TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[tjeya26]

Unfortunately since the firm specifies "outside of your work", any paid positions will be automatically excluded from the scope of the question. As such, I would advise you not to include any vacation schemes or paid internships. Even unpaid internships would be in a somewhat of a grey area, as some recruiters may interpret any role in the context of a workplace as constituting work experience. To be on the safe side, I would likely only include extracurricular activities and hobbies here.

Thank you so much Andrei. To double check, do you think this also excludes part-time work in retail and a research internship that was separate to the requirements of my STEM degree?

 

[lawyerpn]

Hi there. Any guidance on PwC's online assessment and how to practice for it? I think it's a blend of cognitive (including numerical), behavioural and natural preferences? But I can't find any more guidance and don't know what the best place to practice would be. I also don't know if they do the Watson Glaser test.

 

[Joey green]

Did anyone hear back from Linklaters yet? I’ve heard that some people have already been invited to ACs.


Statement: Since some (but not all) have received invitations for the next round and I haven’t, I’m more likely not to make it if I don’t hear back today.

Conclusion follows
Conclusion does not follow.

 

[Andrei Radu]

Thank you so much Andrei. To double check, do you think this also excludes part-time work in retail and a research internship that was separate to the requirements of my STEM degree?

No worries - and yes, I think this would also be excluded from the scope of the question.

 

[flower1]

Hello,
This is a question from Latham & Watkins Vacation Scheme
Please give details of your extra-curricular activities, and any prizes, scholarships, positions of responsibility, or noteworthy achievements that will support your application – 300 words

Are we supposed to mention the skills and competencies we gained, and also relate it back to the firm? Or is it just purely answering this is an achievement, this is an extra-curricular (not making it a list)? I'm unsure because the question doesn't specifically mention linking it back.

Thank you

 

[Bbhu19]

Did anyone hear back from Linklaters yet? I’ve heard that some people have already been invited to ACs.


Statement: Since some (but not all) have received invitations for the next round and I haven’t, I’m more likely not to make it if I don’t hear back today.

Conclusion follows
Conclusion does not follow.

Sorry where did you hear that people were invited?

 

[Atam!]

Sorry where did you hear that people were invited?

was just about to ask this! i havent seen anyone get invited

 

[Freshcutgrass]

was just about to ask this! i havent seen anyone get invited

Haha yeah I keep getting told people have received AC invites from LL but no one has directly said they've had one.

 

[a1024]

@ZNadeem @Andrei Radu @Abbie Whitlock

In no more than 1440 characters including spaces (this is approx. 200 words), tell us about your extra-curricular activities and positions of responsibility or an achievement of importance which you are most proud of.

How would you recommend structuring this answer? Should we talk about our experiences and positions of responsibility or one achievement of importance?

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Hello,
This is a question from Latham & Watkins Vacation Scheme
Please give details of your extra-curricular activities, and any prizes, scholarships, positions of responsibility, or noteworthy achievements that will support your application – 300 words

Are we supposed to mention the skills and competencies we gained, and also relate it back to the firm? Or is it just purely answering this is an achievement, this is an extra-curricular (not making it a list)? I'm unsure because the question doesn't specifically mention linking it back.

Thank you

Hi!

That's a great question - you're right that the prompt doesn't explicitly ask you to link your experiences back to the firm, but it's still worth showing a bit of reflection rather than just listing activities. A good approach might be to describe what you did, why you learned, and why it was meaningful - without turning it into a mini cover letter. This way, you are describing why you are a good fit for Latham & Watkins whilst still answering the question. For example, an experience / achievement I might discuss could be:

"As runner-up in BIUCAC 2024, I worked closely with my team to analyse a complex corporate scenario and deliver a strategic proposal under time pressure. It was a great opportunity to strengthen my commercial thinking and teamwork skills"

This sort of approach shows insight and relevance without explicitly stating 'this is relevant to Latham & Watkins'. So, include your key achievements, but frame them in a way that highlights growth and transferable skills rather than just listing experiences

I hope that helps - good luck with your application!

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

@ZNadeem @Andrei Radu @Abbie Whitlock

In no more than 1440 characters including spaces (this is approx. 200 words), tell us about your extra-curricular activities and positions of responsibility or an achievement of importance which you are most proud of.

How would you recommend structuring this answer? Should we talk about our experiences and positions of responsibility or one achievement of importance?

Hi!

You've got two solid options, which can both be really strong depending on the experience and examples you give.

Extra-curricular / Positions of Responsibility

If you've had several meaningful roles (e.g. society leadership, volunteering, competitions) you could focus on an underlying theme such as teamwork, initiative, or impact. Use 1-2 sentences per activity to show your progress, the key skills gained, and your own personal contributions. This approach works best if you can show consistent engagement or leadership across various contexts - such as being a committee member in a society, or leading volunteering events.

One Key Achievement

If you have a standout accomplishment that really captures who you are (e.g. founding an organisation / society, leading a major project, or winning a significant award), you can dedicate the whole question to that. A potential structure could be to describe the challenge, your role, what you learned, and the outcome.

When I have previously answered this question, I discussed achieving a high grade in a module that I found particularly challenging, and described why this was a challenge and the steps I took to address it. As long as you can fully outline your narrative, most key achievements will work for this question!

In terms of structure (for either approach), I would follow something along the lines of:

1. Opening (1-2 lines): set the context or theme
2. Main body (4-6 lines): describe your main responsibilities, actions taken, and the impact you had
3. Closing (1-2 lines): reflect on what it taught you or how it shaped your long-term career goals

I would choose whichever route provides you with the strongest example from your previous experiences. Either way, I would try to keep it reflective and specific - impact matters more than quantity!

 

[Sachin Chandra]

I have the online assessment and video questions for Mayer Brown. Could anyone kindly give me advice on how to prepare for this? Thanks!

 

[chiichii]

Does anyone know whether graduate can apply for freshfields vac scheme?

 

[johnsmith]

Does anyone know whether graduate can apply for freshfields vac scheme?

No they can’t - TC only!

 

[_microwaved]

Has anyone heard back from Mayer Brown or Weil about their Open Days on the 22nd and 23rd?

 

[TortillaTC]

Has anyone heard back from Mayer Brown or Weil about their Open Days on the 22nd and 23rd?

Not sure about Mayer Brown but Weil only closed yesterday so don’t think anyone has heard yet. Seems like they aren’t really rolling for their events.

 

[TCLA0322]

Does anyone know whether Hogan Lovells' first test is automatic? I submitted my app on Friday and haven't received anything.

 

[Harvey Specter]

Not sure about Mayer Brown but Weil only closed yesterday so don’t think anyone has heard yet. Seems like they aren’t really rolling for their events.

In the email Weil sent after I submitted the 8th Oct insight day app, it said apps are reviewed on a rolling basis but before invites are sent out, all apps would be reviewed by early careers.

For the 8th Oct insight day, the deadline was 28th Sept and I received my invite the next day, on the 29th. They said they had received 200+ apps for 25-30 places, which is insane!

They might receive more apps for this upcoming insight day. They have insight evenings over the next few weeks which all have varying deadlines so are probably reviewing those too.​

 

[Sachin Chandra]

How many days do we have to complete the test?

7 days

 

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