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    Vacation schemes

Vacation schemes

  • UK careers
    • Legal professionals
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    • Early talent
      • Vacation schemes
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Applications are currently closed and will re-open on 1 October 2025

Your future starts here

Choosing your career and where to start it can be a hard decision. Whether you're currently studying, a recent graduate, or considering a career change, our vacation scheme is the perfect opportunity for you to explore whether a career in law is right for you.

What's involved?

We've designed our vacation schemes to give you an immersive experience, showing you first-hand what it takes to succeed in the legal world. Held annually, our schemes take place at both our London and Birmingham offices. You will get to sit in one of our core practice areas and be immersed in a range of legal work. You will learn from experts and discover what makes for an outstanding client experience. Plus, you'll hear from senior leaders at the firm about what drives us, who we are, and our future goals. If you secure a spot on the vacation scheme, you will also be assessed for a training contract, giving you the chance to train with us and qualify as a lawyer.

 Careers page - vacation schemes

Meet Kulraj Singh Bhangra

Hear Trainee Kulraj Singh Bhangra talk about his journey into law at Gowling WLG.

Listen to Kulraj's podcast
Kulraj Bhangra - Careers website - early talent - vacation schemes

Take your pick

Whether it's property deals or corporate ventures, we've got you covered. As an international, sector-focused law firm, we've got expertise in four key practice areas to get you started: Real Estate Group (REG), Corporate, Finance & Tax (CFT), Dispute Resolution Group (DRG) and Commercial, Employment & Pensions (CEP).

Our scheme is designed to help you get a taste of what it's like to work in a variety of areas. We've picked out quite a few to ensure that everyone has what they need to grow and flourish in their area of choice. Some of the current areas available include:

  • Housing Development and Regeneration
  • Commercial Development and Investment
  • Planning
  • Banking
  • Corporate
  • Financial Services and Funds
  • Public Companies and Capital Markets
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Intellectual Property
  • Non-contentious and Contentious Construction
  • Energy Transition and Infrastructure Projects
  • Pensions
  • And many more!
James Kane, Nicole Bains - Careers site - vacation schemes page

Who can apply?

We believe that everyone brings something different to the table and understand that not all journeys start the same. That's why our vacation scheme is open to graduates, penultimate year law students, and final-year non-law students, and there are no minimum A-Level or degree classification entry requirements, because we know that talent comes in all shapes and sizes.

The important stuff

We recruit for our vacation scheme places annually, with applications opening every September and closing in November. Our application process consists of four stages.

  • Application form
  • Online task-based assessment
  • Video interview
  • Immersive assessment centre

Our assessment centres take place in January and February, giving you the chance to secure a spot in our vacation scheme for the upcoming summer.

James Kane - Careers site - vacation schemes page

Ready to begin? Let's do this.

Get hints and tips to make your application stand out.

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Gowling WLG is an international law firm comprising the members of Gowling WLG International Limited, an English Company Limited by Guarantee, and their respective affiliates. Each member and affiliate is an autonomous and independent entity. Gowling WLG International Limited promotes, facilitates and co-ordinates the activities of its members but does not itself provide services to clients. Our structure is explained in more detail on our Legal Information page.

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