Summer Vacation Scheme 2027

Linklaters is a global commercial law firm offering students and graduates the opportunity to experience life in commercial law through its Vacation Scheme. The programme is designed to give participants practical exposure to the work of a global law firm, while allowing them to develop their understanding of commercial legal practice and the skills required of future trainees.

The Summer Vacation Scheme is a two-week programme and provides participants with an opportunity to work alongside experienced lawyers, become involved in real matters and gain insight into the firm's practice areas and global business strategy.

The Summer Vacation Scheme

The Linklaters Summer Vacation Scheme is aimed at penultimate-year and final-year undergraduates, graduates and postgraduate students who are interested in pursuing a career in commercial law.

During the two-week programme, participants are given exposure to the working environment of a global commercial law firm. They can become involved in real deals, work within a department and gain an understanding of how lawyers contribute to major client matters.

Participants are also given opportunities to develop practical skills through professional development sessions. These sessions provide a broader understanding of Linklaters' global business strategy and practice areas, while helping participants develop skills such as negotiation and pitching.

Working with Experienced Lawyers

Each Vacation Scheme participant is supported within the department by a Principal, who is an Associate or Managing Associate. Participants also have a trainee buddy in each department to help them integrate into the team and understand what it is like to work as a trainee solicitor at Linklaters.

The scheme also provides opportunities to speak with experienced lawyers and gain a more informal understanding of commercial legal practice. This enables participants to ask questions about legal careers, client work and life at the firm.

Professional Development

Professional development forms an important part of the programme. Participants attend sessions designed to broaden their understanding of Linklaters' global business strategy and practice areas.

The programme also focuses on practical commercial skills, including negotiation and pitching, giving participants an opportunity to develop skills that are relevant to commercial legal practice.

The firm's wider Success Framework identifies a range of skills and behaviours that Linklaters considers important, including collaboration, ownership and proactivity, learning agility, adaptability, motivation, execution excellence, critical thinking and judgement, resilience and communication.

Social and Networking Opportunities

The Vacation Scheme is not limited to formal legal work. Participants have opportunities to get to know other Vacation Scheme students and Linklaters lawyers through social events organised during the programme.

These activities provide an opportunity to experience the firm's working environment and develop relationships with other students and members of the firm.

Route to a Training Contract

A significant feature of the programme is its connection to the Linklaters Training Contract.

Participants who complete the Vacation Scheme will automatically be offered a final interview for the Training Contract. The interview is conducted with a Partner and Managing Associate and takes place during the week after the Vacation Scheme has finished.

The Vacation Scheme therefore provides students with direct exposure to the firm and its lawyers before the final Training Contract interview stage.

Who Can Apply?

The 2027 Vacation Scheme is open to:

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

The programme is intended for candidates interested in pursuing a career in commercial law.

Linklaters' application guidance states that candidates 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.

What Linklaters Looks For

Linklaters' Success Framework sets out the skills, behaviours and qualities the firm looks for during its recruitment process.

These include:

Collaboration: building effective working relationships and adapting to a fast-paced environment.

Ownership and proactivity: taking responsibility for allocated work while identifying opportunities to contribute and learn.

Learning agility: demonstrating curiosity, learning quickly and using feedback to improve.

Adaptability: responding effectively to changing circumstances, client expectations and market conditions.

Motivation: demonstrating a clear career focus and commitment to achieving high standards.

Execution excellence: producing accurate, high-quality work while managing competing priorities.

Critical thinking and judgement: analysing information, understanding wider context and making effective decisions.

Resilience: responding constructively to challenges and learning from setbacks.

Communication: communicating clearly and effectively in writing and verbally, while adapting communication to the audience and purpose.

Application Process

The Linklaters 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 then complete the Linklaters Online Assessment, which is based on the firm's Success Framework. Candidates have five days from submitting the online application form to complete the assessment. The assessment contains three modules and is designed to provide a realistic insight into the role of a Linklaters trainee.

The assessment is expected to take approximately one hour. There is no overall or per-question time limit, although the critical reasoning element is time-recorded, meaning that both accuracy and speed are considered when responses are assessed. Candidates receive a personalised feedback report highlighting strengths and an area for development after completing the assessment.

Candidates who successfully progress through the recruitment process will take part in the Vacation Scheme itself. Participants who complete the scheme are automatically offered a final Training Contract interview with a Partner and Managing Associate.

Programme Dates

The Summer Vacation Scheme 2027 is offered on two dates:

Summer Scheme 1: 21 June – 2 July 2027

Summer Scheme 2: 5 – 16 July 2027

The final Training Contract interviews will take place during the week following completion of the relevant Vacation Scheme.

Pay

Participants receive £520 per week during the two-week Vacation Scheme.

Application Deadline

Applications for the Linklaters Summer Vacation Scheme 2027 close on:

Thursday, 3 December 2026 at 23:59 UTC.