TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[Rejections PFO]

i hate sunday nights, it's the end of the peace from law firm responses

It's such a love hate relationship because I need to hear back from so many firms that I just look forward to ANYTHING (although the PFOs sting so please TC gods don't that statement too literally)

 

[Donna Paulsen]

This is gna be me dodging as many law firm PFOs as I possibly can from tomorrow:

Omg I'm scared 😞 😞 😞 😞 please can I just have a vacation scheme offer... I've been really good😞

 

[Winter]

Omg I'm scared 😞 😞 😞 😞 please can I just have a vacation scheme offer... I've been really good😞

Tiffany freaking Pollard!

I love how every gif poster here is well versed in meme culture

 

[radssss]

I am in another time zone for breaks so I start getting emails at 2pm and have to suffer till 12am🥳🥳😍😍😍

PS : it’s 6:15am rn and I’ve gotten no sleep after doing the HL stage 2 (too much of an adrenaline pump and anxiousness)

 

[Novaa]

Tiffany freaking Pollard!

I love how every gif poster here is well versed in meme culture

Thee Tiffany H.B.I.C Pollard AKA New York!!!

It’s honestly why I love coming on here so much. Everyone is good vibes and just gets it!!

 

[Novaa]

I am in another time zone for breaks so I start getting emails at 2pm and have to suffer till 12am🥳🥳😍😍😍

PS : it’s 6:15am rn and I’ve gotten no sleep after doing the HL stage 2 (too much of an adrenaline pump and anxiousness)

Woah!! Okay, not to get into my Kris Jenner personality and find people ways to capitalise off of things.

But you should defo mention this as a resilience story!

 

[radssss]

Woah!! Okay, not to get into my Kris Jenner personality and find people ways to capitalise off of things.

But you should defo mention this as a resilience story!

HAHAHAHA, I love this, and yes whenever I lack of examples to use for resilience, I shall talk about this🤪

One advantage of being in a different time zone is application deadlines for me are at 5:30am instead of 12am😭😭😭 I’m weird like that I prefer working on apps at night after 9pm when my whole family has slept and it’s quiet 😭😭

 

[Afraz Akhtar]

Thank you, that's really helpful - also, does the supervisor email need an executive summary? I'm confused with which of the things I've listed need one and which don't.

Thank you

@flower1 there is no right or wrong answer here (at least in my opinion) but for things that require an answer and a breakdown, whether that be a letter of advice to a client or a report for a supervisor, I would personally include an executive summary of some sort before going into the full picture. However, for anything that is fairly minimal, I wouldn't waste much time providing one as the body of your text should be enough.

 

[PFO King]

This is TP tests right? Did you do their practice tests?
On all the practice tests, the correct answer is always either 'very strong', 'strong', and 'fairly strong'; 'very strong' and 'strong' or 'strong' and 'fairly strong' (or same but for weak).
This means you just ignore the stupid extra options and just always choose 'strong' or 'weak'.
IDK if it's a copyright thing or they thought they were doing clever with this BS, but there it is.

There was no option for a practice test, have you come across these for any other firm?Do they just want to see what's a strong arg and and a weak arg the fairly and very are there just because?do you have a guide sheet for this?

 

[Donna Paulsen]

Tiffany freaking Pollard!

I love how every gif poster here is well versed in meme culture

Oh I love her so much 😭 😭 😭 the best Celebrity Big Brother season was the one with Tiffany and Gemma Collins... so many memes came out of that

 

[Afraz Akhtar]

Do recruiters see the equal opportunity monitoring forms? I accidentally submitted a half-empty one for V&E and I wonder if I should email them about it not to come across as sloppy lol

@abc124 although I think monitoring forms are very important, they don't impact applications. In fact, they're actually used for diversity mapping, so the firm can build a better understanding of the applicant demographic, which is useful for reporting measures and recruitment strategy. Most of it is actually optional, so it's not necessary to email them about this.

If however you really feel as though you want your information reflected in that data, then I am sure they wouldn't mind.

P.S. Sorry all for intruding on your late night TCLA chats, ignore me I'm just trying to get ahead of some queries for tomorrow. As you were.

