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TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26
- Thread starter Ram Sabaratnam
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hi, is anyone else still waiting to hear back from latham for summer? i haven't heard a single thing from them since the stage 2 invite 
Hello @Abbie Whitlock
I was just wondering for written exercises, what do we include in the conclusion of the memorandum, and then how do we close it?
Also, I read somewhere about short advice note - please may you explain what this is and how it differs to a report, and how to structure it?
Thank you
I was just wondering for written exercises, what do we include in the conclusion of the memorandum, and then how do we close it?
Also, I read somewhere about short advice note - please may you explain what this is and how it differs to a report, and how to structure it?
Thank you
hey guys i js completed my first ever Amberjack and got 7/4/4/9
js wondering whether this is shit or okay ?? cz im not entirely sure how this is measured...
js wondering whether this is shit or okay ?? cz im not entirely sure how this is measured...
not sure if this is a silly question but does anyone have any idea about how accomodation works on vac schemes?
My experience so far has been paying for my own accommodation. I know Paul comma Weiss specifically mention they organise it for you as part of the VS and it doesn't impact what you get paid.
Hey!
I can share the various experiences that I have had for vacation schemes, as it does differ depending on the firm (so I would ask the graduate recruitment team!).
- Stephenson Harwood: they arranged and paid for accommodation in a hotel for anyone that didn't live in London (myself included!) which was really handy!
- Farrer & Co: they contributed towards the cost of the accommodation, and offered suggestions for accommodation that previous vacation scheme students had used.
- Travers Smith: whilst they didn't contribute to the cost directly, they provided a list of previous accommodation that vacation scheme students had used. However, they did pay the most for the scheme itself, so it was around the same overall!
Hey!
I'm doing well, thank you - hope you are too!
I have previously answered a similar question on the Ropes & Gray Vacation Scheme Thread - I have quoted it below. I hope that helps!
Hello!
I’d treat the question almost like a mini-essay - a simple structure that could work well is:
1. Introduction (1-2 sentences)
I’d start by briefly describing what you think defines an outstanding Ropes & Gray lawyers - something that ties into their culture, their global platform, or their client-focused approach. This frames your three characteristics as part of a coherent picture rather than three random traits
2. Three characteristics (separate mini paragraphs)
For each one:
This turns each characteristic into something commercial and tangible, not just descriptive
- State the characteristic clearly (it can be a soft skill or hard skill, and a mix of the two is likely to work really well)
- Explain why it matters at R&G (link it to the introduction and something real about the firm - e.g. their cross-border work, private equity strength, innovation, pro bono, etc.)
- Show how it drives the business (for example, how it helps deepen client relationships, improves efficiency, and supports growth in the key sectors)
3. Short conclusion (1-2 sentences)
I’d end your answer by pulling the three traits together and reinforcing how they reflect the firm’s long-term strategy and how they will contribute to the future success of the firm. A sentence or two should be enough to achieve this!
As for your question - I can imagine that characteristics would include both hard and soft skills. The key is choosing ones that feel tailored to Ropes & Gray, not just generic ”good lawyer” traits.
Good luck - it seems like a tough question, but it’s a really good opportunity to show insight!
Hi!
No problem, glad to hear it! I would focus on the firm - the question is testing your understanding of the role of a solicitor and what traits are important to carry that out, rather than whether you have displayed those traits before
Reply yeah it was the 4th and 5th of Feb
Hey!
In a memorandum, I'd say that the conclusion should be concise and practical - the aim is to clearly answer the question posed, confirm your overall recommendation, and briefly flag any key risks or uncertainties. You should try to avoid introducing new law or facts at this stage. It is also helpful to end by indicating next steps or offering to look into any points further, keeping the tone professional!
In relation to your second question, a short advice note is essentially a more concise, client-focused version of a report. It prioritises clear and actionable advice over a detailed discussion. You would usually set out the issue briefly, explain what the client should do and why, highlight any major risks that are likely to be important to the client, and suggest practical next steps. Compared to a report, it is likely to be shorter and more direct, and focused on judgment and clarity rather than depth.
I hope that helps!
Thank you, that's really helpful - does that mean a report takes the same format as a short note, but just with more information?Hey!
In a memorandum, I'd say that the conclusion should be concise and practical - the aim is to clearly answer the question posed, confirm your overall recommendation, and briefly flag any key risks or uncertainties. You should try to avoid introducing new law or facts at this stage. It is also helpful to end by indicating next steps or offering to look into any points further, keeping the tone professional!
In relation to your second question, a short advice note is essentially a more concise, client-focused version of a report. It prioritises clear and actionable advice over a detailed discussion. You would usually set out the issue briefly, explain what the client should do and why, highlight any major risks that are likely to be important to the client, and suggest practical next steps. Compared to a report, it is likely to be shorter and more direct, and focused on judgment and clarity rather than depth.
I hope that helps!
So apparently he meant "a" court of appeal. It was the CoA Northern Ireland, which is not the Court of Appeal, unless you're speaking to a NI audience, which he was not.
The case he was referring to is here
It says he scored 29/180 on an SST from Capp, with 73 needed to pass.
IDK if this is the same they use now, but it probably explains why they send the patronising emails, because they want to hide the fact that you're being rejected based on your performance.
Looking at LinkedIn, they are pushing the "we are less discriminatory" hard https://www.linkedin.com/company/neurosight/posts/?feedView=all
One of the keys to the testing, I'm sure, is the "warm-up". They will use this for comparison, so whatever you do here is your baseline and is being used as part of the process of categorising you as "unemployable moron" or "passable".
