TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[Amma Usman]

Hey guys, random question: why do you think being innovative or entrepreneurial is important for trainees at law firms? I get why it matters for senior lawyers, since they’re more directly involved in creating client solutions and driving business development. But I’m struggling to see the link at trainee level -- how does it actually connect to a firm’s business model?

Great question!

I believe it matters because innovation and entrepreneurial thinking go right to the heart of a law firm’s business model. Even though trainees aren’t bringing in clients yet, firms succeed by delivering high-value advice as efficiently as possible. Clients are pushing for faster, more effective service, so when a trainee spots a smarter way to structure a document, uses tech to streamline research, or suggests a process improvement, it directly supports profitability and client satisfaction.

Trainees also tend to be closest to the day-to-day work and new tools, which puts them in a good position to identify practical changes. And from the firm’s perspective, trainees are future associates and partners—the people who will eventually build and grow client relationships. Showing that you can think commercially and look for opportunities to add value, even in small ways, signals that you’re already thinking like a future business builder.

 

[ZNadeem]

@ZNadeem @Abbie Whitlock @vera.mekhonoshina @Andrei Radu
Hi, How would you recommend structuring this answer for the Sidley Austin Summer VS application? Is this purely about explaining the skills important for a successful lawyer and how they are important using examples or do we also need to compare it to our experiences?

In your view, which personal qualities make a successful lawyer? (250 words max)

Hi! I’d recommend keeping it really focused and structured since you’ve only got 250 words. The best way is to choose 2–3 personal qualities that you genuinely believe are key to being a successful lawyer (e.g. attention to detail, resilience, teamwork, commercial awareness). For each quality, you should do two things:

1. Explain why it matters in the context of law—e.g. why resilience is important when handling long matters, or why teamwork is crucial when working with different departments or international offices. This shows you understand what the profession demands.
2. Link it to your own experience using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). That could be from academic work, extracurriculars, employment, or pro bono. The key is to be specific: instead of saying “I am resilient,” give a short example where you proved it, and then tie it back to why that matters for lawyers.

This way, you’re not just describing qualities in the abstract, but actively demonstrating how you’ve already developed them and why they’ll make you effective at Sidley.

 

[iklawapps]

Hey everyone, just wondering if for NRF, do you have to submit the app and complete the test by the deadline or like just the app and you can complete the test after? I was assuming the latter, but idk : )) thank you!!

 

[AS24]

Does anyone know if Cooley vs apps are open? I am not able to access their apps.

 

[iklawapps]

Also if anyone has tips for NRF's Arctic Shores, I'd really appreciate it :') I have horrid luck with online assessments, and tbh don't know what to even expect with this? Thank you again!!

 

[jfb]

im doing an application which asks for a cover letter. Does anyone have any tips regarding: what to include/ a rough framework and a word count? thanks

 

[FutureTraineeMaybe]

Does anyone know if Cooley vs apps are open? I am not able to access their apps.

They mention they open on 19 September but I can't access their apps either

 

[Lawlife5]

Hi @Abbie Whitlock do you have any advice on talking about paralegal experience in the work experience section as I have only been there a few months and not sure how best to talk about it? thank you

 

[Maddy]

Paul, Weiss, like other US firms, has a small trainee intake. Can anyone tell me how the firm’s small intake is different from that of other US firms with small trainee intakes?

 

[xMontmorency]

Paul, Weiss, like other US firms, has a small trainee intake. Can anyone tell me how the firm’s small intake is different from that of other US firms with small trainee intakes?

They hire c10 trainees. In terms of numbers this is not unique at all.

The only difference is that they've never had trainees before (cf those with more established training contracts). That can be good or bad depending on how you spin it.

Positives
- Higher ceiling (i.e. lack of a fixed expectation of what a trainee should be doing or can do)
- Might be treated like a junior associate (more freedom)
- You probably get to decide yourself how the trainee system should work
- It's new?

Negatives
- Less structure
- Less support
- More likely to be in the spotlight
- Might be treated like a glorified paralegal
- Might be treated like a junior associate (higher expectations)

 

[xMontmorency]

im doing an application which asks for a cover letter. Does anyone have any tips regarding: what to include/ a rough framework and a word count? thanks

Most job applications expect circa one page (like S&M), but for TCs/VSs you can get away with 2 pages. I would say keep it less than 1000 words (that's plenty; though NB I think W&C used to allow for 1500).

Structure:
- 'Dear X'
- Introductory sentence ('I am X; I am applying for Y')
- Why commercial law
- Why this firm
- Why me (anything extra you want to highlight about yourself: work experience, extra-curriculars)
- 'Thank you for considering my application ...'
- 'Sincerely, X'

 

[londonlawyer]

For this question, "Detail your extra curricular activities and interests and positions of responsibility. Please state what you feel you have gained from them and how others have benefited from your involvement", should we focus on the skills we developed to answer the "what have you gained" part, or could I say that I developed a passion for mentoring others from my experience as a tutor?

 

[BobThebIlly]

For anyone who has completed Linklaters test, how did you prepare? I suck at SJT style questions so would be very appreciative of any guidance/links to resources!

 

[Andrei Radu]

For this question, "Detail your extra curricular activities and interests and positions of responsibility. Please state what you feel you have gained from them and how others have benefited from your involvement", should we focus on the skills we developed to answer the "what have you gained" part, or could I say that I developed a passion for mentoring others from my experience as a tutor?

