TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[Abbie Whitlock]

Hi - specific question here:
"
Please provide details of any additional posts of responsibility that have not been caputured in your Work Experience information (e.g. at school, university, or elsewhere) and your main extra-curricular activities and leisure interests:"

I read this two ways: one which asked me to provide main extra-curricular activities, and one which didn't. The form didn't have space to add extra-curricular activities. I find the punctuation quite ambiguous - it could be asking to provide posts of responsibility that have not been captured in (work experience and extra-curriciulars), or posts of responsibility that have not been captured in work experience in addition to main extra-curricular activities.

(Bevan Brittan)


Unrelated but this was funny af when the sight for LP didn't load:
View attachment 8005

Hey!

I can see why the wording feels awkward 😅 I would personally approach it as the second interpretation, and the structure suggests they're asking for:

• Positions of responsibility not already included in your work experience section (e.g. committee roles, mentoring, etc.), and
• Your main extra-curricular activities and leisure interests.

Therefore, even if you didn't hold a formal "position" in an activity, you can still briefly mention it as part of the extra-curricular/leisure element

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

For AC’s, group presentation- does it matter if you are 4 people in a group, whether you speak first, or second or last? For example, how can I make sure that I will be able to speak the second? I don’t wanna be last.. cause it looks bad doesn’t it? Does anyone have any insight on this?

Hey!

I don't think it matters whether you speak first, second or last - the assessors will be looking at:

• The quality of your contributions
• The overall clarity and structure
• Your commercial reasoning
• How you work in a team (e.g. whether you listen, build on others, and manage time well)

Speaking last doesn't look bad. In fact, if you summarise well and respond to earlier points to bring together the answer in a logical way, it can look very strong!

Trying to "secure" second place could actually backfire if it looks forced or overly strategic - you might be viewed as not working well in a team if you are overly stubborn on a specific slot. A more natural way to approach it is:

• Suggest early on: "Shall we quickly decide who covers which section?"
• Volunteer for a section that you feel confident in
• If no one coordinates, stepping up to structure the order for your team can show leadership

Remember that they are assessing how you operate in a team - therefore, a calm and thoughtful contribution at the end is far better than a rushed or generic one in the middle

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Another question because I’m not sure how to post. So I’m a premium member does anyone have any insight how to find stuff about a client expanding his business in a different jurisdiction? So not M&A, just business expansion- like legal, commercial risk. Should this be in the premium forum about commercial awareness? Thanks 😊

Hi!

Apologies if I am misunderstanding your question, but you can find recent commercial news stories in TCLA Academy as a Premium member - if you click on the 'Revise' section, you can filter based on date, firm or topic. I hope that assists!

 

[PrayingforaTC2026]

Is it true winter vac scheme are slightly easier to obtain then spring/summer? Or is that a myth lol

I don't think so! I've heard a few grad rec members saying that Winter tend to receive less applications just because it often falls during term time so 1) international students can't apply, and 2) many students choose not to regardless because it's probably a bit too much with uni/you'd have to miss a lot of work. That said, the quality of applications received for winter VSs tends to be higher because its usually graduates and/or career changers that apply who often come with more experience, degrees already completed, and just usually more time/knowledge on how to navigate the application process.

 

[Novaa]

Hi!

Apologies if I am misunderstanding your question, but you can find recent commercial news stories in TCLA Academy as a Premium member - if you click on the 'Revise' section, you can filter based on date, firm or topic. I hope that assists!

Omg I did not know this existed?? Ohh let me bookmark this!!

Thank you Abbie!

 

[nonliquetagain]

I don't think so! I've heard a few grad rec members saying that Winter tend to receive less applications just because it often falls during term time so 1) international students can't apply, and 2) many students choose not to regardless because it's probably a bit too much with uni/you'd have to miss a lot of work. That said, the quality of applications received for winter VSs tends to be higher because its usually graduates and/or career changers that apply who often come with more experience, degrees already completed, and just usually more time/knowledge on how to navigate the application process.

