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Herbert Smith Freehills Graduate Careers

Herbert Smith Freehills is one of the leading law firms in the UK and you can discover opportunities and information about the firm from this law firm hub.

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The AllAboutLaw perspective on Herbert Smith Freehills

If you're looking for challenging work with a leading global firm, but you also want to take charge of your seat selection, craft your own career and develop the sector expertise and enhanced knowledge you'll need to progress even quicker once you've qualified, then joining Herbert Smith Freehills as a trainee associate might just be the way to go. 

The firm takes on "a roughly equal split of law and non-law students", and successful candidates will be given the opportunity to work with some of the best lawyers in the world on huge projects with high-profile clients. Trainees complete four six-month seats and are able to select their seat preferences ahead of each rotation. During your training contract, you can work in dispute resolution, corporate, finance, competition, regulation and trade, intellectual property, employment, pensions and incentives and tax. 

For legal tech enthusiasts, there is a Digital Law Group, where you can also complete a seat. What's more, trainees can complete a seat in ESG, and pro bono secondments are also offered, where trainees can join the in-house legal teams of charities and NGOs. Speaking of secondments, most of the firm's trainees will complete an international or client secondment as part of the programme.

Trainees are given real responsibility, and each one will share an office with a Senior Associate or a Partner, who will provide consistent feedback and support alongside a partner mentor.

What the firm says

Herbert Smith Freehills – Your Growth. Our Ambition.

We’re a leading, full-service, global law firm delivering high-profile work that matters to our clients, on some of the world’s biggest cases and deals. With an award-winning depth of expertise across a wide variety of sectors, geographies and legal specialisms, you don’t just watch from the sidelines here, you hit the ground running, make a difference and tackle the important issues. 

We have a responsibility to do the right thing and raise ambitions: for the firm, for our clients and for you. We invest in your experiences, well-being and development, knowing that the work you do will make a lasting impact on the firm. By combining perspectives and potential from diverse backgrounds, we offer our clients pioneering solutions, and with our innovative and inclusive culture, we’re building a reputation for excellence across legal disciplines, business sectors and continents. Wherever you are in your career, at Herbert Smith Freehills, your growth is our ambition. 

The work we do here is incredibly varied. We provide top-quality tailored legal advice to major corporations, governments and financial institutions, and various commercial organisations. We operate at the forefront of many exciting sectors. Our dispute resolution practice is widely recognised as number one globally so we can therefore offer a complete litigation service and a realistic alternative career to the Bar. We also specialise in finance, competition, regulation and trade, intellectual property, real estate and more. As a truly global law firm, we attract the brightest minds across the world and always make sure we prioritise the growth of our people because it’s what drives the growth of our business. 

At Herbert Smith Freehills, we recognise and appreciate all the differences that make each of us unique. The diversity of our backgrounds and perspectives makes us more innovative, which is key to our success in a global, fast-moving world. Our culture of inclusion that fosters these differences is fundamental to our business and the diverse clients and communities we work with. Here, you’ll be part of a working environment where you’ll be valued for what makes you different and accepted for who you are.

We know that for you to have a long and rewarding career here, you need to be supported to do your best work. That’s why we provide a number of benefits, including: 25 days' annual leave, pension contributions, private medical insurance, life assurance, subsidised gym membership, cycle to work scheme, travel insurance, interest-free season ticket loan, access to a mortgage broker and many more.

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Data

• First Year Trainee£50,000
• Second Year Trainee£55,000
• NQ Base Salary£120,000
• Retention Rate83%
• Law school fees paid?Yes
• SQE financial support?Yes
• PGDL Grant: London£10,000
• PGDL Grant: Rest of UK£9,000

Sustainability

Sustainability is incredibly important to this law firm. The firm has signed up to the Sustainable Recruitment Alliance pledge, which is a movement committed to finding more sustainable ways to attract early talent.

Academic requirements

• A-Levels Not assessed
• Degree 2:1 or above

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