TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[qwerty!]

does anyone else relate to the PRE ac dread i’m obvs grateful to get the opportunity but the idea of being sat in a commercial interview in less than 2 days fills me with dread

 

[Novaa]

your turn is coming nova, any minute now and you'll hear good news too!!

You’re actually the best and I really appreciate this!!

Really rooting for us, hopefully some good mews comes your way too!!

 

[badmintonflyinginsect]

Anyone who did their W&C VI post Jan 26 and got a WE?

 

[Dannie]

IS W&C Interview automatic after the WE?

 

[t2025]

Hellooo, please could anybody this cycle / last that completed an AC at Baker McKenzie dm me?

 

[Arv_329]

Has anyone got slaughter pfo yet

 

[ellewoods26]

Hi! Would anyone like to exchange insights about the Cleary Gottlieb AC or Jones Day AC? I'm happy to help with Dechert (WE, AC, VS), Weil VI, Freshfields Stage 2, Hogan Lovells Stage 2, Mayer Brown VI, as well as insights from Weil Open Day, King and Spalding Open Day, Hogan Lovells Open Day, Skadden Open Day etc.

 

[ilikelaw]

anyone else just been ghosted by ashurst like cmon i wanna know if i can book my overtime

(edit: iirc the email said we would hear back by 27/02... the dreaded pfo day is getting closer...)

 

[FutureLawyer_]

anyone else just been ghosted by ashurst like cmon i wanna know if i can book my overtime

(edit: iirc the email said we would hear back by 27/02... the dreaded pfo day is getting closer...)

Feel like it’s a pfo atp haha

 

[FutureTraineeMaybe]

anyone else just been ghosted by ashurst like cmon i wanna know if i can book my overtime

(edit: iirc the email said we would hear back by 27/02... the dreaded pfo day is getting closer...)

They'll wait until the 27th to give us a PFO
Last year, I got a pfo three months after I applied

 

[Harvey Specter - Presiding Partner]

Hi! Would anyone like to exchange insights about the Cleary Gottlieb AC or Jones Day AC? I'm happy to help with Dechert (WE, AC, VS), Weil VI, Freshfields Stage 2, Hogan Lovells Stage 2, Mayer Brown VI, as well as insights from Weil Open Day, King and Spalding Open Day, Hogan Lovells Open Day, Skadden Open Day etc.

Looks like we have another ellewoods on the forum now. This is @elle woods and @ellewoods26 after seeing they have the same usernames:

 

[aliiiisonxooox]

Maybe this is not the best place to ask but I’m still quite new to everything on here.
If you got a vac scheme with a huge international firm known everywhere with 40+ offices across the world and let’s say you were successful and got a TC for 2027 or 2028. ( literally me manifesting rn lmfao)

Or you had offered straight away a TC to start 2026 with a independent law firm ( let’s say 100 people) that has just one office domestic work but also advises a lot of international companies within that area. You’re happy with the sectors and the salary.

What would you pick?

Would you wait. But if you said no to the independent law firm maybe then there’s the risk of not being successful at the vac scheme for the other firm so you’d chase 2 rabbits but get none…….

 

[Hopeful applicant]

yes but I don't think they send the WG in batches....

it will forever be a mystery to me why firms do not reject applicants when they know they will not accept them

 

[sqe4676]

If anyone has done CPS's training contract VI could you please drop me a message lovelies xx

 

[8law]

does anyone have tips for mills and reeve AC ?

 

[hxnnahrobinson]

IM AC tomorrow, pretty much all hires on my stream at my location have been previous paralegals at the company. So not feeling ideal, but will give it a go regardless.

 

[8law]

IM AC tomorrow, pretty much all hires on my stream at my location have been previous paralegals at the company. So not feeling ideal, but will give it a go regardless.

give it a go, don't let that affect your mindset going into the AC. If IM didn't think you were capable enough for the TC they wouldn't have given you the AC, good luck!

 

[Hopeful applicant]

Maybe this is not the best place to ask but I’m still quite new to everything on here.
If you got a vac scheme with a huge international firm known everywhere with 40+ offices across the world and let’s say you were successful and got a TC for 2027 or 2028. ( literally me manifesting rn lmfao)

Or you had offered straight away a TC to start 2026 with a independent law firm ( let’s say 100 people) that has just one office domestic work but also advises a lot of international companies within that area. You’re happy with the sectors and the salary.

What would you pick?

Would you wait. But if you said no to the independent law firm maybe then there’s the risk of not being successful at the vac scheme for the other firm so you’d chase 2 rabbits but get none…….

3 variables that would probably inform the decision:
- Can you afford to not have a job for a year (not just financially)
- What is the chance of converting (for some firms the VS is almost just a formality, while others have conversion rates of 1/4 or 1/5)
- How much do you value one firm over the other? It is not that easy to go up in terms of the calibre of the firm, however, if you are satisfied with the sectors/salary, perhaps the best is the enemy of the good.

As a side note, are you confident that you have to sign the TC firm right now? If so, it also will not hurt to contact the ohter firm and tell them about the pressure - you never know - maybe if the VS was a formality anyways, they may be willing to make an exception for you (especially if they run direct-tc applications)

 

[TortillaTC]

Curious what people will think of this WG question, I don't understand why the answer is Strong Argument here. The initial statement simply mentions having a "uniform dress code" - the argument at hand implies that a uniform dress code cannot be relaxed and comfortable for a dress policy, which is why I picked Weak Argument first: it'd be weak argumentation to assume that a uniform dress policy is immediately unrelaxed and uncomfortable, it is just uniform aka similar among all workers. Or "relaxed" in this context means leaving it up to the individual instead of enforcing a uniform rule?

 

[AryanAgg]

View attachment 7948Curious what people will think of this WG question, I don't understand why the answer is Strong Argument here. The initial statement simply mentions having a "uniform dress code" - the argument at hand implies that a uniform dress code cannot be relaxed and comfortable for a dress policy, which is why I picked Weak Argument first: it'd be weak argumentation to assume that a uniform dress policy is immediately unrelaxed and uncomfortable, it is just uniform aka similar among all workers. Or "relaxed" in this context means leaving it up to the individual instead of enforcing a uniform rule?

Think the trick here is to consider the argument as true and then take productivity as the main deciding factor for this.