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Orrick

Orrick

Next deadline

Vacation Scheme Summer 2027 · 31 Dec 2026

(69 days)

Apply now
In their own words

Orrick is a forward-thinking, global law firm where ambitious minds can gain hands-on experience with innovative clients, and make a real impact from day one as part of a collaborative and supportive team.

Snapshot

Firm type

US firm in London

UK offices

London

International offices

Austin (USA), Beijing (China), Boston (USA), Brussels (Belgium), Charlottte (USA), Chicago (USA), Dusseldorf (Germany), Houston (USA), Los Angeles (USA), Miami (USA), Milan (Italy), Munich (Germany), New York (USA), Orange County (USA), Paris (France), Portland (USA), Rome (Italy), Sacramento (USA), San Francisco (USA), Santa Monica (USA), Seattle (USA), Silicon Valley (USA), Singapore, Tokyo (Japan), Washington DC (USA), Wheeling (USA)

Training contract places

6

Vacation scheme places

25

First-year salary

£60,000

Second-year salary

£65,000

Newly qualified salary

£170,000

Trainee retention

100%

SQE support

Yes, full funding

Visa sponsorship

Yes

International secondment

No

Client secondment

No

Guaranteed secondment

Not disclosed

Recruitment route

Both vacation scheme and direct training contract

Seat structure

Six four-month seats

Trainee salary review

Fixed for the whole training contract (not annually reviewed)

Academic requirements

2:1 degree and ABB at A-Level (or equivalent)

Retrospective SQE/PGDL funding

Considered case by case

Holiday allowance

25 days

Office attendance policy

Minimum 3 days per week

Remote working

No, standard hybrid only

Non-law applicants welcome

Yes, actively

Career changers welcome

Yes, actively

PGDL funding

No standalone PGDL. Non-law trainees complete a fully-funded 12-month SQE pathway with BARBRI, starting with a 6-week law-conversion module.
Before you apply

Before you apply, ask yourself:

Are you genuinely interested in at least one of Orrick’s core sectors – Technology & Innovation, Energy & Infrastructure, Finance, or Life Sciences & HealthTech?

Would you thrive in lean teams where trainees can take on substantive responsibility quickly, rather than having a fixed set of junior-level tasks?

Would you value completing six four-month seats, giving you the chance to explore a wider range of practice areas but requiring you to adapt to a new team more frequently?

Do you want the international work and clients of a global US firm while training in a comparatively small London office with close access to partners and senior lawyers?

Are you proactive and comfortable demonstrating initiative, curiosity and resilience, with responsibility increasing as you show that you can handle it?

Next deadline

Vacation Scheme Summer 2027

31 Dec 2026

(69 days)

View job

Deep dive

Explore this firm in detail

What makes it different

Early responsibility

What this could mean for you
You could develop quickly through hands-on experience and close senior-lawyer exposure, but you will be expected to show initiative and take greater ownership as you progress.

Sector-focused expertise

What this could mean for you
You could build an understanding of industries driving significant technological, energy and financial change, so a genuine interest in Orrick's sectors will help you make the most of the training contract.

Broad experience through six seats

What this could mean for you
You could explore a wider range of legal disciplines before qualification and discover which type of work suits you, although the shorter rotations mean adapting to new teams more frequently.

Practice area strengths

Technology Companies / Venture Capital

Orrick advises technology companies and investors across the company lifecycle, from early-stage financings through later-stage growth, M&A and exits. Its London practice has particular strength in venture capital and high-growth technology businesses, with significant cross-border work.

Energy & Infrastructure

Orrick's Energy & Infrastructure practice spans renewable energy and energy transition alongside conventional energy, with work covering M&A, project development, financing and regulatory matters. Its London lawyers advise on major domestic and cross-border energy and infrastructure projects.

Finance

Orrick's London finance capability spans structured finance, CLOs, project finance, fintech and capital markets, with work for financial institutions, funds, investors and businesses operating across its core sectors.

