Baker McKenzie LLP |

Bring your wide-ranging talents and far-reaching ambitions to Baker McKenzie. In return, we’ll help you lay the foundations for a successful career as a commercial lawyer and give you the chance get involved in some of the most fascinating and complex international, cross-practice work.

In the current climate, that’s never been more important. It also enables them to go above and beyond for their clients, collaborating across borders, markets and industries.

Working at Baker McKenzie means being challenged. It means being supported. Yes, they’re a big firm, but they’re not so big that they fail to recognise the importance of fresh, new talent.

As a Trainee Solicitor, graduates will liaise directly with clients on high-profile cases. They’ll sit in on important meetings, and prepare agreements, deeds and other legal documents. They’ll also get the chance to apply for a six-month secondment at one of Baker McKenzie’s international offices. Past trainees have spent time in San Francisco, Singapore, Washington, Brussels, Dubai, New York and Tokyo. They’ve worked with big-name debt funds and large banks on deals which make the six o’clock news.

Our Practice Areas

Our expertise in commercial law spans the following ten practice areas. Often, however, we work together in cross-practice, multi-jurisdictional teams:

• Banking
• Corporate
• Dispute Resolution
• Employment
• EU, Competition and Trade
• IpTech
• Pension
• Real Eatate
• Structured Capital Markets
• Tax

Doing things the right way

As a firm, we’re serious about making a positive difference. Not just to our clients, but the communities we’re part of and the wider world too. Bring a head full of bright ideas and a clear sense of purpose, and in return we’ll give you the chance to do the same.

Charity support

Each year, we elect two main charities, which we support for 12 months. We also run a Volunteer Day Scheme that gives staff the chance to take paid time off to work with charities. In recent years, our people have refurbished classroPro bono work

Pro bono work

Pro bono work is a fundamental part of life at Baker McKenzie. From providing commercial support to charities, through to human rights research and advocacy, it gives our lawyers a chance to help those who may not otherwise have access to justice. Our key pro bono clients include Amnesty International, Save the Children and UNHCR

Sustainability

For us, responsible business means building a firm for the future — one that can support our clients’ success, while preserving our commitments to our people, our communities and our planet. On that basis, we have placed sustainability at the core of our business strategy for the coming decade.

Social

We strive to use our skills, creativity and influence to promote dignity, human rights and equality in every aspect of what we do. Whether fostering our own internal culture, interacting with global clients, or engaging with the communities where we live and work, we are guided by these principles.

Environmental

Being the only Band 1 ranked firm for Climate Change for the 13th consecutive year (Chambers 2020) and the Best Law Firm in the Voluntary Carbon Market Rankings (Environmental Finance 2020) underlines our commitment to environmental sustainability.

Governance

Good governance is the cornerstone of good business. That’s why, as a firm, we are committed to promoting transparency, ethical behaviour, and accountability both within our own operations, and externally through our influence, counsel and strategic partnerships.

Whether you’re still at university and you’re weighing up your career options or you’ve already graduated and know you want to be a commercial lawyer, there’s a programme at Baker McKenzie that’s right for you.

• Open Days

  Our Open Days are designed to make us accessible to everyone, and to provide you with the tailored information that’s most relevant to you. Take a look at the various Open Days we run throughout the year to find out which one you’re most interested in.

• First Year Insight Scheme

  Developed specifically for first-year university students, this two-day programme enables you to experience first-hand the kind of work that we do and how a global law firm operates.

• Spring Vacation Scheme

Want to know what it’s like to work for a global law firm before you commit to joining? If you're in the final year of a law or a non-law degree, our three-week Spring Vacation Scheme will give you the chance to do just that. You can also apply if you’ve already graduated.

• Summer Vacation Scheme

  If you're in the final or penultimate year of your degree (or in the second year of a four-year course), our three-week Summer Vacation Scheme will give you a fantastic insight into the reality of a commercial lawyer's role and what life at a global law firm is all about. Again, you can also apply if you've already graduated.

• Training Contracts

  Our two-year Training Contracts turn ambitious law and non-law graduates into the well-rounded commercial lawyers that make our Firm stand out from the crowd. With the very best technical and skills training, delivered by our own lawyers, you’ll benefit from the latest advice and experience in a Baker McKenzie context.

The final step to becoming a lawyer
Experience four key practice areas over the course of two years and enjoy all the support you need to qualify as a Solicitor.

What our Training Contract involves
A Training Contract gives you the chance to experience four of our key practice areas for six months each.

Our rotation policy ensures you experience different areas of law, including contentious law and, because corporate work is at the heart of our Firm, you’ll also complete a transactional seat.

