TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[Madison Pinewall]

gosh I just did my Hogan Lovells test and found the video questions so hard and unnatural. I spoke about the topic of the third question in my second question so it felt a bit too repetitive too, though I did shift focus. I am usually a good speaker but it feels too artificial

 

[Andrei Radu]

I have a question for firms which operate on a non rolling basis do they view apps from the ones which were submitted earlier and then go onto the ones submitted later post deadline or do they start viewing apps but don't fill spaces until the deadline? very lame question I know pls don't come @ me

Not a lame question at all - I remember asking recruiters about it back in the day. Unfortunately, the answer is quite unhelpful: different non-rolling firms have different policies as to how and when they review applications. Besides not making progressions decisions before the deadline has passed and after they have had the chance to consider all applications, you cannot know precisely what the procedure of any individual firm will be. That said, from what I know the majority of non-rolling firms will only start reviewing applications once the deadline has passed.

 

[badmintonflyinginsect]

Do you have the permanent right to work in the UK?
I'm on a Student Visa so I do have the right to work. But unsure what "permanent" means - should I say no?
Edit: this is for Akin + unsure if the firm sponsors intl students for TCs so if someone could jump in on this!

 

[WeGotThis!]

Do you have the permanent right to work in the UK?
I'm on a Student Visa so I do have the right to work. But unsure what "permanent" means - should I say no?
Edit: this is for Akin + unsure if the firm sponsors intl students for TCs so if someone could jump in on this!

Hello! Permanent right to work essentially means that you wouldn't need a visa because you are a citizen, hold an ILR, have a settled status or come from a country that doesn't need a visa to work in the UK.

But if you need a visa sponsorship in the future based on your passport or hold a time limited visa (Eg: Graduate Visa), then you do not have the permanent right to work.

However, it is best to email the Grad Rec team once as well for clarification. Hope this helps!

 

[anonymous.15]

Not a lame question at all - I remember asking recruiters about it back in the day. Unfortunately, the answer is quite unhelpful: different non-rolling firms have different policies as to how and when they review applications. Besides not making progressions decisions before the deadline has passed and after they have had the chance to consider all applications, you cannot know precisely what the procedure of any individual firm will be. That said, from what I know the majority of non-rolling firms will only start reviewing applications once the deadline has passed.

thanks for the insight Andrei !! Would you recommend mailing the firm and asking this?

 

[futuretraineeihope]

Hey!

Generally, yes - making brief notes during the preparation / reading time is acceptable unless the firm explicitly says otherwise. In previous VIs, I have used the preparation time to structure my thoughts on paper, and I haven't ran into issues with this. "Independently and unaided" is usually aimed at preventing candidates from using external help (e.g. other people, pre-written scripts, websites, or AI), not at stopping you from jotting down a few structure points.

As long as the notes are made during the prep time, they're based only on the question and your own ideas, and you're not reading from a pre-prepared script or external materials, then this is typically fine and very common practice.

I would just make sure to check the specific VI instructions carefully - some platforms explicitly allow note-taking, while a few may ask you not to. If it's not prohibited, brief bullet-point notes for structure are generally understood and acceptable.

Best of luck with the VI!

Hi. Thank you so much for your answer. That is really helpful. There is no explicit mention of note taking in the email invitation but I will definitely make sure to check there is nothing stating otherwise when I actually click on the interview.

 

[W5690]

I passed the DLA wg on the 30th oct... haven't heard back from them since. Not sure how to feel about this

@J333 Hi! Congrats! How long did you wait before being sent an email informing that you had passed the WG test? Thank you.

 

[yk1906]

Happy Monday! Manifesting an AC invite for everyone

 

[tk.42_]

Has Baker McKenzie sent out online tests?

 

[lesh]

DENTONS PFO , goodbye tc dream

those guys legit have 5 direct tc spots just to give 4 of those to their paralegals

 

[lesh]

What I have found helpful is assessmentday and TCLA's WG. Also like you say asking chatgpt to test you helps, at the very least in understanding what the test is looking for.

use gemini guided learning feature to learn step by step

 

[Amgrad]

those guys legit have 5 direct tc spots just to give 4 of those to their paralegals

Where did you find this?

 

[ilikelaw]

A bit of a silly question... for Cooley's summer programme, one of the questions is 'Please tell us about interests and activities you pursue and positions of responsibility that are relevant for the role.' I was wondering if I should place advising at my university's legal clinic in this section instead of the work experience section as I have done previously? Also, would this count as a position of responsibility?

I ask this because its probably my strongest point, but I don't want to repeat what I have said in the work experience section. My other positions of responsibility largely come from my paid employment, so I don't want to mention them in this question. I also have a couple of positions of responsibility from Year 11 but I am very reluctant to use these seeing as it's been four years since then and it seems a little juvenile...

 

[lolololol]

Any insight into the weil test?

 

[BealMcAlly]

use gemini guided learning feature to learn step by step

Thanks for the advice..

 

[FutureTraineeMaybe]

Why is job test prep so expensive?

 

[Bree]

Can anyone please help me with Weil video interview insights? I can help with FF Stage 2, Macfarlanes VI, Latham VI

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

A bit of a silly question... for Cooley's summer programme, one of the questions is 'Please tell us about interests and activities you pursue and positions of responsibility that are relevant for the role.' I was wondering if I should place advising at my university's legal clinic in this section instead of the work experience section as I have done previously? Also, would this count as a position of responsibility?

I ask this because its probably my strongest point, but I don't want to repeat what I have said in the work experience section. My other positions of responsibility largely come from my paid employment, so I don't want to mention them in this question. I also have a couple of positions of responsibility from Year 11 but I am very reluctant to use these seeing as it's been four years since then and it seems a little juvenile...

Hey!

Not a silly question at all!

In short, yes, advising at your university legal clinic could count as a position of responsibility, and it is also fine to refer to it in both sections if it is one of your strongest points.

A good way to approach it is to use each section for different purpose. In the work experience section, you can keep it factual and concise (e.g. what the clinic is, your role, the type of work you did). Then, in the "interests / activities and positions of responsibility" question (which is usually longer) you can go into more depth about the responsibility element: client contact, taking ownership of matters, exercising judgment, teamwork, impact, skills developed, etc. That way, you aren't repeating yourself, just building on it!

I'd say that legal clinics are generally viewed very positively by firms, and they're likely to be more relevant than positions from Year 11 (although you can definitely still include these if relevant in some way).

It's usually fine if this slightly overlaps with other sections of your application - the graduate recruitment team expect some crossover, especially when an experience is particularly strong. The key is to use the space to emphasise the responsibility and skills involved, as that is how you will demonstrate how it is a position of responsibility (and also link to the firm / role!).

I hope that helps!

 

[lesh]

Where did you find this?

a former paralegal with a TC at the firm, common in some other firms too

 

[BillSikes]

those guys legit have 5 direct tc spots just to give 4 of those to their paralegals

This is DWF re the paralegal point