Work experience opportunities
Apply nowUNIVERSITY STUDENTS/GRADUATES
If you are at university, or have graduated, and are considering a career as a City lawyer and would like to learn more about training at Slaughter and May, there are many opportunities for you to meet us, either at one of our events or through an open day, work experience scheme or workshop at our London office.
FirST YEAR OPEN DAYS
The aim of our first year open days is to provide an insight into the legal profession in general and more specifically the work of a City law firm. During the day, you will hear about a recent transaction and be given advice on applications and interviews to help you with future applications.
Dates of open days: Tuesday 4 April 2023, Wednesday 12 April 2023 and Wednesday 19 April 2023.
The first year open days take place at our office.
Law and non-law students in their first year of undergraduate study only. Please note that if you are in the second year of a four year degree, you are not eligible to apply.
Reasonable travelling expenses will be reimbursed and we can provide these funds in advance if needed.
Applications for our 2023 open days have now closed. Applications for our 2024 open days will open in October 2023.
Online application only. There are no tests or interviews for this vacancy. See ‘What we look for’ and ‘How to apply’ below for more information.
SUMMER WORK EXPERIENCE SCHEMES
During the three week scheme you will share an office with an associate in one of our legal groups. The associate will involve you as much as possible in their work. There will also be a trainee solicitor assigned to you. The trainee will help you to settle in and will also be available throughout your stay to answer any questions and assist with any tasks you may be given.
As well as getting involved in legal work and conducting hands-on legal research, you will take part in training, workshops and interactive case studies. There will also be social activities arranged to give you opportunities to talk with partners, associates and trainees outside the office.
At the end of the summer scheme, you will be offered the chance to interview for a training contract.
Dates of schemes:
Scheme 1 (law students): Monday 19 June 2023 – Friday 7 July 2023
Scheme 2 (law students): Monday 10 July 2023 – Friday 28 July 2023
Scheme 3 (non-law students): Tuesday 29 August 2023 – Friday 15 September 2023
The schemes will take place in our office.
Penultimate year undergraduate students (law and non-law). Those spending their third year of undergraduate study abroad can choose to apply in their second or third year.
To help cover your expenses while attending a work experience scheme, we will pay you £450 per week. We can provide these funds in advance if needed and we are also happy to discuss the possibility of additional financial support for those who require it.
Applications for our 2023 schemes are now closed. Applications for our 2024 schemes will open in September 2023.
We encourage applications as early as possible within this application window. Applications will be considered and interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis.
Online application. See ‘What we look for’ and ‘How to apply’ below for more information.
Successful candidates will be invited to a virtual interview. Interviews will take place over a five-week period from the beginning of January.
The interview: The interview will be conducted by a partner and an associate and will last for approximately 45 minutes. They will engage you in a discussion about your CV and on a short current affairs article, which will be emailed to you 15 minutes before the interview. You will be able to take notes during this time and can refer to both the article and your notes during the interview. This article will then form part of the discussion in the interview, along with questions relating to your CV, commercial awareness and your motivations for applying to us. They will be looking to you to summarise the main points of the article, to form an opinion on the subject matter and to have a sensible debate on the issues raised. The interviewers will be assessing whether you can assimilate information quickly, identify the relevant issues and articulate and defend your point of view. This is not designed to be a comprehension test or a test to discover your political leanings or beliefs, but you should expect to be challenged on your views and should not be afraid to defend them.
Some example questions that the partners may ask you during the article discussion are:
- Can you summarise the key issues raised in the article?
- What are the main themes, arguments and conclusion (if any)?
- Do you agree or disagree with the arguments put and the position taken in the article and why?
- Are the arguments provided in the article coherent and logical?
- Are there relevant issues which are not touched on or developed in the article?
SPRING WORK EXPERIENCE SCHEME
The aim of our spring work experience scheme is to provide an insight into what a career in commercial law entails to help you make career decisions on a more informed basis and to better prepare you for future applications.
During the one week scheme, your time will be split between sharing an office with an associate and taking part in training sessions and skills workshops to help you develop your understanding of the work of a City law firm and build your commercial awareness. You will also be given advice on applications and interviews to help you with future applications.
Successful applicants will also benefit from an ongoing ‘buddy’ relationship following the scheme to provide support with the summer scheme application/interview process in your penultimate year.
Dates of the scheme: Monday 17 April – Friday 21 April 2023
The scheme will take place in our office.
Law students in their first year of undergraduate study only. Please note that if you are in the second year of a four year degree, you are not eligible to apply.
To help cover your expenses, we will pay you £450. We can provide these funds in advance if needed and we are also happy to discuss the possibility of additional financial support for those who require it.
Applications for our 2023 scheme have now closed. Applications for our 2024 scheme will open in October 2023.
Online application only. There are no tests or interviews for this vacancy.
Applications should be submitted using the online form, which can be accessed here. You will be asked to provide some personal details (including a full breakdown of all your examination results) and to attach your CV. (Please note that a cover letter is not required).
You will also be asked to answer 3 questions outlining:
- your interest in commercial law and your reasons for applying
- the skills and attributes you would bring to the trainee role, and
- a recent commercial news article including how the subject matter might impact the work of the firm.
Our work is intellectually demanding and we look for three good A levels (or equivalent). Your answers to the 3 questions should demonstrate an interest in commercial law and commercial awareness, an understanding of Slaughter and May, your personal motivations and strong written communication skills.
Watch the ‘Preparing your CV’ video on the Apply page for top tips on putting together your CV from Natalie Cook, one of our partners.
WINTER WORKSHOP
The aim of the winter workshop is to give finalists and graduates the opportunity to experience what life as a trainee solicitor would be like.
During the two-day workshop, you will hear from trainees, associates and partners who will give you an insight into some of the types of work our lawyers do every day. You will also have the opportunity to complete some typical trainee tasks and take part in an interactive case study.
At the end of the winter workshop, you will be offered the chance to apply for a training contract.
Dates of workshop: Tuesday 13 December 2022 – Wednesday 14 December 2022
Law and non-law finalists and graduates.
It is not necessary to have completed work experience with us to have a successful training contract application. If you already have legal work experience and/or you feel ready to apply directly for a training contract, we would encourage you to do so.
Training contract offers will be made on a rolling basis and we are therefore unable to guarantee the availability of places as we progress with these interviews. If you attend the winter workshop, you will be offered the chance to apply for a training contract but you may be applying for a later intake.
Reasonable travelling expenses will be reimbursed and we can provide these funds in advance if needed.
Applications for our 2022 Winter workshop have now closed. Applications for our 2023 workshop will open in September 2023.
Online application only. There are no tests or interviews for this vacancy. See ‘What we look for’ and ‘How to apply’ below for more information.