 

[PFO King]

has anyone done the Mischon De Reya AI chat based interview process? what was it like? were they mostly motivation questions or competency as well? were there follow up questions? were they related to the work ex section of the application?

 

[Novaa]

Just dropping off a message from Novaa’s FYP! Happy Monday ❤️

 

[trainee4u]

There was no option for a practice test, have you come across these for any other firm?Do they just want to see what's a strong arg and and a weak arg the fairly and very are there just because?do you have a guide sheet for this?

er sorry I think AssessmentDay rather than TP Tests

https://www.assessmentday.co.uk/

I got a free account for applying to Addleshaw Goddard - if it's that you can just use strong/weak and ignore the rest.

 

[Afraz Akhtar]

Hi everyone! I've just been notified I've gotten through to the next round for a paralegal interview (after having had a first interview with a recuriter). This will now be the second to last interview before the last and final one. It's for an in-house paralegal role and I've been told it will be around 1 hour 20 mins long. Any tips or advice would be really appreciated since i'm not sure what to expect seeing as it's longer than interview's I'm used to. I was told there would be a task involved in the interview too but haven't been given more to go off based on this. If anyone can let me know what I could maybe expect task wise or in the interview itself or any tips (I believe it will be two lawyers in the corporate team) I would be really grateful, thank you!!

Hey @sqe4676, congratulations on your paralegal interview! I’m assuming that your first interview with the recruiter would have been a chance to get to know who you are and whether you’re right for the role they’re being commissioned to hire for, and the company has now selected you for an interview.

On that basis, as it’s the first time the company is technically speaking with you, they’re going to want a brief run-through as to who you are. So, be prepared to summarise your education, significant experiences in your career (if any), where you currently are and what you’re now looking to do. Aside from this, they’re going to want to know your motivation for applying to them. Although they probably know deep down that they are one stop on your final destination to a TC, I wouldn’t be that honest at this stage. In the past I’ve focused on their focus of work, and linked this to a module on my degree or experience and whenever they’ve asked about qualification, I’ve kept my cards close to my chest and said that at this stage, I just want to experience a career outside of qualification. The choice is yours, but I would say that it is best to be strategic here.

Aside from the introduction, they’re going to ask about competencies, and I’m sure you know the best way to approach this is to use the STAR method. It doesn’t need to be so heavily structured so as to affect your natural tone and articulation, but at the very least qualify any statements you’re making with past experiences/situations.

In terms of the task, it’s difficult to say with paralegal interviews but in an interview setting it is usually a quiz on that particular area of law e.g. I was once asked so many questions about shares, dividends, board meeting practices etc for a corporate governance position. I would advise brushing up on key points of that particular type of work you’re applying for. You may stumble, it is not the end of the world. Personally, I got 60% of my answers wrong and the interviewer corrected me, and I still got the job because they appreciated my approach and way of thinking. So do not panic.

Lastly, ask some good meaningful questions that actually show an interest in the role you’re applying for, ask about what success looks like for them, enquire about the challenges they’re facing and how they’re going about bridging it. Treat this as a chance to check if the place is going to offer you what you really want from this experience.

Good luck!

P.S. If you have been put forward by a third-party recruitment agency, I would ask them for more information on the interview and task. They may have other candidates that have interviewed before you and have fed back to them, so see if they have an update before you sit the interview.

 

[random6035]

how cooked am I if I got cut off for every single question in a VI 😭😭

 

[sooae]

3am thoughts: how is everyone prepping for ACs/VIs/other tests while juggling uni, work, and life… and not losing their mind? Asking for someone who is definitely struggling.

 

[Sr. Maybe]

Has anyone got any insights into the Clyde & Co VI, Trowers & Hamlins VI, Mischon de Reya (MdR) chat-based interview, and Dechert written exercise (WE)? Additionally, if anyone has any experience with, or has heard anything about, the CMS ACs then please get in touch!

I can trade with insights for Latham & Watkins, Hogan Lovells, Addleshaw Goddard, CMS, Macfarlanes, Mayer Brown, Weil, Kirkland & Ellis, and Simmons & Simmons for this cycle, and VIs from last cycle for firms like White & Case, DWF, Forsters, Mills & Reeve, Reed Smith and other US firms!