Why join
Linklaters in Belgium
A site of historic importance, our Belgium head office is located opposite the Royal Palace.
Occupying around 17,600 square metres, you'll find an environment designed to make it easier for you to concentrate on your career. Extensive facilities include a dedicated floor for client meetings, a large events auditorium, an in-house restaurant and ironing and dry-cleaning services. You can join our free yoga classes or the office’s walking, soccer, running and cycling groups, and use our shower facilities afterwards.
It would be easy to let the imposing buildings of our Belgian offices lead you to make assumptions about our working culture. But of course, the atmosphere here is characteristic of the firm wherever you are in the world. You’ll find office doors open and, regardless of your level, everyone contributes and is listened to. We trust you completely as a colleague. And so, while everything is geared to helping you respond to our clients’ needs - we’ll help you to work flexibly, and also remotely, if and when you need to. Joining us you'll also be struck by the sheer quality of your colleagues.
This is Linklaters in Belgium, where a special history, welcoming culture and an international network combine, for a hugely rewarding career.
A collective responsibility
We’re dedicated to responsible business, whether advising clients on issues such as sustainability or fair practice, or taking direct action to support communities. Launched in 2013, our collective responsibility strategy is award-winning, and wide-ranging, too. It includes commitments not just to the community and environment, but to protecting human rights and combatting slavery. We’ve also joined the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) initiative, building a fairer, healthier, more prosperous society, through the power of partnership.
Protecting the right to justice
Every year we draw on our global networks to provide more than 30,000 hours of pro bono legal support to around 200 not-for-profit organisations, and many more vulnerable individuals. For example, we recently contributed to a successful appeal at the US Supreme Court for Bobby Moore, a death row inmate with intellectual disabilities. This case has major implications for death penalty cases across the United States. And our work on social finance for not-for-profit organisations is setting the bar for the sector.
“The support we've received from Linklaters has been outstanding. No question has been too much hassle.” Geoff Burnard, CEO, Investing for Good
“Linklaters has done a great job on the Bobby Moore case and many others. Not all cases end up in the Supreme Court, but they really do make a difference.” Margot Ravenscroft, Director, Amicus
Investing in the community
With our Realising Aspirations programme, and law scholarships, we’re removing barriers to success for young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. We’re helping not-for-profit organisations to grow their capabilities. And through matched giving and paid time off to volunteer, we’re inspiring our colleagues to improve lives on their doorsteps.
Flexibility
We’re flexible to the ever-changing demands of our clients and our people. Crucially, we’re changing in response to the way they both want to work.
By offering flexibility to our colleagues, they’re more able to deliver a bespoke service our clients. Clients who are themselves increasingly working remotely and choosing their own hours.
One of our strengths is our ability to attract, retain and develop excellent talent from all walks of life. This reflects the rich diversity of our clients and communities. And our flexibility is one more thing that helps us to fulfil this promise.
At Linklaters, colleagues are empowered to work in a way that best suits their needs. We do everything we can to help them discover their own approach.
United, not uniform
It's people, not offices, that define a global organisation.
We seek to reflect the diversity of the communities in which we work. So we're proud to be an equal opportunities firm. We recruit on merit, irrespective of gender, race or ethnicity, age, religion, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. It’s why our selection criteria focus on your ability to do the job, and those colleagues responsible for recruitment and engaging with the public are trained to follow equal opportunity principles. We’re transparent, too, recording the reasons for selection decisions in writing throughout the selection process. Simply put, we won't tolerate discrimination in any guise. And we nurture a working environment where difference is valued.
Better shared
Our values
- Excellence
- Teamwork
- Imagination
- Determination
- Commercial judgement
- Integrity
Our values are shared by our 460 partners and 5,200 people across 29 offices. From business decisions to training, to how we treat each other, they shape everything we do. They guide us as we realise a united vision. They ensure that even the most junior person in the firm has the confidence to try new things. And they help us to meet exacting standards, time after time.
"We deliver the very best to our clients because of our culture where people are confident, empowered and supported to fulfil their full potential. What a great career platform for any ambitious candidate." Charles Jacobs Chairman and Senior Partner
A collective responsibility
We're dedicated to responsible business, whether advising clients on issues such as sustainability or fair practice, or taking direct action to support communities. Launched in 2013, our collective responsibility strategy is award-winning, and wide-ranging, too. It includes commitments not just to the community and environment, but to protecting human rights and combatting slavery. We've also joined the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) initiative, building a fairer, healthier, more prosperous society, through the power of partnership.
Protecting the right to justice
Every year we draw on our global networks to provide more than 30,000 hours of pro bono legal support to around 200 not-for-profit organisations, and many more vulnerable individuals. For example, we recently contributed to a successful appeal at the US Supreme Court for Bobby Moore, a death row inmate with intellectual disabilities. This case has major implications for death penalty cases across the United States. And our work on social finance for not-for-profit organisations is setting the bar for the sector.
"The support we've received from Linklaters has been outstanding. No question has been too much hassle." Geoff Burnard CEO, Investing for Good
"Linklaters has done a great job on the Bobby Moore case and many others. Not all cases end up in the Supreme Court, but they really do make a difference." Margot Ravenscroft Director, Amicus
Investing in the community
With our Realising Aspirations programme, we're removing barriers to success for young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. We're helping not-for-profit organisations to grow their capabilities. And through matched giving and paid time off to volunteer, we're inspiring our colleagues to improve lives on their doorsteps.
Career-long learning
We're committed to continuous professional development, through both formal and on-the-job learning. The Linklaters Law & Business School offers milestone programmes for every stage of your career, and it starts from the moment you join us as a Summer Associate, Legal Intern or Junior Associate.
You'll develop your technical, commercial and management skills. You'll work with, and learn from, leading experts in their fields, all supported by training from the Linklaters Law & Business School. And in return, we'll expect you to seek out opportunities to learn every day, sharing your knowhow with colleagues. Because education is everyone's responsibility.
Practice Diploma Programme
Designed for your first four years as an Associate, this programme equips you with the knowledge to thrive in a changing global economy. It's made up of three core areas:
Global Technical Core Skills (GTCS)
First, is a foundation course. These modules provide the technical legal foundation you need while also introducing you to your chosen practice area.
Global Associate Core Skills (GACS)
GACS 1 is a two-day programme. You'll improve your self-awareness, find out how to manage yourself better, and become an ever-more effective communicator.
GACS 2 is held over three days. Here, the focus is on interaction with clients and colleagues. Topics include issue management and developing others, all under the overarching theme of exceptional client service.
To keep you engaged, a variety of learning methods are put to good use on both programmes. These include internal expert sessions, group discussion, case studies and even roleplays with professional actors. Elective programmes are offered too in areas such as presentation, delegation and influencing skills.
Further skills
There is also, of course, specific knowledge you'll need that's relevant to your office, jurisdiction and practice. This programme covers the global and local technical training to fill those gaps.
The Managing Associate Diploma Programme
The Linklaters Leadership Programme
Partner development
Secondments
Linklaters places great importance on the quality of our work, supporting clients, nurturing a positive culture and the global scope of our impact. And our secondments, both within Linklaters and with our clients, help us to live up to these values.
First, they help our people to develop their careers, expanding commercial knowledge and building relationships. In turn, the firm benefits through the sharing of best practice and resources, and optimising how we work based on the lessons we learn. And our clients benefit from the diverse team we're able to introduce them to.