TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2026-27

[Abbie Whitlock]

@Abbie Whitlock Hi Abbie! I have an end of vac scheme interview tomorrow, and I wanted to know if asked what was my biggest takeaway from the scheme, what sort of area I should be covering? I know its personal and will be unqiue to each person but is it about the work, the firm or so on. I've updated my why this firm answer to reflect what I learnt about the firm during the week and why thats confirmed my interest and I'm worried about repeating myself.

Hey!

I don't think there is necessarily a single "correct" area to focus on here as, like you mentioned, it will be very unique to each person. Your biggest takeaway could relate to the work itself, the firm's culture, the trainee experience, how different practice areas interact, or even your own development during the week.

If you have already updated your "why this firm" answer to reflect what you have learned about the firm, I wouldn't worry too much about repeating yourself. There will naturally be some overlap, and the key difference is that an interview post-VS (or at the end of a VS) is usually more reflective. Therefore, rather than simply explaining why the firm appeals to you, you could focus on what genuinely surprised you, challenged your assumptions, or helped you better understand the role of a trainee and the firm's work. For example, a pre-VS interview is usually reliant on research and speaking about the firm from an external perspective, whereas a post-VS interview is much more grounded in your own experiences and the firm and why you enjoyed it/what you learnt from it.

I think the main thing I'd be looking to convey is how the insights you have gained during the scheme have confirmed your decision that this is the firm you would like to train at. For example, you might discuss how experiencing the firm's culture firsthand, seeing the type of work trainees get involved in, or speaking with lawyers across the business reinforced what initially attracted you to the firm.

I would also try to make it as specific as possible by referring to particular conversations, tasks, workshops/presentations, or observations from the scheme. This helps make your answer feel more authentic and memorable, particularly if you can refer to specific people or practice areas.

Wishing you the best of luck for tomorrow - I'm sure you'll smash it!!

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Not sure if anyone has opinions on applying to open days as a law graduate? I also work full time outside of London so I would need to consider taking annual leave & travel, but open days seem appealing to actually get to know firms better and hopefully boost applications?

Hey!

I'd definitely encourage you to attend if you are able to! As Jaysen mentioned, they definitely aren't a prerequisite for success and I didn't attend open days for the vast majority of my vacation schemes, including the firm I ultimately secured a TC with. However, I do think they can be really useful when it comes to writing stronger applications, as they give you the opportunity to gain first-hand insights into the firm's culture, people, and work (which can be difficult to get from online research alone).

Whilst I wasn't a graduate at the time, I did attend a few open days when I was working full-time as a paralegal during my placement year (although admittedly I was working in London, so the travel was a bit easier!). I definitely found them to be a valuable way of getting to know firms better, and they are also a great way to build your networking skills/professional network. It also may be worth considering whether your employer would be open to treating it as a networking/professional development opportunity. For example, when my line manager found out I was attending law firm open days, they were happy for me to go without using annual leave. I appreciate that every workplace is different, but if that sounds like something your employer might be receptive to, it could be worth having a conversation!

Overall, if there are firms that you are particularly interested in and you are able to work out the logistics of attending, I think that open days can be a worthwhile investment of your time and can give you valuable insights to use in your applications!

 

[M85672]

Is the Perkins vac convertible?

 

[PinkZebra67]

Perkins interview invite ! Does anybody have any tips or insights for final stage interviews

 

[DaemonBlackFyre]

Hi, when it comes to structure when dealing with a case study, is it better to go with less points but with deeper analysis which allows you to bring in solutions to the risks you've identified, or would it be better to identify many risks, but this leaves you with less time to go over each one in detail? - Thanks.

 

[switchingup]

wait what? is this for DTC? when did you receive this and submitted the written answers? if you dont mind me asking

No, this was for the VS cycle that closed months ago now (I applied in Nov/Dec). This is for those applying in the next application cycle. Not sure if I’ll apply VS or DTC - something I will ask during the Insight Day.

 

[helenaskelton]

Hey guys! I had an interview this morning and i got asked about the firm’s values. I completely forgot to prepare for this q (stupid I know) and instead just listed what I thought were close to the firm’s values. Ie, , collaboration, client focus etc. with examples. it turns out that one value is teamwork and the other is understanding / integrity, but not necessarily ‘client focus’. Am I cooked?

 

[StudentWP]

do we think all interviews have gone out for Perkins or are they doing in batches?

 

[addy2004]

Hey!

