TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[James Wakefield]

anything from Reed Smith for those on the deadline?

 

[Andrei Radu]

Hi @Abbie Whitlock @Andrei Radu,

I have an upcoming AC with PWC, and this would be my first AC ! As PWC isn't a conventional law firm, how would you suggest preparing for it?

In addition, would anyone have tips on the Reed Smith VI?

Thank you again and happy holidays!

Hi @lucky gal and huge congratulations on the AC! I would say most of the preparation should still be quite similar to that for a law firm AC, in that most competency/motivational questions and any individual/group exercises will likely not differ a lot. I think the key points of difference will consist of questions around your understanding of PWC's business and your motivation to work there as opposed to at a commercial law firm. Thus, I would invest time in researching PWC really throughly and in scrutinising your "why the firm" explanations.

In particular, aim to be able to respond to the following types of questions:

• Why do you want to work at PWC?
• Why would you prefer to start your legal career at an accounting firm rather than a traditional law firm? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each model?
• Why is working in an institution like PWC more aligned with your long-term career plans than working at a traditional law firm?
• Why has PWC expanded in legal services recently, and how does this strategy drive its business?
• How does PWC add value to clients, and what skills and abilities do you possess that would enable you to contribute to its success?
• Who are PWC's main competitors, and what are its strengths and weaknesses when compared to them?

 

[Jaysen]

I have a weird question...
Is there any thread in this forum where people just log/journal the situation/pressure they're in and others hear or offer comfort?

Something safe and secure and devoid of "i'mma be honest talks" and also that doesn't block the flow of knowledge sharing happening in the main VS/TC thread?

If there isn't one, would it be a good idea to have one, so people feel comfortable to open and seen enough to get hope and pick themselves up? @Jaysen

Hey @Lawlawland,

Good question!

Just so I understand, how do you see this being different to this thread? Would it be more like a general discussion thread?

 

[rain2801]

Hi, does someone know if Baker sponsors international candidates for Vacation Schemes?

 

[AS24]

Does anyone know if Cooley accepts LPC graduates?

 

[zonnonomo]

Does anyone know if Cooley accepts LPC graduates?

i think i met one at their ac

 

[AS24]

i think i met one at their ac

May I ask you when this was?

 

[zonnonomo]

May I ask you when this was?

2023

 

[zonnonomo]

Looking for a bit of advice, would appreciate anything.

I think I’m genuinely considering calling it a day regarding TC’s:

Last year, I managed to make it to 2 ACs, with the more recent of the two being a huge positive for me. Though I didn’t get an offer, I received positive feedback and fell just short, and it was a significant improvement on the first AC. It’s also worth mentioning this was for a firm with a notoriously challenging AC, which I further took as a positive.

This was around August, so it gave me good motivation to hit the ground running with this cycle. By this point, I knew what I was doing, I’d perfected my strategy when it came to SJT’s, Watson Glasers, so I felt good going into this cycle…

Only to quickly realise that most firms decided this year they want to throw a massive spanner in the works and make their processes 40x harder. Before this, I knew VIs were not my strength, so I thought I’ll just avoid firms that use them, considering I knew I was now strong in written applications and psychometrics. Now, it seems that VIs are an unavoidable fact of TC applications as of this year.

Still, I went into WVS applications quite optimistic. Fast forward to now, received rejections from every single winter I applied to, which was demoralising but I knew it was still early days.

Again, fast forward to now, I’m genuinely considering just saving my time and investing it elsewhere, starting to believe the odds are far too stacked against me.

I’ve completed about 10 VIs for firms this year already, with a good portion of those being selective, so again I know my applications are pristine and my psychometrics are too, but I’ve been rejected from all. I’ve had 1 to 1s with various people to help me improve VI performance, who all said that I was seemingly quite good with them.

I was going into this cycle with AC experience from two elite City Firms and so I naturally felt pretty confident in my abilities, but this year feels regressive if anything at this moment in time. Now I just think it’s ultimately impossible to even get an AC, especially with this cycle quietly coming to the end in a month or so, at least for vacs. I’m now a graduate and so I really cannot afford to keep investing my time into what seems to be a black hole, having told myself I’m going to give it my best shot this year and leave no stone unturned.

And in my opinion - and it could sound convenient - I think the way firms are heading with these new recruitment processes is ultimately starting to diminish the merit that used to be involved in writing an impressive application. Though I know endurance is very important in this process too, it does feel like unless the quality you input is matched with an exhausting amount of stamina, people who were strong contenders in ACs and vacs are now not even being shown the time of day.

