Trainee Associate Programme

The Trainee Associate Programme

Applications for our Trainee Associate Programme are now open. We are recruiting for our February 2027 and 2028 trainee intakes.

Our eight-seat Trainee Associate Programme (previously known as the Training Contract) sets you up for the high-profile, precedent-setting international work you’ll be doing. What we do is complicated, crossing multiple geographical borders and practice groups, so you’ll experience a wide range of areas in commercial law.

All trainees complete at least one seat in dispute resolution and at least two seats in global transactions (across corporate, finance and real estate). You can choose other seats in: antitrust, competition and trade; people and reward; tax; and IP/IT.

Eligibility

You’re eligible to apply for the Trainee Associate Programme if you are either:

• A second-year undergraduate student on a three-year course in any degree discipline
• A third-year undergraduate student on a four-year course in any degree discipline
• A first- or second-year student on an accelerated (two-year) LLB programme
• A final-year undergraduate student in any degree discipline
• A graduate in any degree discipline
• A postgraduate in any degree discipline

Please note that you can only apply for either the Trainee Associate Programme or Vacation Scheme once per academic year.

Inclusion

Freshfields is an equal opportunities employer and all applications received by the firm will be considered based on their merit alone and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of background. All offers of employment will be conditional on the candidate having/securing the right to work in the UK and providing the firm with evidence of that right (as required by the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006) prior to employment commencing.

Freshfields is a Ban the Box employer. We ask applicants to disclose criminal convictions only when a conditional job offer is made. A conviction does not automatically lead to withdrawal of the offer: we make decisions on a case-by-case basis and take a number of factors into account (e.g. the role you are applying for and the circumstances of the offence). You would have the opportunity to discuss the matter with us before we make a decision.

Application Deadline

23:59 on Thursday 23 January 2025.