The Neuroshight test has about 6 warm-ups and about 26 questions, and they claim 106,000 data points. If you divide 106k /32 you get 3312.
According to this study:
MouseTracker: Software for studying real-time mental processing using a computer mouse-tracking method - Behavior Research Methods
In the present article, we present a software package, MouseTracker, that allows researchers to use a computer mouse-tracking method for assessing real-time processing in psychological tasks. By recording the streaming x-, y-coordinates of the computer mouse while participants move the mouse...
link.springer.com
"During every trial, the Runner program records the realtime x-, y-coordinates of the computer mouse. Because the sampling rate is approximately 60–75 Hz (see the Influences of Hardware section for a discussion of the rate variability), about every 13–16 msec during the live portion of a trial, three pieces of information are recorded: raw time (how many milliseconds have elapsed), the x- coordinate of the mouse (in pixels), and the y-coordinate of the mouse (in pixels)."
That would give 180 points per second, so 900 over 5-second.
For the purposes of marketing nonsense, you can of course increase these numbers, but for example office mice might only poll at 125Hz, so the 106k data points is probably not even real and is of course in no sense meaningful.
The study acknowledges the obvious, that this claim is nonsense, and states that you must follow one or more approaches to turn these meaningless numbers into data.
It suggests that response times are not necessarily penalised, but instead:
- maximum deviation measures the distance between the straight line between the "hover your mouse here" and the mouse's journey across the screen. The furthest difference from the the straight line between "hover" and your final answer, is your maximum deviation, and measures how attracted you are to the other answer
- area under the curve is measuring the same thing but simply takes the area of the curve between the line of shortest distance, and each point along your journey. (And negative area can also be calculated, if the travel is on the 'wrong side' of the line.)
In addition:
- "if both response alternatives simultaneously attract participants’ mouse trajectories (relative to only one), this additional stress might manifest as less smooth, more complex, and fluctuating trajectories ... MouseTracker calculates x-flips and y-flips, which are the number of reversals of direction along the respective axis. This captures the fluctuations in the hand’s vacillation along the horizontal and vertical axes."
One problem with it that occurs to me is that I do not use a mouse, so it's not clear whether my patterns would vary - my selection is by one finger on the TrackPoint, and I guess it requires more muscle effort than a mouse, particularly as some users will use very sensitive gaming mice which move around very easily.
From this, we can see plausibly:
- where there is a 'good' and a 'bad' answer, it's likely that any supposed attraction to the 'bad' answer (by veering off the course to the good answer, perhaps, or a slow journey, or whatever) results in a PFO recommendation
- where there are two good answers that are both obviously desirable to a law firm, it's not clear that great haste to choose answer A or B is necessarily a good thing, as detecting no attraction to the other answer
Once you know what they are trying to do, I cannot really see how this test can be valid as a way of measuring people's employability.
I asked Gemini to explain the meaning of a straight path to B in a choice between a good A and a good B:
1. The Metric: Lack of "Spatial Attraction"
In mouse tracking, the primary metrics are Maximum Deviation (MD) and Area Under the Curve (AUC). These measure how much the mouse path curves toward the unchosen option.- Curved Path: A path that bows toward A before ending at B indicates "co-activation." It means both options were active in the mind simultaneously, competing for the motor output. This usually happens in "hard" choices or high-conflict scenarios.
- Straight Path (Your Scenario): A direct trajectory (low AUC) indicates low competition. The cognitive system resolved the decision for B almost immediately, or B was so much more salient that A never triggered a significant motor plan.
2. Interpretation: Certainty vs. Valuation
When both options are desirable (an "Approach-Approach" conflict), a lack of hesitation generally signals Certainty and Relative Value, rather than dislike.- Dominant Preference: The subject likely perceives B as significantly superior to A. Even if A is "good," B is "much better." The difference in value is large enough to eliminate conflict.
- Processing Efficiency: The choice was clear and required minimal cognitive load. The brain did not need to "inhibit" the urge to go to A because that urge was never strong enough to affect the hand's movement.
- Absence of Ambivalence: If the test aims to measure personality traits like indecisiveness or neuroticism, a straight line is a "negative" indicator for those traits—it shows decisiveness.
3. Is it "Negative" to Choice A?
It is "negative" only in the sense that Choice A was irrelevant to the process.- It does NOT mean: The user hates A (Valence is not necessarily negative).
- It DOES mean: The user did not consider A a viable competitor to B in that moment (Salience/Preference is low relative to B).
4. Alternative Explanations (Confounds)
Before concluding that the user simply preferred B, psychometricians also look for these factors:- Impulsivity: Did the movement start too fast? A straight line coupled with very fast "Initiation Time" might suggest an impulsive guess rather than a deliberated preference.
Traits & mouse behaviours:
| Trait | Mouse Behavior | Interpretation |
| Neuroticism / Anxiety | High curvature (AUC), slower movement, more "jitter" (shaking). | The user is hyper-vigilant or worried about making the wrong choice, leading to hesitation. |
| Impulsivity | Fast initiation time, but often "corrects" direction mid-flight. | The hand moves before the brain has fully processed the options. |
| Conscientiousness | Slower initiation, but very straight/direct trajectories. | Indicates planning before moving, rather than moving while thinking. |
| Ambivalence | High "x-flips" (moving left, then right, then left). | The user is genuinely torn between the two options. |
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