Uptree

Placement details

Overview.

Location: London

Scheme dates:

• Spring Scheme: 5 to 16 April 2027
• Summer Scheme 1: 21 June to 2 July 2027
• Summer Scheme 2: 5 July to 16 July 2027

Application criteria:

• Penultimate or final year undergraduates, graduates or postgraduates interested in a career in commercial law, studying at UK or Irish universities Linklaters
• On track for, or having achieved, a 2:1 across all undergraduate modules in any discipline, alongside AAA at A Level or equivalent

Any extenuating circumstances will be considered.

Key skills:

• Collaboration
• Ownership and proactivity
• Learning agility
• Adaptability
• Motivation
• Execution excellence
• Critical thinking and judgement
• Resilience
• Communication

Application deadline: Thursday 3rd December 2026 at 23:59

How to apply: Apply directly through Linklater's careers website by following the link at the top of this page.

Applicants complete a short online form covering their basic information, academics, work experience and extra curricular activities, which should take no longer than 60 minutes, and then take the Linklaters Online Assessment, which must be completed within five days of submitting the written application. Successful applicants are then invited to an Assessment Centre, where the day begins with a written case study followed by a competency based interview and a commercial interview, both with a Partner and Managing Associate.

About the opportunity

Linklaters' Vacation Schemes give you two weeks in the London office with an in depth, realistic insight into life as a trainee solicitor, where you experience the firm's work, culture and training first hand. The Spring and Summer Vacation Schemes are the best route to securing a Training Contract with Linklaters, so this placement is an excellent way to explore commercial law and understand whether a career at a leading global firm is right for you.

What you'll get:

• A salary of £520 per week while on the scheme
• A Principal to sit with, who is an Associate or Managing Associate
• A Trainee buddy in each department to help integrate you into the team
• Professional development sessions that build a broader understanding of the firm's global business strategy and practice areas
• Social events to get to know the firm and other Vacation Scheme students
• An automatic offer of a final interview for the Training Contract with a Partner and Managing Associate during the scheme, with final interviews taking place the week after the scheme finishes

What you'll do:

• Get involved in real deals while working alongside your Principal
• Develop essential skills such as negotiation and pitching
• Sit in a practice area of your choice, fully integrated into the team working on live matters and interacting with clients
• Complete assessed tasks and collaborate with your cohort on a group client pitch TargetJobs
• Attend insight sessions covering DEI training, core practice areas and the pro bono and innovation teams

About the company

Linklaters have market-leading global teams across the full range of practice areas within commercial law.

They have 30 offices in 20 countries and act for the world's leading corporates, banks, funds, governments and non-profit making organisations on their most complex and challenging work.

Whatever your personal skill set they will have a practice area (area of the law) that will match your interests.

They're looking for bright and motivated individuals who want to work in a high-performance and dynamic environment. Their first-rate training and career-long opportunities to make an impact will help you to get there. Wherever you go on your legal journey, Linklaters is the best place to start your career.

Linklaters have been awarded the highest number of UK-wide Band 1 department and individual recognitions in Chambers UK Legal Guide 2026, Ranked #1 in the UK by announced deal value (Bloomberg), Top UK employer for gender quality for 13^th year in a row and Linklaters is impressively ranked third in the Social Mobility Index 2025.

Find out more about Linklaters by visiting their company page.

Next steps: 

View further details and apply by clicking 'Apply' at the top of this page!

Expand your knowledge by visiting Linklaters' Application Process page