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EARLY CAREERS

Internship

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About this programme

Our six month, in-person paid internship will show you what we do, how we work and the impact we make in Italy and around the world. Our programme will support your registration for the mandatory traineeship to qualify for the Italian bar exam (pratica forense) or for the chartered accountant exam.

At the end of the internship, you'll have the opportunity to be assessed for a trainee position with us.

Programme details

Explore the intersection between law and business. Develop the foundation of skills you need for a global legal career. You’ll do all this, and more, on our six month internship in our Rome and Milan offices.

This isn’t just a chance to shadow our lawyers. You’ll play a real role in our teams and take on responsibility from day one. Whether attending court hearings, working with clients or developing your professional network, you’ll experience the cutting edge of the legal sector. You'll discover how law can unlock potential around the world and in your own career. That includes seeing how a purpose-led organisation makes a difference through pro bono work and sustainability commitments.

The internship is your chance to see if law is a career you can thrive in. Working across our practice groups and sectors, you’ll be giving your career the best platform by developing the knowledge, skills and behaviours that will support your professional growth.

We’ll ask you to choose your preferred practice groups when you apply and will try to assign you to one of these for the programme.

During the internship, you will:

  • experience the complexities of our work and discover how you can make a real impact around the world. You’ll see how we think across borders to find creative solutions for our clients;
  • join a forward-looking, friendly team while collaborating with colleagues around the world;
  • develop your knowledge and skills through structured learning and development opportunities;
  • be supported by a strong network of supervisors, buddies, and mentors to develop your confidence and identify your own personal and professional goals;
  • be part of an international early careers community full of talented colleagues who’ll become part of your global network;
  • have opportunities to explore interests beyond your role, including legal tech, sustainability and pro bono work, to give you an authentic insight into life at DLA Piper; and
  • enjoy a supportive working environment where your wellbeing is always a priority and your workload is managed so you can always deliver your best.

You’ll have the freedom to discover your own path and make an extraordinary impact beyond the borders of traditional law. Tomorrow’s legal industry can’t hire yesterday’s skills. Unlock your potential and start building a different kind of legal career.

Show us your strengths in action. Once you've completed your internship, you could be offered a trainee position.. 

What do we look for?

We’re looking for people from a diverse range of backgrounds who have the potential to thrive at our firm.

To succeed on our early careers programmes, you don’t need any specific legal experience or education, but you will, in addition to the eligibility criteria:

  • have an interest in international law and business;
  • have a forward-thinking and entrepreneurial mindset and will be excited about doing things differently in the legal industry;
  • be self-motivated by a strong desire to achieve your personal and professional goals;
  • enjoy collaborating with others and will be instinctively socially aware;
  • have a growth mindset so you see setbacks as learning opportunities, and you’ll proactively look for ways to grow and develop;
  • enjoy working in an ever-changing environment; and
  • enjoy taking ownership of tasks and thinking critically.

How to apply?

To apply, you'll be required to complete an application form. Within the application form, you'll also be asked to include your academic average and your actual expected graduation date.

When applying, you'll also be asked to provide your CV, your graduate academic transcripts and details of your language skills. We don’t require you to submit a cover letter as part of your application.

We’ll ask you to choose your preferred practice groups when you apply and will try to assign you to one of these for the programme. We'll also ask you to choose your preferred office location. Please note that whilst we try to accommodate individuals’ preferences, there may be times when this is not possible.

Although it's not essential, our preference is that your application is completed in English.

Key dates

The Internship is six months in duration and has two intakes:

  • March – September 2025
  • September 2025 – March 2026
  • Applications open: 9 September 2024

 

Accessibility
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Accessibility

At DLA Piper, we are committed to making reasonable adjustments and removing disability-related barriers. This is so everyone, irrespective of a visible or non-visible disability, neurodivergence, a long-term health condition or injury, has an equitable opportunity to succeed in our recruitment process.

If you think you may need adjustments or additional support to enable you to participate in our recruitment process, please get in touch with our Italy HR team and we will be happy to support you.

We understand that sharing your needs with us may feel daunting. We will have an open discussion with you about what will work best for you in the recruitment process, and you only need to share what you feel comfortable with. Our team will ensure that the information you provide will be treated confidentially. The information will only be shared with others involved in the process, on your approval, and where necessary.

We will use the information you share to put adjustments in place for you at any stage, or at multiple stages, of the recruitment process. This is to enable you to perform to the best of your ability, and to have an equitable opportunity to perform and thrive.

Programme overview
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Programme overview

Watch our 2022/23 Internship video, where we welcomed over 70 interns to the firm in our Milan and Rome offices. During the internship, our interns worked with our clients and developed the knowledge and skills required to be a successful lawyer. 

DLA Piper attends Career Days in Italy
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DLA Piper attends Career Days in Italy

We recently participated in #CareerDays at Bocconi University in Milan and Sapienza University in Rome. We enjoyed meeting with Law and Economics students and recent graduates to showcase our firm, our values and to introduce our Internship Programme and career opportunities in Italy. 

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Recruitment roadmap

Application form

Our application form will capture some key information about yourself. We will also ask you to submit a CV and provide your academic transcripts. After submitting your application form, you will be invited to complete a series of online tests that explore your language capabilities, reasoning and analytical skills. 

Assessments
  • English online assessment (via e-mail)
  • English oral assessment (approximately 10 minutes conversation by phone)
  • Written assessment (in English or Italian)
Interviews
  • 1st stage interview with a Recruitment Specialist
  • 2nd stage interview with a Lawyer
Offer

Ready to shape your future with DLA Piper?

