EARLY CAREERS

Summer
Internship

About this programme

Gain first-hand experience of working at DLA Piper with our in-person Summer Internship. Our three-week paid programme starts with a 4-day induction event held in the London office followed by time working in your chosen office location. This is the gateway to our International Training Programme and will provide you with opportunities to explore your interests and make informed career choices. We only recruit trainees through the Summer Internship.

Summer Internship

Our Summer Internship is designed to give you insight to what life at DLA Piper is really like. Our three-week programme starts with a 4-day induction event held in the London office followed by time working in your chosen office location.

The induction will allow you to meet new people and hear from senior members of the firm, as well as our current Trainees and Associates. You will discover more about the firm’s practice groups and sectors, our approach to radical change and technology , as well as diversity, equality, and inclusion. You will also spend time building your professional skills and workplace capabilities to ensure you have the best internship experience possible.

You'll spend your second and third weeks of the Internship undertaking work experience across two of our practice groups in your chosen office location. We will do our best to allocate your placements based on your preferences which you can share with us in advance.

For the summer of 2024 year we will be recruiting interns into the following UK offices. Please click your preferred location to apply:

The internship is your chance to show us your strengths in actions and following your time with us you may be offered a place on our International Training Programme (Training Contract). Please note: You will be considered for a training contract offer in the office you undertake the Summer Internship in.

Am I eligible?

Studying a law degree: you can apply for the programme if you are a second-year student on a three-year course or a third-year student on a four-year course. You can also apply if you are in your final year of study.
Studying a non-law degree: you can apply for the programme if you are in your final year of study.
You are also eligible to apply if you are a graduate or career changer.
Please note: We recruit 2 years in advance and therefore all 2024 Internship applicants will be assessed for a place on the International Trainee Programme, commencing in Autumn 2026.
We welcome applications from all degree disciplines but only one application can be made per year
You must have the right to work for the duration of the programme (35 hours a week) in the location which you have chosen. DLA Piper is unable to sponsor visas for the Summer Internship Programme.

Key dates

Applications open: 15th September 2023
Applications close: please note that we review applications on a rolling basis, and therefore will close when we have enough applications to fill the role.

We would therefore encourage early applications to avoid missing out.

Applicants will be assessed for a place on the International Trainee Programme, commencing in Autumn 2026.

Meet us

Programme overview

Watch our London Summer Internship Induction week 2023, where we welcomed over 100 Summer Interns from UK and Ireland for four days of interactive workshops, networking, social events and talks from our senior business leaders. Following these four days, our interns returned to complete two weeks of work experience in their retrospective offices, across two different practice groups.

Accessibility

We are committed to employing people with diverse skills and experiences.

We strongly encourage you to share any adjustments that will support your participation in our recruitment process.

If you do require adjustments at any stage of our process, please share this information in your application form. This will only be seen by the Early Careers Team who will do all we can to support you.

DLA Piper was a founding legal industry member of MyPlus Students Club. You can read more about our partnership here.

Recruitment roadmap

Application form

Our application form will capture some key information regarding yourself and will also ask you to submit answers to our application questions regarding your motivations to apply to DLA Piper. We will also ask you to submit a CV.

Rare CRS

DLA Piper is proud to use the Rare Contextual Recruitment System (CRS). We will ask all applicants to complete a contextualised information survey, which is not mandatory. The CRS allows us to understand each candidate’s achievements in the context that they have been gained. We understand that not all candidate’s achievements look the same on paper – and we want to recruit the best people, regardless of their background.

Online assessment

The Watson Glaser online assessment is untimed and to be completed at your own pace. However, you must complete your assessment within five working days of receiving the link.

There are various practice Watson Glaser assessments available online and we would recommend spending some time practising these to familiarise yourself with the types of questions you may be asked. You will also be sent a link from us with a further practice assessment you can take before undertaking the final assessment.

Video interview

The video interview has been developed to assess your motivations and alignment to the role you have applied for. It will consist of three questions which are focused on the behaviours which are important to be successful at DLA Piper.

Assessment Centre

The final stage is an Assessment Centre. It will comprise of exercises which give you the chance to demonstrate your strengths and help us get to know you better.

Ready to shape your future with DLA Piper?

Apply now

Frequently asked questions

Do you accept summer internship applications from non-law students?

Yes, we do. You can apply for the programme if you are in your final year of study of a non-law degree. You are also eligible to apply if you are a graduate or looking for a career change.

Can I do a summer scheme in one office and apply to another for a training contract?

You should apply for a summer internship in the office where you would like your training contract to be based. Candidates are only able to apply to one location (UK, UAE, Ireland or Hong Kong) and one programme per annum.

What are your minimum academic requirements?

We do not have minimum academic requirements for undergraduate degrees in the UK.

Please note if you have completed your further legal studies – PGDL, LPC or SQE – you must have a 2:1.

Do you accept mitigating circumstances for academic results?

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

Can I apply for a summer internship if I have already completed my degree?

Yes, we accept applications from those who have already completed their law degree – as well as from non-law graduates currently undertaking the PGDL or LPC.

Will there be an opportunity to start my International Training Programme sooner?

As we recruit two years in advance, during your 2024 Summer Internship, you will be assessed for a training contract starting in 2026. There are however some instances where we can accommodate an alternative start date year, subject to business needs.

SummerInternship