Cooley LLP - True Picture

Cooley training contract review 2026

The Firm

How might you celebrate a tenth birthday party? While we can’t imagine there were bouncy castles and piñatas at Cooley’s recent celebration, no doubt there was an event to mark the firm’s London office entering double digits. “We’re a firm over 100 years old in the US,” training principal Claire Temple makes clear of the firm’s stature, “but here we’re ten years old, and with that comes the depth of quality of being an older firm, but also having that innovative spirit and heart.” Wise beyond its years, shall we say.

Innovation is certainly at the heart of Cooley’s spirit. It’s a firm that prides itself on its work in the tech, life sciences and startup spheres. And rightfully so: our colleagues over on Chambers UK recognise this lot as nationwide experts on transactional life sciences, as well as private equity venture capital investment and product liability. The firm’s corporate/M&A, tax, data protection and information law, employee share schemes and incentives and public international law teams also receive their colours.

“… the opportunity to work with the big names as well as brand-new startups.”

Those with their hearts set on a training contract at a US law firm know the drill: small cohorts, high responsibility on lean teams, and usually some specific kind of work. While Cooley ticked all the above boxes for our interviewees, they also revealed they found more: “The firm has a fantastic reputation for treating people well, including the benefits you receive, the collaborative nature of the teams, and its reputation in the market as being on the right side of how the corporate environment should work,” one trainee detailed.

The work on offer was the cherry on top for sources who revelled at “the opportunity to work with the big names as well as brand-new startups.” As Temple emphasises, “We’re a firm that works with both big tech and VC-backed companies, which is not something you’ll find at many law firms to the degree, quality and calibre you’ll find here.”

The Seats

With a smaller cohort of only six trainees a year, the seat allocation process at Cooley is trainee-led where possible in that trainees indicate where their interests lie, and the firm aims to accommodate those preferences. At the time of our interviews, the firm’s newest recruits explained the process is as follows: “you have conversations with people at the firm to figure out what’s right for you.”

Thereafter, trainees email graduate recruitment to express their interest in a particular seat. While incoming trainees do receive a seat list prior to joining the firm, for those who have already joined, “there’s never really a list of available seats sent around, so you never quite know what will open up,” a source explained of the process. Opportunities to take part in client secondments can also crop up as and when there is client need.

“… involved in some serious work. I was able to look back and really see how far I had come.”

The firm’s broad corporate practice offers trainees the chance to explore work across M&A, venture capital and capital markets, most notably for clients across the life sciences and tech sectors. In one recent example, the firm advised Plain, a B2B support platform founded by ex-Deliveroo employees, on a $15 million Series A financing. Though it was acknowledged that the seat presents “a big learning curve, particularly because you’re juggling those departments,” trainees appreciated that ultimately, this meant they were “involved in some serious work. I was able to look back and really see how far I had come,” reflected one.

Responsibility reportedly grows steadily in this seat. “At the start, I was purely drafting shareholder and board resolutions, and having a few back and forths with clients,” a trainee recalled, adding, “as I went on, I started drafting larger things like shareholder agreements and actually speaking to clients and closing deals.” In general, when staffed on deals, trainees here are involved in drafting ancillary documents, running signings, coordinating due diligence and generally carrying out research.

Over in litigation, rookies described being involved in work on large multi-party disputes, international arbitration and various cross-jurisdictional cases (“because that’s a specialty of the litigation team here, particularly with our links to the US!”). In a locally based case, the firm is representing Whirlpool in the Grenfell Public Inquiry; examples of cross-border cases include the firm’s representation of IQVIA Healthcare against a $330 million claim spanning multiple global jurisdictions.

Teams in the department tend to be quite lean, which leaves room for trainees to take on responsibilities like drafting. “They’re often quite keen for trainees to do the first draft of a document, which is a great opportunity,” said one source, “at one point, there was quite a lot of client contact and meeting note-taking, as well as a bunch of witness interviews,” they continued. Trainees also shared they’d been able to get involved with pro bono work in the seat, where they could begin to take on some more responsibility with oversight from senior lawyers in the team.

Trainee Life

Oversight and support are a bit of a running theme at the firm: upon joining, newbies take part in ‘Cooley Uni’, where associates, partners and professional support lawyers run training sessions on the main corporate and litigation topics trainees are likely to encounter in their seats, the type of work they may be doing, and how the departments are structured. “I have to say, training is one of the most impressive things I’ve found about the firm,” one source praised, “lots of people here are really passionate about teaching! It's a combination of formal teaching and regular feedback.”

As such, supervision also got similarly positive reviews from interviewees: “They give really great feedback, and take the time to take you through things.” Additionally, sources highlighted the fact that the layout of the office aided supervision: “It’s open plan, but we have pods,” said one, “in a pod, there are typically three desks and you’re sat with your supervisor, so if I have a question, they’re always nearby.”

“… training is one of the most impressive things I’ve found about the firm. Lots of people here are really passionate about teaching!”