Apply now

Frequently asked questions

Can I use Generative AI tools in the recruitment process?

Generative AI (GenAI) is a fascinating branch of AI that can produce original and creative content. It uses complex algorithms and neural networks to learn from data and generate outputs that mimic human-like creativity. The data used to train GenAI tools can be text, images, audio, video or other types of content.

GenAI is changing how we work and will impact how you work in your career. It has the potential to bring benefits and opportunities yet also poses challenges and risks.

If you're planning to use GenAI tools within the recruitment process, we'd recommend being both responsible and cautious. The recruitment process for our early careers programmes is your opportunity to demonstrate your potential – your experiences, skills, strengths and career aspirations. It's also our way of assessing whether you're likely to succeed in an early careers role at DLA Piper.

Integrity and honesty are fundamental attributes of anyone aspiring to work in the legal industry. Using GenAI tools can be helpful in your job search and in the application process, if the tools are used appropriately. Maintaining integrity whilst using these tools requires human direction over how generative AI is used, and here's our top tips for getting this right.

What does good use of GenAI tools look like?

  1. Upskilling yourself on the limitations of GenAI technologies and being aware of GenAI tools-related risks and how to prevent them.

  2. Being transparent about your use of AI. Be prepared to discuss how you've used GenAI tools in the recruitment process – this will demonstrate your ability to leverage new technologies effectively whilst also showing that you understand what ethical usage looks like.

  3. Understanding how the GenAI tools work. GenAI tools like ChatGPT are like a 'really big word calculator' – you don't need to have detailed knowledge about the inner workings of the GenAI tools, but taking the time to understand how they work is important to ensure you're using the GenAI tools appropriately.

  4. Researching employers and what different employers are looking for from candidates. GenAI tools can be helpful in finding job opportunities which match your strengths and career aspirations.

  5. Helping your initial brainstorming process. GenAI tools can help inspire, clarify and articulate your ideas, but they cannot replicate your personal thoughts and feelings. Always refine the tool's output using your own voice and experiences - an AI-generated response to a motivational question will not authentically convey your skills and experiences.

  6. Helping you structure your ideas. Once you've decided what you want to say, a GenAI tool could help you decide how to layout your ideas. Always check the tool's output, which should be used as a first draft for you to edit.

  7. Checking written responses for readability, especially for spelling, grammar and clarity.

  8. Anonymising your inputs to the tool and removing all personal data and sensitive information. For example, if you're asking the GenAI tool to check your CV for brevity, remember to remove your name from the document you upload. This is because all data inputted into GenAI tools is used to train the algorithm and the tools are not usually capable of maintaining the confidentiality of sensitive information.

  9. Asking the tool for tips on how to prepare for online assessments, for example the Watson Glaser critical thinking assessment. These tips can help you prepare for and reduce your anxiety when completing the real assessment.

  10. Using the tool to help you prepare for interviews or assessment centres, by asking for example interview questions.

What does poor use of GenAI tools look like?

  1. Copy and pasting AI-generated responses without editing the output or clearly acknowledging where the information has been obtained from. Don't rely on automated personalisation and don't let the GenAI tools replace your personal stories and experiences.

  2. Using simple and generic prompts. The tool's output will be based on the question you ask it (known as a prompt) so it may not always provide comprehensive or relevant information.

  3. Relying solely on the GenAI tools and not checking the output for factual accuracy. Always understand the sources of the AI-generated content and fact check all outputs.

  4. Using the GenAI tools to replace your thoughts and capabilities.

  5. Using the GenAI tools to misrepresent your skills, strengths or experiences.

  6. Using the GenAI tools to complete online assessments within the recruitment process, because they will give an inaccurate picture of your true abilities. These assessments are designed to assess your capabilities and potential, therefore using GenAI tools to generate answers for you will misrepresent how you naturally think.

  7. Using the GenAI tools to give you responses to video interview questions. This is because the responses will not portray your authentic voice, may not contain accurate content and will likely not sound natural when read aloud. Overreliance on scripted responses from GenAI tools will also mean that you'll be less prepared for unexpected questions.

Explore how we're helping clients understand the risks and opportunities of artificial intelligence here.

Can you tell me more about DLA Piper in Italy?

DLA Piper is recognised as one of the leading law firms in Italy. With over 300 professionals based in Milan and Rome, we advise clients on all areas of business law and perfectly combine the firm’s global reach with our local knowledge.

Our clients value our global view of the market, consistency of service and the ability to quickly form cross-border multidisciplinary project teams. We are dedicated to building long-term relationships.

Do you accept mitigating circumstances for academic results?

If you have any mitigating circumstances that you would like to be taken into consideration alongside your application, please contact us to discuss further.

Will the Internship support my registration for the mandatory traineeship to qualify for the Italian bar exam (pratica forense), or for the chartered account exam?

Yes, if you have the university requirements to access the mandatory pratica forense or pratica anticipata. We encourage you to contact your university prior to applying to check the necessary requirements.

After the Internship, is there the possibility to progress my career at DLA Piper?

At the end of the internship, you will have the opportunity to be assessed, based on your performance, and our availability, for a position as a Trainee with us.

Who should I contact if I have questions?

Please contact Mariana Dardengo (Senior Recruitment Business Partner, Italy) or Benedetta Mayer (Recruitment Specialist, Italy).