UK Trainees

Cooley is a top destination for the most innovative technology and life sciences companies, other disruptive high-growth firms and their investors.

1,300+ lawyers operate from our global network of 19 offices and serve clients in 90 countries across six continents. Our practices include corporate, litigation, regulatory and intellectual property, and we are recognised for our entrepreneurial, forward-thinking legal advice and agile strategies.

We regularly support clients on cross-border expansion, complex corporate and finance transactions, regulatory matters and high-stakes litigation. Cooley has been ranked the #1 UK law firm for venture capital deals since 2022 by PitchBook and received numerous industry awards across Europe.

Joining one of our programmes will give you the chance to experience in depth what we do as a firm and helps us to get to know you.

Spring and summer programmes

Our two-week spring and summer programmes (vacation schemes) are the gateway to becoming a trainee at Cooley London. Designed to give you a genuine insight into life at an international law firm, the programmes combine meaningful work experience, professional development and opportunities to build connections across the firm.

Working alongside our lawyers on active client matters, you’ll gain exposure to the innovative companies, investors and founder-led companies that Cooley is known for advising. Depending on the work taking place during your programme, you may attend meetings, participate in conference calls, assist on transactions, conduct legal research, support litigation matters or contribute to wider client and business projects.

Alongside your work experience, you’ll take part in skills sessions, presentations and networking events that will help you develop your commercial awareness, legal skills and understanding of Cooley’s culture.

You’ll also hear directly from trainees, associates and partners about their experiences and career journeys.

With approximately seven participants on each programme, you’ll benefit from a highly personalised experience. You'll be supported throughout by a supervisor, a trainee buddy and our graduate recruitment team, who will help you make the most of every opportunity and provide guidance as you explore a career with us.

Our goal is simple: to give you meaningful exposure to our work, our people and our culture, while providing a platform for you to demonstrate your potential. By the end of the programme, you’ll have a clearer understanding of what it means to be a Cooley trainee and whether a career with us is right for you.

What you’ll experience:

• Two weeks of work experience, receiving £550 per week in compensation.

• Real work within one of our key practice areas.

• Direct exposure to clients and high-quality work.

• A range of skills‑based training, workshops, presentations and networking events that will help you develop your commercial awareness, legal skills and understanding of Cooley’s culture.

• Continual feedback and coaching from your supervisor.

Dates

Spring programme: 5 April – 16 April 2027

Summer programme: 28 June – 9 July 2027

Eligibility

We can consider only one application from each candidate in a recruitment year.

Candidates may apply to either the spring or summer programme, but we are happy to consider you for both programmes if you are successful in receiving an offer.

Want to learn more about life as a scheme participant at Cooley? Join us at our Meet our Vac Schemers event in October 2026. You can also learn more about our recruitment process before you apply.

If you have enough information and are ready, you can apply here.

Diversity fellowship

As part of Cooley’s ongoing commitment to inclusion, we are proud to offer the UK Diversity fellowship to outstanding university students intending to qualify as solicitors in England and Wales.

The UK Diversity fellowship supports talented aspiring solicitors from underrepresented backgrounds with a unique opportunity to gain early, meaningful exposure to life at an international law firm.

Participating fellows will join up to two of our UK-based programmes, starting with the 2027 summer programme in the London office, this gives you a head start in developing your skills, confidence and understanding of the solicitor career path. Fellows may then return for a second programme the following year. This provides additional time to build confidence, develop practical skills, form relationships across the firm and prepare for the trainee recruitment process.

Further details on what you can expect from the summer programme can be found here.

Financial support for our fellows includes:

• A paid position in the UK summer programme, receiving £550 per week worked.
• A bursary of up to £12,000, paid in three instalments:
  • £4,000 upon completion of the first UK summer programme and securing a place on the second-year programme. Any fellow who does not receive an offer to join the second year of the programme will receive 50% of this bursary.
  • £4,000 upon completion of the second UK programme.
  • £4,000 upon joining the firm as a trainee solicitor.

Fellows must not be the recipient of an inclusion award from another law firm paid between 1 September 2026 and 31 August 2027.

