Law Firm Application Deadlines 2022-2023

[James Carrabino]

Hi everyone!

As law firms continue to announce their deadlines for the upcoming cycle, the list below will be updated

Always check the time that the application is due on the website - if the firm's website does not mention a specific time (especially if the firm uses apply4law) then it would usually be safe to assume a deadline of 11:59pm, but I have seen firms specify noon, 1pm, 4pm, 5pm and (weirdly) 11:55pm - it is always better to be safe then sorry!

I have separated out the application deadlines for first-year, winter, spring and summer vacation schemes as well as for direct training contract applications. This may be useful for those of you who wish to spread out your applications between winter, spring, summer and direct TC in order to minimise your chance of being accepted onto multiple overlapping vacation schemes which you cannot complete.

Please refer also to this list of firms which either recruit primarily from vacation scheme or direct TC, as well as this list of which firms recruit on a rolling basis. You will always be able to find all of these posts at the link in my signature, along with my compilation of common application pitfalls to avoid when you start writing your applications!

Together I hope that these lists help you draw up a schedule of which firms you will apply to, when you will apply to them and whether you will apply to their training contract or vacation scheme in the first instance. The application process can be somewhat of a numbers game and it is definitely realistic to submit large numbers of high-quality applications if you plan ahead, starting now!

The deadlines listed below do not offer a comprehensive summary and there are many firms which will be opening their application cycles over the coming weeks. If anyone else wants to suggest additions, please comment with more firms, the relevant dates, and a link to the firm's website page where the dates are listed.

Thank you

Deadlines​

First-Year Insight Scheme Applications

December 2022
16 December 2022: Slaughter and May

January 2023
1 January 2023: Latham & Watkins
27 January 2023: Macfarlanes
31 January 2023: Simmons & Simmons

February 2023
1 February 2023: Taylor Wessing
3 February 2023: DLA Piper
9 February 2023: Clifford Chance
16 February 2023: Freshfields

March 2023
19 March 2023: Weil, Gotshal & Manges
31 March 2023: White & Case


Winter Vacation Scheme Applications

September 2022
30 September 2022: Herbert Smith Freehills

October 2022
6 October 2022: Linklaters
9 October 2022: Travers Smith
13 October 2022: Covington & Burling
14 October 2022: Allen & Overy
14 October 2022: Slaughter and May
27 October 2022: Burges Salmon
28 October 2022: Dechert
30 October 2022: Jones Day
30 October 2022: Shearman & Sterling


Spring Vacation Scheme Applications

December 2022
1 December 2022: Baker McKenzie
2 December 2022: Herbert Smith Freehills
12 December 2022: Reed Smith
15 December 2022: Linklaters
15 December 2022: Skadden
16 December 2022: Bird & Bird
20 December 2022: Willkie Farr & Gallagher
31 December 2022: Dechert

January 2023
1 January 2023: Kirkland & Ellis
1 January 2023: Latham & Watkins
2 January 2023: Clyde & Co
2 January 2023: Debevoise & Plimpton
3 January 2023: Dentons
3 January 2023: Pennington Manches Cooper
3 January 2023: Watson Farley & Williams
4 January 2023: Goodwin Procter
5 January 2023: Addleshaw Goddard
6 January 2023: Macfarlanes
6 January 2023: Mishcon de Reya
8 January 2023: Jones Day
8 January 2023: Milbank
10 January 2023: TLT
10 January 2023: Weil, Gotshal & Manges
12 January 2023: Burges Salmon
15 January 2023: HFW
15 January 2023: Shearman & Sterling
15 January 2023: White & Case
27 January 2023: Sidley Austin
31 January 2023: Charles Russell Speechlys
31 January 2023: Cleary Gottlieb
31 January 2023: Farrer & Co
31 January 2023: Mayer Brown
31 January 2023: Ropes & Gray
31 January 2023: Stephenson Harwood
31 January 2023: Withers


Summer Vacation Scheme Applications

December 2022
1 December 2022: Taylor Wessing
2 December 2022: Herbert Smith Freehills
9 December 2022: Slaughter and May
12 December 2022: Reed Smith
13 December 2022: Eversheds Sutherland
15 December 2022: Linklaters
15 December 2022: Skadden
16 December 2022: Allen & Overy
20 December 2022: Willkie Farr & Gallagher
24 December 2022: CMS
30 December 2022: DLA Piper
31 December 2022: Bird & Bird
31 December 2022: Katten

