Training Contract at Arnold & Porter

Many law firms, including ours, have a definite style of practice and work environment. We think ours is spirited, open, welcoming, and collegial. We encourage our lawyers to be themselves. Intelligence, originality, initiative, and independent judgment are highly respected. All lawyers, regardless of their experience, are expected to express their views on substantive firm matters.

The London office generally reflects the environment of the firm with its collegial and informal atmosphere, regular social gatherings, smart business-casual dress policy, team-based assignment policies, and a leading pro bono programme.

When you join us, you will be introduced to the firm through our training and induction programme. This includes information about the firm’s practices and procedures and training in the use of our IT systems, library, and online data sources. You will also attend the fast-track Professional Skills Course.

During your training contract, you will typically have the opportunity to spend time in four, six-month seats. The firm encourages individuals to work across specialisms, so you may find that whilst you are working in one group, you undertake work in a variety of different areas and for a variety of different partners and fee-earners throughout the firm. The training programme in our London office includes in-house as well as external training sessions, providing professional development training that is linked to a competencies framework.

Four six-month seats from:

• Antitrust/Competition
• Complex Litigation
• Corporate & Finance
• Intellectual Property
• International Arbitration
• Life Sciences
• White Collar Defense

We recruit two years in advance therefore, to be eligible to apply for the Training contract commencing in 2027, you need to be in your penultimate year of study as a law student or in your final year of a non-law course.

We look for candidates with a consistently strong academic background, who have or are likely to achieve a 2.1 degree, taking into account mitigating circumstances. Candidates need to demonstrate good analytical skills, combined with a common sense approach. Candidates should be self-motivated and demonstrate their ability to get involved in a wide range of extracurricular activities, and outside studies, showing a good level of achievement in all areas. We value communication skills and look for evidence that you have worked in teams and taken on responsibility. We also want to get a sense of your enthusiasm, energy, and commitment.

We review all applications we receive, and seek out individuals who can demonstrate insight into their experiences. Interviews for training contracts will take place in July 2025. Candidates will attend an assessment and interview with partners and senior associates. The offer of a training contract is conditional upon the provision of satisfactory references

• Applications Open: October 2024
• Application Deadline: 19 May 2025

• First-year salary: £55,660
• Second-year salary: £59,290
• NQS: £123,000

We review salaries annually to be competitive with market levels for equivalent law firms in London.

We will pay your fees for required courses after your undergraduate degree, including a maintenance grant of £8000 for full-time study during the PGDL(conversion) and a grant of £12,000 for the Solicitors Qualifying Examinations (SQE).

Trainees are entitled to 25 days of annual holiday. Other benefits include participation in the firm’s Healthy Incentive Bonus Scheme, seasonal holiday bonus, optical testing, private health insurance, private dental insurance, life assurance, cycle to work scheme, and an interest-free travel season ticket loan.