We understand that deciding where to begin your legal career can be daunting, and that you have a seemingly endless list of factors to consider—the type of law you’re interested in practicing, each firm’s clients, a firm’s people and culture, the professional development opportunities different firms offer, and more. Read below to discover the kind of firm we are and what you can expect as a trainee in our London office.
London Students & Graduates
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We both hugely enjoy the exciting, fast-moving and inclusive culture at Ropes & Gray’s London office, as well as the experience of building on the tremendous growth of the firm and office during the last 15 years. We hope you’ll consider joining us as we continue to grow and look to capitalise on that success.”
Chris Agnoli and Shona Ha, Trainee Recruitment and Development Partners
Why Choose Us
Our two-year trainee programme is about more than just fulfilling regulatory requirements. We’re dedicated to helping individuals find their passion, grow beyond their expectations and become the best solicitor they can possibly be. To achieve this, we’ve developed a selective, personalised programme that offers significant mentorship and training, early responsibility, and the opportunity to assist with the end-to-end process of complex transactions. As a trainee, you’ll have exposure to the exciting, groundbreaking work we do for international clients, all while benefiting from the non-hierarchal, collegial and collaborative culture of a smaller office.
We know how important it is to feel welcomed and supported when joining a new firm. From the time you accept the offer through to your start date, you’ll be invited to attend social events at the firm and you will also receive a copy of the monthly ‘Future Trainee Bulletin’. The Bulletin outlines what has been happening in the London office and is a great resource to help ensure that you feel connected to the firm before you start your training contract with us. Before you start, you and your fellow future trainees will complete the Solicitors Regulation Authority Solicitor’s Qualifying Examination (SQE) 1&2 (LLM) at BPP in London. This course is a 12-month course which includes SQE1 and SQE2 preparation as well the bespoke Essentials for Practice semester which focuses on key areas of our practice, as well as the additional knowledge and skills necessary to ensure that you are well prepared to undertake your training contract with us. Being on the course together provides an opportunity to begin to form close bonds with your intake. We will also introduce you to your buddy who will be someone you can ask any questions to prior to your first day. We really want to help you make connections and feel a part of the firm from day one.
If you have already completed the LPC, you will be required to complete the SQE1 and SQE2 to qualify as a solicitor with Ropes & Gray.
If you are a non-law graduate, you are also required to study the PGDL Law Conversion Course at BPP Law School (London).
We’re committed to helping you reach your fullest potential. To that end, we’ve created a best-in-class trainee programme that provides you with the knowledge, resources and tools to succeed at the firm. The training includes:
- A three-week comprehensive and interactive trainee training camp designed to introduce you to the firm, provide an overview of the various practice areas, and offer extensive AI training on the firm’s tools to help you get up and running as quickly as possible.
- A comprehensive technical legal and skills training programme running throughout your time as a trainee, involving regular workshops and small group sessions delivered by internal and external experts.
- Thrive: Positive Lawyering Coaching Programme An award-winning programme designed to equip you with the tools and strategies you will need to cultivate resilience and mental fitness so that you can achieve satisfaction and sustainable success in your role as a trainee.
- A four-seat rotation programme giving you exposure to a number of legal disciplines.
- Highly trained and dedicated supervisors providing you with on-the-job training and feedback. For each seat of your seats, you’ll share an office with your supervisor, receiving regular mentorship and objective advice.
- A structured performance review system ensuring you receive feedback on your performance every three months to recognise achievements and identify any areas of development.
- Social events for you and your fellow trainees, as well as supervisors, giving everyone the opportunity to get to know each other.
The programme’s four-seat rotation offers you exposure to a number of legal disciplines. Before each seat change, you’ll meet with HR to discuss your future ambitions and which seat options best meet those goals. We work hard to match your seat preferences with the needs of the business.
Our training contract is transactional focused so you can expect to mostly sit in our transactional practice groups.
We currently have seats available in the following practice areas: private equity, leveraged finance, strategic transactions, real estate finance, tax, anti-corruption & international risk, asset management, antitrust, data, privacy & cybersecurity, alternative asset opportunities, life sciences & compliance and business restructuring.
We are committed to the long-term development of our trainees and as such want all our trainees to qualify as associates with us at the end of the two-year programme. During the training contract, our trainees are encouraged to think about where they might want to qualify. At the end of the two years, we run a straightforward qualification process.
We offer both client and international secondment opportunities, subject to business needs. These secondments provide trainees with valuable exposure to a range of commercial issues, key individuals, and the operations of different legal teams.
- 1st Year Salary: £62,000
- 2nd Year Salary: £67,000
- NQ Salary: £170,000
- SQE 1&2 (LLM) course fees paid. PGDL Law Conversion Course fees will be paid where applicable.
- £20,000 maintenance grant
- 25 days holiday
- NQ qualification leave
- Discretionary bonus
- Interest-free season ticket loan
- Private medical insurance
- Income protection insurance
- Contributory pension scheme
- Life assurance
- Subsidised gym membership
- Dental insurance
- Cycle to work scheme
- £500 Well-being allowance
We want Ropes & Gray to be a place where our trainees are empowered to bring their best selves to work. To support this goal, our award-winning global well-being program, BeWELL@Ropes&Gray, offers tangible resources, premier education and compassionate support to enhance the emotional (myMind), physical (myHealth) and financial (myWealth) health of our people. The program offers a variety of initiatives, including resiliency training, mindfulness meditations, physical fitness challenges, presentations on retirement planning and more.
