Business & Legal Operations Graduate Scheme 2026

We're Norton Rose Fulbright - a global law firm with over 50 offices and 7,000 employees worldwide. We provide the world’s preeminent corporations and financial institutions with a full business law service.

As well as the relevant skills and experience, we're looking for people who are innovative, commercial and value the work that they do. We celebrate multiple approaches and points of view and believe diversity drives innovation, so we're building a culture where difference is valued.

What is the Business and Legal Operations Graduate Scheme?

Our Business and Legal Operations Graduate Scheme is a two-year programme encompassing every aspect of the rapid changes currently underway in the delivery of high-end legal services. This doesn't just involve the emergence of new technology. It involves the increasingly crucial role played by other technical disciplines in providing more complex and sophisticated client solutions and optimising our performance as a business.

This two-year programme will mirror our traditional training contract for new lawyers, but with a focus on different disciplines. Those who progress to full time roles are expected to drive our business strategy in the years to come.

What can you expect?

The scheme sits within Norton Rose Fulbright’s Legal Transformation programme, NRF Transform, which supports our lawyers with matter delivery, and develops innovative solutions to address industry-wide issues. The scheme is built around four six-month rotations across:

• Legal Technology Consulting - analyse our clients’ requirements to build bespoke solutions, powered by people, process and by technology

• Commercial Management - the team promoting our legal transformation offerings both internally and to clients

• Innovation, Design and Technology - the team reviewing new tools and approaches for the delivery of legal work

• Legal Operations Consulting - the team advising clients on how to manage their in-house legal operations like a business, from strategy and operating model design to the implementation of transformation programmes

• Digital Solutions - the team developing new client-facing solutions to emerging and industry-wide challenges

• Legal Project Management - the team managing our efficient and effective delivery of matters and projects

• Pricing and Commercial Insights – the team working with partners to achieve optimal pricing and commercial arrangements

• Bids – the team driving growth through effective bid strategies.

• Business Transformation – the team supporting delivery of strategic project across EMEAPAC, improving our firm’s operations.

• GenAi – a programme executing our GenAi strategy across the business and with clients

• Client secondment – opportunity to work at a large financial institution, supporting their in-house team to drive innovation across their global legal function.

While Business and Legal Operations Trainees will always be within one of these teams, they may also be assigned work flexibly and in multi-disciplinary groups across all teams. All rotations, except the client secondment, will be based in our London office following the firm's hybrid working policy.

What you need to know

• Those gaining places on the scheme will be given extensive support and expected to perform at a high level. Graduates successfully completing the two-year scheme will be offered permanent roles. The scheme does not lead to a legal qualification.

• Start date: August / September 2026

• Starting salary: £38,000 which will increase to £40,500 in your second year.

• Application deadline: Sunday 11 January 2026

• Applicants should be available to attend an in-person assessment day in early March 2026