TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2026-27

[IshantheG]

Thanks!

Would you mention volunteering experiences in the first question? We also write them in the work exp section, so I’m confused.

My opinion is no, tbf, needs to be something other than that.

 

[User1812987]

Anyone else having trouble with the sidley application portal? Seems like I can only add 4 work experiences?

 

[TCchaser]

Anyone else having trouble with the sidley application portal? Seems like I can only add 4 work experiences?

They only let you add 4 - it was the same last year

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

hi @Abbie Whitlock is this q essentially relating to extra-curriculars?: Aside from your work experience and academic studies, which other experiences have helped you develop skills relevant to a career as a commercial lawyer?

Hey!

Yes, I would broadly interpret this as asking about your extracurriculars and other experiences outside of your academic studies and work experience.

That could include things like societies, volunteering, competitions, sports, positions of responsibility, or any other experiences where you have developed skills that you think would be relevant to a career as a commercial lawyer. I wouldn't worry too much about whether something technically counts as an "extracurricular" - I would focus more on identifying experiences that have allowed you to develop relevant skills and then explaining what you actually took from them.

I would also try to avoid just listing lots of activities. Pick the strongest or most relevant examples and focus on the skills you developed and how those experiences have prepared you for a career as a commercial lawyer.

As a rough structure, you could:
1. Choose 2-3 experiences outside of academics and work experience
2. Explain what you did and the skills you developed (e.g. teamwork, communication, leadership, commercial awareness, organisation, resilience)
3. Link those skills back to why they would be useful as a commercial lawyer

I hope that assists, and best of luck with the application!

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Hi @Abbie Whitlock,

When answering “Detail your extracurricular activities interests and positions of responsibility. Please state what you feel you have gained from them and how others have benefited from your involvement (250 words max)”, should I focus only on extracurricular experiences, or can “positions of responsibility” include paid work/internships as well? The lack of punctuation is confusing me.

Also, how would you suggest structuring this answer?

Thanks!

@Abbie Whitlock Hi! Do you have any afvice on how to structure an answer to this question? Detail your extra curricular activities and interests and positions of responsibility. Please state what you feel you have gained from them and how others have benefited from your involvement. (250 words max) *

Hi!

I would interpret this as asking specifically about your extracurricular activities, interests, and positions of responsibility, rather than paid work or internships. I would therefore prioritise things like societies, volunteering, competitions, sports, committee roles, student leadership, etc.

However, if you have had paid work where you held a genuine position of responsibility, I don't think you necessarily need to exclude it. I would just be mindful of the fact that they have specifically asked about extracurriculars, so I wouldn't use valuable word count to repeat work experience that you have already detailed elsewhere in the application.

For the structure, I would probably split the 250 words between 2-3 of your strongest examples. For each one, briefly cover:

• What you did and your role - keep this fairly concise
• What you gained - focus on specific skills, qualities or lessons
• How others benefitted from your involvement - this is important as the question specifically asks for it, so explain the impact you had rather than just what you personally gained

You could essentially think of each example as: activity -> your role/impact -> what you gained -> how others benefitted

I would also prioritise quality over quantity. You don't need to squeeze in every extracurricular you have ever done - 2-3 well developed examples will be much stronger than a long list with very little explanation

 

[tosin4774]

i attended an insight day w them back in feb and grad rec said they were getting rid of written apps coz of ai and moving more to the online assessments

Do you know what is included in the online assessment

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

last year i did an AC for a firm for their vacation scheme and got rejected (they only gave me a few days notice) and it was my first one. should i reapply is it worth doing that, and should i change a lot of my app answers or is it okay to just change it up slightly. also since then, my cv has improved a lot and i have done law internships so I'm thinking about whether I should do DTC instead of a vacation scheme as well.

Hi!

If you really like the firm, I would definitely reapply! The fact that you got through to the AC stage last year is already a good indication that your application was strong enough for the firm to be interested, and particularly given that it was your first AC and you only had a few days' notice, I wouldn't read too much into the rejection.

The fact that your CV has improved significantly since then and you have gained legal experience is also a really good reason to apply again. You are going into this cycle with more experience and, importantly, you now have the benefit of knowing what the firm's AC process is like.

In terms of your application answers, I wouldn't necessarily rewrite everything from scratch. If you were happy with the answers last year, I would use them as a starting point but go through each one critically and ask whether they still reflect your strongest experiences and motivations. Where you now have stronger examples from your internships, I would definitely incorporate those where you can. I would also make sure you consider any feedback you received after last year's AC and can demonstrate how you have acted on it since (if they provided feedback). For example, if you were told that a particular competency or an area of your commercial awareness needed strengthening, think about what you actually have done over the past year to address that.

As for DTC vs VS, I think it is worth considering, particularly if the firm has a sizeable DTC intake and you are now a stronger candidate than last year. I would look at the firm's recruitment structure and the number of places available through each route. If you are eligible for both, there is no reason not to consider which route gives you the better chance of securing a TC, rather than automatically applying for the VS.

Overall, I wouldn't let the previous rejection put you off. You have developed considerably since that application, so I would treat it as a fresh application where you can build on what worked last time, improve the areas that didn't, and show the firm that you have taken their previous feedback on board

 

[lk23]

Last year, DLA opened their applications in mid-Sep, so I'm assuming they'd open around that time this year too, especially as there's nothing on their website - not sure why it says 1st Sep on Legal Cheek though

Interestingly after I emailed DLA's early careers about this, cross-reffing it with Lawcareers.net (which I realised said Sep 21st), LegalCheek's updated this and the Discovery Day dates.. Methinks LegalCheek didn't double-check what DLA told them