January 2023
1 January 2023: Baker McKenzie
1 January 2023: Kirkland & Ellis
1 January 2023: Latham & Watkins
2 January 2023: Clyde & Co
2 January 2023: Debevoise & Plimpton
3 January 2023: Dentons
3 January 2023: Irwin Mitchell
3 January 2023: Pennington Manches Cooper
3 January 2023: Watson Farley & Williams
4 January 2023: Goodwin Procter
4 January 2023: Mills & Reeve
5 January 2023: Addleshaw Goddard
6 January 2023: Ashurst
6 January 2023: Hogan Lovells
6 January 2023: Macfarlanes
6 January 2023: Mishcon de Reya
6 January 2023: Squire Patton Boggs
7 January 2023: Davis Polk (only law students can apply)
8 January 2023: Akin Gump
8 January 2023: Jones Day
8 January 2023: Milbank
10 January 2023: TLT
10 January 2023: Weil, Gotshal & Manges
12 January 2023: Burges Salmon
12 January 2023: Pinsent Masons
13 January 2023: Covington & Burling
13 January 2023: Forsters
13 January 2023: Sullivan & Cromwell
13 January 2023: Vinson & Elkins
13 January 2023: Winston & Strawn
15 January 2023: Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
15 January 2023: DWF
15 January 2023: HFW
15 January 2023: Osborne Clarke
15 January 2023: Shearman & Sterling
15 January 2023: Simmons & Simmons
15 January 2023: Travers Smith
15 January 2023: Trowers & Hamlins
15 January 2023: White & Case
16 January 2023: Gibson Dunn
25 January 2023: Morgan Lewis
26 January 2023: Fieldfisher (Diversity Access Scheme)
27 January 2023: Sidley Austin
31 January 2023: Charles Russell Speechlys
31 January 2023: Cleary Gottlieb
31 January 2023: Dechert
31 January 2023: Farrer & Co
31 January 2023: K & L Gates
31 January 2023: Mayer Brown
31 January 2023: Orrick
31 January 2023: Ropes & Gray
31 January 2023: Shoosmiths (30 June for Belfast)
31 January 2023: Stephenson Harwood
31 January 2023: Wedlake Bell
31 January 2023: Withers

February 2023
5 February 2023: Taylor Vinters
12 February 2023: Norton Rose Fulbright
26 February 2023: Arnold & Porter
28 February 2023: Womble Bond Dickinson


Direct Training Contract Applications

November 2022
30 November 2022: Slaughter and May

December 2022
8 December 2022: Clifford Chance (second-year law students and final-year non-law students are prioritised)
15 December 2022: Linklaters
16 December 2022: Allen & Overy
31 December 2022: Bird & Bird
31 December 2022: Curtis (for 2024 TC)

January 2023
2 January 2023: Bristows
3 January 2023: Irwin Mitchell
5 January 2023: Freshfields (non-law and law intake)
6 January 2023: Fieldfisher
12 January 2023: Pinsent Masons
13 January 2023: Greenberg Traurig (for 2023 TC)
15 January 2023: Osborne Clarke
16 January 2023: Gibson Dunn
29 January 2023: Ince
31 January 2023: Brown Rudnick (for 2023 TC)
31 January 2023: Charles Russell Speechlys
31 January 2023: Hill Dickinson
31 January 2023: Hogan Lovells (2024 and 2025 intakes)
31 January 2023: Lewis Silkin
31 January 2023: Mayer Brown

March 2023
31 March 2023: Ashurst
31 March 2023: Shoosmiths (15 October 2022 for Belfast)

April 2023
1 April 2023: Baker McKenzie

May 2023
29 May 2023: Orrick
31 May 2023: Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
31 May 2023: Goodwin Procter
31 May 2023: TLT
31 May 2023: Wedlake Bell

June 2023
1 June 2023: Forsters
4 June 2023: Pennington Manches Cooper
15 June 2023: Dentons
25 June 2023: DWF
30 June 2023: Vinson & Elkins
30 June 2023: Withers

July 2023
2 July 2023: Kirkland & Ellis
3 July 2023: Watson Farley & Williams
7 July 2023: Covington & Burling
7 July 2023: Farrer & Co
7 July 2023: Morgan Lewis
9 July 2023: Norton Rose Fulbright
13 July 2023: Freshfields (law only intake)
14 July 2023: Sullivan & Cromwell
16 July 2023: Latham & Watkins
16 July 2023: White & Case
21 July 2023: Macfarlanes
31 July 2023: Addleshaw Goddard
31 July 2023: Arnold & Porter
31 July 2023: Cleary Gottlieb
31 July 2023: HFW
31 July 2023: Hogan Lovells (2025 intake only)
31 July 2023: K & L Gates
31 July 2023: Stephenson Harwood
31 July 2023: Trowers & Hamlins
31 July 2023: Weil, Gotshal & Manges

