Training contracts
From autumn 2021, we are recruiting trainee solicitors who can start their training contract in September 2024. We recruit our future trainee solicitors from our spring and summer vacation schemes only.

Our training contract provides an environment where junior lawyers can excel and be challenged, in a supportive environment. You will sit in four different practice areas, with a mix of partners and associates. You will spend six months in Litigation, Compliance, Investigations & Enforcement and six months in Private Equity.

In addition to the full programme of formal training, you will work alongside our partners and associates in small teams on real matters from day one. Our people work in small, nimble teams on high-quality matters, so it is important that you are motivated, collaborative and able to pick things up quickly as you will receive a great breadth of work from the outset.

Salary and benefits
Our trainees will be paid £50,000 in their first year and £55,000 in the second year. Our qualification salary is £130,000 per annum. We offer a full suite of benefits.

Vacation schemes
From 1 September 2021, we are recruiting trainee solicitors who can start their training contract in September 2024. We recruit our future trainee solicitors via our vacation schemes. In 2022, we will have up to 12 people in total on our spring and summer vacation schemes.

During your two-week scheme, you will sit in two different teams, with a partner and an associate, and gain hands-on experience, giving you the opportunity to undertake real, meaningful work and showcase your potential. We hope that by the end of the two weeks, you will have met most of our people at our vacation scheme-specific workshops, seminars and social events. You will be supported throughout your time with us, by a partner mentor, an associate buddy and our graduate recruitment team, and will be paid £500 per week.

Our vacation schemes will be held from 4 to 15 April 2022 and 20 June to 1 July 2022. We offer places on both schemes to penultimate year Law undergraduates, all final year undergraduates (both Law and non-Law), all graduates, post-graduates and career changers.

Application information
We recruit our trainee solicitors via our vacation schemes only. Applications are open from 1 September 2021 to 20 December 2021, and we recruit on a rolling basis. This means you will hear from us within ten to fifteen working days as to the outcome of your application. We will not fill up places before the deadline. It is our recommendation that you only submit your application when you feel it is ready rather than submitting it as early as possible.

Our application process takes place in four stages. Please note only those successful at each stage go forward to the subsequent stage:

• Online application form;
• Video interview;
• Written analytical exercise: to ensure fairness, the written exercise is marked by at least two different people (associates/partners) from Willkie’s London office. Neither ‘marker’ would have seen, and will not see, any applications or video interviews and each exercise is marked on a name-blind basis; and
• Interview with partners and/or senior associates: our interviews are conducted on a CV-blind basis.

We welcome applicants from all universities and degree disciplines. We are looking for consistently strong academic achievement, with a 2.1 at undergraduate level. Willkie is proud to use Rare’s Contextual Recruitment System. Partnering with Rare means social mobility measures and educational data are embedded into our recruitment process. This means we will better understand your academic achievements.

Our people work in small, nimble teams on high quality matters, so it is important that you are motivated, collaborative and able to pick things up quickly as you will receive a great breadth of work from the outset. Willkie London has grown by 91% since 2017.  With this in mind, we are looking for self-starters who want to contribute to a dynamic, growing workplace, and who have a genuine interest in Willkie and our clients.

To make an application, please click here. Applications are open from 1 September 2021 to midnight (GMT) on 20 December 2021. We cannot accept any application made outside of this window.

Should you have any further questions, please contact Gemma Baker, graduate recruitment manager, at graduaterecruitment@willkie.com.

Our brochure gives more information on our practice areas in London, and contains videos with some of our partners and associates in London about life at Willkie.

To view our brochure, please click here.

Law fairs and workshops
We will be attending a number of workshops and law fairs in autumn 2021. Please note that all the events will be held virtually. Should you wish to attend, and for more information, please contact the host directly.

Open events at Willkie
We are holding four virtual events in autumn 2021.

Virtual Webinar: How to make a successful application, hosted by Gemma Baker, graduate recruitment manager. This webinar will give you practical, honest and achievable advice on how to refine your applications. This webinar is 90 minutes long, including time for questions. To register your interest, please click on the links below. Please note that you can only attend one applications webinar. Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis and will close when the webinar is full.

• 23 September 2021, midday to 1.30 pm: click here to register.
• 18 October 2021, 2 pm to 3.30 pm: click here to register.
• 1 December 2021, 10 am to 11.30 am, click here to register.

Virtual Open Day: our open day takes place on 9 November 2021 from 3 pm to 6 pm. You will hear from partners, associates and trainees about our practice areas at Willkie, our hands-on approach to training, working in small teams and the opportunities you will be given. You will also learn about pro bono and community work in London. Our open day provides a fantastic opportunity to learn more about life at Willkie.

To apply, you will need to submit a short application. Please click here to apply.

Applications are open from 6 August 2021 to such time as the events are full. Once events are full, the above links will be removed.

Diversity & inclusion
At Willkie, we believe everyone benefits from a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we are committed to maintaining such an environment by recruiting, retaining and promoting people of all backgrounds and cultural experiences.

Willkie is proud to partner with Rare Recruitment on two initiatives: Rare’s Contextual Recruitment System and Vantage. Partnering with Rare means social mobility measures and educational data are embedded into our recruitment process. This means we will better understand your academic achievements. Additionally, interviews are conducted on a CV blind basis.

In 2020, Willkie confirmed its support of the #10000BlackInterns initiative. The new initiative is aimed at helping transform the horizons and prospects of young Black people in the UK by offering paid internships, alongside mentoring, training and development. We will welcome our first intern in 2022.

In London, we have an active LGBTQ+ Affinity Group, as well as the London Chapter of the Women’s Professional Development Committee (WPDC). The WPDC was established more than a decade ago to offer professional development programmes and guidance to ensure that Willkie provides a rewarding and empowering experience to women at the firm.