But that’s just my opinion. Let me know what you think, thanks.

i know people have already given u some great tips and encouragement, but i fully relate to all of your circumstances

good written apps, multiple ACs that feedback suggests i almost passed, good with tests, yet bombed 20+ VIs over 3 cycles lol

until! last year i passed my first one which made me rethink my gloomy doomer "i'll never be good at VIs" mentality

+ what helped me was: recording myself (i also stream so it was easier to speak to a camera like it's my friend) + focusing more on the content (which i can control) than how i come across (although i have some control over this it's largely out of my hands, requiring years of therapy than just any quick fixes lol)

it's up to you if you want to avoid firms that use VIs (of which there are still several!), but it's definitely something you can get better at

 

[flower1]

Hello @Andrei Radu @Abbie Whitlock @Afraz Akhtar
I was wondering with regard for antitrust / competition law - what's the pure substantive things we should know about for ACs? I don't mean like connecting to broader trends, but rather like actual concepts / content?

Thank you

 

[llblawstudent]

Hey guys, quick question about Farrer, are you assessed for a TC on the vac scheme? I know it seems slightly odd to ask, but the website states that the training contract and VS processes are separate but I can see a large proportion of their trainees were recruited through their VS

 

[FutureLawyer_]

When can we expect to hear back from grad recruitment after Christmas ?

 

[llblawstudent]

I am currently harrassing ChatGPT because I am so conflicted on whether I do more applications (and to which firms) or else I try protect my next term for my academics as much as possible. I feel that the uncertainty with all my current ongoing applications is not helping because realistically I want to plan my time next term, but who knows if I will get everything or get nothing so applying to more rn can either (give me more chance of getting something next term, or end up overwhelming me).

How do students approach this conflict!? I'm at a uni where if you fall behind you are basically almost doomed since the teaching moves so fast (I'm already behind in term 1 because I was working on applications). I plan on using this week to finish applying (but not sure to how many more) and then the next few weeks of the break to try catch up and study for my mocks

How many are you on? You could take a break from apps, focus on studies, and then try and knock a few direct TC ones out in a couple of months because their deadlines are much later

 

[angdps]

Does anyone know the timings for Baker Mckenzie VI?

 

[EfficientBag123]

Does anyone know the timings for Baker Mckenzie VI?

30sec prep 90 sec delivery

 

[spamelinazoid]

Anyone deadline-y applicants get a Reed Smith test invite today?

 

[llblawstudent]

ooh I didn't think about DTCs
Do you think I have enough experience to even consider DTCs? :0 I feel like most firms would expect penultimate year students to apply to their vacs LMAO

Honestly not a clue. But here’s my logic (albeit slight mental gymnastics). DTCs are open for penultimate years onwards, which implies they’d accept penultimate years. A penultimate year law student isn’t likely to have much legal experience under their belt, so why offer it to them?

 

[Deleted member 43292]

Honestly not a clue. But here’s my logic (albeit slight mental gymnastics). DTCs are open for penultimate years onwards, which implies they’d accept penultimate years. A penultimate year law student isn’t likely to have much legal experience under their belt, so why offer it to them?

true! you have a point haha - I'll look into it then, thank you!

@ any community admin - on this note, I was wondering what your thoughts on including "future" work experience in the work experience section are? For example, can I put any future vac schemes I am to do in there to help substantiate my lack of legal work experience in DTC applications? On one hand, it seems wrong since I haven't actually done the experience yet, but on the other, this experience is confirmed and will be something I will have undertaken by the time my TC starts (if I am successful that is) and can help make the application more competitive right?

 

[AS24]

2023

Thank you

 

[Kakaboo]

@Kakaboo not sure if this has been answered yet, but you should base any commercial awareness topic around the firm you're applying to and it's specific departments/client base - just so you can link it back to the firm and highlight what this means for them as a service provider or for their clients more generally. Basing it off that, I would run a quick google search on the department e.g. competition law and see if the search engine can return a recent business article e.g. RyanAir getting fined £250M for market abuse and decide if it there is anything interest piquing or impactful (where you can link back to the firm/its department/its clients) e.g. Italian authorities seemed to approach the legal threshold of a 40% market share more flexibly BUT what was their rationale for doing so? Does this signal a wider threat to the airline market who attempt to stifle travel agents commission? And so on...

All I know is, I seem to feel a little better about RyanAir's hidden charges.

Good luck and if you're struggling to find resources, this post has some good tips: https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/commercial-awareness-sources.7696/

AMAZING thanks