Meet our Trainees & NQs
Discover more about the talented trainees and NQs who currently work in the London office. Learn why they chose Ropes & Gray to start their legal careers, their perspectives on the recruitment and selection processes, and gain insights into the firm’s culture, pro bono initiatives and client work.
What We Are Looking For
We accept applications from individuals of all degree subjects and those changing careers. Candidates must achieve AAB at A-level and be on track for a 2:1 at university. We do take into consideration mitigating circumstances and rare contextual data when reviewing applications. Candidates should be commercially aware, intellectually curious and work well in a team.
TRAINEE INSIGHTS – LEGAL LINGO DIRECTORY
The commercial legal industry involves understanding complex, often abstract, concepts. This results in a wall of jargon that students and trainees often find difficult to surmount. Legal Lingo seeks to break down these concepts, and the resulting jargon, into bite-size explanations to make the industry more accessible for aspiring trainees.
TC APPLICATION ROUTE AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS
We recruit 15 trainees a year. Typically, law students will apply in their second year of a law degree, so those applying for a 2027 vacation scheme are applying for training contracts commencing in September 2029. Students who are doing non-law degrees should apply in their final year. Our vacation schemes are also open to postgraduates.
Our recruitment and selection processes are designed to make sure that Ropes & Gray is the right place for you to start your career. To help us achieve this aim, those interested in a training contract with the firm must attend an assessment day and, if successful, go on to participate in a two-week spring or summer vacation scheme. The schemes are designed to give you firsthand insight into our work, our people and the unique culture of our firm.
If you need any adjustments made at any stage of the process, please get in touch.
Candidates must submit their academic record. If you meet our eligibility criteria, you will be asked to complete the Thrive /psychometric test. If you are successful and you meet the Thrive assessment score threshold, you will be asked to complete a written application. Applications open on the 2nd November 2026.
Please note, we do not operate on a rolling basis. We have one application window. The closing date is 24 January 2027.
Contextual Recruitment System
We know that the most successful organisations welcome individuals from all backgrounds. To help us do the same, we’ve partnered with diversity recruitment experts, Rare, and use their Contextual Recruitment System in our recruitment process. The system enables us to further understand the context in which applicants’ experiences have been gained and identify outperformers that others may miss.
If you’re successful at the application stage, you’ll be invited to an assessment day. During the day, you will complete various assessments to evaluate your suitability for the role of a trainee. You’ll also get time to spend with our current trainees.
The assessment day is a ‘blind’ selection process, and anyone you meet will not have any prior knowledge of your application. We feel this provides a level playing field and helps us ensure that we recruit the very best talent into the firm, regardless of background.
If you’re selected for a vacation scheme, you’ll get to experience firsthand what it’s like to be a trainee at the firm. You’ll receive mentoring and support from your supervisor, meet lawyers from each practice group, attend workshops and interact with our employees at social networking events. To evaluate you for a training contract, you will be subject to further assessments . Our trainees are recruited exclusively from our vacation schemes. You will receive a payment of £400 per week towards expenses for attending one of our vacation schemes and, most importantly, you’ll come away with a crucial network of contacts.
- March 2027
Assessment Days- 09 March 2027
- 11 March 2027
- 16 March 2027
- 18 March 2027
- 23 March 2027
- April 2027
Spring Vacation Scheme (12 April – 23 April 2027) - June/July 2027
Summer Vacation Scheme (28 June – 9 July 2027)
TRAINEE INSIGHTS – PODCAST SERIES
Welcome to Trainee Insights, a Ropes & Gray podcast series about life as a trainee or junior lawyer at Ropes & Gray in London. This podcast is for anyone who has an interest in building a successful career in the firm’s London office. To keep current on new episodes, subscribe to this series on Apple or Spotify.
Media Coverage
We work with a variety of legal publications and social media platforms to help celebrate and showcase our firm’s culture, legal work, the events we attend and the causes we support. The content provides prospective students with insights into our culture, the London office, our lawyers and what skills help a prospective trainee stand out at our firm. If you would like to know more about us, check out the media coverage!
Frequently Asked Questions
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LL.M. Opportunities
In a continually evolving financial landscape, our award-winning leveraged finance team provides clients the leadership and adaptability needed to succeed in the public and private high yield debt capital and syndicated leveraged loan markets. Our leveraged finance team is part of the firm’s dynamic global finance group, which provides great opportunities for associates to work on the most complex and interesting deals in the market. Our extensive experience in high yield debt offerings and leveraged loans across numerous jurisdictions and industries ensures rapid execution with a nuanced ability to navigate complicated deal structures and intricate debt covenants. New issuers, repeat corporate issuers, private equity sponsors and investment banks rely on us to help them succeed, even in the most challenging circumstances.
Our London office hires LL.M. students who want to work in the London finance team after sitting for the bar exam in New York. Students are generally recruited as part of the New York job fair process, take the New York (or another equivalent state) bar exam following completion of their LL.M. programmes and join the team of New York-qualified finance lawyers in the London office in October each year.
Visit our Instagram
For more information and insights into life in the London office, please visit our Instagram account @ropesgray_uk. Get instant access to the news and happenings from the office. We share images, videos and reels to provide you with a snapshot of our vibrant culture and what it’s like to be a trainee at the firm. It’s also where you can find key information about the trainee recruitment process. Check it out today!