TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[Disgruntled SQE Student]

I've really heavily focused on my main area of interest in my cover letter for TS. Is this bad? Should I discuss all their main practice areas more holistically? Or am I better off lending my word count towards my in-depth research for this one practice area...?

I have discussed other sectors and practices in my work experience section (I added in my research for those other areas there). Which is why my initial strategy was to go all in, in the cover letter, for this one area. Reading it back now idk if thats a good idea?

Unfortunately it is generally not a good look to heavily focus your cover letter on one area of the firms expertise. It is a very good way of showing the firm that you have done lots of research and are genuinely passionate about the work the firm does, but can sometimes have the effect of demonstrating that you aren't fit for the TC as during the TC you have to do all of the seats in your rotation, not just the one you are adamant you want to do. Not to mention, when it comes to retention, you may not even get the chance to qualify into your first-choice department. It runs the risk of GR discarding you on the basis that you aren't very open minded to working in other practice areas, despite the fact this may be a gross false assumption. You're much better off using your main interest as a springboard for why you applied, then expand your desire to join the firm for its breadth of practice areas, rather than latch onto a specific practice area. I've made the same mistake previously as I have quite a bit of sector specific experience so that's just my two cents, take it with a bit of salt.

 

[赐给我tc]

CMS London AC! I would appreciate any tips and insights!! PLEASEE TYSM!!! I happy to offer insights too!

 

[TortillaTC]

Sidley closes at 5 pm today right? (earliest, since we're not sure that its closing at 5 or midnight, let's aim for 5)

 

[STEM Student]

Anyone heard back for linklaters summer VS?

 

[oliviabeijing]

Unfortunately it is generally not a good look to heavily focus your cover letter on one area of the firms expertise. It is a very good way of showing the firm that you have done lots of research and are genuinely passionate about the work the firm does, but can sometimes have the effect of demonstrating that you aren't fit for the TC as during the TC you have to do all of the seats in your rotation, not just the one you are adamant you want to do. Not to mention, when it comes to retention, you may not even get the chance to qualify into your first-choice department. It runs the risk of GR discarding you on the basis that you aren't very open minded to working in other practice areas, despite the fact this may be a gross false assumption. You're much better off using your main interest as a springboard for why you applied, then expand your desire to join the firm for its breadth of practice areas, rather than latch onto a specific practice area. I've made the same mistake previously as I have quite a bit of sector specific experience so that's just my two cents, take it with a bit of salt.

This is great advice, thank you! I think with a 1000 word limit I can definitely be more strategic with it. I like the idea of using it as a spring board though.

Thank you again and good luck!

 

[ilikelaw]

quick question concerning the w&c test, is it recorded bc my laptop is lowkey unusable and my pc doesn’t have a webcam 💔💔

 

[user55998384]

Unfortunately it is generally not a good look to heavily focus your cover letter on one area of the firms expertise. It is a very good way of showing the firm that you have done lots of research and are genuinely passionate about the work the firm does, but can sometimes have the effect of demonstrating that you aren't fit for the TC as during the TC you have to do all of the seats in your rotation, not just the one you are adamant you want to do. Not to mention, when it comes to retention, you may not even get the chance to qualify into your first-choice department. It runs the risk of GR discarding you on the basis that you aren't very open minded to working in other practice areas, despite the fact this may be a gross false assumption. You're much better off using your main interest as a springboard for why you applied, then expand your desire to join the firm for its breadth of practice areas, rather than latch onto a specific practice area. I've made the same mistake previously as I have quite a bit of sector specific experience so that's just my two cents, take it with a bit of salt.

would you also say thats the same principle or 300 word answers for why the firm, because i normally do something along the lines of like int presence, training and then choose one practice area

 

[vweewcvew]

WFW pfo post app

kinda concerning since I got in their open day, attended three virtual events with them, completed their forage job sim, and spent like agess on the application like I personally felt my application was the strongest I've every written lmao

 

[Disgruntled SQE Student]

This is great advice, thank you! I think with a 1000 word limit I can definitely be more strategic with it. I like the idea of using it as a spring board though.

Thank you again and good luck!

No problems! Good luck! TS are a great firm, they have a really great subsidised cafeteria from memory. One of the only SC firms that the industry can't see merging any time soon, they are baked in history of absolutely refusing the merge for the sake of expansion. They've managed to consolidate their market position completely organically through focusing on advisory and arbitration work. They're not massive, so don't have the "robot trainee" problem that others face, and being in a position that's quite unique means their main revenue drivers include some seriously large numbers and their core business model hasn't seen much change since post 2008. This is quite unlike their industry peers, who have not only reported continued revenue growth, but also a healthy amount of profit dilution and now, cross atlantic mergers that will further extinguish the firms' independant reputation. Food for thought as TS are pretty awesome.

