With 76 offices in 47 countries, and a presence in all leading financial centres, Baker McKenzie is the world’s leading global law firm. Our strategy is to provide the best combination of local legal and commercial knowledge, international expertise and resources. Our trainee solicitors are a vital part of that strategy, exposed to the international scope of the firm from the moment they start. There is also the possibility of an overseas secondment, recent secondees have spent time in Hong Kong, San Francisco, Sydney, Singapore, Johannesburg and Hong Kong

Types of work

London is home to the firm’s largest office where Baker McKenzie has been well established since its opening in 1961. With more than 400 lawyers, we have a substantial presence in the legal and business community. Providing a full service offering, we deliver high-quality local solutions across a broad range of practices and offer global advice in conjunction with our international offices. Our client base consists primarily of venture capital funds, investment banks, technology powerhouses and household name brands.

And as a firm with a very strong international client base, we have considerable expertise in acting on, and coordinating, complex crossborder transactions and disputes.

Our corporate and finance teams regularly advise on, and co-ordinate, complex, cross-border transactions for our clients. As a full-service office, we cover all the practices expected of a major law firm in the UK, many of which are acclaimed and market-leading.

To find out what it is like to work at Baker McKenzie read the firm's Meet the Lawyer profile.

Our vacation schemes aim to give students who are interested in a career in the legal profession a taste of what it is like working for an international law firm.

Each vacation scheme comprises two seats. We provide training sessions to help you familiarise you with some of our typical transactions, as well as to help you develop a range of key skills. You will also have the opportunity to attend departmental and client meetings and court hearings, and there will be plenty of social events to enable you to find out more about the firm from current trainees.

The firm aims to recruit 40 individuals looking to commence their SQE qualifying work experience training contracts in either September 2024 or March 2025. 

The two-year training contract comprises four six-month seats which include a corporate and a contentious seat, usually within our highly regarded dispute resolution department. We also offer the possibility of a secondment abroad or with a client. During each seat you will have formal and informal reviews to discuss your progress and regular meetings to explore subsequent seat preferences.

Your training contract commences with a highly interactive and practical induction programme which focuses on key skills including practical problem solving, presenting and the application of information technology. The firm’s training programmes include important components on management and other business skills, as well as seminars and workshops on key legal topics for each practice area.

Trainees joining the firm prior to September 2024 will join via the LPC route. The fast track LPC is an LPC course which, in partnership with BPP, has been specifically tailored to the needs of our firm and our trainees, with the aim of giving you the best possible start to your legal career. 

Trainees joining the firm in September 2024 and March 2025 will join via the SQE route. Before trainees can start their qualifying work experience training contract, trainees will need to complete our tailored SQE1 and 2 prep courses and exams with Barbri, Baker McKenzie's chosen provider. 

During the SQE1 prep course, trainees will have learning coach support and oppourtunities to attend face-to-face 'Prep for Success' workshops. Trainees will sit several practice exams prior to undertaking the actual SQE1. The SQE2 prep course provides practitioner expertise on practical transactions and legal skills. In addtion to SQE1 and 2, trainees will take part in our practice group overview practical workshops to build commercial awareness, client relationship skills and soft skills to ensure they are fully prepared ahead of their qualifying work experience.  

For both the GDL and LPC+, we will pay your course fees, together with a maintenance grant towards living expenses. The maintenance grant is £8,000 for the GDL and £10,000 for the LPC. 

For the SQE we will pay for the preparation course, exams and provide a maintenance grant of £10,000. 

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