Hill Dickinson is inviting applications for its Summer 2027 Internship Programme, offering students the opportunity to gain practical experience at a leading commercial law firm.
The programme offers four paid, four-week internships across Hill Dickinson's offices in Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and London.
Applications opened on 1 October 2026 and close on 15 November 2026. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so candidates are encouraged to apply early.
The Internship
The internship is designed to provide students with meaningful professional experience and an insight into life at Hill Dickinson.
Interns will work alongside legal professionals and gain exposure to the firm's working environment. The programme provides an opportunity to develop commercial awareness, build professional skills and understand what a career in commercial law can involve.
During the four-week internship, participants will:
Gain hands-on experience working alongside legal professionals.
Develop commercial awareness and professional skills.
Receive guidance and support from experienced colleagues.
Build a professional network across the firm.
Experience Hill Dickinson's culture and working environment.
Explore whether a career with Hill Dickinson is right for them.
Internship Locations
Summer 2027 internships are available in four Hill Dickinson offices:
Liverpool
Manchester
Leeds
London
The programme therefore provides opportunities to experience Hill Dickinson's work across different UK locations.
Eligibility
The programme is specifically aimed at early-stage university students.
Candidates can apply if they are:
In the first year of a law degree, or
In the second year of a non-law degree.
Candidates should check their circumstances carefully against the firm's eligibility requirements before applying.
Widening Access
Hill Dickinson's internship programme forms part of its wider commitment to widening access to the legal profession.
Applicants must meet at least one of the firm's widening-access criteria. These include:
Being the first person in the family to attend university.
Having had caring responsibilities for a family member while at school or college.
Being eligible for free school meals in Year 11 or earlier.
Having spent three months or more in care.
Having held refugee or asylum status.
Being irreconcilably estranged from a parent or parents.
Having experienced homelessness.
Being from an ethnic minority background.
Identifying as LGBTQ+.
Having a disability or long-term health condition.
The criteria are intended to help create opportunities for students from groups that remain underrepresented within the legal profession.
Development and Support
Interns receive support from experienced colleagues throughout the programme.
The internship provides an opportunity to observe professional legal work, develop workplace skills and gain a clearer understanding of the expectations associated with a career in commercial law.
Participants can also build relationships with lawyers and other professionals across Hill Dickinson, giving them the opportunity to develop their professional network from an early stage.
Recruitment Process
Hill Dickinson's early careers recruitment process begins with an online application.
Online Application
Candidates complete an online application form, providing personal and academic information and answering questions specific to Hill Dickinson.
The firm has partnered with LawCareers.Net to support its application process. Candidates can use the MyLocker platform to store their academic information and upload it to the application form.
Online Assessment
Candidates who progress from the application stage complete an online assessment involving interactive questions and a recorded video interview.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, meaning candidates may be invited to complete the assessment before the application window closes.
Assessment Day
Successful candidates are invited to an assessment day held in person.
The assessment day includes interactive tasks, group activities and presentations, allowing candidates to demonstrate their skills in a practical setting.
Panel Interview
Candidates who progress further attend an in-person panel interview with members of the Hill Dickinson team.
What Hill Dickinson Looks For
Hill Dickinson does not seek a single stereotypical candidate. Its early careers recruitment process looks for individuals who can demonstrate a combination of communication, teamwork, problem-solving and organisational skills.
Candidates should be able to:
Communicate clearly and confidently.
Work effectively independently and as part of a team.
Take a strategic approach to problem solving.
Demonstrate an understanding of Hill Dickinson and its key sectors.
Manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
The firm also encourages candidates to demonstrate their individual experiences, motivations and perspectives rather than relying on generic application responses.
Contextual Recruitment
Hill Dickinson uses a name-blind recruitment process during the early stages of recruitment, with decisions based on merit.
The firm also uses the REALrating contextual recruitment tool, which considers the circumstances in which academic results were achieved. This allows the recruitment process to consider candidates' achievements in context rather than relying solely on grades.
Hill Dickinson also works with organisations including Aspiring Solicitors and Bright Network as part of its wider approach to equality, diversity and inclusion.
Internship and Training Contract Applications
The internship programme is separate from Hill Dickinson's training contract recruitment process.
Students interested in both opportunities can apply for an internship and a training contract at the same time. This allows candidates to explore both routes into a career with Hill Dickinson.
Use of AI
Hill Dickinson recognises that AI can be useful when preparing for an application, understanding the recruitment process or refining responses.
However, the firm places particular importance on candidates' own experiences, motivations and perspectives. Applications should therefore reflect the individual candidate and demonstrate why Hill Dickinson is relevant to their career ambitions.
Application Deadline
Applications for the Summer 2027 Internship Programme close on:
15 November 2026
Applications opened on 1 October 2026.
As applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, candidates are encouraged to apply as early as possible.
- Locations
- England, United Kingdom