Routes to qualification
You don't need to have studied law to train as a
lawyer. However, the route you take into Linklaters does depend on
whether your degree is in law or something else. We have shown how
this works in a chart of the training
career cycle that extends from application to partnership.
The Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL).
If you have studied something other than law at university, you
will take a year's conversion course to teach you the legal theory
you need to know. This is called the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)
and it takes a year to complete, after which you will be ready for
entry to the Legal Practice Course (LPC). In other words, once
you've done the GDL, your training from then on is no different
from a law student's. You can take the GDL in the law college of
your choice and you apply on your own behalf when you accept a
training contract. However, we will help you with the arrangements,
including the payment of fees and a maintenance grant. There is a
dedicated section for Non-law students on
this site.
A week in business.
Before starting the Legal Practice Course, our law and non-law
students come together for a week-long introduction to business
issues. This is unique to Linklaters and covers everything from
mergers and acquisitions to derivatives trading. It's also a great
opportunity to meet future colleagues, including some of the
partners you will work with when you start your training contract.
You will continue to build your network of social and professional
contacts throughout your career, but often some of the
longest-lasting friendships are formed in these early days.
The Legal Practice Course (LPC).
The LPC is the fundamental introduction to professional legal
practice. Linklaters has developed a bespoke LPC that offers an
enhanced learning experience and a closer link between theory and
practice. Many parts of the curriculum are now delivered as
Linklaters-specific modules by our own dedicated tutors. This means
that you will be working with the same tools, precedents and
processes that we use in our daily work. The rest of the course is
taught in 'shared' classes with future Linklaters lawyers alongside
students going to other firms.
To read in more detail about the LPC, please click here.
Location, location, location.
Because you take the LPC in London, you can spend more time in
the firm and we'll invite you in for experiences that complement
your studies. Although large sections of the LPC are exclusive to
Linklaters, you will study a number of topics alongside trainees
from other City law firms, so you will make friends and contacts
beyond Linklaters. With all the attractions of a great capital city
and a lively social life, you should have a lot of fun as well as
developing the skills you need.
You're worth it
We meet the costs for both the GDL and the LPC and provide a
maintenance grant of £7,000 to help you with living expenses in
London - £6,000 if you complete your GDL outside London.
The training contract
We are constantly improving our training framework, but
high-quality experience and coaching will always remain at the
heart of the programme. That experience is built around six-month
'seats' in four different practice areas. We feel this is the
amount of time you need to get a real feel for that department and
the kind of work it does – along with the chance to
immerse yourself in some exhilarating and challenging work.
During the LPC you will spend some time at the firm, learning
more about our practice areas and starting to think about the seats
you want to work in. We usually expect all our trainees to do one
seat in our mainstream Corporate group and one within the Finance
& Projects division, but you will have a real say in the
sequence and content of your seat plan. While we can't guarantee
that you will always get your first choice of seat, the vast
majority of trainees do. In any event, the seat plan is not fixed,
and you may even change it as you go along.
We want you to be centrally involved in your development. It's
accepted that your ideas and plans may change as your knowledge
builds and you see more of the firm. It is in our interest to give
you the experiences and learning opportunities that match your
interests and aptitudes, so that you end up doing the kind of law
that you most enjoy.
Secondments
Over two-thirds of our trainees go on client and/or
international secondments. Client secondments include placements
with investment banks, blue-chip multinationals and pro bono
organisations, while international postings range from Paris and
New York to Shanghai and Dubai.
Where to begin?
For many of our future lawyers, the learning starts before they
graduate. Our vacation schemes offer realistic experience of life
as a trainee, but they also begin to introduce some of the skills
and knowledge required to be a lawyer. If you would like to know
more, visit the vacation scheme section.
If you're interested in applying directly for a training contract,
please go to training contracts for an
application form.