Summer Vacation Scheme

Every July, we offer an exclusive three-week summer vacation scheme to a limited number of students who are interested in pursuing a career in law. The scheme is highly structured and enables successful applicants to gain first-hand experience of life as a trainee solicitor at Wedlake Bell. Participants will have the opportunity to meet a variety of people from across the firm and truly experience our culture.

The 2025 Summer Vacation Scheme will run from Monday 23 June 2025 to Friday 11 July 2025. During the scheme, students will spend each week assigned to a fee earner in one of our core teams, becoming actively involved with their caseload. Participants will gain a genuine insight into the life of a trainee solicitor, as we make every effort to provide a realistic and informative experience.

Where possible, students will be invited to attend meetings and court hearings. They will also be encouraged to spend time with our trainees to gain a deeper understanding of our training programme and a true picture of the firm. In the final week, students will work in groups to prepare a presentation, where they will have ownership over the topic and output. These presentations will be delivered to a selection of our lawyers and current trainees.

At the conclusion of the vacation scheme, attendees will be invited to attend a Training Contract interview and complete a written assessment as part of the application process. More information about our training contracts can be found on our website.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for a place on the scheme, you must either:

• Be a penultimate or final-year law student
• Be a final-year non-law student
• Be a graduate or career changer

All applicants must have achieved (or expect to achieve) at least an upper second-class degree (2:1) in their undergraduate course. Additionally, all applications are carefully reviewed, and selected candidates will be invited to interviews in February. Offers will be made to successful candidates shortly after completion of these interviews.

Key Dates

• Applications open: 1 November 2024
• Application deadline: 23:59 on 20 January 2025

Application Process

All applications must be made by completing our online application form. We do not accept CVs in place of the application form, and any submissions made by other methods will not be considered. If you have submitted an application, you can access a ‘Supplementary Information’ section on your homepage to add further details, such as academic achievements or work experience, after submission.

Applicants who are invited to attend interviews will meet with two members of our recruitment committee. In addition to the interview, candidates will complete a written assessment and participate in a networking coffee. Interviews will be conducted in person at our London offices.

Compensation

Summer students will be compensated at a rate of £460 per week.

Travel Costs

Wedlake Bell will reimburse reasonable travel expenses within the UK and Ireland for applicants invited to attend interviews. A receipt is required for reimbursement, and payment will be completed by transfer. Please note, we do not reimburse expenses incurred if you travel back from a holiday to attend an interview.