The programme begins with a two-week induction, but you’ll be exposed to live work and make a real contribution right from the start. Throughout your Training Contract, you’ll be able to call on the personal and professional support of both our Graduate Recruitment & Development and Leadership & Learning teams.

The Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE)
From September 2021, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) will introduce a new route to qualification, which will transition the current qualification route of a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL), Legal Practice Course (LPC) and Professional Skills Course (PSC) to SQE 1 and SQE 2 exams and two years of Qualifying Work Experience.

There will be a transition period up to December 2032, when the current route to qualification will be completely phased out. Many firms in the sector are currently reviewing how this impacts the recruitment of their trainees so keep an eye out for updates.

What you’ll be doing

During each seat, you’ll get department-specific training and be assigned a supervisor who’ll mentor you and provide you with your daily workload which, while it will vary from department to department, will almost certainly include:

• Researching for client pitches or projects
• Liaising directly with clients
• Writing articles and blog posts
• Sitting-in on client meetings
• Preparing agreements, deeds, contracts and other legal documents

Every department has a Trainee Partner who will oversee your progress and ensure you are continually developing the appropriate skills and experience.

Midway through each seat, there’ll be an informal review of your progress and development. At the end of each seat, a more formal evaluation will see a Trainee Partner feedback on your progress. As you grow in experience, you’ll take on more and more responsibility.

Secondments
All Trainee Solicitors have the opportunity to apply for a three-to-six month secondment at one of our international offices, or with one of our clients’ in-house legal teams.

Qualification
At the start of your final seat, there will be a briefing session with the Graduate Recruitment & Development team, which will outline the qualification process. This is followed by a one-to-one meeting with the Training Principal, who will discuss your preferences and provide guidance.

What do you need to succeed?

Each year, we recruit 40 talented and ambitious Trainees. Individuals who we believe will make the well-rounded lawyers who will help our firm continue to stand out from the rest.

We use a contextualised recruitment system to ensure we employ people from a variety of backgrounds. The system enables us to understand your achievements in the context in which they were gained. So if you demonstrate real potential but fall slightly short of our criteria, you’ll still be considered. We’ll also take into account any mitigating circumstances relating to a disability or long-term health condition.

When it comes to diversity and inclusion, the Firm invests in a number of employee networks committed to mental health, LGBT+ rights, cultural diversity, social mobility and more. And when it comes to culture, Baker McKenzie promotes a positive working environment where creativity is encouraged and different points of view are heard. The Firm also has its own football, netball, cricket and mixed hockey teams. Yoga classes are held in the lunchtimes and evenings, and to help employees get to know each other away from their desks, Baker McKenzie also arranges regular social events.

Think inclusive. Think Baker McKenzie

When you join Baker McKenzie, we want you to bring your whole self to the Firm – to draw on your experiences, voice your opinions and share your ideas. To support and encourage that, we’ve created a culture of respect and collaboration, that’s designed to bring out the best in every individual.

• Ranked as a Stonewall Top Global Employer for 2020, won Global Trans Inclusion Award 2020
• Sponsors of the Black British Business Awards
• Signatory of the Race at Work Charter
• Winner of International Mentorship Programme Award and France ‘Firm of the Year’, with five individual awards at the Women in Business Law Awards 2021
• Top Ten Social Mobility Employer Index 2020
• Signatory for Valuable 500 – designed to attract and retain people with disabilities

When it comes to inclusion and diversity, we are not neutral. As part of our commitment to championing equality, we have a number of networks, which you will be encouraged to join.

• BakerCarers

  Has a very practical focus on supporting those with caring responsibilities, whether they relate to parenting, eldercare or caring for a spouse or loved one. The group explores how the Firm can help staff to meet their work commitments whilst maintaining a good work-life balance overall.

• BakerEthnicity

  Promotes the rich cultural diversity of our Firm by helping our Black, Asian and minority ethnic Trainee Solicitors thrive in terms of recruitment, career development, client engagement and creating a community.

• BakerLGBT+/Allies

  Helps everyone be themselves by ensuring adherence to our LGBT+ policy. This sets in stone our zero-tolerance approach to bullying and harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.

• BakerOpportunity

  This network aims to make it easier for people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to access opportunities in the legal industry.

• BakerWellbeing

  Focuses on promoting the physical and mental health of our people, through health-based campaigns and support groups.

• BakerWomen

  Actively works to increase the number of females in Partner and other leadership roles through mentoring, webinars and internal networking events.

"Baker McKenzie gives me a platform to be me. As somebody from a minority ethnic background, this is a place where I feel heard."

Nick Parker - Associate