Dechert offers a world of opportunity through our global platform, top-notch training and development programmes and a collaborative and inclusive culture. As a London trainee solicitor, you will be encouraged to find your passion and cultivate your skills. Our ultimate goal is for you to experience what it’s like to be a part of our community.
Training Contract / Programme
Our trainees undertake six seats of four months each, with the opportunity to be seconded to a client or one of our international offices, providing a truly broad legal foundation. Working closely with partners and associates, and with a small trainee intake, no two trainees’ training contracts will be the same. We run a full training programme, at the beginning of, and throughout, the training contract, which complements our on the job training.
We take your training seriously, both before and after you qualify. We have a full, and lively, training programme which covers the whole range of skills you need, from technical legal issues and substantive skills training in each practice area to the Critical Skills Institute, which is focused on leadership, management, communication and client relations.
Vacation Schemes
We run two vacation schemes each year in the winter and spring
Our two-week schemes are designed to give you an idea of what it will be like to be a trainee solicitor at Dechert. Each week you will sit in a different practice group and you are given real work to do by our lawyers. Exactly what you will do will depend on which practice group you sit in but it will include research, drafting and attending meetings. You will also attend training sessions on a range of topics, such as legal writing and negotiation.
Before you start the scheme, we will ask for your practice area preferences and then try to place you in those groups. You will be allocated a supervisor (an associate or partner) and a trainee buddy, and will receive work from people at all levels from across the group
Social events, such as evening activities and dinners, are an important part of the vacation schemes as they enable you to build your relationships with Dechert trainees, associates and partners.
We offer places on both schemes to penultimate year law undergraduates, all final year undergraduates (both law and non-law), all graduates, post-graduates and career changers. You should have achieved, or be on track expect to achieve, at least a 2:1 degree (or equivalent) and have a minimum of AAB at A-Level.
Application process
Applications open on 1 September and close on 16 October 2026 (winter vacation scheme) and 31 December 2026 (spring vacation scheme).
What's involved?
We recruit all of our future trainees from our vacation schemes.
The first step to securing a place on one of our vacation schemes (and a subsequent training contract) is to complete the online application form. The application form asks you about your academic achievements and work experience to date.
The second stage in our recruitment process is a Critical Reasoning Test (CRT) & written exercise. Here we are assessing the key skills you’ll use every day in your future legal career. You’ll have 5 days to complete this stage and you can complete the CRT & written exercise at different times. In total it will take around 1 hour to complete both exercises.
Shortlisted candidates are invited to a 15-minute telephone interview with one of our Graduate Recruitment team. Collaboration is a core value at Dechert, we believe a real, two-way conversation helps us get to know you (and you us) and gives you space to bring your application to life. We’ll discuss your motivation for commercial law, what draws you to Dechert; our practice areas, clients and culture, and how this aligns with your ambitions. It’s relaxed and collaborative, so bring your questions.
Finally, successful candidates will be invited to an interview with a partner and senior associate. This is followed by an office tour and coffee chat with a current trainee. We know that candidates are likely to be interviewing with other firms as well, so the interview is very much a two-way process, and we provide plenty of time for you to ask questions.
