TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[sufianwm101]

Anyone got CMS AC tips/advice?

 

[radssss]

To anyone studying at BPP, be thankful you’re not at Ulaw.

We’ve just been told a Contract exam we sat yesterday has been voided because of Ulaw’s own incompetence.
We now all need to resit next week (and they haven’t even told us the date).

I’m so sorry and that’s mad!! If it’s their own incompetence, they should pass everyone based on the paper they’ve submitted and void the incorrect ques or something (ofc idk the exact reason)

I’ve heard bpp teaching is horrible and ulaw teaching is really good tho!

 

[ladyhaleinthehouse]

Has anyone heard anything back from Baker Mackenzie ?

I still haven't heard anything. It seems like they're sending out invites in batches. So fingers crossed for today!

 

[trainee4u]

Birketts test invite. No idea if automatic or not? Applied London.
The test is from SHL. Anyone know what this entails?

Hi,
I don't think it's automatic (I've not received).
I posted a comprehensive guide to acing SHL here, it's a "hard" test, but by practice you can do much much better

SHL Test

I think I've done this test twice now - it's not that popular for law firms. Have unfortunately gone down a bit of a rabbit hole and it seems that you can practise a lot and basically guarantee success. I'm not a huge fan of this type of test for that reason. Practice tests are here...

www.thecorporatelawacademy.com

 

[kCbr]

I still haven't heard anything. It seems like they're sending out invites in batches. So fingers crossed for today!

I don't seem to see anyone on this thread that said they have gotten an email yet. Wonder if it'll be next week

 

[BuddyingLawyer744]

Any other PGDL ULaw student's just been wronged by the uni for the contract exam?

 

[uraijom]

Hi is this for spring or summer ?

spring! submitted 17/12

 

[zonnonomo]

Hi,
I don't think it's automatic (I've not received).
I posted a comprehensive guide to acing SHL here, it's a "hard" test, but by practice you can do much much better

SHL Test

I think I've done this test twice now - it's not that popular for law firms. Have unfortunately gone down a bit of a rabbit hole and it seems that you can practise a lot and basically guarantee success. I'm not a huge fan of this type of test for that reason. Practice tests are here...

www.thecorporatelawacademy.com

never tackled this test but fire guide

 

[trainee4u]

Any other PGDL ULaw student's just been wronged by the uni for the contract exam?

Was this for the written or the SBAQ?

When i did it they messed up the SBAQ. I didn't mind doing a resit, but would definitely not want to do a second written.

 

[Bread]

My turn to ask:
Can anybody provide any updates on the following?

Goodwin - Post VI ?

Vinson & Elkins - Post APP?

WEIL - Post app + SJT (I feel like its pfo)

WITHERS - Post App + JST spring?

SIMMONS - Post APP

Addleshaw - Post APP + JST

Orrick - Post APP

Debevoise - Post APP

Squire Patton Boggs - Post APP + JST

Ropes & Gray - Post APP

Davis Polk - Post APP

Taylor Wessing - Post APP + WG

SIDLEY - Post APP

Is there an SJT for squire?

 

[ladyhaleinthehouse]

I don't seem to see anyone on this thread that said they have gotten an email yet. Wonder if it'll be next week

is this for spring or summer? For spring, i've seen a few people have been invited to ACs over the last few days

 

[EfficientBag123]

Has anyone heard anything back from Baker Mackenzie ?

Spring ACs have gone out.

 

[LawAspirer]

I’m sitting here, bored. No more applications to do. So i'm effectively doing nothing, refreshing my inbox like that might change something. Every seven minutes. Very disciplined. Everything else is marked as read so if the email comes in, I won’t miss it. It will stand out. It has to.

Control+R. Nothing.
Control+R again. Still nothing.

By the nineteenth refresh, I’m aware this is pointless, but I do it anyway. The weekend is coming, which means the chance of a dopamine hit is basically gone. That little spike that says maybe someone wants to "hear more about me". Maybe I’m being chosen. Maybe.

Then it happens. An email. From a firm. The subject line looks right. Serious. Promising. I click.

It loads just a fraction slower than usual, maybe 0.6 seconds. Long enough to feel something. Long enough to believe. Long enough for the dopamine rush to hit all my receptors. I skim, and my eyes immediately find the word “unfortunately.”