TBA: Eversheds Sutherland
TBA: Howard Kennedy (for 2024 TC)
TBA: Paul Hastings

 

[BeGrateful.101]

This is really helpful! Thank you

 

[aakriti_3377]

Thank you so much for the information on this thread. Has Kirkland and Ellis cancelled their vacation scheme program? While their website does have applications for the summer vacation scheme in 2022, it hasn't provided any information to apply for their 2023 summer vacation scheme. I'd really appreciate any help to this end.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thank you so much for the information on this thread. Has Kirkland and Ellis cancelled their vacation scheme program? While their website does have applications for the summer vacation scheme in 2022, it hasn't provided any information to apply for their 2023 summer vacation scheme. I'd really appreciate any help to this end.

As mentioned in another thread, I think they just haven’t opened applications yet. Sometimes firms don’t launch new websites or update them etc until early October

 

[Mike Wazaoski]

Is there a list of UK law firms offering training contracts/ vacation schemes in Dubai/ Middle East?

Including:
Application deadlines
A level requirements
Deadlines

Happy to create one but useful to know in case already exists!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Is there a list of UK law firms offering training contracts/ vacation schemes in Dubai/ Middle East?

Including:
Application deadlines
A level requirements
Deadlines

Happy to create one but useful to know in case already exists!

Hi @Mike Wazaoski - We don’t have this detail specifically unfortunately and from a quick look online I can’t see any other websites that seems to list it either unfortunately.

Please let us know if you do create the list though - this would be incredibly useful, and we’d love to reward you with one of our weekly “post of the week” awards if you do.

 

[BL]

Hi @Mike Wazaoski - We don’t have this detail specifically unfortunately and from a quick look online I can’t see any other websites that seems to list it either unfortunately.

Please let us know if you do create the list though - this would be incredibly useful, and we’d love to reward you with one of our weekly “post of the week” awards if you do.

Clyde & Co
Clifford Chance
Stephenson Hawrood
Dentons
Linklaters
Hogan Lovells
White & Case
Pinsent Masons
Allen & Overy
Eversheds Sutherland
Latham & Watkins
Bird & Bird

 

[O]

Clyde & Co
Clifford Chance
Stephenson Hawrood
Dentons
Linklaters
Hogan Lovells
White & Case
Pinsent Masons
Allen & Overy
Eversheds Sutherland
Latham & Watkins
Bird & Bird

Hi,

Thanks for sharing this.

Do you mind sharing the relevant links for White & Case, Hogan Lovells and Bird and Bird? I cannot find anything on their site referencing graduate opportunities in the middle east.

Thanks in advance!

 

[SS21]

Clyde & Co
Clifford Chance
Stephenson Hawrood
Dentons
Linklaters
Hogan Lovells
White & Case
Pinsent Masons
Allen & Overy
Eversheds Sutherland
Latham & Watkins
Bird & Bird

Hi,

Same question as above as I couldn't find anything for White & Case, Hogan Lovells and Bird and Bird. Thanks!

 

[Future_lawyer_somewhere]

I think CC said it’s preferable (I don’t speak Arabic) but I work internationally so applied from that perspective. (So even less of tie than yourself).
I saw on CC isntagram that they are interested in your ties and used “growing up” there as an example. So I believe your application will be fairly considered.
Unsure about my own though 😅

 

[O]

Also does anyone have any insight into whether the firms who offer Middle East schemes that require Arabic treat this as a strict requirement? Clifford Chance and Clyde & Co for example versus DLA Piper who treat it as a "desirable, but not essential" skill.

I have ties to the region (born & raised in Dubai) but don't speak Arabic. Thanks!

It really depends on the firm. CC makes it clear that it provides an advantage but not essential, whilst Linklaters makes it clear that it is a strict requirement.

 

[SS21]

Is there a list of UK law firms offering training contracts/ vacation schemes in Dubai/ Middle East?

Including:
Application deadlines
A level requirements
Deadlines

Happy to create one but useful to know in case already exists!

Hi
Just wondering if you got the chance to compile a definitive list?

 

[SamanthaBracey]

Hi!

Just to add that TLT's Vacation Scheme deadline is 10 January 2023. You can apply for your preferred office via the website at www.tlt.com/careers/trainees.

If successful at assessment centre, then you can pick Spring or Summer dates.

Thanks!

 

[fasihsheikhrehman]

Is there a list of UK law firms offering training contracts/ vacation schemes in Dubai/ Middle East?

Including:
Application deadlines
A level requirements
Deadlines

Happy to create one but useful to know in case already exists!

Yes please, could I connect with you on any social media to gain some insights on vacation schemes in Dubai.