EARLY CAREERS in the United Kingdom
Summer internship
Kickstart your legal career
Our three and a half week, in-person paid summer internship will show you what we do, how we work and the impact we make in the UK and around the world. Explore the intersection of law and business, take on real responsibilities from day one, and develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours you need for a global legal career. Attend court hearings, work with clients, and grow your professional network while seeing how a purpose-led organisation makes a real difference through pro bono work and sustainability commitments. Give your career the best platform and discover if law is the right path for you.
Once you have completed your internship, you could be offered a place in our international training programme.
What you will do
- Kick off with an induction in London with global peers
- Experience the complexities of our work and discover how you can make a real impact around the world
- Join a forward-looking, friendly team while collaborating with colleagues around the world
- Get structured learning and mentorship, while building your network
- Explore further interests like legal, tech, sustainability and pro bono work
- Thrive in a supportive environment that prioritises your wellbeing
Liam Cowell, Partner: "Welcome. Fantastic. You've done brilliant to get to this stage. At some point, make sure you do stop and recognise just how well you've done. This is a massive day in your lives. A massive start to what I'm hoping will be fantastic careers."
Irene Adeyinka, Senior Diversity & Inclusion Specialist: "So who is in your team? What is everyone's learning style? What's the understanding? And then, more importantly, who are the clients and what are their needs? How does that work as well?"
Elainne Dunne, Trainee Solicitor: "My experience at DLA Piper has enabled me to feel confident reassuring others that they too will have a wonderful experience during their training contract."
Paul Jayson, Partner: "Treat the training contract and the opportunity as if you are exploring a new country. Make the most of it. Be inquisitive. Be curious."
Emma Thea Jones, Solicitor Apprentice: "I think it's really valuable having them both join the same induction, because ultimately they do the same work. So being exposed to the same sessions gives them the same grounding, which is really helpful."
Jon Hayes, Global Co-Chair and Senior Partner: "And on behalf of all of the partners at DLA Piper, a really very warm welcome to this event. To this stage of your career, to this great global law firm."
Rahul Ramanathan, Trainee Solicitor: "Everyone in DLA is so welcoming. So I felt like, going in, I could always turn to associates, partners, anyone for support. To ask questions and to be eager is the biggest thing I'll take away from this."
Alla Kazoun, Trainee Solicitor: "They gave us certain tips and tricks that will help us hit the ground running once we've entered each of our offices. And the good thing is that those tips and tricks are universal to all offices across the globe, whether it be London, Manchester, Birmingham, Hong Kong, Dubai, all those pieces of advice are applicable."
Edward Selwyn Sharpe, Trainee Solicitor: "I feel that the induction week is really good at preparing us for our future, and giving us an ability to understand where everyone's potential lies and where our own potential lies. I think it's a really exciting firm to be in, and it's great to see everyone's potential and where that might lead us in the future."
Who we’re looking for
We’re looking for people from a diverse range of backgrounds who have the potential to thrive at our firm.
Self-motivated and highly driven
You are proactive and strive for excellence. You pursue goals with purpose and determination, whether working independently or as part of a team.
Excitement for international law and business
You are curious about global legal developments, regulatory shifts and geopolitical trends.
Strong collaborator with social awareness
You are an excellent communicator, active listener and team player who contributes to an inclusive, supportive work environment.
Entrepreneurial mindset and willingness to challenge the norm
You think creatively, embrace new ideas and challenge conventional approaches. You thrive in challenging environments and aim to excel.
Ability to think critically, adapt and take ownership
You have an ability to assess situations from multiple perspectives, adapt quickly to change and take responsibility for delivering exceptional results.
Growth mindset, seeing setbacks as opportunities
You are resilient, reflective, and always eager to learn, leveraging setbacks as an opportunity to sharpen your thinking.
Are you eligible?
You can apply for the programme if you are a second-year student on a three-year course or a third-year student on a four-year course. You can also apply if you are in your final year of study.
You can apply for the programme if you are in your final year of study.
You are also eligible to apply if you are a graduate or career changer.
To practise as a solicitor in Scotland, the Law Society of Scotland requires that you must complete an LLB and the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice. Therefore, to be eligible for the Edinburgh summer internship:
- Law students: you must be a penultimate or final year student, or graduate, of an accredited undergraduate degree in law (LLB); OR
- Non-law students: you must have already graduated and be in the process of completing the accelerated LLB route. You must also be ready to undertake the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice immediately following completion of your LLB studies.
We recruit 2 years in advance and therefore all 2025 summer internship applicants will be assessed for a place on the international training programme, commencing in Autumn 2027.
We welcome applications from all degree disciplines, but only one application, to one location, can be made per year.
You must have the right to work for the duration of the programme (35 hours a week) in the UK. DLA Piper is unable to sponsor visas for the summer internship programme.
Key dates to remember
- Applications for 2025 are now closed.
- Our 2025 programme takes place June to July 2025.
- Applicants will be assessed for a place on the international training programme, commencing in Autumn 2027.
Programme overview
Watch our Summer Internship Induction week 2024, where we welcomed over 100 Summer Interns from the UK and Ireland for four days of interactive workshops, networking, social events and talks from our senior business leaders. Following these three days, our interns returned to complete two weeks of work experience in their chosen office location, across two different practice groups.
Early Careers Talent Community
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Accessibility
At DLA Piper, we are committed to making reasonable adjustments and removing disability-related barriers. This is so everyone, irrespective of a visible or non-visible disability, neurodivergence, a long-term health condition or injury, has an equitable opportunity to succeed in our recruitment process.
