Don’t miss vacation scheme deadlines

Vacation schemes are a significant (and sometimes essential) part of the recruitment process for most large law firms. The best way to obtain inside knowledge about a firm's culture and the sort of legal work it does is to spend between one and three weeks on its vacation scheme (also known as a vacation placement but rarely, in this sector, as an internship).

Deadlines in November 2019

12 November 2019

• Winter vacation scheme – Covington & Burling LLP

17 November 2019

• Insights programme – Bristows

19 November 2019

• Open days – White & Case LLP

29 November 2019

• Winter vacation scheme – Reed Smith

Deadlines in December 2019

1 December 2019

• Vacation scheme – Baker McKenzie LLP

9 December 2019

• Vacation placement – Pinsent Masons LLP

• Summer vacation scheme – Clifford Chance
• SPARK scheme (first-year experience) – Clifford Chance

13 December 2019

• Vacation scheme – Bird & Bird LLP
• Work placement – Jones Day
• Easter vacation scheme – Slaughter and May

16 December 2019

• Spring vacation scheme – Linklaters LLP
• Summer vacation scheme – Linklaters LLP

18 December 2019

• Spring vacation scheme – Herbert Smith Freehills
• Summer vacation scheme – Herbert Smith Freehills

22 December 2019

• Summer vacation scheme – Allen & Overy LLP

31 December 2019

• Summer internship – DLA Piper UK LLP
• Spring vacation scheme – 2020 – Weil, Gotshal & Manges
• Insight day – Taylor Wessing

Deadlines in January 2020

2 January 2020

• Summer work experience scheme – Slaughter and May

3 January 2020

• Vacation scheme – Dentons

5 January 2020

• Easter work placement (Scotland) – Addleshaw Goddard
• Summer work placement (Scotland) – Addleshaw Goddard
• Ahead with Ashurst (first-year experience) – Ashurst LLP
• Summer vacation scheme – Ashurst LLP
• Vacation scheme – Clyde & Co LLP
• Vacation scheme – Kirkland & Ellis International LLP
• Vacation schemes – Latham & Watkins
• Summer vacation scheme – Mills & Reeve LLP

6 January 2020

• Academy programme (vacation scheme) – CMS
• First Steps (first-year programme) – CMS

10 January 2020

• Vacation scheme – Burges Salmon LLP
• Summer vacation scheme – DWF Group plc

12 January 2020

• Spring vacation scheme – Norton Rose Fulbright

13 January 2020

• Summer vacation schemes – Taylor Wessing

15 January 2020

• Vacation Scheme – Osborne Clarke LLP
• Summer vacation scheme – Simmons & Simmons
• – White & Case LLP
• Spring vacation scheme – White & Case LLP

17 January 2020

• Summer vacation scheme – Covington & Burling LLP
• Summer vacation scheme – 2020 – Weil, Gotshal & Manges
• Summer vacation scheme – RPC
• Summer vacation scheme – Travers Smith LLP

19 January 2020

• Summer vacation scheme – Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

29 January 2020

• Summer vacation scheme – PwC

31 January 2020

• Insight workshops – Bristows
• Summer programme – Cooley (UK) LLP
• Work placement – K&L Gates LLP
• Summer vacation scheme – Morgan Lewis & Bockius
• Summer vacation scheme – Norton Rose Fulbright
• First Step vacation scheme (first-year programme) – Norton Rose Fulbright
• Vacation scheme – Penningtons Manches Cooper
• Summer vacation scheme – Trowers & Hamlins LLP

Deadlines in February 2020

10 February 2020

• Spring workshop (first-year programme) – RPC

11 February 2020

• Summer vacation scheme – Gateley Plc

15 February 2020

• Placement year – Simmons & Simmons
• Summer vacation scheme (Bristol) – Simmons & Simmons

28 February 2020

• First-year insight scheme – Osborne Clarke LLP
• Fast track scheme (first-year programme) – Weil, Gotshal & Manges
• Summer vacation scheme (Scotland) – Womble Bond Dickinson

Deadlines in March 2020

31 March 2020

• First-year insight scheme – White & Case LLP

Deadlines in April 2020

30 April 2020

• Summer vacation scheme – Ashfords LLP

Open/ongoing deadlines

• Insight Days – Clyde & Co LLP
• Summer vacation scheme – Deloitte
• Vacation scheme – Latham & Watkins
• Summer vacation scheme – Reed Smith
• Winter vacation scheme – Travers Smith LLP

When do applications for vacation schemes open?

Applications for winter vacation schemes typically open in the Autumn and applications for summer vacation schemes tend to open in the Winter, from around December to March. Please check back then to find an up-to-date list of vacations scheme opportunities advertised on TARGETjobs.

Most law firms offer these structured work experience programmes to second- or final-year law and non-law students, and tend to pay a subsidy of £250–£500 per week. Typically, firms offer winter vacation schemes to finalists and graduates, and summer vacation schemes to penultimate-year students, but it’s worth checking individual firms’ requirements by clicking on the links below. Common deadlines for summer vacation placements fall in November, December and January.