All practice areas

AntitrustArtificial intelligenceCapital marketsCollateralised loan obligationsCommercial litigationData centresData, privacy and cybersecurityDigital infrastructureEmploymentEnergyEnergy transitionFinancial institutionsFinancial services and regulationFinTech and digital assetsInfrastructureIntellectual propertyInternational arbitrationLife sciencesMergers and acquisitions (M&A)Private equityRestructuringSecurities litigationShare incentive schemesStructured financeTaxTechnologyVenture capital
Who it may suit

Before you apply, ask yourself

  • Are you genuinely interested in at least one of Orrick’s core sectors – Technology & Innovation, Energy & Infrastructure, Finance, or Life Sciences & HealthTech?
  • Would you thrive in lean teams where trainees can take on substantive responsibility quickly, rather than having a fixed set of junior-level tasks?
  • Would you value completing six four-month seats, giving you the chance to explore a wider range of practice areas but requiring you to adapt to a new team more frequently?
  • Do you want the international work and clients of a global US firm while training in a comparatively small London office with close access to partners and senior lawyers?
  • Are you proactive and comfortable demonstrating initiative, curiosity and resilience, with responsibility increasing as you show that you can handle it?

This firm may suit candidates who…

  • Want substantial responsibility early and are comfortable taking initiative rather than being limited to a fixed set of trainee tasks.
  • Have a genuine interest in Orrick's core sectors, particularly Technology & Innovation, Energy & Infrastructure, Finance or Life Sciences & HealthTech.
  • Want the international work of a global US firm alongside the closer working relationships of a comparatively small London office.
  • Want to explore a broad range of practice areas before deciding where to qualify.
  • Are proactive, commercially curious and interested in shaping their own development.

Things to consider

  • Lean teams can mean greater ownership and visibility, so trainees need to be comfortable demonstrating their capabilities and taking on more as they progress.
  • Orrick deliberately focuses on specific sectors rather than trying to cover every market equally, so its sector mix should genuinely match your interests.
  • A smaller trainee intake and lean teams can create close partner and client exposure, but the experience and workload can vary significantly between seats and matters.
  • Six four-month seats provide more rotations than a traditional four-seat training contract, but also mean changing teams and adapting to new areas more frequently.
  • Orrick gives trainees significant autonomy, including through its trainee-led training programme, so candidates who prefer a highly prescribed training experience may find the model less natural.
What trainees do

Technology Companies Group / Corporate

What it involves:

Supporting high-growth technology companies and investors across corporate transactions, including venture capital and growth-company work.

Example trainee tasks:

Drafting and reviewing corporate documents, carrying out due diligence, legal research, supporting transaction management and assisting on company- and investor-side matters.

Who trainees work with:

Partners, associates, technology companies, founders and investors.

Early responsibility:

Trainees can take ownership of discrete workstreams and contribute substantively to transactions, with responsibility increasing as they demonstrate their capabilities.

Support and supervision:

Trainees work within lean teams with close access to associates and partners for guidance and feedback.

A first month might involve:

Drafting corporate documents, conducting due diligence and research, joining client and deal-team calls and helping progress different stages of a transaction.

Energy & Infrastructure

What it involves:

Supporting transactions and projects across energy and infrastructure, including renewables, energy transition and cross-border matters.

Example trainee tasks:

Drafting and reviewing transaction documents, legal research, due diligence and assisting with financing and project-related work.

Who trainees work with:

Partners, associates, clients and other advisers involved in energy and infrastructure projects and transactions.

Early responsibility:

Trainees can contribute directly to substantive workstreams and gain exposure to complex, international matters.

Support and supervision:

Trainees work closely with senior lawyers in relatively lean teams, with guidance available as their responsibility develops.

A first month might involve:

Reviewing transaction documents, conducting due diligence and research, joining client calls and assisting with financing or project-related work.

Cyber, Privacy & Data Innovation

What it involves:

Supporting advisory work involving privacy, data, technology and the regulatory issues affecting digital businesses.

Example trainee tasks:

Legal and regulatory research, drafting advice, supporting privacy and data matters and assisting with client correspondence.

