Why join

Linklaters is the first law firm to establish a truly global development programme for its trainees across the firm; the New Lawyer Programme. The three-day programme is designed to educate and inspire our new lawyers while giving you the opportunity to form a tight network with your global colleagues. It focuses on four fundamental areas: our firm, our work, our clients and our culture. 

Our London Trainee Induction is a five-day programme, which will prepare you for work as a trainee solicitor in our London office. The programme is designed to introduce you to the more practical elements of life as a trainee, such as becoming familiar with our IT systems and knowledge on typical trainee-tasks. These sessions are delivered by our experienced associates, who make the training as practical as possible. 

Alongside department specific training, you’ll get to develop your business critical skills (influencing, presenting, time management) through our Equip programme. Your Principal will also have undergone training to ensure they can fully support and develop you. And it doesn’t stop there. You can look forward to continuous training and development throughout your career at Linklaters with a tailored curricula available at every stage.  

We place great value in the opportunities our people have to broaden their horizons, be this through pro bono work, volunteering with our Corporate Social Responsibility partners, or getting involved in our clubs and networks. This extends to our future trainees as well, and so we have created the Renwick Horizon bursary to provide you with financial assistance for activities to expand your horizons prior to joining the firm. Future trainees can apply for a bursary which gives up to £1,500 towards language lessons, volunteering or community work.

We have an array of both international and client secondments that we advertise to our trainees for each seat. Typically, you’ll go on secondment in your 4^th seat, however, there are sometimes opportunities to go earlier on in your training contract. We have around 33-36 international secondments, which include roles in Europe, UAE, Asia, and New York, as well as the opportunity for trainees to be seconded to Allens in Australia. We currently offer up to 15 client secondments, with such clients as Lloyds Banking Group, BP, Centrica, Carlyle, Credit Suisse, and Citibank. We also have several pro-bono secondments, which include Mary Ward Legal Centre, Free Representation Unit, and Plan International.

In each department you’ll sit with a Principal, who is 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. As you define your interests, you’ll have the flexibility to change your preference as you go. You’ll also benefit from specific seminars and training modules relevant to your seat. 

Implemented in 2019, the trainee mentor programme pairs first seat trainees with a Partner or Counsel. The relationship is continued throughout the duration of your training contract and provides you with invaluable networking opportunities. As you progress throughout your training contract, you’ll also get the chance to mentor junior trainees as they join the firm.