The feeling disappears as fast as it came. I’m not sad. Just flat. Slightly embarrassed that I expected anything else.

I take a break. Make toast. Butter only (can't afford shit nowadays). I come back.

In the browser tab I see it. (1) unread. This has to be another firm. I open it immediately.

Netflix failed to charge the 10 pounds I owe them.

Fuck it, i'm going to bed (it's 3pm)

 

[kCbr]

is this for spring or summer? For spring, i've seen a few people have been invited to ACs over the last few days

I applied for summer and have yet to hear anything back since I submitted the application

 

[ilikelaw]

the name squire pattons boggs is so funny to me idk

 

[ilikelaw]

I’m sitting here, bored. No more applications to do. So i'm effectively doing nothing, refreshing my inbox like that might change something. Every seven minutes. Very disciplined. Everything else is marked as read so if the email comes in, I won’t miss it. It will stand out. It has to.

Control+R. Nothing.
Control+R again. Still nothing.

By the nineteenth refresh, I’m aware this is pointless, but I do it anyway. The weekend is coming, which means the chance of a dopamine hit is basically gone. That little spike that says maybe someone wants to "hear more about me". Maybe I’m being chosen. Maybe.

Then it happens. An email. From a firm. The subject line looks right. Serious. Promising. I click.

It loads just a fraction slower than usual, maybe 0.6 seconds. Long enough to feel something. Long enough to believe. Long enough for the dopamine rush to hit all my receptors. I skim, and my eyes immediately find the word “unfortunately.”

The feeling disappears as fast as it came. I’m not sad. Just flat. Slightly embarrassed that I expected anything else.

I take a break. Make toast. Butter only (can't afford shit nowadays). I come back.

In the browser tab I see it. (1) unread. This has to be another firm. I open it immediately.

Netflix failed to charge the 10 pounds I owe them.

Fuck it, i'm going to bed (it's 3pm)

the chance of a dopamine hit is so real

 

[LawAspirer]

the name squire pattons boggs is so funny to me idk

Its bogging me too

 

[Afraz Akhtar]

Does anybody have any AC advice, i don't feel like I'm good or competent enough to do it at all

I've been crashing out all week..

Hey, preparing for an AC (although a little nerving) gets easier with time, so long as you know what you’re doing. Now, it may seem like you’re going into new territory, but if you prepare well you should be able to perform your best regardless.

With the AC, the most important thing to remember is each component (interview, case study, group exercise) is assessing a different set of skills, for which you’ll be graded and the total coalition of your marks will be used to decide how strong you performed on the AC and whether it will amount to an offer. So, the aim here isn’t just to be yourself and hope for the best, but to actually strategize your approach and make sure you’re hitting the key competencies.

I have highlighted these competencies below, and attached some links to detailed TCLA posts that I feel go to the heart of each exercise in a way that best prepares you to meet the marks.

Interviews - https://www.thecorporatelawacademy....de-for-competency-interview-preparation.9380/

The interview is simply the firm’s chance to learn about you and decide whether your motivation for the career and firm is strong enough, so as to confirm if they are going to be investing in helping you qualify. It is therefore important to research the type of skills they look for in a candidate, and make sure you think about what experiences you have to prove that you’re capable of doing this.

Lastly, it’s also a chance to see who you are beyond the legal world – as in, are you going to be a good cultural fit for the firm. Now, you don’t need to match interests and hobbies with the assessor, but you do need to be able to show a little insight into what makes you tick. For many of us, this isn’t a recent development in the world of aviation law, but more so something pretty base level like football or travelling. These kinds of insight into you are important to set yourself apart from the rest of the candidate pool.

Written Exercise/Case Study - https://www.thecorporatelawacademy....firm-case-studies-monday-article-series.3232/

A time-pressured situation, where it’s easy to lose sight of what you’re being asked to do as you rush to provide as much information as possible. You are being assessed on the quality of your work, and your ability to analyse/cater to your audience, under the bracket of being efficient with your time. This takes practice, more than the other two, so you need to make yourself comfortable with writing at speed, structuring, understanding the question and being able to answer just that (nothing less and nothing more).

As these tend to change across firms, it is difficult to provide a one-stop answer for how to structure your answers/content – but think about who you’re writing this for, is it for yourself, a client, or a colleague. Consider what might be most helpful to them, and present your answer in that format.