If you think you may need adjustments or additional support to enable you to participate in our recruitment process, please get in touch with our Early Careers team and we will be happy to support you.
We understand that sharing your needs with us may feel daunting. We will have an open discussion with you about what will work best for you in the recruitment process, and you only need to share what you feel comfortable with. Our team will ensure that the information you provide will be treated confidentially. The information will only be shared with others involved in the process, on your approval, and where necessary.
We will use the information you share to put adjustments in place for you at any stage, or at multiple stages, of the recruitment process. This is to enable you to perform to the best of your ability, and to have an equitable opportunity to perform and thrive.
Recruitment roadmap
What to expect
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Application form
Our application form will capture some key information about yourself. We will also ask you to submit answers to our two application questions regarding your motivations to apply to DLA Piper and understanding of the trainee role. We will also ask you to submit a CV, but you do not need to submit a cover letter.
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Rare CRS
DLA Piper is proud to use the Rare Contextual Recruitment System (CRS). We will invite you to complete a contextualised information survey, which is not mandatory. The CRS allows us to understand each candidate’s achievements in the context that they have been gained. We understand that not all candidate's achievements look the same on paper, and we want to recruit the best people, regardless of their background.
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Online assessment
The Watson Glaser online assessment is untimed and can be completed at your own pace, but must be finished within five working days of receiving the link. There are various practice Watson Glaser assessments available online, and we would recommend spending some time practising these to familiarise yourself with the types of questions you may be asked. You will also recieve access to a link containing a further practice assessment, which we would advise you take before undertaking the final assessment.
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Video interview
The video interview has been developed to assess your motivations and alignment to the trainee role. It will consist of three questions, on a pre-recorded video platform, which are focused on the behaviours which are important to be successful at DLA Piper, as well as your alignment to our values.
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Assessment centre
The final stage of the application process is an in-person assessment centre. It will comprise of exercises which give you the chance to demonstrate your strengths, to meet our people, and for us to help get to know you better.
Hannah Potter, Associate, London
I've worked with a range of colleagues across the firm's practice groups and business services teams and everyone is approachable and friendly. What stands out to me is that that people love their work and also have a life outside of work, creating an enjoyable workplace for everyone.
Tebogo Mphahlele, Trainee Solicitor, London
My experiences at DLA Piper have been characterised by involvement in high-calibre transactions, substantial responsibility, access to top-tier work, and the opportunity to take ownership of important matters.
Alex Moffett, Associate, Leeds
The culture at DLA Piper is genuinely supportive and collaborative. I've loved having the opportunity to regularly work with a diverse range of colleagues locally and internationally.
Sara Jenkins, Associate, Leeds/Manchester
Life at a leading international law firm means a vast range of work, clients and opportunities. It's been a great journey so far.
James Watson, Associate, Birmingham
The firm invests a lot of time and resources into developing their junior talent. The Early Careers team in particular regularly organise check-ins with trainees and have hosted sessions on important topics such as resilience, mental and physical wellbeing, overcoming imposter syndrome and much more.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Your questions,
answered
Yes, we do. You can apply for the programme if you are in your final year of study of a non-law degree. You are also eligible to apply if you are a graduate or looking for a career change.
You should only apply for a summer internship in the office where you would like your training contract to be based.
We do not have minimum academic requirements for undergraduate degrees in the UK. You just need to meet the entry requirements for the University of Law.
Please note if you have completed your further legal studies (PGDL, LPC or SQE), you must have obtained a minimum degree classification of a Merit.
If you have any mitigating circumstances that you'd like to be taken into consideration alongside your application, please ensure you to input this in your application.
Yes, we accept applications from those who have already completed their law or non-law degree.
As we recruit two years in advance, during your 2025 summer internship, you will be assessed for a training contract starting in 2027. There might be some instances where we can accommodate a 2026 start date, subject to business needs.
No, we don't accept CVs being sent directly and you won't need to complete a cover letter. You will instead need to apply via the early careers website.
No, we don't currently offer any adhoc work experience. All available roles are advertised on our early careers website.
Please contact the Pearson help desk on info@talentlens.co.uk (for UK, Ireland and UAE) or info@talentlens.com.au (for Hong Kong).
Please outline any reasonable adjustments you require in the recruitment process in your application form. Our Watson Glaser is untimed, so you can take as long as you require to complete this. We do, however, recommend completing it in one sitting.
For the video interview, you'll need to let us know that you require extra time prior to completing your video interview. We'll then add on the additional time for you.
You'll need to have the right to work in the location you've applied for throughout the summer internship. We can however sponsor you for a visa if you are successful in receiving an offer to join our international training programme.
From 2024 onwards, all trainees joining our office in England and Dubai are expected to complete both parts of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE - SQE1 and SQE2) rote to qualification.
The tuition and exam fees will be funded by the firm, and we'll support you in the course registration process.
You'll be required to complete the SQE1 and SQE2 even if you've already completed your LPC.
We don't have a specific application deadline as we recruit on a rolling basis. This means once we have enough applications for a role, we will close the role for any further applications. We therefore recommend you apply early for any role you're interested in.
We typically recruit trainees through the summer internship, but we may at times recruit outside of the internship programme.
Our summer internship programme is a fantastic way to get to experience working at DLA Piper. It will help you to get to know our firm and our people. The three-week internship will give you a strong understanding of our values and what we stand for and whether DLA Piper and its practice groups are right for you. At the end of the summer internship, you'll be assessed for a place on our international training programme (training contract) in the office where you complete your internship.
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