Vacation scheme / Training Contract - 2025 & 2027 - Cooley (UK)

Deadline 31 December 2024

For Spring and Summer Programme 2025 (leading to Training Contract 2027)

Become a Trainee – Spring and Summer Programmes

To be considered for one of Cooley’s four training places per year, you first must participate in our London spring or summer programmes, which will give you insight into the breadth of work we do – and the exciting range of clients we are proud to serve and partner with on transformative deals, complex IP and regulatory matters, and high-stakes litigation. There will also be many opportunities to experience the distinctive, welcoming and collaborative spirit of our firm.

During the two-week spring or summer programmes (each of which accepts approximately six people per year, and per programme), you will contribute to meaningful work, engage in professional development sessions, and connect with Cooley colleagues through work assignments and socially. A programme mentor, a trainee buddy and the legal talent team will help you make the most of the opportunities available to you, as well as support your integration throughout the programmes.

The spring programme is from 7 – 17 April 2025; the summer programme is from 30 June – 11 July 2025.

Our programmes have earned recognition since 2022 from The Legal 500’s Future Lawyers trainee solicitor survey for the quality of experience they offer.

Applications for the Cooley London spring and summer programmes are now open and will close on 31 December 2024. 

Entry requirements

Cooley requires a minimum of a 2.1 at degree level (any discipline) and 128 UCAS points or equivalent, not to include points from AS levels or general studies. We will accept applications from individuals who do not meet these requirements if they have clear and valid mitigating circumstances – and have otherwise demonstrated excellence at another point in their academic or professional history.

Training programme

Cooley’s two-year training programme is most typically divided into four seats of six months each. This will likely include at least one business litigation seat, where work could involve commercial disputes, white collar defense and investigations, international arbitration, employment, product compliance and litigation, or intellectual property matters. Other seats could involve such contentious or noncontentious corporate commercial areas as M&A, private equity and venture capital, life sciences, finance, capital markets, technology transactions and cyber/data/privacy, and compensation and benefits. 

Salary

We pay £550 per week for each vacation scheme programme, and we offer a free lunch in Arthur’s, our on-site café, each day. For trainees, during their training contract, the starting salary is £55,000, rising to £60,000 in the second year of training.