Addleshaw Goddard |

From the work we do to the culture we foster and the partnerships we form, every last part of Addleshaw Goddard is driven by three core values: quality, imagination, and impact.

We welcome everyone, support people to achieve their full potential, and always seek smart ways to have a positive impact – for our clients, colleagues, and communities around the world.

We act for clients whatever the scale of their requirements. We have been instructed 51 FTSE 100 companies in the last 2 years, including Associated British Foods, SSE, GlaxoSmithKline, HSBC and British Land. Our business is about strong client relationships built on successful delivery across national and international markets. Equally important is strong loyalty which is proven through 75% of our clients who have been with us for more than 10 years. 

The range and scale of our work is compelling, and encompasses high value strategic advice to the everyday. It means we are able to attract talented, like-minded individuals who love what they do, are committed to our clients success, and strive to build valued partnerships through our collective energy and expertise.

We require a 2.1 honours degree (or equivalent). But what will really open doors to an outstanding career here is the real you. At Addleshaw Goddard, we’re looking for original minds and collaborative spirits alongside motivation, drive and commercial awareness. We’re constantly delighted by the diverse backgrounds of our best lawyers, and we’re open to law and non-law graduates alike, as well as those looking to change career.

We are more than just exceptional lawyers here. We attract sparkling people from all backgrounds, who bring their own unique qualities, along with a collaborative approach, professional drive and a commitment to every client’s success. This is just one of the reasons we’re sure you will enjoy working with us.

As a trainee, important cases will come your way from the get-go. You will work on everything from multi-million-pound deals to high-profile fraud cases, employment disputes to complex technology contracts. Our success is intrinsically linked to yours, so we’ll always have your back and help you realise your potential. 

Training contracts are four seats long, with opportunities to spend time in another of our offices as well as on secondment with clients. During each six-month seat, you will have regular two-way performance reviews with your supervising partner or solicitor. They will help you develop the skills you need to deal with the demanding work you will come across every day.

As well as learning on the job, you will also have access to high-quality in-house and external training, a buddy scheme in your first seat, and a mentor throughout your training contract and beyond. 

The best advocates of our graduate careers are the trainees themselves. See what some of them have to say about life at Addleshaw Goddard on our website. 

We offer week-long Easter work placements in Edinburgh and London, and two-week summer work placements in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, London and Manchester. And because everyone is an individual, we make sure each placement is a valuable experience for each individual student. 

While you are here, you will get to know the everyday life of an Addleshaw Goddard trainee. You will be allocated a department to sit in and, if you are part of the summer scheme, will swap into a new department in your second week. You will be supervised by an experienced solicitor, who will welcome you to the department and allocate work. A trainee buddy will be on hand to help throughout your placement. 

This is a scheme as unique as you are. As well as informative sessions, group exercises, assessed work and plenty of time at your desk, you will attend social events with a range of people across the office. It’s a real chance to get to know our people and our culture. We offer training contracts to successful placement scheme students, so we’d encourage you to apply. We recruit for our trainees predominately from our placement schemes and suggest anyone who is interested in a training contract at the firm apply for the placement scheme.

If you are a first year law student or first or second year non-law student in England or any first or second year student of any degree discipline in Scotland or at any stage of your undergraduate degree in Ireland, and you are interested in a career with us, you can apply to attend one of our open days to get to know us better. As well as meeting people from across the business, you will get practical advice on what we look for and how to make your application stand out.

We host an in-person open day in our London office and virtual open days for our Scotland, England and Dublin offices.

We recognise that university is not for everyone and welcome a pathway that acknowledges a different approach to kick start your career. Earn a salary from day one and build your skills and knowledge with experienced reputable professionals. Our Apprenticeship Schemes provide individuals with invaluable work experience in an award winning premium law firm. 

We offer a range of apprenticeships from paralegal and solicitor apprenticeships to apprenticeships in business services. For more information please visit our website.

At Addleshaw Goddard, we recognise the importance of nurturing an inclusive culture to help us attract, retain and enable our people to be the best they can be. 

In 2020 we introduced a new, Board approved inclusion strategy, which included: 

• Allocating senior leadership roles across 5 key strands of inclusion (Disability, Ethnicity, Gender, LGBTQ+ and Social Mobility), including senior partners and business services leads.
• The setting of targets for ethnicity and gender across our business.
• The setting of short-, medium- and long-term goals to keep us accountable. 

Since 2020 we have kept our strategy under review to ensure that it remains ambitious and reflects the needs of our people.  And hope that this strategic approach will create greater equality within our firm and foster a greater sense of belonging amongst our people. 

Now in 2024, our commitment to DE&I remains firm.  We've invested heavily in our employee networks (which now have nearly 700 members) which include: 

Ability Forum (disability and carers)
AG Embrace (race and ethnicity)
OpenAG (LGBTQ+)
The Vine (gender)
Social Mobility Volunteers (social mobility)

We also have two faith networks (our Muslim and Jewish communities) which colleagues can join.