I'd definitely encourage you to attend if you are able to! As Jaysen mentioned, they definitely aren't a prerequisite for success and I didn't attend open days for the vast majority of my vacation schemes, including the firm I ultimately secured a TC with. However, I do think they can be really useful when it comes to writing stronger applications, as they give you the opportunity to gain first-hand insights into the firm's culture, people, and work (which can be difficult to get from online research alone).

Whilst I wasn't a graduate at the time, I did attend a few open days when I was working full-time as a paralegal during my placement year (although admittedly I was working in London, so the travel was a bit easier!). I definitely found them to be a valuable way of getting to know firms better, and they are also a great way to build your networking skills/professional network. It also may be worth considering whether your employer would be open to treating it as a networking/professional development opportunity. For example, when my line manager found out I was attending law firm open days, they were happy for me to go without using annual leave. I appreciate that every workplace is different, but if that sounds like something your employer might be receptive to, it could be worth having a conversation!

Overall, if there are firms that you are particularly interested in and you are able to work out the logistics of attending, I think that open days can be a worthwhile investment of your time and can give you valuable insights to use in your applications!

That's such a good point about trying to use it as a 'professional development' day to get time off work for it! Thank you so much for your honest overview

 

[TortillaTC]

Hi everyone! Those who applied for the Disney Legal Graduate internship and did the online test, what results did you achieve? I have a hard time interpreting mine...

I got clear strength for Cognitive Verbal and relative strength for Cognitive Inductive, so I think that should be fine (?). However, I got 6 clear strenghts, 4 relative strengths, 6 average and 2 weak skills for the personality test - are they looking for more strengths overall? I don't know how these results compare to scoring in Amberjack for example.

Also any idea how they assess our application holisitically? We submitted a cover letter and CV already, so is there a benchmark on the online test for our application to be considered?

Based on the 'Understanding Your Assessment Report' page they linked to the report, there are 4 categories for every skill (and Verbal and Inductive are measured as two separate skills):

• "Strength": Very strong level of skill compared to other professionals at your level
• "Relative strength": Better performance than most professionals at your level
• "As skilled as most others": Consistent with the majority of professionals at this level
• "Development area": An opportunity for growth

Just got rejected FYI

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Hi, when it comes to structure when dealing with a case study, is it better to go with less points but with deeper analysis which allows you to bring in solutions to the risks you've identified, or would it be better to identify many risks, but this leaves you with less time to go over each one in detail? - Thanks.

Hey!

In my experience, I have found it is usually better to focus on a smaller number of the most important issues and analyse them well, rather than trying to identify every possible risk but only discussing them at a surface level. You should be able to prioritise the key commercial and legal issues, explain why they matter, assess their potential impact, and then suggest practical ways to mitigate them. This demonstrates the analytical thinking and commercial judgement that firms are looking for!

That said, I would caveat that it can depend on the specific task and the firm. Some exercises may be designed to test your ability to identify a broad range of issues, while others may place more emphasis on the quality of your analysis and recommendations. I'd therefore make sure to read the instructions carefully and tailor your approach accordingly.

If the instructions don't suggest otherwise, I'd generally lean towards depth over breadth. Firms are often more interested in how you think through a problem, rather than just whether you have spotted every single point. You can always briefly flag additional risks if time allows, but I would prioritise developing your strongest points first

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Hey guys! I had an interview this morning and i got asked about the firm’s values. I completely forgot to prepare for this q (stupid I know) and instead just listed what I thought were close to the firm’s values. Ie, , collaboration, client focus etc. with examples. it turns out that one value is teamwork and the other is understanding / integrity, but not necessarily ‘client focus’. Am I cooked?

Hi!

I would try not to panic about this, though I appreciate that is easier said than done! Collaboration, teamwork, client focus and integrity are all closely linked concepts, so it is not as though you responded with values that were completely unrelated to the firm.

It is difficult for anyone here to say for certain how the answer will be assessed - some firms/interviewers may be looking for candidates to identify the specific values listed on their website, so there is a possibility that the exact wording mattered to some extent.

However, I can't imagine this would completely undermine an otherwise strong interview performance. Interviews are usually assessed holistically, and it sounds like you were able to discuss relevant values and support them with examples rather than simply reciting a list from memory. In many cases, demonstrating an understanding of the behaviours and qualities the firm is looking for is just as important as using the precise terminology.

I would definitely try not to overanalyse it now. It is very common to leave an interview and focus on the one answer you wish you had handled differently, but if the rest of your interview went well, I wouldn't assume that this one point will have cost you the opportunity.

Wishing you the best of luck!