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More info
Orrick's two-week vacation scheme gives candidates the opportunity to work alongside trainees, associates and partners, providing sector-focused advice to clients. Applicants will spend one week with a business unit/practice group before rotating for the second week so they can experience two areas of law. All vacation scheme students are interviewed for a training contract during the scheme.
Orrick also offers a direct training contract route, primarily designed for those who are unable to complete a vacation scheme, as we recognise that not all applicants will be able to attend an in-person scheme. We also partner with Rare Contextual Recruitment to ensure that our London trainee recruitment processes are fair and inclusive. The application form is the same for both routes of applying.
Applicants are asked to list all their academic achievements to date, including GCSEs, A levels (or equivalent), University and postgraduate grades (if applicable). Grades for each module studied at degree level are also expected. Candidates are also asked to flag any language skills and detail their work experience. Additionally, the form includes a covering letter prompted by a few commercial awareness questions. It is important that candidates tailor their covering letter to Orrick. Tailoring your covering letter and showcasing that you have researched the firm and its practice areas in detail is one of the easiest ways to stand out from the crowd. You might want to include specific matters that caught your eye or other specific details such as recent partner hires in key strategic areas or perhaps a pro bono initiative.
Successful applicants for the vacation scheme or direct training contract route are shortlisted to undertake the Watson Glaser test. This is a 30-minute psychometric assessment which assesses an individual's critical thinking ability under some time pressure.
Based on their Watson Glaser test score, candidates are shortlisted to attend an assessment day at our London office. The assessment day usually includes a written exercise and group task, as well as the opportunity to hear about our firm and meet some of our trainees. Successful assessment day candidates are then offered a place on our vacation scheme or invited to attend an interview for the direct training contract route. The interview for the direct training contract route will be in-person with our training principals and director of administration.
How to apply
www.orrick.comFollow us on
Applications to
Mr Peter Sugden
Method of application
Online application formMethod of assessment
- Assessment centre
- Partner interview
- Presentation
- Psychometric testing
- Written exercise
Orrick is a global law firm focused on serving the technology and innovation; energy and infrastructure; finance; and life sciences and healthtech sectors. Founded more than 150 years ago in San Francisco, Orrick today has offices in 25+ markets worldwide. Financial Times named Orrick among the top 10 most innovative law firms globally for the past 20 years. American Lawyer named Orrick as a finalist for the 2023 and 2025 IP Litigation Department of the Year.
Types of work undertaken:
Technology and innovation: Our global tech platform helps clients to thrive in this fast-paced and dynamic landscape. Orrick has ranked Top 5 for venture capital globally for the past eight years, and No.1 in Europe for the past nine years (Pitchbook 2024). We have advised on $36B+ in venture financings and 70+ M&A transactions for AI companies and investors in the past 20 months. Additionally, we have been named five-time Technology Practice Group of the Year (Law360 2024).
Energy and infrastructure: We advise investors, developers and sponsors on all aspects of alternative energy projects and help drive innovations in battery storage, carbon capture and hydrogen fuel cell technology. We hold a Band 1 practice and individual rankings within Power, Infrastructure, Energy Transition, Renewables, and Oil & Gas Regulatory & Litigation (Chambers 2025). We are the No.1 firm for Power Purchase Agreements and No.2 Energy Transition firm globally (Inspiratia 2024).
Finance: For over a century, Orrick has acted for global banks, funds and leading financial institutions at the forefront of innovation in the private and public sectors. Harnessing the talents of our diverse finance, restructuring, securitization, real estate, M&A, capital markets and tax lawyers, we partner with our clients to develop strategies for bespoke challenges and opportunities in today’s fast-paced financial markets. Our Finance Teams have earned Fintech and Banking & Finance Practice Groups of the year (Law360 2022).
Life sciences and healthtech: We serve 12 of the 20 largest biopharma companies in the US and dozens of fast-growing public companies. Cutting-edge therapeutics, digital health and healthcare innovation are being developed at a record pace. Global leaders and disruptors alike are contributing to this transformation, and Orrick is helping them to protect their innovations, invest and scale.
Pro bono: Orrick’s pro bono program is led by two full-time pro bono lawyers, Rene Kathawala in the US and Amy Grunske internationally, who maximise the impact for our clients, communities, and team. They help our lawyers find projects which personally interest and inspire them and lead numerous initiatives with in-house client teams and legal aid partners. We ranked among the top six in the US for the breadth of our commitment and top five for pro bono impact internationally on the AmLaw 2025 Pro Bono Scorecard (seven years running), and our lawyers devoted more than 67,500 hours of pro bono service in 2024.