Agreed - also think that the only unis that don't have class during winter vac scheme timings are oxbridge, so those intl students are the only intl students that apply which doesn't really help with competitiveness haha

 

[username10341034]

Hi @Abbie Whitlock i have a video interview to complete and I’m not very strong at these. There is only one question. Please could you help with some tips on how to prepare for it? Thank you!

 

[panon]

Hi @Abbie Whitlock - hope you are well! I have got a vacation scheme coming up at a strong national law firm, and I have been thinking of my seat choices. Personally, there are definitely some seats that I prefer over others, however I'm also genuinely very happy to explore any area of work. I was wondering if there is a strategy I could apply to seat selection that would allow me higher chances of success towards a TC (evidently, this is dependent on a range of factors but just for a starting point - thinking about it from a 'setting myself up for success' way)

1. Should I go for the biggest departments / teams so that I have access to the more structured support to fall back on, and potentially impress people who have a bigger impact on the firm's revenue stream?
2. Should I choose the areas that firm is "known for" - high Band rankings (this would have some, but not complete overlap, with the above)
3. Or should I select seats in smaller teams, where I can get to know members more closely, and potentially make a clearer impact?


Any tips to the selection process would be very appreciated! Thank you so much in advance

 

[addy2004]

Hey!

This is completely normal - they are definitely harder to predict, so it can be difficult to prepare for them! The key is remembering that they are not testing whether you "get it right", but whether you can analyse the case study in a structured and commercial way.

I wouldn't explicitly use the SWOT/PESTLE framework when answering, but instead use them as mental checklists to ensure that you cover everything.

WIth SWOT, it might help to quickly think:

• What are the client's key strengths and weaknesses?
• Where is the main opportunity in the scenario?
• What is the biggest threat (e.g. regulatory, financial, reputational)?

Then, I would focus on 2-3 of the most material points and prioritise - sometimes it doesn't make sense to list absolutely everything.

With PESTLE, I would use it to ensure that you haven't missed a big external factor (e.g. economic pressure, regulatory change, tech disruption). You won't necessarily need every category if it is not relevant. I'd say that the partners are looking to see the following:

• Can you identify the core commercial issue(s)?
• Can you prioritise risks?
• Can you give balanced advice?
• Do you understand how a lawyer adds value in a transaction?

You might not be able to give a definitive answer if there are areas that you would need further information, but it always helps to make a decisive answer where you can - even if you added a caveat of "...but this would depend on further information on X".

I hope that assists!

Thank you so much!

 

[Rosie_Kitten]

Debevoise PFO (double PFO Sunday 🤣).

"Personally say that we were certainly impressed by your application" - nope, im not falling for this...IK you send this to everybody....

 

[Novaa]

Debevoise PFO (double PFO Sunday 🤣).

"Personally say that we were certainly impressed by your application" - nope, im not falling for this...IK you send this to everybody....

Grad Rec… what’s going on today??

Disarm the PFO missile, It’s a Sunday!

 

[Applicant7874652]

Did everyone get Debevoise PFOs just now?

 

[Harvey Specter - Presiding Partner]

Grad Rec… what’s going on today??

Disarm the PFO missile, It’s a Sunday!

They didn’t get any Valentine’s Day gifts or dates so decided to launch PFO nukes instead to express their frustration and disappointment…​

 

[Novaa]

They didn’t get any Valentine’s Day gifts or dates so decided to launch PFO nukes instead to express their frustration and disappointment…​

I actually do wonder if there was a conversation on scheduling the PFOs for Valentine’s Day, but it was too on the nose, so opted for the day after 😭😭

 

[Bread]

Debevoise PFO (double PFO Sunday 🤣).

"Personally say that we were certainly impressed by your application" - nope, im not falling for this...IK you send this to everybody....

Mine didn’t say this verbatim

 

[LehmanBrothersRiskManagementIntern]

Debevoise PFO (double PFO Sunday 🤣).

"Personally say that we were certainly impressed by your application" - nope, im not falling for this...IK you send this to everybody....

