TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[Partcore22]

Fieldfisher Vac Scheme (Pathways to Practice) AC. Would appreciate any advice.

did u do the telephone interview?

 

[xMontmorency]

I’m not sure on the situation with all firms but with FF in particular they have an extremely low conversion rate from their vacation schemes (I think around 6 people got a TC last year from both cohorts).

I was told they over hired previously so had less spaces, but my uni had an event with grad rec so I asked them directly. Essentially, the lady laughed because she knew the question was controversial. She said that they tend to give out 6/7 TCs total to vac schemers and didn’t particularly give a reason as to why.

Instantly regretted applying to the vac scheme over a direct TC after that (had just finished stage 2 that same day 😐).

I think grad rec lied to you. They took around 40-50 in 2024, and 60-70 in 2023.

Freshfields overhired in previous years, lots of people deferred their TCs, and then legal AI came along and they predicted they wouldn't need as many trainees. That's why they did the King LLM thingy.

On a side note, I have very negative things to say about Freshfields grad rec. But I'm gonna hold myself back.

 

[FutureTraineeMaybe]

Can anybody provide insight into DLA's individual exercise? I suck at presentations and bombed mine at HSF last year. So, anybody with any insight into what it might be, any help would be hugely appreciated 🙏

 

[Gottagetthroughthis101]

Guys does Covington not take graduates?

 

[Misty Meanor]

any insights on latham AC would be greatly appreciated this is my first AC ever so i'm really scared

Congratulations!! Is this for Spring?

 

[xMontmorency]

I think the conversion rates should be relatively high since they have thoroughly vetted candidates through a generally extensive recruitment process.
...
I think the offer of a TC should be available to every candidate if they perform well, not based on a limited quota.

Why make people go through it just for the chance of a training contract?

For the average person, it’s incredibly difficult to secure even one vacation scheme. As such, I personally believe the conversion rate should be upwards of at least 80%.

If you’ve made it onto a VS, then you have proven that you have what it takes to be a trainee. With this in mind, most feedback you receive after failing to convert a VS is arbitrary.

I think there are some fair points here. From the vac schemers perspective it's pretty disheartening to go through the whole process and then not get the TC even if you're good enough. It's happened to me.

But I think these statements are quite entitled. You don't deserve a TC just because you got onto the Vac Scheme. If that were the case, the Vac Scheme would serve no purpose.

Vac schemes are meant to be internships. Real experience. You sit in a department and do work on live deals and cases. You have free reign to bombard associates and partners with coffee chat requests. It looks really good on your CV. Sure, they're also job interviews, but if you want to be a commercial lawyer then you should be more than happy with that opportunity.

Second, vac schemes are another stage in the recruitment process that (are supposed to) test how you fit with the firm, how well you can organise and manage a diary and a chance to prove yourself with actual work. There's a lot you could learn from your mistakes on a vac scheme. To say that "most feedback [post VS] is arbitrary" is a very fixed mindset approach.

Depending on the firm, the pre-vac interview process is not always so rigorous that firms shouldn't be allowed to be selective on a vac scheme - application questions can be ghostwritten or ChatGPT'd, you can easily cheat watson glasers, interviews can go well or badly based on luck. Milbank, for example, only has a 30min 1-to-1 partner interview to get onto the vac scheme. The recruiters get to know you more properly on a vac scheme, and some firms tend to be a bit more picky about 'culture fit' (though I agree that's mostly bullshit).

Finally, what's the alternative? If firms upped the conversion rates then that would just mean that fewer people get on the vac scheme and have the chance to prove themselves, and there would just be more competition to begin with. Ask youself this: if you had no city law work experience and were offered a vac scheme at a top law firm, but were told you're not going to get the return offer, would you not take it?

 

[Donuttime]

Sorry guys kinda random but I'm currently looking at W&C's deals and I must say I'm really impressed by the firm's dedication to escalators.

i wish i got this lool

 

[BealMcAlly]

I got to AC few years back with:

Collaboration - missed opportunities to demonstrate
Growth mindset - demonstrated exceptional capability
Getting things done - demonstrated natural talent
Resilience - room for improvement
Client focussed - exceptional capability
Commercial mindset - further development
Analysis - could improve

3/3 for verbal, 2/3 for maths

I think that's still amberjack specific/related, they just expanded the subtraits for each pillar.

Grit: Resilience, hitting your deadlines, completing your work
Creative Force: growth mindset, analysis(I think?) And maybe commercial mindset
Applied intellect: Collaboration and client focused
Digital mindset I'm not sure I can spot it in these subtraits.

Like you say these are a little tailored but the core Amberjack pillars are still there, just more nuanced.

 

[Donna Paulsen]

I had this happen to me but from Clifford Chance post WG for their Direct TC. They literally sent me 4 consecutive PFOs with “WATSON GLASER TEST FAILED: APPLICATION REJECTION” in full caps like bruh why so aggressive chill out wtf…

CC when you fail the WG

 

[elle woods]

i wish i got this lool

If you check their newsroom, A LOT of (if not most of) the pictures they use are of escalators haha. 😂

here is an example:

 

[Harvey Specter]

CC when you fail the WG

CC even when you do pass their WG (now they’ve got to take out the time to review your app ugh):

 

[Donna Paulsen]

Guys does Covington not take graduates?

They do - 'Candidates are eligible from their final year of a non-law degree or penultimate year of a law degree. We also welcome applications from graduates and career changers.'

 

[Gottagetthroughthis101]

The fact that Donna Paulsen and Harvey Specter are collabing on the thread comedy is my reason for life this evening

 

[Lord Sumption]

The fact that Donna Paulsen and Harvey Specter are collabing on the thread comedy is my reason for life this evening

Lord Sumption still here people xx

 

[Gottagetthroughthis101]

They do - 'Candidates are eligible from their final year of a non-law degree or penultimate year of a law degree. We also welcome applications from graduates and career changers.'

Clearly my verbal reasoning skills aren’t as high as I thought🤣 Thank you!

 

[Donna Paulsen]

The fact that Donna Paulsen and Harvey Specter are collabing on the thread comedy is my reason for life this evening

We need a Louis Litt... come on guys

 

[Harvey Specter]

We need a Louis Litt... come on guys

Lowkey we need a Daniel Hardman too…whose gna take it for the team… 👀​

 

[Gottagetthroughthis101]

Is there a Lady Hale around?

 

[jamieclarke]

Might rebrand as Howard Hamlin

 

[elle woods]

I want to rebrand too!! but I lowkey am too stuck to this identity, I wouldn't know what other identity to assume hmm