Sidley Austin LLP |

Sidley is an elite global law firm. With approximately 2,300 lawyers and 160 years of experience, we have established a reputation for innovative legal strategies to achieve powerful results for our clients in complex transactional, restructuring, crisis management, investigation, regulatory, and litigation matters.

Our perspective and reach are truly global, supported by 21 offices strategically situated in key commercial, regulatory, and financial centers across the world. Our lawyers and business professionals, fluent in more than 75 languages, possess the cultural awareness and cross-border legal acumen needed to bring clarity to a dynamic business landscape.

A Client-Centric Approach

We are the firm of choice for skilled representation in complex deals, disputes, and regulatory matters. With the benefit of our broad client base and deep industry experience, we offer legal solutions that prioritize quality, business-savvy insight, and efficiency. Our clients come first, and we focus on building successful, long-term client relationships to better understand their business objectives, allowing us to tailor our advice and secure outcomes that exceed expectations.

Extraordinary Talent

Our greatest asset is our people. We strive to be the premier destination for top legal talent, seeking out and promoting high-performing, results-oriented professionals who work as a team to leverage knowledge and critical judgment to deliver superior legal services that address the sophisticated needs of marquee clients worldwide.

Highest Ethical Standards

We are dedicated to upholding the highest standards of professional ethics, integrity, and civility. By adhering to these core principles, we earn the trust and respect of our clients, colleagues, alumni, opponents, the judiciary, and the greater legal and business community.

Collegial, Supportive Culture

We cultivate an inclusive and collegial workplace culture rooted in hard work, mutual respect, open communication, well-being, and a profound commitment to continuous learning and growth. By collaborating with people from various perspectives and backgrounds, we enhance our ability to create and execute effective legal strategies. We support our people in reaching their full potential through enriching educational programs, mentoring, and ongoing professional development.

Community Engagement

Our firmwide culture extends beyond the workplace and into the communities we serve. We apply our talents through civic leadership, volunteering, and community-building initiatives, while contributing significant global resources to pro bono matters across a broad spectrum of worthy causes. We welcome opportunities to partner with clients with shared values to make a positive impact.

Pro bono is an integral part of Sidley’s culture and we regard pro bono service as an essential part of our professional responsibility. We encourage our trainee solicitors to get involved in pro bono matters from day one because we know that our trainees want to give back to communities and develop their skills as lawyers whilst doing so.

Under our London pro bono programme, we help individuals and families who face significant barriers in obtaining access to justice. We work with a range of organisations, from small charities to start-up social enterprises, focusing on enhancing community impact and strengthening human rights. We also support front-line legal service organisations by sponsoring a number of Pro Bono Fellowships. Each year, all final seat trainees are invited to apply to undertake a three-month fellowship secondment in a charity or non-profit, prior to commencing their roles as newly qualified associates.

Sustainability has always been a key priority for the London office and impacts the way we work on a daily basis. Externally, we ensure that all vendors who provide a service for our London office share our environmental values and are focused on limiting our impact and finding suitable eco-friendly alternatives. At Sidley, we are dedicated to doing our part to ensure a sustainable future, conducting business in a responsible and mindful way that creates long-term value for our people, clients, and communities. We aim to minimize our impact on the environment by setting ambitious climate commitments to reduce our carbon emissions, as well as by creating a more sustainable workplace and culture across our global firm. From routine but important acts — such as recycling paper and waste — to impactful legal and pro bono work that empowers businesses and social enterprises alike, sustainability is integral to our operations.

Vacation scheme students will receive £500 per week. Candidates from less advantaged backgrounds can apply for additional support to support their vacation scheme.

Trainees receive a salary of £60,000 in their first year, which increases to £65,000 in the second year, alongside a selection of market-leading benefits. Upon progressing to a newly qualified associate, your annual salary rises to £175,000.

