UK Trainees

Become a Trainee 

To be considered for one of Cooley's four training places per year, you must participate in our London summer programme, which is designed to give you insight into the work we do, as well as provide you with opportunities to experience the unique culture of our firm. The two-week summer programme, which accepts approximately 10 people per year, is spent contributing to real-life work, engaging in development sessions and connecting with a range of Cooley people both through work and play.

To submit an application, please click on the ‘Apply to be a UK trainee’ link below. You will be directed to review the privacy notice for London candidates as part of the application registration process.

FAQs

Privacy notice for London candidates

Trainee Recruitment Brochure

Apply for the 2023 UK Diversity Fellowship

Applications open 1 February 2023 – 19 March 2023

headshot of Justin Stock

The Upside

Being part of a smaller trainee cohort often leads to a higher degree of hands-on involvement and exposure.

Cooley's two-year training programme is divided into four seats of six months each. It will likely include two litigation department seats, where your work could span general commercial disputes, white collar crime, insurance, IP, employment and product liability. Other seats will be in corporate commercial/transactional areas, where your work may be a mix of M&A, private equity and venture capital, public companies, capital markets, technology transactions, cyber/data/privacy, compensation & benefits, life sciences, competition, and tax.

Cooley is a breath of fresh air and not just because the firm has a new tech-filled London office. The firm’s culture is not just clever marketing but a tangible reality; the emphasis on inclusivity emanates from every interaction, vacation scheme and beyond. The time partners and associates put aside to provide feedback during my vacation scheme was unparalleled and the support I continue to receive is significant. Nor is the support purely technical, the Cooley team all work to help you develop professionally giving you the confidence for work beyond your training.

Jack Eastwood

second-year trainee