We offer up to 18 places on our scheme, which typically runs in the summer of each year. During the scheme, candidates will spend time in two of the London practices, working on real work alongside trainees, associates and partners, with dedicated buddies and supervisors. Alongside a series of training sessions, there will also be a variety of social events and networking opportunities, giving candidates the chance to really get to know the firm. Candidates are assessed using multiple methods, including supervisor feedback, written assessments, presentation exercises, and an interview for a training contract during the scheme. To apply for our vacation scheme, please submit an online application via our website by 31 January 2026.
If you set your standards high and have a strong work ethic, then Orrick could be the firm for you. We are looking for bright, talented graduates of any discipline who are looking for a firm offering a broad based training contract. Applicants should have, or be on track to achieve, a 2.1 degree. Orrick is a firm for those looking for a high level of responsibility from day one. We value team players and aim to give individuals the opportunity to flourish in an inclusive and supportive work environment, encouraging interaction across our international offices. We support learning through a focus on training and a structured mentoring programme that will provide trainees with the right foundation for building their legal career. A genuine open-door policy means trainees work closely with partners and associates. Our two-year training programme, made up of six four-month seats and regular appraisals, ensures consistent feedback and ongoing support. Our dedicated training principal, Peter Sugden, oversees the supervision of our trainees.
No matter which Orrick team you join, you will have teammates whose life, professional
experiences and perspectives are different from yours. This is true at all levels in our firm – and we are proud to be led by a Board and Management Committee that is the most inclusive in Big Law. To cultivate an inclusive culture, we invest in building professional communities. Our inclusion networks, which are open to all, include First Generation Lawyers, Veterans, the Black Lawyers of Orrick, MENA, the Jewish Inclusion Network, Women’s Initiative, Parents Forum, DiversAbility, and many others.
Many of these networks also have Europe-specific chapters that engage locally, and our London office Inclusion and Belonging Committee supports a wide range of local events and initiatives. We also partner with Rare Contextual Recruitment to ensure that our London trainee recruitment processes are fair and inclusive. No matter your perspective, you will find ways to connect with colleagues beyond your practice and office.
- Antitrust & competition
- Banking & finance
- Capital markets
- Cyber privacy & data innovation
- Employment
- Energy & infrastructure
- Financial & securities litigation
- International arbitration
- M&A & private equity
- Restructuring
- Structured finance
- Tax & incentives
- Technology companies group
- Technology transactions
- Corporate & Commercial
Practice Areas
Extra info
Phone: 020 7862 4600
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.orrick.com/en/Careers/Global-locations/Careers-in-the-UK/London-Office-Read-more#training
| Work placement: | Yes |
| Number of vacation schemes: | 18 |
| Minimum qualification: | 2.1 degree (any discipline) |
| First-year trainee salary: | £60,000 |
| Second-year trainee salary: | £65,000 |
| NQ salary: | £160,000 |
| Fees paid for: |
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| Training programme applications: | 556 (2025) |
| Retention rate: | 40% (2025) |
| Partner diversity: |
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- Austin
- Boston
- Beijing
- Brussels
- Chicago
- Düsseldorf
- Geneva
- Houston
- London
- Los Angeles
- Miami
- Milan
- Munich
- New York
- Orange County
- Paris
- Portland
- Rome
- Sacramento
- San Francisco
- Santa Monica
- Singapore
- Seattle
- Silicon Valley
- Tokyo
- Washington DC
- Wheeling
- London
- A4ID
- Afghan Pro Bono Initiative
- Amicus
- Asylum Aid UK
- Center for Reproductive Rights
- Collaborative Plan
- European Lawyers in Lesvos
- Innocence Project London
- Kids in Need of Defense
- Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)
- LawWorks (the Solicitors Pro Bono Group)
- Lawyers Without Borders
- Legal Response International
- Oxfam
- PILnet (Public Interest Law)
- Plan International
- Prime Advocates
- Pro Bono Connect
- ProHelp
- Reprieve
- Safe Passage International
- Save the Children
- Schools Consent Project
- Social Finance Hot Desk
- The Chancery Lane Project
- The Nature Conservancy
- Thomson Reuters Foundation
- TrustLaw Connect
- UK collaborative pro bono plan
- UnLtd
- Voices for Families
- Rare Recruitment
- Stonewall
