TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[Amgrad]

out of interest, did anyone apply to Skadden? I'm really interested in hearing what others put down as their "alternative career" haha

I wrote 2 alternative careers if I were not pursuing law. First was my personal conviction seeing my grandpa went to politics. Second is the career I've built since at University and now in business. I mentioned that I diverted from them because of nepotism and my boss dragged me to pub, went to rent chicks 👯‍♀️ each week, and asked me to fake the company balance sheet.

I add how law could save me from that sinful situation and help others fairly. If the word count is more than 300, I'd love to add my last career choice based on my hobby and friends who supported me to become a singer/musician as I won some music competition when I was a kid 🤣

 

[Harvey Specter - Presiding Partner]

Ahhh! I studied medical law too which clearly gave me delusions of being a doctor. Maybe in another life hahaha

Great minds think alike hahaha. Medical law was one of my favourite modules. I did give thought to pursuing medical negligence law but I defo prefer the commercial law route.​

 

[BobThebIlly]

I wrote that I wanted to be a Sherpa. A group from the Himalayas renowned for their exceptional high-altitude mountaineering skills, serving as guides and porters crucial to Mount Everest expeditions by fixing ropes, navigating treacherous terrain, and carrying gear for foreign climbers!

I can guarantee no-one else wrote that haha!

Istg I wrote that but from a different lens that was more personal to me but that’s crazy 😭😭

I was inspired by getting into hiking/mountaineering in the past year and general interest

 

[cookedlawstudent]

Just sent off an application to Hogan Lovells now and the application closes tomorrow....am I cooked

P.S would really like to know how long they give you to complete the WG. I need to refresh my memory when it comes to the test so I would prefer 5 days

 

[Harvey Specter - Presiding Partner]

Just sent off an application to Hogan Lovells now and the application closes tomorrow....am I cooked

P.S would really like to know how long they give you to complete the WG. I need to refresh my memory when it comes to the test so I would prefer 5 days

When I applied it was pretty spaced out but idk if it will be the same at this point onwards:

14 Oct: submitted application
27 Oct: received stage one test
04 Nov: sat the first stage test
07 Nov: received second stage test
21 Nov: confirmed adjustments for test
01 Dec: sat the second stage test
03 Dec: received rejection post test

The stage one test is an SJT and WG. Stage two is a job simulation (SJT and VI).

The stage one test is automatic but they send it out manually. Stage two is sent if you pass stage one.

I got 10 days to complete stage one and initially 5 days for stage two but I needed adjustments.

This was for the Lift Off programme but I think it would be pretty similar for the Summer VS.​

 

[pepsicola96]

how do you all deal with pessimism? 😭

i just finished a video interview and it's the first VI I've ever done that I actually think went 'well' but I'm still here thinking back and going "oh i said that wrong" "oh that one was rushed" "oh it's so competitive, I think I did well but I'm sure others have done better"

this process is so draining lol

 

[elle woods]

how do you all deal with pessimism? 😭

i just finished a video interview and it's the first VI I've ever done that I actually think went 'well' but I'm still here thinking back and going "oh i said that wrong" "oh that one was rushed" "oh it's so competitive, I think I did well but I'm sure others have done better"

this process is so draining lol

firstly, well done on completing your first VI! not an easy feat! I think it's uncommon for most applicants not to have those thoughts, but what's different is that experienced applicants just move on - recognise that there is nothing you can do about it after you've hit submit, and that the decision and outcome is out of your hands.

get some rest! and treat yourself, the process is definitely not an easy one, so it's also important to take care of your physical and mental wellbeing!

 

[DavidJC]

out of interest, did anyone apply to Skadden? I'm really interested in hearing what others put down as their "alternative career" haha

I wrote about corporate banking as opposed to IB (I didn't explicitly state this though), because I'd genuinely been applying to corporate banking schemes last year with the bulge bracket banks and I think it's super cool to just deal with clients and learn about them and their businesses, their philosophies and drives and all that, it's really more of a client relationship management role than a financial modelling role like IB and imo pretty similar to law (and my reasons for law). It's really ironic cos I'm an introvert and not a super sociable person, but I just love meeting people and getting to know them!

 

[DavidJC]

I wrote that I wanted to be a Sherpa. A group from the Himalayas renowned for their exceptional high-altitude mountaineering skills, serving as guides and porters crucial to Mount Everest expeditions by fixing ropes, navigating treacherous terrain, and carrying gear for foreign climbers!

I can guarantee no-one else wrote that haha!

