Direct Training Contract 2029/30

Linklaters is a global commercial law firm advising major corporates, banks and private capital clients on complex corporate, finance and contentious matters. The firm provides early-career lawyers with structured training, professional development and opportunities to work on significant client matters across its international network.

The Direct Training Contract provides a route into the firm's London office for candidates who want to qualify as commercial solicitors while gaining experience across several areas of legal practice.

The Training Contract

The Linklaters Training Contract lasts two years, during which trainees rotate through four six-month seats. The seat structure is designed to provide experience across different practice areas and allow trainees to develop a depth of legal and commercial knowledge.

Trainees work on complex transactions and matters for major banks, corporates and financial sponsors. Preferences are taken into account when seats are allocated, subject to the needs of the firm.

Each trainee has a Principal, who provides support with learning and development, as well as guidance from a Group Trainee Solicitor Partner. Trainees also receive ongoing support from the Trainee Development and Human Resources teams.

International and Client Secondments

The Training Contract can include the opportunity to broaden a trainee's experience through an international or client secondment.

Linklaters states that trainees typically undertake a secondment during their fourth seat. International opportunities can include offices in locations such as Dubai and Tokyo, while client secondments provide the opportunity to work directly with major corporate clients.

These placements give trainees exposure to different working environments and allow them to develop a broader understanding of how clients and international legal teams operate.

Training and Development

Linklaters provides structured training throughout the Training Contract. Trainees receive on-the-job learning within each practice area, supported by a dedicated Principal, trainee buddy and the firm's Trainee Development team.

The firm also provides training through its SQE programme, developed in collaboration with the City Consortium and BPP Law School. The programme is designed to develop the legal knowledge, practical skills and professional behaviours required for commercial legal practice.

Trainees also take part in the firm's Plus Programme, which focuses on key aspects of commercial legal practice and complements the formal SQE training.

Who Can Apply?

The Direct Training Contract is open to:

Penultimate-year and final-year undergraduates, postgraduate students and graduates.

Applicants can come from law or non-law academic backgrounds. Linklaters states that applicants should be on track for, or have achieved, a 2:1 across all undergraduate modules, in any discipline, together with AAA at A Level or equivalent.

The application is therefore open to candidates who have already graduated as well as those still completing their undergraduate or postgraduate studies.

What Linklaters Looks For

Linklaters' Success Framework identifies the skills and behaviours it considers important for its trainees.

These include collaboration, ownership and proactivity, learning agility, adaptability, motivation, execution excellence, critical thinking and judgement, resilience and communication. The firm also looks for candidates who demonstrate intellectual ability and an academic record consistent with its stated requirements.

Candidates should be able to demonstrate that they can analyse information, communicate clearly, work effectively with others, adapt to changing circumstances and take responsibility for their work.

Application Process

The application process begins with an online application form, covering basic information, academic history, work experience and extracurricular activities. Linklaters states that the form should take no longer than approximately 60 minutes to complete.

Candidates who progress will complete the Linklaters Online Assessment, which is based on the firm's Success Framework. The assessment consists of three modules and is designed to provide an insight into the work of a Linklaters trainee.

Candidates have five days from submitting the online application form to complete the Online Assessment. The assessment is expected to take approximately one hour. Although there is no overall or per-question time limit, the critical reasoning element is time-recorded, meaning that both accuracy and speed are considered.

The final stage is the Assessment Centre. It begins with a written case study and is followed by two interviews: a competency-based interview and a commercial interview. Candidates meet a Partner and Managing Associate during the interviews. The Assessment Centre also provides an opportunity to meet a current trainee and visit the London office.

Application Dates

Applications for the Direct Training Contract 2029/30 open on:

21 September 2026

The application deadline is:

3 December 2026

Successful candidates will join the Training Contract in either September 2029 or March 2030.

Career Development

The Training Contract is structured to give future solicitors experience across four practice areas while developing both technical legal knowledge and the broader skills required of a commercial lawyer.

Through seat rotations, formal training, mentoring and potential international or client secondments, trainees can build experience across different types of legal work and working environments. The firm's Trainee Development team also provides ongoing career support as trainees make decisions about their seats and eventual qualification.

How to Apply

Candidates interested in the Linklaters Direct Training Contract 2029/30 should submit an application during the application window from 21 September 2026 to 3 December 2026.