Eligibility

We welcome applications from outstanding university students who:

• Are enrolled full‑time at a UK university, with an anticipated graduation date from a UK law school no later than 2029.

• Demonstrate a commitment to promoting inclusion.

• Will not receive an inclusion award from another law firm between 1 April and 31 August 2027.

• Can participate in the 2026 UK summer programme (28 June – 9 July 2027).

Meet Cooley open days

Our Meet Cooley open days are designed to help aspiring solicitors gain a deeper understanding of what a career at Cooley could look like. Whether you're just beginning to explore commercial law or preparing to apply for one of our programmes, these events offer a valuable opportunity to learn more about the firm, our work and our people.

Across each Meet Cooley event, attendees will have the chance to:

• Meet trainees, associates and partners from across the firm

• Learn about Cooley's practice areas, clients and culture

• Take part in interactive workshops and skills sessions

• Gain insight into the trainee recruitment process

• Receive practical application advice and tips from our graduate recruitment team

• Build connections with fellow aspiring lawyers

Our events are designed to be informative, engaging and interactive, giving you an authentic insight into life at Cooley and helping you make more informed decisions about your future career.

Key dates:

• In person event: 3 November 2026

        Registration for this event closes 13 October 2026

• Virtual event: Monday, 9 November 2026

        Registration for this event closes 3 November 2026

Please visit our website to submit your application.

Cooley recruits London trainees through its spring and summer programmes. All applications are submitted through the online application system and may be reviewed before the final deadline.
The minimum academic requirements for our spring and summer programmes are a 2.1 degree classification in any discipline and 128 UCAS points, equivalent to ABB at A level, excluding AS levels and general studies. Candidates who do not meet these requirements may still be considered where there are clear mitigating circumstances and evidence of excellence elsewhere.

Reasonable adjustments

Cooley is committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. Candidates are encouraged to request reasonable adjustments at any stage of the process. These could include additional time for assessments, rest breaks, accessible materials, assistive technology or changes to an interview or assessment format.

All requests are considered individually and handled sensitively. Asking for an adjustment will not disadvantage an application. For more information, please email Sarah Donoghue.

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Events

Meet our people at campus events, law fairs, virtual sessions and open days.

FAQs

For more information, please visit our FAQs page. If you can’t find your answer there, please email us.

If you would like to register for one of our Meet Cooley events, applications will be live from Friday, 4 September and can be accessed via our application tracking system. Applications for our spring and summer programmes will be live from 1 October 2026.

If you would like to register for any of our other events, or see which universities we’ll be travelling to this autumn, please visit our events page.

To be considered for one of Cooley’s six training places per year, you first must participate in our London spring or summer programmes, which give you an insight into the breadth of work we undertake, as well as the exciting range of clients we are proud to serve and partner with on transformative deals, complex IP, regulatory matters and high-stakes litigation. There also are many opportunities to experience the welcoming, collaborative and distinctive spirit of our firm.

During the two-week spring and summer programmes (each programme having approximately seven participants), you will contribute to meaningful work, engage in professional development sessions and connect with Cooley colleagues through work assignments and social events. A programme mentor, your trainee buddy and members of the legal talent team will guide you through programme opportunities and help support your integration.

Since 2022, our programmes have earned recognition from The Legal 500’s Future Lawyers trainee solicitor survey for the quality of experience they offer.

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

Applications for the London spring and summer programmes are now open and will close on 1 January 2026. Applications for our Meet Cooley insight events also are open now, with a deadline of 23 October for the first in-office insight event taking place on 20 November 2025. See further dates and deadlines on the Meet Cooley tile below.

Key dates: Spring and summer programmes

• Applications open on 19 September 2025 and close on 1 January 2026.

• Spring programme dates: 13 April 2026 – 24 April 2026

• Summer programme dates: 29 June 2026 – 10 July 2026

For more information, see our FAQs page. If you can’t find your answer there, please email UKtrainee@cooley.com.

• FAQs
• Privacy notice for London candidates
• Trainee recruitment brochure