Who trainees work with:

Partners, associates and clients operating in technology and other data-intensive sectors.

Early responsibility:

Trainees contribute substantive research and drafting and can become increasingly involved in client-facing work as they develop experience.

Support and supervision:

Trainees work directly with senior lawyers, with opportunities to ask questions while developing knowledge of technically complex areas.

A first month might involve:

Researching privacy or regulatory issues, preparing initial drafts of advice and supporting the team with client queries and ongoing data matters.

International Arbitration / Disputes

What it involves:

Supporting complex contentious matters, including international disputes and arbitration.

Example trainee tasks:

Legal research, drafting, reviewing evidence and documents and preparing materials for ongoing disputes.

Who trainees work with:

Partners, associates and other members of the disputes team on complex and often international matters.

Early responsibility:

Trainees contribute directly to live cases through research, drafting and evidence-related work, with responsibility developing according to the matter and their experience.

Support and supervision:

Trainees work closely with associates and partners and have access to senior lawyers for guidance as matters progress.

A first month might involve:

Researching legal issues, reviewing evidence, preparing first drafts and helping organise materials for an ongoing dispute or arbitration.

Work-life reality

Work-life balance varies by team, seat and transaction cycle. This section is designed to help you understand the pattern, not reduce the experience to a score.

Predictability

Workload predictability varies by seat and matter. Transactional work can involve changing deadlines and periods of concentrated activity, while other seats may offer more predictable working patterns.

Busy periods

Busy periods can become intense when transactions or deadlines accelerate. Orrick's lean teams mean trainees can have meaningful responsibility during these periods, although senior lawyers are generally available for guidance and support.

Late finishes

Late finishes do occur, particularly around transactions and deadlines, but their frequency varies considerably between trainees and practice areas.

Weekend work

Weekend working is less common than late-evening work and is not described by trainees as a routine feature of the training contract.

Seat variation

Working patterns can change noticeably between the six four-month seats. Transactional, contentious and advisory teams can involve different workloads and levels of predictability.

Support

Trainees generally report access to supervisors, associates and partners when workloads become demanding, although the responsibility that comes with lean staffing can still make busy periods intense.

Flexibility

Hybrid working is generally flexible within the three-day office pattern, with some variation depending on team needs, meetings and live matters.

Holiday allowance

25 days

Office attendance

Three days per week is the usual London office pattern, although the firm describes this as a guideline and trainees say attendance can vary depending on the team and what is happening on a matter.
Culture & support

Supervision style

Trainees work closely with supervisors and senior lawyers in relatively small teams. They are expected to use their initiative while having access to associates and partners for questions and guidance, with regular appraisals supporting their development.

Relationship with partners

Partners are generally accessible and approachable, with the small-team structure creating opportunities for trainees to work directly with senior lawyers and receive substantive work from them.

Upward feedback

Trainees generally feel able to ask questions, contribute ideas and engage with senior colleagues, although experiences can vary depending on the individual team and supervisor.

What surprised trainees positively

Trainees highlight the level of responsibility available early, the accessibility of senior lawyers and the relatively informal, supportive atmosphere. The breadth of experience available through six seats and exposure to high-profile international work are also positive themes.
Application process

Online application form

(1 hour)

Watson Glaser Test

(30 minutes)

Assessment Centre

(Full day)

Vacation Scheme

(2 weeks)

What happens

Participants spend time in two practice groups and are assessed for a Training Contract during the scheme

Direct Training Contract: In-Person Interview instead of Vacation Scheme

(30 minutes)

Reviews
"What surprised me - “How approachable everyone is. And how much responsibility and exposure you get as a trainee from day dot.”" - Anonymous
"On the culture - “Super approachable and friendly. It’s hard work but you can genuinely be yourself and be honest about how you are getting on.”" - Anonymous
Opportunities
Vacation Scheme Summer 2027

Orrick

Orrick

69 days leftCloses 11:59pm, 31 Dec 2026

View job
Direct Training Contract Route 2029

Orrick

Orrick

159 days leftCloses 11:59pm, 31 Mar 2027

View job