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Womble Bond Dickinson

Womble Bond Dickinson

Next deadline

Training contract 2029 · 25 Jan 2027

(102 days)

Apply now
In their own words

High-quality work, meaningful responsibility and tailored development, supported by an approachable and collaborative international firm.

Snapshot

Firm type

International

UK offices

Bristol, London, Plymouth, Southampton, Leeds, Newcastle, Edinburgh

International offices

Albany, Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Denver, Charleston, Charlotte, Charlottesville, Cleveland, Colorado Springs, Columbia, Greensboro, Greenville, Houston, Huntsville, Irvine, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Raleigh, Reno, Research Triangle Park, Tysons, Tucson, Walnut Creek, Washington, D.C., Wilmington, Winston-Salem

Training contract places

20

Vacation scheme places

40

First-year salary

London: £45,000; Bristol: £40,000; Southampton, Plymouth, Leeds, Newcastle and Edinburgh: £33,000

Second-year salary

London: £47,000; Bristol: £42,000; Southampton, Plymouth, Leeds, Newcastle and Edinburgh: £35,000

Newly qualified salary

London: £85,000; Bristol: £64,000; Leeds: £60,000; Southampton: £59,000; Edinburgh: £60,000; Newcastle and Plymouth: £54,000

Trainee retention

67%

SQE support

Full SQE 1, SQE2 and PGDL funding

Visa sponsorship

Yes

International secondment

No

Client secondment

Yes

Guaranteed secondment

No

Recruitment route

Direct training contract only

Rolling recruitment?

No

Seat structure

4 six-month seats

Can trainees repeat a seat?

Sometimes, depending on the circumstances

Can trainees express seat preferences?

Yes, preferences are taken into consideration but no guarantee to be given on seat preference

Trainee salary review

Reviewed annually

Non-law applicants

Actively welcomed

Career changer applicants

Actively welcomed

Remote working

Standard hybrid working – minimum of 3 days in the office

Holiday allowance

25 days

Minimum academic requirements

Have achieved, or be predicted to achieve, a 2:1 undergraduate degree.

Typical start time

8:45am

Typical finish time

5:30-6:00pm

Wellbeing support

Includes online CBT, GP appointments, discounted gym memberships, professional mental health support, Mental Health First Aiders, Wellbeing Champions, grief first aiders, menopause champions, Men’s Wellbeing Group, wellbeing walks, and sports and social activities

Maintenance grant

Yes

PGDL funding

Full funding

Retrospective SQE or PGDL funding

None

Diversity networks and partnerships

Includes PRIME, Sutton Trust, Pathways to Law, The Brilliant Club, 10,000 Interns Foundation, Forage, The School Outreach Company, West of England Legal Early Careers Network, Social Mobility Pledge and Business Disability Forum

% female partners

32%

% BAME partners

3%

% LGBTQ+ partners

3%

% female trainees

58%

% BAME trainees

21%

% state school educated trainees

70%

% first generation university trainees

49%
Before you apply

Before you apply, ask yourself:

Would you enjoy contributing to live matters and taking on meaningful responsibility from an early stage of your training?

Would you enjoy taking an active role in your development, including building relationships with partners and senior lawyers across the firm?

Would you value building your career in one of WBD’s UK offices while gaining exposure to national and international matters?

Next deadline

Training contract 2029

25 Jan 2027

(102 days)

View job

Deep dive

Explore this firm in detail

What makes it different

Within the firm, inclusion is embedded throughout the employee experience

What this could mean for you
The firm’s commitment to broadening participation in the field can be seen throughout the recruitment process, using contextual recruitment software that is designed to give people the best chance to demonstrate their ability. This commitment continues once in the firm, and trainees can get involved with various affinity networks, ongoing inclusion training, and widening participation programmes.

Collaboration is part of our culture, not just a buzzword

What this could mean for you
During their training, trainees have direct access to senior lawyers and are encouraged to foster professional connections within the firm to help further their development. An annual £200 networking allowance also supports opportunities to attend legal and industry events and develop external connections. You could build relationships with colleagues at different levels of the firm while developing your external professional network from an early stage. Trainees often put the allowance towards Junior Lawyers Division (JLD) balls, local legal networking events and industry functions. They’re also encouraged to join office sports and social committees, and many get involved in Responsible Business, community engagement and diversity and inclusion activities.

