Find Your Future

The 2027 Summer vacation scheme will run from Monday 21 June 2027 to Friday 9 July 2027.

During each of the three weeks, you will be based within one of our core practice areas and work closely with a fee earner, becoming actively involved in a variety of client matters and day-to-day work.

We are committed to providing Summer Vacation Scheme participants with a genuine insight into life as a trainee solicitor at Wedlake Bell. Wherever possible, you will have the opportunity to attend client meetings, court hearings and internal events, helping you develop a deeper understanding of legal practice and our clients' needs.

You will also be encouraged to spend time with our current trainees, giving you the opportunity to informally discuss their experiences, learn more about our training programme and gain a realistic picture of life at the firm.

In your final week, you will work as part of a group to prepare and deliver a presentation. You will have the opportunity to shape the topic and approach, allowing you to demonstrate your teamwork, creativity and communication skills. The presentations are delivered to a panel of lawyers and current trainees.

As part of our commitment to excellence in developing future lawyers, all Summer Vacation Scheme participants are considered for a Training Contract. At the end of the scheme, you will be invited to attend a Training Contract interview and complete a written assessment.

Find out more about our Training Contract here.

Applications will open for the 2027 Summer Vacation Scheme on 1 November 2026. The deadline to submit your application is 11 January 2027 at 23:59.

In person interviews will take place in late February 2027.

To apply, you will need to:

· Complete the online application form – access the online application form and apply here.

· You will be asked to answer motivation and skills-based questions as part of the application.

For any questions and queries, contact us via email.

Please contact Annabel Hale, Early Careers Manager, ahale@wedlakebell.com, if you have anything you would like to discuss.

You are eligible to apply if you:

· Are studying law and are in your penultimate or final year at university;

· Have already graduated with a law degree;

· Are in the final year of a non-law degree;

· Have already graduated with a non-law degree; or

· Have started an SQE preparation course.

All applicants must have achieved (or expect to achieve) at least an upper class second for their undergraduate degree course.

All applications are carefully reviewed, and selected candidates are invited to interview in February. Offers will be made to successful candidates shortly after completion of interviews.

We plan to conduct vacation scheme interviews in person, at our offices in London. As well as an interview with two members of our recruitment committee, candidates will also complete a written assessment and attend a networking coffee.

Will I get paid?

We currently pay our summer students £518 (gross) per week.

If I am selected to attend an interview, will my travel costs be reimbursed?

Yes, Wedlake Bell will reimburse reasonable travelling expenses from within the UK and Ireland. A copy of your receipt is required, and reimbursement will be paid by payment transfer. Unfortunately, we are unable to reimburse any expenses incurred if you travel back from a holiday to attend an interview. Only public transport costs will be considered for reimbursement. If you are considering travelling by taxi, please contact the Early Careers team before starting your journey. You can email the team with any questions using earlycareers@wedlakebell.com.

Please contact the team with any questions regarding travel after you have been invited to attend an interview.

Will my application be acknowledged?

Yes, we acknowledge receipt of all validly completed applications received by us on or before the application deadline. If your application has not been acknowledged within two weeks, please contact us at earlycareers@wedlakebell.com.

Do you accept CVs in place of the application form?

No, all applications must be made by completing our online application form. Applications which are made by any other method will not be considered.

What is the closing date for applications?

The deadline to submit your application for the 2027 Summer Vacation Scheme is 11 January 2027 at 23:59.

Can I add supplementary information to my application after submitting it?

If you have applied, you can’t change the application yourself after submitting. If you need to make any changes, please contact earlycareers@wedlakebell.com.

I applied last year but was unsuccessful, can I apply again?

Yes, you can submit a new application this year.