EARLY CAREERS
Summer internship
About this programme
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.
Programme details
Explore the intersection between law and business. Develop the foundation of skills you need for a global legal career. You’ll do all this, and more, on our three and a half week internship in our UK offices.
This isn’t just a chance to shadow our lawyers. You’ll play a real role in our teams and take on responsibility from day one. Whether attending court hearings, working with clients or developing your professional network, you’ll experience the cutting edge of the legal sector. You'll discover how law can unlock potential around the world and in your own career. That includes seeing how a purpose-led organisation makes a difference through pro bono work and sustainability commitments.
The internship is your chance to see if law is a career you can thrive in. Working across our practice groups and sectors, you’ll be giving your career the best platform by developing the knowledge, skills and behaviours that will support your professional growth.
During the internship, you will:
- come to London for an induction with your peers from other international offices;
- experience the complexities of our work and discover how you can make a real impact around the world. You’ll see how we think across borders to find creative solutions for our clients;
- join a forward-looking, friendly team while collaborating with colleagues around the world;
- develop your knowledge and skills through structured learning and development opportunities;
- be supported by a strong network of supervisors, buddies, and mentors to develop your confidence and identify your own personal and professional goals;
- be part of an international early careers community full of talented colleagues who’ll become part of your global network;
- have opportunities to explore interests beyond your role, including legal tech, sustainability and pro bono work, to give you an authentic insight into life at DLA Piper; and
- enjoy a supportive working environment where your wellbeing is always a priority and your workload is managed so you can always deliver your best.
You’ll have the freedom to discover your own path and make an extraordinary impact beyond the borders of traditional law. Tomorrow’s legal industry can’t hire yesterday’s skills. Unlock your potential and start building a different kind of legal career.
Show us your strengths in action. Once you've completed your internship, you could be offered a place on the international training programme. Please note: you’ll be considered for a position on the international training programme in the office where you do your summer internship.
We are no longer accepting applications for the 2025 summer internship.
What do we look for?
We’re looking for people from a diverse range of backgrounds who have the potential to thrive at our firm.
To succeed on our early careers programmes, you don’t need any specific legal experience or education, but you will, in addition to the eligibility criteria:
- have an interest in international law and business;
- have a forward-thinking and entrepreneurial mindset and will be excited about doing things differently in the legal industry;
- be self-motivated by a strong desire to achieve your personal and professional goals;
- enjoy collaborating with others and will be instinctively socially aware;
- have a growth mindset so you see setbacks as learning opportunities, and you’ll proactively look for ways to grow and develop;
- enjoy working in an ever-changing environment; and
- enjoy taking ownership of tasks and thinking critically.
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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