Trainee Associate Programme 2028 and

Join our two-year Trainee Associate Programme and take your place at the forefront of international law. From day one, you will work alongside world-class Partners, Associates, and business professionals, gaining exposure to a wide range of legal disciplines, including M&A, commercial litigation, antitrust, employment, tax, and intellectual property.

Throughout the two-year programme, you will broaden your experience through rotations across up to seven of the firm’s teams, moving every three months and having the opportunity to undertake a client or international secondment. This structure gives you both breadth and depth of experience and the chance to discover where your strengths and ambitions can take you.

What You'll Do

• Contribute to meaningful work for some of the world's most high-profile clients.
• Collaborate across industries, geographies, and legal systems with thousands of colleagues worldwide.
• Play a role in helping clients navigate complex challenges in a fast-changing world.
• Benefit from tailored training, technical development, and opportunities to explore how technology, including AI, is shaping the future of legal practice.
• Tackle complex legal challenges that push your thinking, build your confidence and develop career-defining skills.
• Be part of a supportive Trainee cohort, encouraged to share knowledge and build lasting relationships.

City Consortium Plus Programme (CCP)

Freshfields is a proud member of the City Consortium, a group of six leading global law firms. In collaboration with BPP Law School, we offer the City Consortium Plus Programme (CCP) to prepare our future Trainees for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) and for practice as a City lawyer.

• 11 months of study at BPP’s London Holborn campus, fully funded, and supported by our Early Careers Team.
• SQE1 Preparation Programme: Covers business law and practice, dispute resolution, contract law and tort law, the legal system of England and Wales and EU law, property practice, land law, wills and estate administration, trusts, criminal law and practice, and solicitors’ accounts.
• SQE2 Preparation Programme: Focuses on client interviewing, legal analysis, advocacy and case analysis, as well as legal research, writing and drafting.
• City Consortium Plus Programme: A bespoke programme where you rotate through mini-training seats in four key practice areas. Alongside legal expertise, you will develop the skills and behaviours that will set you up for success on our Trainee Associate Programme.
• Build your network before you start through our colleague groups and mentoring opportunities.
• For those from under-represented backgrounds, we offer additional mentoring, coaching, and tailored support.

You will study alongside future Trainees from Freshfields and the other consortium firms, building your professional network from the outset.

Reward and Recognition

• Year 1 salary: £56,000
• Year 2 salary: £61,000
• Newly qualified Associates: £150,000
• Four weeks of paid leave upon qualification.

Secondment Opportunities

During the programme, Trainees may have the opportunity to undertake a secondment with one of our clients or in one of our global offices.

Eligibility to Apply

We welcome applications from:

• Penultimate and final-year undergraduates in any discipline
• Postgraduate students
• Graduates
• Accelerated (two-year) LLB students

You should be on track for, or have achieved, a minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree or international equivalent.