I think you can include both and ideally should include both.

In general, when wring an answer for an extracurriculars application form question, you always want to link the experience to a skill that is relevant to the role of a trainee solicitor. Nonetheless, given the particular language chosen by the firm when formulating their question ("how others have benefited from your involvement"), I would interpret this as a clear suggestion that you can discuss the relevance of an experience in a wider and potentially more communitarian context - i.e. you can explain how you developed skills/interests/qualities that were good for you and other people more generally, rather than only focusing on skills you developed that benefited you in the narrow sense of being good for your career. Presumably, the firm chose this drafting because they consider this broader personal development to make for a better candidate to recruit.

However, as I said in the beginning, I would try to discuss both (i) this wider personal development and (ii) the development of more specialised skills relevant for a trainee. This is again as a result of closely following the logic of the language: "what you feel you have gained from them" seems to me to suggest this second and more you-focused perspective, and using "and" instead of "or" suggests that the firm would prefer it if you could write about both rather than only focusing on one.

 

[tcla02]

is the Linklaters open day the Immersive Workshop they have at various unis? idk where to find the link to their open day application

 

[Andrei Radu]

Paul, Weiss, like other US firms, has a small trainee intake. Can anyone tell me how the firm’s small intake is different from that of other US firms with small trainee intakes?

To add to @xMontmorency 's great answer, I would say the trainee experience at Paul, Weiss is likely to be quite different from that at other US firms with small intakes because of:

1. How novel the TC programme is: while it may be a general truth that firms with smaller intakes, and particularly American firms, will generally base their TCs on learning on the job and giving trainees higher responsibility - both in terms of work, and in terms of charting their own paths in the TC - these features are likely to be even more accentuated at Paul, Weiss. At other US firms with small intakes but with an older TC programme, while there will not be a lot of organised training, a general culture around how to teach and work with trainees will have formed over time. This is to say, by repeated experience, lawyers at the firm will get used to interacting with trainees in a common way - although what that particular "way" (in other words, the training culture) may remain difficult to describe precisely. However, at a firm with a very new TC programme, like Paul, Weiss, no such culture will have had time to be formed, and people will likely treat trainees in a similar way as they did in their prior firm. This can lead to both a more varied training experience and also place more responsibility on the trainees themselves to help shape the firm's training culture in a way that best fits their needs.
2. How new the teams and (in a broader sense) the firm itself is in London: a similar point to the aforementioned one is that there will likely be no set firm-wide culture by the time trainees start working at Paul, Weiss - simply because not enough time has passed for all the new teams (many of whom arrived at different times) to have fully integrated. Thus, there will definitely still be a feel of trainees joining a new project at its very beginnings, which should also lead to them feeling like they are having a bigger impact on the firm.

 

[Andrei Radu]

is the Linklaters open day the Immersive Workshop they have at various unis? idk where to find the link to their open day application

In the past few years they also used to run a selective Open Day at their London office and even have a fast-track scheme for attendees for a Vacation Scheme application. I have taken a look on their website and they have not listed this opportunity yet - but this may be because they will announce it later in the cycle rather than because they have chosen to drop it (I also vaguely remember it opening around early October two applications year ago).

 

[jfb]

Most job applications expect circa one page (like S&M), but for TCs/VSs you can get away with 2 pages. I would say keep it less than 1000 words (that's plenty; though NB I think W&C used to allow for 1500).

Structure:
- 'Dear X'
- Introductory sentence ('I am X; I am applying for Y')
- Why commercial law
- Why this firm
- Why me (anything extra you want to highlight about yourself: work experience, extra-curriculars)
- 'Thank you for considering my application ...'
- 'Sincerely, X'

Thank you!!

 

[Andrei Radu]

im doing an application which asks for a cover letter. Does anyone have any tips regarding: what to include/ a rough framework and a word count? thanks

A cover letter should include answers to the three core questions firms also generally ask on their application forms, and I would advise you to structure it by having dedicated paragraphs for each:

1. Why commercial law: You should explain what makes you interested in commercial law rather than other career paths. Focus on motivations that do not apply to many other professions and that cover both the "law" part and the "commerce" part of the question - i.e. you need to explain both why you want to be a solicitor (rather than, say, a banker or a consultant) and why you want to be a solicitor working for businesses on commercial matters (rather than civil matters, family law, criminal law, etc). You should provide concrete examples of experiences which illustrate those motivations - the "show, don't tell" rule.
2. Why the firm: You should explain why the firm interests you more than other firms in the City. To do this, you will need to identify its unique selling points (which will generally have to do with practice areas/sectors they are strong in). You should then once again link the unique aspects of the firm you claim to be interested in to particular examples of your experiences which suggest they align with your skills/motivations
3. Why you: You should explain why you should be chosen to progress rather than many other applicants. Explain in detail (perhaps by using the STAR structure) some of your more impressive experiences/extracurriculars/achievements and then link them to skills that are relevant for the role of a trainee solicitor.

In terms of word count, unless the firm mentions a requirement, you should either write a full page or a full two pages. Nonetheless, if you choose the second option, you should ensure you have enough valuable content which justifies the length and that you still express yourself in a very concise and structured manner.

 

[aleece]

Anybody else still waiting to hear from Sidley for WVS?