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Gowling WLG (UK) LLP

25 vacancies
50 trainees
134 partners
1154 staff

With 1,400 legal professionals in 19 cities worldwide, Gowling WLG provide clients with expertise in key global sectors, offering legal services at home and abroad.

Remember to cite LawCareers.Net on your application form if you apply to Gowling WLG (UK) LLP.

More info

The first stage of the selection procedure is an online application form. This is an opportunity to tell us about yourself and your motivations for applying to Gowling WLG. Your application will be reviewed and you will be invited to complete our behavioural based assessment and, if successful, a video interview. Immersive assessment days are the final part of our selection procedure for places on our vacation schemes and to secure a training contract.

For further information please visit our website.


Applications to

Early Talent Team

Method of application

Online Application Form

Method of assessment

  • Assessment centre
  • HR-led interview
  • Partner interview
  • Presentation
  • Psychometric testing
  • Video interview
  • Written exercise

We're a leading sector-focused international law firm. But we're different. What sets us apart is a growing reputation for client experience, outstanding people and creative energy.

You'll find us in Canada, the UK and Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, focused on key global sectors, including real estate, energy, financial services, life sciences, natural resources, infrastructure, and technology.

We're a firm with momentum, making bold moves in the international legal market, where we've significantly increased our footprint and capability. And we have an appetite for further international growth.

Here are some fast facts about us:

1,500+ legal professionals

19 cities with international offices

3,000+ pro bono hours

93 individuals listed in Chambers and The Legal 500

To find out what it is like to work at Gowling WLG (UK) LLP read the firm's Meet the Lawyer profile.

We run vacation schemes at our London and Birmingham offices, each year during spring and summer.

You’ll experience life at an international law firm first-hand, meet our people and clients, and gain an insight into our work and culture. One of our current trainees will help you settle in and is on hand to answer any queries you may have. You’ll have a dedicated supervisor who will ensure you receive quality work, support and constructive feedback.

They’ll also be plenty of social events to help you network and build up professional relationships (while enjoying yourself too, of course).

Each year we recruit 25 trainees across Birmingham and London. Treated as a lawyer from day one, you’ll enjoy early responsibility, international opportunities and big-ticket work as you learn from legal experts across the globe.

Our training contracts consist of four six-month seats and we’ll get you started with a full and comprehensive induction, designed to help you settle into life here. Then it’s down to business, with lots of early responsibility and exposure. Because the more you get involved in, the more you’ll gain.

Choosing from our broad-ranging practice areas, your programme will typically include a contentious seat, a non-contentious seat, real estate and an optional seat (which could be an international secondment or working for a client). You’ll get deeply involved in interesting casework for an exceptional scope of clients, enjoying top tier training in a high performing, hugely encouraging culture. It’ll be a continuous learning journey with one-to-one guidance from a partner mentor, a dedicated supervisor, the early talent team and, of course, the strong support network of legal experts all around you.

We cover your Legal Practice Course (LPC), Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL), Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL) and Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) fees, as well as providing a maintenance grant for each course.

We offer all trainees the following: bonus scheme, gym membership/subsidy, life assurance, pension scheme with company contributions, private healthcare, season ticket loan, subsidised restaurant, income protection insurance, 25 days’ holiday (plus optional unpaid holiday), cycle to work scheme, an active social club, access to corporate rates and discounts, employee assistance programme, budget for staff entertainment, childcare vouchers and an interest free loan.

  • Commercial development & investment
  • Property litigation
  • Specialist real estate services
  • Housing regeneration & development
  • Planning
  • Commercial litigation
  • IP UK
  • EU law
  • Trade & competition
  • Construction & engineering
  • Commercial IT & outsourcing
  • Pensions
  • Projects & infrastructure
  • Corporate
  • Banking & finance
  • Corporate & Commercial

Practice Areas

Extra info

Two Snowhill, Snow Hill, Birmingham, B4 6WR
Phone: 0800 096 9610
Email: [email protected]
Web: gowlingwlg.com/en/careers/uk/students
Work placement: Yes
Number of work placements: 40
Start salary: £31,000 (Birmingham); £46,000 (London)
Fees paid for:
  • CPE/GDL
  • LPC
  • SQE
Retention rate: 89% (2018)
Has client secondments: Yes
Client secondments:
  • Banks
  • Charities
  • Energy companies
  • Leisure and tourism
Has overseas secondments: Yes
Overseas secondments:
  • Dubai
  • Guangzhou
  • Abu Dhabi
  • Beijing
  • Birmingham
  • Brussels
  • Calgary
  • Dubai
  • Guangzhou
  • Hamilton
  • Leeds
  • London
  • Montréal
  • Munich
  • Ottawa
  • Paris
  • São Paulo
  • Shanghai
  • Singapore
  • Stuttgart
  • Toronto
  • Vancouver
  • Waterloo
  • Birmingham Employment Advice Clinic (BEAC)
  • Own It
  • Oxfam
  • #10000BlackInterns
  • Aspiring Solicitors
  • Black Interns Matter
  • Bright Network
  • DiversCity
  • Halo Code
  • Legal and Social Mobility Partnership
  • Legal Apprenticeships
  • PRIME
  • Pure Potential
  • Rare Recruitment
  • Social Mobility Foundation