TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[Harvey Specter - Presiding Partner]

They use rare recruitment so whilst they do have pretty high expectations it’s not strictly AAA and a high 2:1. I know of someone who had neither who went to Royal Holloway and did the Cleary VS.​

 

[anon78365222111]

Ashurst direct TC being open from jan to march and not being rolling is so annoying, I just want a reply

 

[CuriousLawStudent]

Does someone have any info on Mishcon VI please? I had zero idea that you had to complete the VI before the deadline, given in the email it says seven days, and that the invitation would expire a month later

 

[Trophy]

many non RG students get vacation schemes from US firm the difference is the conversion… will the firm take them for the TC. 9/10 they do not. I’m happy for @Abbie Whitlock and @Amma Usman who have both surpassed this barrier.

My friend went to Kent university had a 1st and never succeeded with them 3 times they’ve applied for tcla to read their application and our friend who has a Tc there. Great application. Rare is good but sometimes I find it’s for show.

 

[Bottega_Veneta]

Does anyone have tips or insights on how to perform well on the Amberjack SJT tests?

For reference, I did the Mayer Brown Test and got 24/36 :// 4 (grit) 7 applied intellect, 7 creative force, 6 digital mindset.

I was rejected shortly after ://

 

[TheSlapDotCom]

Hi everyone, I have been frantically looking through the Mishcon de Reya job board for the online assessment, but when I clicked the link, Bright Apply said it's closed? I thought the email instructions were to complete the interview within seven days?

hmm thats weird. r u clicking on the link in the email they sent u or directly on the portal under online assessment? maybe it needed to be done before the deadline? not sure at all tho

 

[dreamer]

Does anyone have tips or insights on how to perform well on the Amberjack SJT tests?

For reference, I did the Mayer Brown Test and got 24/36 :// 4 (grit) 7 applied intellect, 7 creative force, 6 digital mindset.

I was rejected shortly after ://

+1

 

[CuriousLawStudent]

hmm thats weird. r u clicking on the link in the email they sent u or directly on the portal under online assessment? maybe it needed to be done before the deadline? not sure at all tho

I did - and Bright Apply said it's no longer available, I guess I can chuck my application in the bin then, this is so frustrating. There was zero mention that it had to be done before the submission deadline

 

[Trophy]

Hmm I don’t really agree with this. The application process for US firms is already extremely competitive, so if you’ve made it onto a vac scheme, that suggests the firm has already overlooked things like low grades or coming from a non RG. If those were major issues, it wouldn’t make much sense for them to take you onto the scheme in the first place.

When it comes to final decisions, it seems far more likely that firms focus on how you performed during the interview and assessment stages, and then on your performance during the vac scheme itself.

It doesn’t seem very likely that they would accept you onto the scheme and then later rely on the same factors they had already overlooked. If you make it to the vac scheme, it feels much more reasonable that those things are no longer barriers to entry. That’s just my opinion and I could be wrong!

That’s a fair opinion! I don’t work in GR so I couldn’t say what they do

 

[Sharkfin]

Im about to sit mine, but I cant find the link either - I went on allhires and I havent been assigned anything?

Just to ask a follow up from this, has anyone had a similar issue w Eversheds, or has the "take test" thing all been on your allhires pages?
Deadline is midnight tomorrow, but im assuming grad rec wont get back to me till monday so am i cooked or is an extension possible?

 

[TheSlapDotCom]

I did - and Bright Apply said it's no longer available, I guess I can chuck my application in the bin then, this is so frustrating. There was zero mention that it had to be done before the submission deadline

ugh thats so annoying wth. maybe contact grad recim assuming theyve closed it cz the deadlines passed

 

[Amgrad]

Honestly Idc about uni and you should know that not all US firms are the same. This firm was bragging a lot, I see at Vault, Amlaw, and Chambers not that prestige. My american friends often forgot about them so don't be discouraged to apply. You might notice that bigger firms like Skadden and Sidley are accepting non RG.

Idk how it's in the UK, but in the US - Ivy Plus college (comparable to oxbridge) has deterioted enrollment and lost its prestige due to Trump sanctions, Cost Burden, and Lower ROI recently. That's why I picked college that's not even listed in QS, USNews, etc

I am an international (not US PR/Citizen, only my degree is American) which has farrr fewer opportunities than y'all. If I am being honest, just less than law firms accepted me (being eligible), then it'll be shortlisted to just a fifth or might be just 10% of all firms that suit my specific work experience. If my classmate could get their dream job as a local, you could too.

 

[James Wakefield]

I did - and Bright Apply said it's no longer available, I guess I can chuck my application in the bin then, this is so frustrating. There was zero mention that it had to be done before the submission deadline

My portal says the online assessment is set with deadline 16/01. Did you only get the error when trying to open it?

 

[CuriousLawStudent]

My portal says the online assessment is set with deadline 16/01. Did you only get the error when trying to open it?

Yes, mine says a deadline of 16/01/26 as well, I clicked the link and this popped up from Bright Apply: "Opportunity no longer available".

 

[Amgrad]

I did - and Bright Apply said it's no longer available, I guess I can chuck my application in the bin then, this is so frustrating. There was zero mention that it had to be done before the submission deadline

Sorry to hear that, maybe you missed that, but glad I didn't apply. Just like Simmons and B&B, otherwise it would be just wasting my time.

 

[James Wakefield]

Yes, mine says a deadline of 16/01/26 as well, I clicked the link and this popped up from Bright Apply: "Opportunity no longer available".

Oh yeah I'm getting the same problem as you. I'm sure its an issue on their end, hopefully they'll fix next week.

 

[CuriousLawStudent]

Oh yeah I'm getting the same problem as you. I'm sure its an issue on their end, hopefully they'll fix next week.

The email I got was: "You must complete this interview within seven days of receiving its email." Which is also contradictory, I think Bright Apply might have closed it at 19 Dec 11:59pm, so that means the deadline might have elapsed. I'm just not really happy that there wasn't anything saying: "Please complete the interview before the deadline"

 

[DarrenB]

For Travers Smith, is the cover letter limited to one page?

 

[James Wakefield]

The email I got was: "You must complete this interview within seven days of receiving its email." Which is also contradictory, I think Bright Apply might have closed it at 19 Dec 11:59pm, so that means the deadline might have elapsed. I'm just not really happy that there wasn't anything saying: "Please complete the interview before the deadline"

I'm sure they'll fix this as it's clearly an error- this'll affect a lot of candidates who applied in the last week and were planning to do the test this weekend.