If it is more to do with your ability to interpret information, like a case study, consider the implications of each fact with your clients interest at heart. You don’t need to have the ideal solution, but you do need to be able to flag concerns that you think could arise and the resource attached helps with that.

Group Exercise/Negotiation - https://www.thecorporatelawacademy....ssed-negotiations-monday-article-series.3018/

Probably the most nerving aspect of any AC is being asked to work with others. It’s easy to shy away in a group full of strong personalities, or overshadow those around you so that you seem like the strongest. The trick is not to do either, you don’t need to be the loudest but you also can’t be the quietest. Find the balance. The best way to approach is consider what makes a good team-player, and strive your best to fit that profile.

It is usually the one that listens, includes others, mediates conflict/aggression, offers their opinion but is open to feedback and change, and essentially someone who keeps the progress moving. Remember, at this stage you are not competitors but a collective, working towards a common goal. Have that in your heart and you can’t go wrong.

 

[BuddyingLawyer744]

Was this for the written or the SBAQ?

When i did it they messed up the SBAQ. I didn't mind doing a resit, but would definitely not want to do a second written.

messed up the SBAQ, making us do a new paper next week

 

[zonnonomo]

Hey, preparing for an AC (although a little nerving) gets easier with time, so long as you know what you’re doing. Now, it may seem like you’re going into new territory, but if you prepare well you should be able to perform your best regardless.

With the AC, the most important thing to remember is each component (interview, case study, group exercise) is assessing a different set of skills, for which you’ll be graded and the total coalition of your marks will be used to decide how strong you performed on the AC and whether it will amount to an offer. So, the aim here isn’t just to be yourself and hope for the best, but to actually strategize your approach and make sure you’re hitting the key competencies.

I have highlighted these competencies below, and attached some links to detailed TCLA posts that I feel go to the heart of each exercise in a way that best prepares you to meet the marks.

Interviews - https://www.thecorporatelawacademy....de-for-competency-interview-preparation.9380/

The interview is simply the firm’s chance to learn about you and decide whether your motivation for the career and firm is strong enough, so as to confirm if they are going to be investing in helping you qualify. It is therefore important to research the type of skills they look for in a candidate, and make sure you think about what experiences you have to prove that you’re capable of doing this.

Lastly, it’s also a chance to see who you are beyond the legal world – as in, are you going to be a good cultural fit for the firm. Now, you don’t need to match interests and hobbies with the assessor, but you do need to be able to show a little insight into what makes you tick. For many of us, this isn’t a recent development in the world of aviation law, but more so something pretty base level like football or travelling. These kinds of insight into you are important to set yourself apart from the rest of the candidate pool.

Written Exercise/Case Study - https://www.thecorporatelawacademy....firm-case-studies-monday-article-series.3232/

A time-pressured situation, where it’s easy to lose sight of what you’re being asked to do as you rush to provide as much information as possible. You are being assessed on the quality of your work, and your ability to analyse/cater to your audience, under the bracket of being efficient with your time. This takes practice, more than the other two, so you need to make yourself comfortable with writing at speed, structuring, understanding the question and being able to answer just that (nothing less and nothing more).

As these tend to change across firms, it is difficult to provide a one-stop answer for how to structure your answers/content – but think about who you’re writing this for, is it for yourself, a client, or a colleague. Consider what might be most helpful to them, and present your answer in that format.

If it is more to do with your ability to interpret information, like a case study, consider the implications of each fact with your clients interest at heart. You don’t need to have the ideal solution, but you do need to be able to flag concerns that you think could arise and the resource attached helps with that.

Group Exercise/Negotiation - https://www.thecorporatelawacademy....ssed-negotiations-monday-article-series.3018/

Probably the most nerving aspect of any AC is being asked to work with others. It’s easy to shy away in a group full of strong personalities, or overshadow those around you so that you seem like the strongest. The trick is not to do either, you don’t need to be the loudest but you also can’t be the quietest. Find the balance. The best way to approach is consider what makes a good team-player, and strive your best to fit that profile.

It is usually the one that listens, includes others, mediates conflict/aggression, offers their opinion but is open to feedback and change, and essentially someone who keeps the progress moving. Remember, at this stage you are not competitors but a collective, working towards a common goal. Have that in your heart and you can’t go wrong.

thank you this is so peak

also how would someone prepare for a "commercial awareness interview" 🤔 not sure what that entails either