I think that's super cool, I've gone down the mountaineering rabbit hole a few times over the last year and it's always so insane to think about how effective and skilled these people are at high altitudes, providing porter services and being insanely good mountaineers (Nirmal Purja is absolutely incredible btw). I also have a really idolised image of K2 and people who have successfully climbed it in contrast with the rather commercialised status of Mt Everest and its comparative ease of climbing.

Unfortunately I haven't got the balls to ever go after the top end of mountaineering challenges (I'd like to try Ben Nevis someday though but I'm not the most physically fit person) but I really admire those who do, especially without oxygen etc, the concept of the death zone really frightens me.

 

[Priyanshi]

Hi guys,
I completed by second (SJT) online test in first week of October and haven't heard back from Macfarlanes (other than a "we're considering your application" email in November). Has anyone heard back? Is this a good or a bad sign?

 

[zonnonomo]

16/16 in nrf arctic shores everyone make a steam account if you want a tc this year 🙏🏻

 

[badmintonflyinginsect]

is it odd to not have heard back since passing DLA's WG?

 

[zonnonomo]

is it odd to not have heard back since passing DLA's WG?

don't think so, some people on the forum heard weeks after they passed wg

 

[wqueens8]

Can anyone give any advice for this baker mckenzie question?

Discuss something that you have pursued outside of your academic or professional life, why it is important to you and what impact it has had on your personal development. (300 words max)

I've answered similar questions where it's "discuss something you're interested in/passionate about" which I've been able to answer, but this seems harder as it's something you have PURSUED. I can honestly say I'm super boring, I work part time, do uni, I am a part of some academic society committees, but that feels like it falls under academic. I really haven't pursued anything else other than a commercial law career lol.

What have other people written for this question?

 

[Bread]

Can anyone give any advice for this baker mckenzie question?

Discuss something that you have pursued outside of your academic or professional life, why it is important to you and what impact it has had on your personal development. (300 words max)

I've answered similar questions where it's "discuss something you're interested in/passionate about" which I've been able to answer, but this seems harder as it's something you have PURSUED. I can honestly say I'm super boring, I work part time, do uni, I am a part of some academic society committees, but that feels like it falls under academic. I really haven't pursued anything else other than a commercial law career lol.

What have other people written for this question?

I wrote about sport! Idk how helpful this is though. Academic societies are probably fine as they aren’t an activity that’s “expected” of you

 

[DavidJC]

Can anyone give any advice for this baker mckenzie question?

Discuss something that you have pursued outside of your academic or professional life, why it is important to you and what impact it has had on your personal development. (300 words max)

I've answered similar questions where it's "discuss something you're interested in/passionate about" which I've been able to answer, but this seems harder as it's something you have PURSUED. I can honestly say I'm super boring, I work part time, do uni, I am a part of some academic society committees, but that feels like it falls under academic. I really haven't pursued anything else other than a commercial law career lol.

What have other people written for this question?

Maybe my approach/understanding was wrong but I saw "pursue" as really meaning anything that I've done outside of academic/professional life. I used STAR to describe a hobby and then explicitly answered why it was important and its personal development impact (I did XYZ, therefore A importance and BC skills). I further expanded on this with another STAR experience that arose from the first one (because I did XYZ, I got to do PQR), and again explicitly answered why it was important and how it impacted my personal development (skills, relating them to the role/tasks of a trainee). I think this approach lent more depth overall, especially on the "why it is important" part

On a side note, I thought the Summer VS deadline was also 1 Dec so I already submitted my application without realising I had another month lmao

 

[lelezb1]

Maybe my approach/understanding was wrong but I saw "pursue" as really meaning anything that I've done outside of academic/professional life. I used STAR to describe a hobby and then explicitly answered why it was important and its personal development impact (I did XYZ, therefore A importance and BC skills). I further expanded on this with another STAR experience that arose from the first one (because I did XYZ, I got to do PQR), and again explicitly answered why it was important and how it impacted my personal development (skills, relating them to the role/tasks of a trainee). I think this approach lent more depth overall, especially on the "why it is important" part

On a side note, I thought the Summer VS deadline was also 1 Dec so I already submitted my application without realising I had another month lmao

omg twin! I did the same for my answer (wrote about a hobby in a similar structure), and I submitted my app for summer VS on 1st Dec without realising that wasn’t the deadline. 😭

 

[Bruce Wayne Attorney at Law]

Besides Weil, Milbank and Freshfields, which other firms don't have a written app ?

 

[johnsmith]

Hey, do you maybe have any insights on the VI?

Flick through the last 10 pages and you'll likely find them as there have been lots of recent posts on this!

 

[johnsmith]

out of interest, did anyone apply to Skadden? I'm really interested in hearing what others put down as their "alternative career" haha

I went with a politician/MP.