TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[legallybrunette8]

Hi @legallybrunette8 the word count limit for this question is quite low considering the amount of material you have to cover, so you will have to be very concise and efficient with your writing. I can see two approaches working here:

1. You split the answer in two sections - one dealing with the "why have you chosen to be a solicitor" part and one dealing with the "what relevant skills do you possess part", where each is around 100 words in length. The advantage here is that your writing will be more structured and clear, although somewhat more modular.
2. You have one integrated answer that addresses both the interest in law part and the relevant skills part. The advantage is that this makes for a nicer and more integrated reading experience; the disadvantage is that you will have to be more careful to ensure your writing is very clear so that the recruiter can easily see both questions are addressed even without specific sections.

Regardless of the option you pick, I think you should discuss at least two skills (since the question makes use of the plural rather than singular) but no more than three (simply because of the word count restriction). Of course, each skill will have to be illustrated with an example of an experience, but you will have to describe the experience in less detail than you normally would. Instead of a full STAR structure approach, I think you should aim to describe each experience in one-two short sentences which encapsulate the essence of your tasks and responsibilities (i.e. the 'action' part of STAR, what you actually did) and the relevant results.

Hi Andrei, thanks for the answer! I have another question, although unrelated.

I plan to start mentioning open days in the work experience section (which I surprisingly haven't been doing in my previous applications). I have attended about 10 open days so far from a range of firms, with a mix of open days that have a selective application process, and some which simply require a registration form.

I was wondering if I should mix my first year open days, selective open days, and just normal open days into 1 big group? Or should I seperate them?
And when doing so, how much detail should I go into the open days given the word count?

And lastly, should I also be mentioning virtual work experiences in a different section too? Or would I only mention them if they're relevant to the firm I'm applying to

 

[Andrei Radu]

Hi Andrei, thanks for the answer! I have another question, although unrelated.

I plan to start mentioning open days in the work experience section (which I surprisingly haven't been doing in my previous applications). I have attended about 10 open days so far from a range of firms, with a mix of open days that have a selective application process, and some which simply require a registration form.

I was wondering if I should mix my first year open days, selective open days, and just normal open days into 1 big group? Or should I seperate them?
And when doing so, how much detail should I go into the open days given the word count?

And lastly, should I also be mentioning virtual work experiences in a different section too? Or would I only mention them if they're relevant to the firm I'm applying to

I do not think you should necessarily separate them in categories; recruiters are aware a substantial proportion of open days are selective, and as such will likely infer that several of yours are as well. Nonetheless, there is no harm in separating them in two broad "non-selective careers events" and "selective careers events" groups either. You should simply choose what you think makes more sense in the context of your answer.

As for the second question about the level of detail to go into: you likely will not have sufficient space (and nor would it be appropriate) to describe in detail what happened in each open day and what you learnt. I would either (a) simply list the events and, next to each bullet point on the list, have a short one sentence line with a key takeaway about what I learned; or (b) after listing the open days, go for a more narrative style approach, and have a bigger paragraph explaining how going to these events shaped your interest in commercial law and particular practice areas (and even potentially your interest in the particular firm you are applying for).

For the third question: I think you should always be listing your Forage virtual experiences as well, as they are proof of interest in commercial law and of actual engagement with trainee tasks.

 

[applicant457]

Jones Day spring scheme VI ! Any insights massively appreciated

 

[Legallywhatever]

Hi,

Does anyone know what the Osborne Clarke vac scheme Qs are for this cycle?

 

[chiichii]

A pleasant surprise today, just checked my spam folder in my email and realised BCLP sent an invite for their open day 2 days ago! Ahhhhh

 

[chiichii]

Unfortunately such specific information is not usually available in the public domain. The only sources I found it on were Law.com and The Lawyer, and both are only accessible with an organisational subscription - you should check if your university has one if you are a student.

Hi Andrei, that's really helpful! I know this is not my question but I would like to know how is this information and statistics ( revenue per lawyer, department headcount, etc) helpful for application? Or how can i link these information to me personally if I want to use these stats?

 

[baj5]

given that some firms like freshfields only ask for work experience now, what is the best way to do the section to ensure it is hitting the points they need?