 

[Disgruntled SQE Student]

would you also say thats the same principle or 300 word answers for why the firm, because i normally do something along the lines of like int presence, training and then choose one practice area

A little different. Cover letters are supposed to demonstrate who you are to the firm, it allows for a bit more expansion, so pigeoning yourself into one interest in the firm can sometimes actually look bad on you as a person (firms are very different). 300 word answers are a little different, simaltaneously talking only about one practice area is really detrimental, but also being really broad is also bad. You gotta ask yourself the question, what do you actually know of the firms practice areas? If you're a student with no legal experience, you probably know next to nothing about how firms actually operate, how they do the work they do on a day to day basis and what any of the 100s of practice areas really do. With the exception of boutique firms, most firms practice areas are so diverse that you probably don't know all of them. Of course, practice area is a key topic to talk about, but focusing on more tangible qualities like training, culture, support and diversity initiatives can come across more organically than saying yes I am absolutely 100% sure that I want to work in corporate M&A despite never having done a days actual experience in your life.

 

[LRR23]

CMS rejection just come through. Has anyone heard from Clyde & Co after VI?

 

[Mikeross750]

How worried should I be that I included my open days (seven consolidated into one) in the work experience section for Shoosmiths? Recently found out their Grad Rec team says not to do so. Apart from this thought I wrote one of my strongest applications.

 

[jamieclarke]

How worried should I be that I included my open days (seven consolidated into one) in the work experience section for Shoosmiths? Recently found out their Grad Rec team says not to do so. Apart from this thought I wrote one of my strongest applications.

They won’t care. I always include open days in work exp regardless of whether it’s recommended.

 

[TCGrad1642]

WFW pfo post app

kinda concerning since I got in their open day, attended three virtual events with them, completed their forage job sim, and spent like agess on the application like I personally felt my application was the strongest I've every written lmao

Exact same here! And I had completed an internship in one of their practice areas and focused on this. Yet firms I haven’t really interacted with and are kinda random i’ve been progressed on. So confusing

 

[msclm]

I've really heavily focused on my main area of interest in my cover letter for TS. Is this bad? Should I discuss all their main practice areas more holistically? Or am I better off lending my word count towards my in-depth research for this one practice area...?

I have discussed other sectors and practices in my work experience section (I added in my research for those other areas there). Which is why my initial strategy was to go all in, in the cover letter, for this one area. Reading it back now idk if thats a good idea?

Hi! I got through to the final interview for TS and I focused only on their private equity work in the energy field. I also only focused on this topic for my other applications that I’ve progressed with (including the firm I got my tc offer from). So my apps were always super specific to a particular area of the firm!

 

[oliviabeijing]

CMS rejection just come through. Has anyone heard from Clyde & Co after VI?

Sorry to hear that. Was this for DTC for London?

 

[oliviabeijing]

Hi! I got through to the final interview for TS and I focused only on their private equity work in the energy field. I also only focused on this topic for my other applications that I’ve progressed with (including the firm I got my tc offer from). So my apps were always super specific to a particular area of the firm!

That's interesting to know. I guess it partly is subjective and down to the person reading it. I know it has to be addressed to Tara Davidson. Has she spoken at any events where she has given advice on this topic?

 

[LehmanBrothersRiskManagementIntern]

they've given out vac scheme offers already - but definitely not all of them. So there is still a chance

I know they have also given out TC offers too, not a lot but I know someone with one haha (don't ask, I don't have more detail than this!)

The TC offers were made to direct TC applicants or VS candidates? I work full time so was wondering whether it’d be worth making a direct TC app to Gibson Dunn. Do you know whether they recruit solely from the vacation scheme?

 

[ACHat8r]

Opening the forum after a long time to see how most of the discussion has been about suits or baker mckenzie 😂(I didn’t even apply to bakers)

 

[msclm]

That's interesting to know. I guess it partly is subjective and down to the person reading it. I know it has to be addressed to Tara Davidson. Has she spoken at any events where she has given advice on this topic?

At the recruitment day she said that they can definitely tell when someone’s researched and when someone has asks chat to give them an answer. From speaking to some of the other guys at the recruitment day, everyone kinda did a different approach. Some did like me and went super specific, others made it broad and talked about cross departmental work etc. as long as you can get across some sort of clear intention, I’d imagine you’d be fine.