TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[Hinkle_dinkle]

have the WFW vac schemes that people have gotten so far all been spring

 

[Bruce Wayne Attorney at Law]

Hi @Abbie Whitlock, I was recently going through the course and posts on situational/scenario type interview questions. While trying a question with a non-law friend, they suggested using an example briefly for some scenarios. In the past I would usually just answer these questions with what I would do and voice out any assumptions I am making in my answer. I thought that two scenarios may not be the same, where even if I link an example it maybe a hard fit and may not always match. Is it worth doing it for some answer, say for example based on a previous question someone asked about working late hours, "You have a busy day ..... partner has additional task ..... you have a personal thing later(that may (definitely 😬) will have to be moved) .... what do you do ?" in this sort of a question would it make sense to answer it properly and maybe at the end add that in a previous situation abc, I experienced something similar where I acted in X way.... .

Or should I just stick with answering what I would do and that's it ?

 

[Dannie]

Hey ! could I get some help on this? When in interview you're asked what client you would advise the law firm takes should it preferably be one the firm has never worked with? is it ok if they worked with that company but a few years ago?

 

[flower1]

Hello @Abbie Whitlock
I was just wondering what's a good structure for this question: Why me? Why should Firm X take me as their trainee solicitor?
Given how commonly this question is asked, how can we differentiate our answers?

Thank you

 

[FutureLawyer_]

Hey guys, funny story. Today I started doing the VI for Simmons, I started the video interview and accidentally stopped recording about 20 seconds into my answer 😭😭 Low key don’t even care, I’m so burnt out with this cycle, so I’m not even going to email and explain hahaha 🤣

 

[tc2026]

question: does anyone have an idea of which seats generally have the best work/life balance?

 

[BelleOfTheLawBall]

question: does anyone have an idea of which seats generally have the best work/life balance?

All I know is that litigation usually is better in the sense that cases usually take years so your time is a lot more predictable as opposed to the volatile nature of transactional seats where you might be called to work urgently at 2am or up until 3am closing a deal.

 

[bh.sa]

If anyone has successfully progressed past the application stage for Arnold & Porter, please can you send me a message? 🙏

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Hi @Abbie Whitlock, I was recently going through the course and posts on situational/scenario type interview questions. While trying a question with a non-law friend, they suggested using an example briefly for some scenarios. In the past I would usually just answer these questions with what I would do and voice out any assumptions I am making in my answer. I thought that two scenarios may not be the same, where even if I link an example it maybe a hard fit and may not always match. Is it worth doing it for some answer, say for example based on a previous question someone asked about working late hours, "You have a busy day ..... partner has additional task ..... you have a personal thing later(that may (definitely 😬) will have to be moved) .... what do you do ?" in this sort of a question would it make sense to answer it properly and maybe at the end add that in a previous situation abc, I experienced something similar where I acted in X way.... .

Or should I just stick with answering what I would do and that's it ?

Hello!

With situational questions, your main focus should be on answering the scenario in front of you clearly and logically - for example, what you would do, why you would do it, and how you would communicate or prioritise. That is what the graduate recruitment team or interviewers will be assessing, as they'll want to see clear judgment and professionalism.

If you have a genuinely relevant past example, it can add value to briefly reference it at the end to reinforce your approach. A brief mention at the end that shows you have handled something similar before can strengthen your credibility, as long it is a natural fit. I would definitely avoid trying to force an example that doesn't quite fit or sounds made up, as this could make your answer feel slightly disjointed.

If you don't have a strong example, that is completely fine! A well-structured and thoughtful answer about what you would do (and perhaps what you would learn from it in case you encounter it in the future) is absolutely enough