At Watson Farley & Williams, you'll have the opportunity to take on meaningful responsibility, build strong client relationships and develop your expertise in sectors that keep the world moving.
As a trainee, you'll work alongside lawyers advising on complex international matters across the energy, infrastructure and transport sectors. From your first seat, you'll be trusted to contribute, supported by colleagues who are invested in your development and success.
What you can expect
We keep our trainee intake intentionally small, helping to ensure that your contribution is visible and valued. You'll gain hands-on experience, work directly with clients and develop a genuine understanding of the commercial challenges they face.
Over the course of your two-year training contract, you'll complete six four-month seats, giving you broader exposure than the traditional four-seat model offered by many firms. Each seat is designed to help you develop new skills, explore different areas of law and make informed decisions about your future career.
A defining part of the WFW experience is our guaranteed international secondment. Every trainee spends at least one seat in an overseas office, providing first-hand experience of working across jurisdictions and cultures as part of an international firm.
Current trainee secondment opportunities include Athens, Bangkok, Dubai, Frankfurt, Paris, Singapore and Tokyo.
Why WFW?
Our lawyers are known for combining technical excellence with deep sector knowledge. We help clients navigate complex legal and commercial challenges, and we believe the best way to learn is by being involved in that work from an early stage.
What sets us apart is the combination of
- Early responsibility and direct client exposure
- A small trainee intake and supportive culture
- Six four-month seats across a broad range of practice areas
- A guaranteed international secondment
- The opportunity to develop specialist sector knowledge from the outset
Who we're looking for
We're looking for talented individuals who are intellectually curious, commercially aware and motivated to build a career in an international law firm.
You'll enjoy working collaboratively, be comfortable engaging with new ideas and perspectives, and have a genuine interest in understanding the industries and businesses we advise.
Above all, we're looking for people who are ready to contribute, learn and make the most of the opportunities available to them.
Eligibility
You can apply for a training contract if you are a penultimate-year law student, or a final-year student or graduate from any degree discipline.
To apply, you should be on track to achieve, or have achieved:
- A 2:1 degree or above (or international equivalent)
- ABB at A Level, 34 points at IB, or an equivalent qualification
We recognise that academic performance does not always tell the full story and encourage applicants to provide context for any mitigating circumstances.
Start your journey
If you're looking for a training contract that offers international opportunities, genuine responsibility and the chance to develop your career in a focused, collaborative environment, we'd like to hear from you.
Application deadline
Applications for our September 2029 Training Contract are open now. The deadline to apply is 28 June 2027. Please submit your application before the deadline to be considered.