Our trainees don't spend two years observing from the sidelines. They are trusted to contribute

What this could mean for you
Trainees are trusted with real work from the start of their training. The firm enables this by supporting its trainees with dedicated training, supervisors and check-ins with the early talent team. In practice, that can mean working directly with clients, supporting major projects and advising household-name businesses – often on several matters at once.

All practice areas

BankingBanking and financeRestructuringCommercialIntellectual propertyCorporateCorporate / M&ATech and digitalData, privacy and cybersecurityPrivacy and data securityEmploymentPensionsInsuranceInsurance recoveryLitigationRisk advisoryDispute resolutionWealth managementConstructionPropertyRegulatory and complianceCharitiesEnergyFinancial institutionsHealthcareLife sciencesPharmaceuticalsPrivate wealthReal estateRetailHospitalityTransportInfrastructure
Who it may suit

Before you apply, ask yourself:

  • Would you enjoy contributing to live matters and taking on meaningful responsibility from an early stage of your training?
  • Would you enjoy taking an active role in your development, including building relationships with partners and senior lawyers across the firm?
  • Would you value building your career in one of WBD’s UK offices while gaining exposure to national and international matters?

This firm may suit candidates who…

  • Want exposure to both national and international matters while building their career in one of WBD’s UK offices.
  • Enjoy taking an active role in their development and building relationships with senior lawyers.
  • Want to take on live matters early in their training.
  • Want to be challenged and pushed outside their comfort zone, knowing there is strong support behind them.
  • Are keen to continuously build commercial awareness and an understanding of how technology and AI are changing the delivery of legal services.

Things to consider

  • Trainees are expected to spend a minimum of three days per week in the office as part of the firm's hybrid-working approach. In practice, many choose to come in more often than required.
  • Days are likely to be varied, busy and often challenging, with trainees commonly working across a variety of tasks and matters.
  • Training opportunities and available seat options can vary between WBD’s UK offices, so it is worth considering the practice strengths of your chosen location when applying.
Culture & support

Supervision style

Trainees benefit from a strong network of support from the point of offer through to qualification, including approachable supervisors, trainee buddies, Partner Trainee Co-ordinators and a dedicated Early Talent team. Regular check-ins, development conversations and formal regular reviews provide structure, while trainees are encouraged to ask questions, seek feedback and take ownership of their development. This is complemented by the firm’s structured Pathway to Practice Programme, tailored to each trainee’s route to qualification and includes external training, specialist technical training from the firm’s PDL teams, learning and development sessions and support from its IT training teams.

Relationship with partners

Trainees have direct access to partners and senior lawyers and are trusted to contribute meaningfully to matters from an early stage. Our open-plan, relatively non-hierarchical working environment makes it easy to ask questions, seek informal guidance and build strong working relationships with colleagues at every level. Ask trainees to sum up the firm in one word and the answer is usually “supportive” – people are approachable, make time for others and are invested in developing the next generation of lawyers.

Office plan

The firm’s offices are open plan, creating a collaborative and approachable environment where trainees can work alongside and learn from colleagues at all levels. The London, Edinburgh, Newcastle and Leeds offices have all benefited from recent refurbishments, offering modern and flexible working environments, with plans also in place for the Bristol office to be refurbished.
Application process

Online application form

(1 - 2 hours)

What happens

All applications are reviewed using best contextual recruitment practices, so achievements are considered in the context of each candidate’s personal circumstances.

Short online assessment

(5 minutes)

What happens

This uses Neurosight, an online, ultra-short, neuroscience-powered assessment. Rather than measuring candidates against a set profile, it looks at how they approach problems and make decisions, and is designed to reduce bias and support neurodiversity.

Telephone interview

(15 minutes)

What happens

Skills-based with a member of the Early Talent team. This conversation is used to get to know the person behind the application – what motivates them, what they care about and what they could bring to the firm.

Assessment day

(Half day)

What happens

This typically includes critical thinking tasks, short interviews, and networking with current employees.

Work placement week

(One week)

What happens

This includes a final interview.
Opportunities
Training contract 2029

Womble Bond Dickinson

Womble Bond Dickinson

102 days leftCloses 11:59pm, 25 Jan 2027

View job
Virtual Experience Scheme

Womble Bond Dickinson

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Insights
Life at Womble Bond Dickinson
What does it take to work at Womble Bond Dickinson?
Life as a Womble Bond Dickinson trainee solicitor