choice above others.
In the fund formation space, how do firms typically differentiate themselves? Why would you approach Kirkland vs Debevoise vs Akin? is it sector-specific expertise? Does anyone know why Debevoise's fund team is so renowned?
People who have applied on the last 3 days of the deadline for the Slaughter and May DTC, did you guys receive any update from the team?
They're radio silent and IDK what to make out of it.
They're radio silent and IDK what to make out of it.
This is a really good question. It's tricky to try and differentiate every little thing about a firm, when in reality, sometimes they just are pretty similar and the only way you can tell their specifics is by having already worked there. However, typically with firms that are "renowned" per say, they usually have a USP. Something that speaks to clients so they keep coming back. For example, with Kirkland & Ellis they seem to have a really good understanding of the secondaries market (thanks to Theodore Cardos) so I would hone in on the work they typically do and see if there is a pattern. Are they assisting more with a specific type of client or asset deal - is that whats setting them apart? My suggestion would be to first look at their annual report/briefing to see if they themselves have identified whats worked for them this year and what they're hoping to focus on. Following which, have a look at their clients and most recent deals to see if a pattern is forming. Hope this helps
Are Latham and Freshfields stage 2 online assessment automatic or you have to have passed stage 1? Has anyone experienced a pfo email after their stage one? Cause idk if you're meant to wait for stage 2 or if you're told it's a pfo
Latham seems to be very quick or even automatic So if you’ve waited for more than a few days after completing stage 1 it’s very likely to be a PFO I am afraid.
Freshfields do seem to take a bit longer- people have waited weeks for stage 2.
What you’re feeling is entirely normal. I remember being torn between wanting to continue my postgraduate research in AI regulation or proceed with pursuing a legal career. Ultimately, I decided the latter. The reason being, I knew what my future after the research was going to look like because I was already there. However, you’re not, and I think that’s something you need to give yourself so you can make an informed decision in regards to your future.
In my opinion, I would advise that you focus on your masters first. It seems to be the thing you’re most interested in (at this current moment in time) and unlike a legal career as a Trainee Solicitor, it’s the only one of the two that you can obtain without feeling like you’re making a lifelong commitment, thus enabling you to have all the information you need to make a real decision as to where you want to go next. Of course, you can juggle both applications now, but what if that compromises the quality and results in a failure to secure your top choice firms/universities, or what if it results in a mental burnout? I feel like they’re risks that you don’t really need to take at this stage. Equally, what if you get both, and during the course of your masters you decide that you want to remain in the academic field, or pursue a career that best aligns with what you’re studying, so you decide to rescind the TC anyway.
I appreciate it feels like the pressure is on for the TC route as you’re in your final year, likely surrounded with people who are heads down applying for VS/TC’s and you think the time is now. But the truth is, there is no set timescale for either option really. And, if you want to avoid having regrets in the future, I would not rush anything right now. Regret does not come from waiting, it comes from making the wrong decision, and wrong decisions are typically made when they are not fully informed.
Hopefully this helps with your decision.
Good luck!
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