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UK Trainees

Becoming 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 eight people per year, is spent doing real-life work, attending development sessions and connecting with a range of Cooley people both through work and play.

The online application for the 2017 summer programme will open in late October 2016

FAQs

Apply to be a UK trainee
Training with Cooley in London will be about a breadth of experience and opportunity; being challenged to achieve more than you may have thought possible and enhanced by being surrounded by a collaborative and brilliant team. – Justin Stock, London managing partner

The Upside

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

Cooley’s two-year training programme is divided into four seats of six months each. It will likely include two litigation seats in business litigation, where your work could span both general commercial, insurance, IP and employment. Other seats will be in corporate, where your work may be a mix of M&A, Private Equity and Venture Capital, technology transactions, life sciences, competition, regulatory and tax.

Diversity at Cooley

We are involved in a number of firmwide and office specific diversity programmes which focus on the supporting the talent pipeline and development of existing talent, together with recruitment and working practices. One of the ways we do this is by reviewing trainee application forms on a name-blind basis. 

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Meet Cooley

Our annual ‘Meet Cooley’ event will take place in December and is aimed at those who are planning on applying for the 2017 summer programme for which the deadline is January 31, 2017.

We will also be hosting smaller ‘Meet and Greet’ events in early 2017. Priority for these events will be given to those who have not applied for the 2017 summer programme.

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From day one, you’re encouraged to ask questions about a case or transaction, which goes a long way towards helping you to understand the bigger picture. – Mark Jones, second-year trainee