Researching training programmes at law firms in Ireland

Dear Oracle

I want to qualify as a solicitor in Ireland, which law firms should I target?

The Oracle replies

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Qualifying as a solicitor in Ireland is an exciting career option, but finding the right law firm requires thorough research and an understanding of what you want from your future legal career.

Here are a few notable law firms with offices in Ireland to kickstart your research. We’ve highlighted their training programme opportunities, office locations and key practice areas. This isn’t an exhaustive list, so make sure you conduct your own research to find firms that align with your interests, preferences and values.

Winston Taylor

Winston Taylor is a transatlantic law firm with strong reach across the US, UK and Europe. The firm’s Dublin office provides deep local market knowledge across a broad range of practice areas.

Office locations

Winston Taylor has 20 offices globally, spanning the UK, Europe, the Americas and the Middle East. The firm’s Dublin office was established in 2021 and became part of Winston Taylor in 2026 following the combination of Taylor Wessing’s UK-led business with Winston & Strawn.

Practice areas

The Dublin office has a broad practice spanning corporate, banking and finance, real estate, tax, private wealth, employment, IP, technology, data privacy, regulatory matters and disputes.

Ireland training programme opportunities

Winston Taylor offers a training contract, summer internship, placement year and open day opportunities in Dublin. The 2027 trainee programme starts in July 2027, combining the Professional Practice Course with two years’ work experience rotating through different practice areas. Applications for the 2027 training contract have now closed, but applications for the firm’s 2027 Dublin Summer Internship are open until 30 October 2026.

Read more about Winston Taylor’s Dublin office with this LCN Says from Trish McCarvill, graduate partner: ‘Why Ireland’s legal market offers exciting opportunities for future lawyers.’

Find out more about Winston Taylor and the firm’s training opportunities via its profile.

Addleshaw Goddard

Addleshaw Goddard is an international law firm advising clients across a wide range of sectors and jurisdictions, with its Dublin office offering a full-service Irish practice alongside access to the firm’s wider international network.

Office locations

Addleshaw Goddard has an extensive international presence, with offices across the UK, Ireland, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The firm’s well-established Dublin office is home to more than 90 lawyers and forms an integral part of its international practice.

Practice areas

The Dublin office offers a full-service practice spanning corporate and M&A, banking and finance, real estate, construction, dispute resolution, employment, financial regulation, IP, tax and energy.

Ireland training programme opportunities

Addleshaw Goddard offers a four-week summer internship and a two-year training contract in Dublin, with candidates for the training contract recruited through the internship programme. The firm also runs an insight day for students looking to learn more about a career with the firm.

Find out more about Addleshaw Goddard and the firm’s training opportunities via its profile.

Arthur Cox

Arthur Cox LLP is one of Ireland's leading law firms with more than 100 years of legal excellence. The firm employs 600 legal staff and nearly 900 total employees, and serves an international client base, including multinational organisations, banks, financial institutions, as well as established global leaders to government agencies and more.

Office locations

As well as its Dublin office, the firm also has a presence in Belfast, London, New York and San Francisco.

Practice areas

The firm covers all aspects of corporate and business law, offering services in M&A, data protection, environment and planning, IP, technology and innovation, and lots more.

Ireland training programme opportunities

Arthur Cox LLP’s distinctive five-rotation trainee programme gives trainees experience across its core corporate, finance, litigation and property practices, alongside a specialist area of their choice. Trainees can also undertake a rotation in the firm’s London office or pro bono practice and work closely with partners and senior associates throughout their training.

Dentons

Dentons is a global law firm with a presence in more than 80 countries. Its growing Dublin office combines expertise in the Irish market with access to the firm’s extensive international network, giving lawyers opportunities to work on domestic and cross-border matters.

Office locations

Dentons’ Dublin office forms part of an extensive global network spanning more than 80 countries, with other locations including London, New York, Paris, Singapore and Dubai.

Practice areas

The Dublin office has a broad, full-service practice covering areas including corporate, banking and finance, dispute resolution, real estate, employment, IP, tax, technology and energy.

Ireland training programme opportunities

Dentons’ Dublin training programme runs for two years, giving trainees experience across different areas of the firm and exposure to domestic and cross-border matters. The firm also offers a two-week Dublin vacation scheme, during which participants are assessed for the training programme.

Find out more about Dentons and the firm’s training opportunities via its profile.

Matheson

Established in Dublin in 1825, Matheson is one of Ireland’s leading law firms and celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2025. The firm has six offices and advises internationally focused companies and financial institutions doing business in and from Ireland.

Office locations

Established in Dublin, Matheson also has offices in Cork, London, New York, Palo Alto and San Francisco.

Practice areas

Matheson's lawyers have expertise across more than 30 practice areas, including finance and capital markets, corporate, international business, M&A, technology and innovation, and lots more.

Ireland training programme opportunities

Matheson’s two-year trainee lawyer programme combines structured development and mentoring with broad exposure to the firm’s client work. The firm also offers the six-month First Step Programme for first and second-year undergraduates, and the six-month Career First Programme, a social mobility initiative for first and second-year students on the Higher Education Access Route and Disability Access Route to Education schemes that includes skills development, mentoring and work experience.

McCann Fitzgerald LLP

Another of Ireland’s stand-out law firms is McCann FitzGerald LLP, with expertise that sees it advising clients in Ireland and globally. The firm, owned by 98 partners and with roots that go as far back as the 1820s, “is at the forefront of legal practice in Ireland”. It employs more than 600 people, including 350 lawyers, and prides itself on recruiting and retaining top legal talent.

Office locations

McCann FitzGerald has offices in Dublin (its main office), London, New York and Brussels.

Practice areas

This corporate law firm has four main practice groups: corporate; finance; litigation and dispute resolution; and real estate/construction. It works on a cross-departmental basis to tailor solutions to its clients within a range of sectors, such as aviation finance, start-ups and the public sector.

Ireland training programme opportunities

During McCann FitzGerald’s 33-month traineeship, trainees complete four rotations across the firm’s core practice groups and share an office with a partner, providing close exposure to their work and guidance. Opportunities also include client and international secondments, while the firm offers summer internships and its Law First programme for those earlier in their careers.

Other law firms in Ireland

While the above firms are clearly not the only law firms in Ireland, they’re a good starting point for your research. Other firms to add to your research list could include:

• A&L Goodbody LLP;
• Beauchamps LLP;
• Dillon Eustace;
• Maples Group;
• Mason Hayes & Curran LLP;
• William Fry; and
• many more.

What’s next? Identify your priorities, values, and the type of work and clients you want to be involved with to help you tailor your search. It’s fine if you don’t have a clear idea of what you’re looking for yet. As you research firms’ practice areas, clients, locations, culture and size, you’ll start to develop a clearer picture of the type of firm that might suit you.

Read LawCareers.Net’s guide to researching law firms and consider attending open days/evenings, applying to some one-day programmes for insights and simply chatting to law firms at law fairs near you.

Good luck!