Mine said “Whilst your application was certainly impressive…”

Okay, then give me the place on the open day given my app was so impressive 🧐

 

[CheekyApple]

Debevoise PFO (double PFO Sunday 🤣).

"Personally say that we were certainly impressed by your application" - nope, im not falling for this...IK you send this to everybody...

Replying to this with “if you were impressed by my application, surely I would have gotten an invitation for the open day”

 

[Shiv Lawy]

Mine said “Whilst your application was certainly impressive…”

Okay, then give me the place on the open day given my app was so impressive 🧐

I was optimistic about a personalised PFO thinking not everyone got this line until I checked here 🤣

 

[Laurel Lance - Black Canary]

I’m very pleased to announce that after waiting an incredible 30 days, I’ve finally received the long-awaited PFO from Covington at 11:32am today.

Unfortunately this means Covington has failed to make it past 4th place on the league tables. I wish them the best of luck in the next cycle.

Anyway as it stands now this is the league table:

1st place - Milbank (38 days) - RECORD HOLDER
2nd place - Freshfields (38 days) - CAUGHT UP
3rd place - Sidley (37 days) - RUNNER UP??!!
4th place - Travers (33 days) - HURRY UP??!!

I saw that the ultimate record holders on the forum are Gibson (165 days), Simmons (100-120 days) and Slaughters (80-90 days)…​

My Sidley is 132 days and McDermott is 107 days. RIP.

 

[FutureTrainee100]

Hi @Abbie Whitlock @Andrei Radu (and everyone else), I could really use some honest advice, and sorry in advance for how long this is.

Last year (after graduating) I focused fully on TC applications. I made 7 applications and reached 3 assessment centres, but was ultimately rejected. The feedback was mainly that my answers were too long and I lacked commercial awareness.

I was upset, but also encouraged bc I believed that 3 ACs from 7 applications suggested my academics/profile were competitive. So I moved to London, tried to secure a paralegal/legal role, and when that didn’t work out I took a part-time retail job and dedicated my time to improving for this cycle.

This year I submitted 17 applications and only got 1 interview and then got rejected (Skadden). I’m still waiting for feedback, but honestly I feel crushed. It genuinely feels like I went backwards despite putting in far more effort.

Since last year I have:
• completed an internship at Barclays
• paid for application review support + mock interviews
• refined my CV/ work experience section multiple times
• improved my answers and structure
• actively worked on commercial awareness

I truly believe this year’s applications were significantly stronger than last year’s, yet the results were dramatically worse.

I also had interviews last year with Gibson Dunn and White & Case and was told reapplying would be fine and prior applications/ interview performance wouldn’t affect any future ones. However, Gibson Dunn (applied November) hasn’t responded at all despite follow-ups, which has been particularly discouraging as they and Skadden are my top firms. I also completed the VI for White & Case in December and still haven’t heard back, even though candidates who completed it later have already been invited to ACs/ received PFOs.

At the same time I’m struggling financially in London on a part-time retail salary and cannot seem to land a paralegal role. Everything requires experience. I’ve applied through agencies, cold-emailed, called firms, sent speculative applications and nothing has worked.

So I’d really appreciate advice on three things:

1. How can I realistically obtain a paralegal/legal role with no past experience?
2. What should I be doing between now and next cycle beyond daily commercial awareness study + interview practice + completing TCLA courses?
3. Do firms genuinely review your application if you have previously interviewed? I am especially concerned about Skadden and Gibson Dunn, as these are genuinely my dream firms.
4. I know this is wrong and not advisable, but could I apply with a new email and not disclose that I have previously interviewed? Since I’ll be changing my last name this year (for unrelated reasons, I promise I am not crazy), would that make it harder for firms to connect me to my previous applications? I appreciate this may not be the right approach, I’m just feeling stuck and trying to understand my options.

I want to be clear: I’m not looking for sympathy, just honest guidance on what to change because clearly something isn’t working.

Thank you to anyone who reads all of this/ offers any advice, I really appreciate it