Linklaters

About Linklaters

Firm description and career prospects

Great change is here. Get ready.

New markets, new technology, new demands. The world is changing at a dramatic pace, presenting businesses with complex challenges. At Linklaters, we offer the market-leading expertise they need to succeed. We are business partners as well as legal advisors. Guided by experts from the world of law and beyond, we are our clients' guide to global trends, and their commercial implications.

Rather than specialise in just one area, we’re proud to have leading practices in Corporate, Finance and Projects and Dispute Resolution. As a Linklaters colleague, this breadth of expertise means that, wherever you focus, you’ll be involved in the very best work.

Join us though, and you’ll discover it's our approach that sets us apart as much as our expertise. Wherever you are, you’ll find people you want to work with. We're supportive, open-minded, and passionate. With cutting-edge work, we grasp client problems from every angle. Then we go out of our way to help. It's that unwavering commitment that fuels our expertise and fantastic client service. And our culture makes for great teams. Teams that are more united, even when separated by hundreds of miles.

To sustain our culture, we attract – and develop – exceptional talent. Regardless of your background, and whether you choose to stay or pursue opportunities elsewhere, we want you to fulfil your potential. So even as a trainee, you'll be involved in high-profile, multi-jurisdiction work for leading organisations. Along with highly competitive rewards, we'll provide the very best training throughout your career, with open feedback. And we’ll reward your commitment to learning, with the flexibility you need to steer your own path.

Work placements

To kickstart your career, apply to our Summer, Winter or Spring Vacation Schemes. They offer a taste of life in commercial law at a global firm. And they put you in the best possible position to secure a Training Contract here. We'll also pay you £400 per week while you're with us.

After an induction you'll be treated just like a trainee, because we want you to take away a vivid picture of what we're like. So you'll be involved in real deals, sit with a principal, work hard and enjoy an active social life. You'll also attend professional development sessions. These offer a broader understanding of our global business strategy and practice areas, and help you to develop those essential skills, like negotiation and pitching.

More informally, you'll have the ear of experienced lawyers and trainees. A trainee ‘buddy’ in each department, is on hand to integrate you into the team, as well as an associate principal. This reflects the support you can look forward to if you join us as a trainee. You'll also get to know us, and other vacation scheme students, through our social events (often a highlight!).

After attending the vacation scheme, we'll automatically offer you a final interview for our Training Contract with one of our partners. The selection process is tough, because our Vacation Schemes are there to help prepare you, and we want you to be successful in your Training Contract application.

Applications are welcomed from penultimate and final-year undergraduates, graduates, and postgraduates.

Training contract programme

We believe what makes us stand out as an employer, is the attention we give to training and support. We offer the fully-rounded programme you need to rapidly develop your understanding of commercial law, and your skills, and become a successful, lawyer. And this dedication is paying dividends, as our trainees choose to stay with us year after year.

Offering four six-month seats (placements) over two years, you'll work on a range of live projects, and have real influence. There's no substitute for the depth and quality of insight that comes from spending six months in a department. You may also have the chance to take up an international or client secondment. And at the end of your contract, you'll be able to make a well-informed decision about where to focus.

In each department, you'll sit with a principal, who is your mentor, on hand to train and supervise. A Group Trainee Solicitor Partner will also give you additional support. With ongoing feedback, you'll have ample opportunity to discuss progress with the Trainee Development Team and draw up a training plan. And as you define your interests, you’ll also have the flexibility to change your preference as you go. You’ll also benefit from specific seminars and training modules relevant to your seat and practice area.

Applications are welcomed from penultimate-year law undergraduates, final-year students, graduates, and postgraduates.

Sponsorship

We welcome talented, passionate students from all backgrounds, and in fact, almost half of our trainees come from non-law backgrounds.

The Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)

You might be surprised to learn you can train as a lawyer without completing an undergraduate law degree. The Graduate Diploma in Law is a one-year conversion course that provides the legal knowledge to start training alongside law graduates. You choose which branch of the University of Law you'd like to study at, and we do the rest. We'll provide help and advice with your application, pay the fees and provide a maintenance grant.

The Legal Practice Course (LPC)

All graduates complete this bespoke course before joining: the fundamental introduction to professional legal practice. We'll help with arrangements, pay your fees and provide you with a maintenance grant. Moreover, it offers the option to obtain an MSc in Law, Business and Management. It's an opportunity to start building your network and getting to know how we work. And all training is held at the Moorgate branch of the University of Law - conveniently close to the Linklaters office.

Linklaters is proud to be a disability confident employer. We work with MyPlus who support the 15% of disabled students and graduates applying for jobs, internships and placements. What does this mean? Click here to find out more here.