As part of Sidley’s ongoing commitment to support the health and
wellness of all of our lawyers and staff, the firm offers a range of
health benefits, including:

• Private Medical Insurance
• Private GP Service + Health Screening
• In-House Counselling Service
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Headspace (mindfulness app)
• Menopause Support Service
• Annual Flu Vaccination
• Annual Gym Allowance
• Annual Eye Screening and Prescription Allowance
• “Living Well” wellbeing programme.

Family Friendly Benefits

• Inclusive Family Leave Policies
• Emergency Childcare + Back-up Adult and Eldercare
• Parental Transition + Work & Family Balance Coaching

Finance and Protection

• Group Personal Pension Scheme
• Pension Cash Alternative scheme (for higher earners)
• Life Assurance (4x salary)
• Group Income Protection
• Travel Insurance (for business and personal travel)

Other Benefits

• 25 days paid annual leave
• Critical Illness Cover
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Cycle Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Employee Referral Scheme
• Matched Giving
• Payroll Giving
• Season Ticket Loan
• Volunteering Opportunities
• Will Writing Service

We run a one-week winter vacation scheme and two-week vacation schemes in spring and summer each year.

During the scheme, you will experience the day-to-day life of a lawyer at the firm and will have the opportunity to undertake real work rather than just observing or shadowing. This practical experience will be supplemented by a programme of presentations and workshops that will ensure you get to know as much about the firm as you possibly can during the placement.

There will also be some organised social events to help you get to know our current trainees.

Recruitment Process

We aim to recruit all of our trainees from the vacation schemes. Each year, we take on around 19 recruits.
All applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Successful applicants will be invited to complete an online assessment, followed by a 1:1 interview with two of our partners or senior counsel. If successful, we will offer you a vacation scheme place.

Application period:

• 2026 Winter Vacation Scheme:
  • Application open: 1 September 2026
  • Application deadline:  25 September 2026
• 2027 Spring/ Summer Vacation Scheme:
  • Application open: 28 September 2026
  • Application deadline: 8 January 2027

Vacation Scheme dates:

• 2026 Winter Vacation Scheme: 7 December – 11 December 2026
• 2027 Spring Vacation Scheme: 5 April – 16 April 2027
• 2027 Summer Vacation Scheme: 21 June – 2 July 2027

About Our Programme

We aim to recruit all of our trainees from the vacation schemes. Each year, we hire approximately 19 future trainees.

From day one, you’ll work alongside lawyers and clients across the firm, contribute to multijurisdictional matters and start building the skills and judgment you’ll need as a lawyer.

Over your two-year training contract, you’ll complete six four-month seats within our practice groups, with one rotation being completed within our AI Knowledge Lab. Six seats give you broader exposure to our work, our people and our clients - and more perspective when the time comes to decide where you want to qualify.

Your practice group seats may include Banking and Financial Services, Capital Markets, Antitrust and Competition, Energy and Infrastructure, Global Finance, Healthcare and FDA, Insurance, Investment Funds, Litigation, M&A and Private Equity, Regulatory and Enforcement, Restructuring, and Tax.

You’ll also have the opportunity to apply for international secondments, as well as ad hoc client secondments.

The AI Knowledge Lab

AI is changing legal practice. We think your training should prepare you to use it well - and to understand where legal judgment matters most.

Every trainee completes one of their four-month practice group rotations while sitting in the AI Knowledge Lab.  This will be available to trainees as their third, fourth, fifth or sixth seat, after spending their first two seats building a grounding in legal work and professional practice.

The AI Knowledge Lab is not a training exercise. It is a working environment designed to build practical AI capability - for you, for your practice group and, over time, across the firm. You'll work alongside our Knowledge Management, Research and Data & AI teams, as well as experienced lawyers in your practice group, testing approaches and helping develop tools, templates and ways of working that can be used again. You'll learn to assess AI output critically, recognise its limitations and develop the judgment to know when AI can add value and when a lawyer needs to take over.

We take a flexible approach to your development, shaped by your ability and willingness to contribute. The more you put into each seat, the more opportunity you will have to learn, take on responsibility and develop your skills.