Our lawyers and business service staff are also members of Willkie’s firm-wide Diversity and Inclusion Committee, established approximately thirty years ago. In the past twelve months, the Diversity and Inclusion Committee has continued to host its highly successful Diversity Speaker Series, with external speakers such as Nikesh Shukla, Dr Angela Neal-Barnett, Michelle Silverthorn, Dr Russell Jeung, Kylar Broadus and Dr Tyrone Howard, amongst others. Topics have included strategies for handling the impact of racism, trauma, stress, and anxiety; inclusion and anti-racism (including rules of equity, allyship and building an inclusive workplace); the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity and violence; how to talk to your children about race and racism; and race and immigration in the UK.

Pro bono
Willkie regularly partners with a number of clients to support myriad nonprofit organisations. These organisations are dedicated to a wide array of causes, including education, immigration and providing support to underprivileged communities.

In London, our lawyers work on a number of different projects, both in the UK and the US. Our London office encourages our lawyers to introduce new pro bono matters to the firm.

Community work
We recognise the need to partner with local communities and, in London, we partner with a local school, providing work experience placements for at least two Year 11 or 12 students each year. Additionally, we have one paid apprenticeship a year, for a school leaver to work in our business services team.

A number of our lawyers in London regularly mentor a Law student from Queen Mary University of London to provide advice on a career in law and to help develop each mentee’s commercial awareness.

Applications

How do I make an application for a vacation scheme and a training contract?
Please complete the online application form here. The application process will open on 1 September each year and the deadline for both our spring and summer scheme is 20 December 2021. We do not accept any applications after the deadline. Please note that we only recruit via our vacation schemes and do not accept direct training contract applications. 

Do you run open days?
Yes, we run virtual open days and webinars. Please see our Meet Us! page for information.

What are your academic criteria?
We welcome applicants from all universities and degree disciplines. We do not have an A Level (or equivalent) grade requirement, but we are looking for consistently strong academic achievement, with a 2.1 at undergraduate level. Willkie is proud to use Rare’s Contextual Recruitment System. Partnering with Rare means social mobility measures and educational data are embedded into our recruitment process. This means we will better understand your academic achievements.

I studied a non-Law degree, does this put me at a disadvantage?
Not at all. We welcome applications from all degree disciplines.

What adjustments can be made to the application process if I have a disability or long term health condition?
We are happy to make adjustments to a candidate’s individual requirements, in regards to any part of our application process. Please contact Gemma at graduaterecruitment@willkie.com to discuss, in confidence, your individual circumstances.

I have mitigating circumstances. Where can I include them?
There is a mitigating circumstances section on the application form. If you prefer, you can email Gemma at graduaterecruitment@willkie.com instead.

How long will it take to hear from you?
We will review your application and get back to you within fifteen working days.

Interviews and assessment centres

What is your application process?
Our application process takes place in four stages. Please note only those successful at each stage go forward to the subsequent stage:

• Online application form;
• Video interview;
• Written analytical exercise: to ensure fairness, the written exercise is marked by at least two different people (associates/partners) from Willkie’s London office. Neither ‘marker’ would have seen, and will not see, any applications or video interviews and each exercise is marked on a name-blind basis; and
• Interview with partners and/or senior associates: our interviews are conducted on a CV-blind basis.
  

What is CV-blind interviewing?
It means that during the interview, you are assessed solely on your performance on the day. Interviewers will not know anything about you, other than your name. This includes which university or school you attended, or the subject of your degree.

Will you reimburse my expenses for travelling to an assessment centre?
Yes, we will send you details of reimbursement claims once you’ve been invited.

Vacation Schemes

What are the dates of your spring and summer schemes?
Our vacation schemes will be held from 4 to 15 April and 20 June to 1 July 2022. We offer places on both schemes to penultimate year Law undergraduates, all final year undergraduates (both Law and non-Law), all graduates, post-graduates and career changers.

How much will I be paid on the vacation scheme?
You will be paid £500 per week. We can provide additional funds if there is a financial need.

Do you offer any other work experience, other than the vacation schemes?
We run informal work experience to those in Years 12 or 13. Please see here for details.

The training contract

Do you pay for the LPC and/or GDL?
Yes, if you accept an offer of a training contact with us, we will pay for your course fees in full and provide a maintenance grant of £10,000 per annum (pro-rated).

Do you have a preferred LPC or GDL provider?
Yes, we ask our future trainees to attend the GDL and/or LPC at a University of Law centre of their choice.

What is your position on the SQE?
We will ask future trainees joining the firm from September 2024 onwards to complete the SQE (if they have not already completed the LPC). We are partnering with University of Law to deliver market-leading qualifications that we believe will prepare our future trainees for practice. All future trainees will study the LLM Legal Practice, which incorporates preparation for SQE 1 & 2 as well as the SQE Plus, an enhanced programmed designed to go beyond the standard SQE syllabus to ensure our trainees can be confident in their ability to hit the ground running. Our first cohort will take the LLM Legal Practice in September 2023, ready to start at Willkie in September 2024.

Future trainees who have not studied law in England and Wales will take the nine-month Postgraduate Diploma in Law, before the LLM Legal Practice, to ensure they have a solid academic foundation in law.

We will pay the course fees for the PGDL and the LLM Legal Practice for all our future trainees and provide a maintenance grant for each course.

Can I contact the graduate recruitment team?
Yes, please email Gemma, our graduate recruitment manager, at graduaterecruitment@willkie.com.

Will I be able to go on secondment to client or to another Willkie office?
We hope to be able to second our trainees to one of our offices, this will be confirmed in 2022.

Can I get involved with pro bono work?
Yes, absolutely! There are many ways to get involved, please see our brochure for more details.