Easter Work Experience Scheme 2021

Slaughter and May is one of the most prestigious law firms in the world. We advise on high-profile and often landmark international transactions. Our excellent and varied client list ranges from governments to entrepreneurs, from retailers to entertainment companies and from conglomerates to Premier League football clubs.

We are a full-service law firm to corporate clients and have leading practitioners across a wide range of practice areas including Mergers and Acquisitions, Corporate and Commercial, Financing, Tax, Competition, Dispute Resolution, Real Estate, Pensions and Employment, Financial Regulation, Information Technology and Intellectual Property. 

Clients need us to ensure that the service we offer is cutting edge, both in terms of harnessing latest market developments, such as legal tech, as well as the quality of our advice. We are committed to a forward-thinking, innovative approach to legal service delivery to complement the best in class, business-focused advice on which our reputation is built.

We take great store in drawing strength from diversity. With 147 different degree courses from 70 different universities and 45 nationalities represented among our lawyers, our culture is extremely broad.

A world of difference

There are clear differences between us and other global law firms.

At Slaughter and May we train each of our lawyers to be a multi-specialist equipped to advise on a broad range of legal matters, which at other firms would be handled by a number of different lawyers. We think that by broadening your training and experience, you will be a better lawyer. We have built a reputation for delivering innovative solutions to difficult problems. This reputation has been earned because each of our lawyers advises on broad legal areas, combining experience gained on one type of transaction to solve problems in another. In this way, our lawyers have a varied and interesting workload and ample opportunities to develop close relationships with clients.

Much of our work has an international element and in 2019 we worked with over 225 law firms in more than 80 jurisdictions.  We have offices in London, Brussels, Hong Kong and Beijing. In other jurisdictions, we prefer to remain agile by leading unified, hand-picked teams of lawyers from market-leading law firms. All the firms we work with across the world have a reputation for excellence and independence that mirrors our own.

At Slaughter and May we also take a different approach to time; there are no set billing or time targets. Some ideas take a matter of seconds but can save companies millions of pounds a year. The type of work we do is not always measurable in minutes. In this way, our lawyers are free to work collaboratively, sharing expertise and knowledge, so that they can concentrate on what matters most – the quality of the work and client service.

And finally, we ensure that this difference in approach filters through to our Diversity and Inclusion strategy. Traditional approaches are often skewed towards initiatives helping diverse individuals to “fit in” and succeed; we focus on examining and adjusting the system for greater acceptance of different leadership styles and ways of working.  

Easter work experience scheme 2021

We run a one-week work experience scheme at Easter for law and non-law students in the penultimate year of their degree course (ie those in the second year of a three-year course or the third year of a four-year course). If you are on a four-year course and will be spending your third year overseas, you are welcome to apply in your second or third year.

During these schemes 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.

To help cover your expenses while attending a work experience scheme, we will pay you £450 per week. We are also happy to discuss the possibility of additional financial support for those who require it. Please contact the Trainee Recruitment Team for further information.

What do we look for?

Our trainees come from a range of universities – it is the quality of the candidate, not the university that is important to us. We like people with:

• a sharp intellect
• independent thought and curiosity
• commercial awareness
• energy, spark and commitment
• the ability to relate to others
• common sense and judgement
• integrity
• a range of interests outside of the law
• an interesting take on things
• resolve and resilience
• a good sense of humour
• a willingness to take on responsibility

Applications

Applications should be submitted using the online form, which can be accessed by clicking on 'Apply Now'.

You will be asked to provide some personal details (including a full breakdown of all your examination results) and to attach your cover letter and CV. Your cover letter should tell us about you, why you are interested in a career in law and why you are applying to Slaughter and May.  You should also include any other information which you think may be relevant to your application.

Please ensure that your cover letter is no longer than one side of A4 and address it to Janine Arnold, Senior Manager – Trainee Recruitment.