As such, to benefit from proximity, trainees are expected to be in the office three days a week. There’s also the added benefit of the “absolutely spectacular amenities and incredible views” of Bishopsgate. In addition to subsidised lunches and free barista coffee at the firm’s café, Arthurs, when in-person, trainees can make use of the building’s gym and events like sunrise yoga and puppy therapy. Opportunities to socialise are also rife, thanks to the office’s social space: “There’s lots of casual day-to-day socialising – you bump into people and have coffee, and everyone is very approachable.”

On a more formal level, the firm hosts a monthly ‘Cooley Cooldown’ where all lawyers can meet for a chat over drinks. The firm also hosts a netball team and a book club, as well as an annual Christmas quiz: “There’s this tradition where all of the first-year trainees create a Christmas quiz – everyone in the firm takes it so seriously and it can get very competitive! Last year, we had the partners decorating gingerbread men as part of it.”

As for the hours trainees find themselves spending in the office (or logged on to their laptops on WFH days), naturally, responses were quite varied. One source explained that hours are typically from 9am until between 6.30pm and 8pm “– and then there’s the midnight finishes. There’s not much in the middle range of that, but the hours aren’t bad for a US firm at all,” they reasoned. “I generally haven’t done a lot of weekend work, and the late finishes aren’t consistent,” another added. As is often the case, those in litigation found it was easier to plan ahead thanks to the cyclical nature of the work, while “on the corporate side, it can be more difficult due to client demand.”

“It has the US Silicon Valley vibe you’d expect.”

While pressure may stem from client expectations, trainees were adamant that the firm culture didn’t contribute to this – attributing the positive vibes in part to the firm’s buttoned-down Californian roots. “It has the US Silicon Valley vibe you’d expect,” said one trainee, “for example, you don’t have to be super dressed up for work – you can dress for how your day is going to go.” Given the firm regularly rubs shoulders with venture capitalists and start-ups, it’ll come as no surprise that the culture was described by trainees as “entrepreneurial.” In practice, this means the firm doesn’t expect trainees to stay quiet. “If you have an idea, you’re really encouraged to voice it,” we heard.

While the lawyers at the firm may not take themselves too seriously, they certainly take their pro bono work seriously (as well as their client billable work!). “Pretty much everyone is involved,” one trainee observed, “people are really encouraged to do it, and there are new schemes popping up all the time.” Trainees are able to get involved through attending legal advice clinics, working on pro bono matters within their departments, or working with charities. “We have Alex Radcliffe,” professional support lawyer and managing pro bono lawyer, “who is just fantastic and is massively integral to what everyone does,” explained a source. Another shared that “if you have any external pro bono ideas you can go to them, tell them you like an idea, and they can make that happen.”

For their toils, our sources felt they received appropriate compensation. Interviewees noted that “what’s really nice is if you’re working late, they’ll pay for your taxi home and expense your dinner for the evening.” As for their salaries, trainees noted “these are slightly lower than at some other US firms in the City, but with the life I’m able to lead alongside it, I have no complaints at all.”

We similarly heard no qualms about qualification. Trainees described it as a straightforward process given the small size of the cohort. A job list of open NQ positions is circulated, though trainees can casually express their interest early on, and interviews are held if any positions are particularly competitive. By the end of April, trainees know where they’ve landed. In 2025, Cooley retained 3 of 4 qualifiers.

How to get a Cooley training contract   

• Vacation schemes (spring and summer programmes 2026) / training contract (Autumn 2028) deadline: 1 January 2026

Applications and assessments   

Cooley recruits through its spring and summer programmes and usually receives around 1000 applications. Legal Talent Coordinator Rachael Driscoll tells us: “Our focus is on recruiting future trainees through our two-week spring and summer programmes.” So, if you want in: get on one of these programmes.    

Applications begin with an online form. “At this stage, it’s quite easy to see tell who has done their research and who hasn’t. Genuine, detailed and interesting answers stand out, so try not to give vague or generic responses to the questions that are being asked. When applying to Cooley, you will want to focus on what interests you in the firm – is it the unique practice areas, our collaborative culture, the lawyers you may have researched or something more?” Rachael goes on to reveal that “lots of candidates have great experiences to draw upon, but they don’t always explain them clearly, this can affect the way their application is seen when being reviewed.”

The firm shortlists the most impressive applicants for an online critical thinking appraisal, designed to assess candidates’ critical thinking skills. Those who perform well are invited to attend an assessment day which typically takes place in February. The assessment day is focussed on a group commercial case study. The case study is designed to assess a candidate's teamwork, communication and critical reasoning/analytical skills, as well as commercial awareness. Candidates work in groups of around six.    

Candidates are then selected for a series of 30-minute one-to-one interviews with a mixture of partners and senior associates, involving competency and scenario-based questions, in addition to looking more closely at individual applications. Expect to be asked about your academic and life experiences to date, and how these have prepared you for a career in a law firm. From here, the firm awards places on the spring and summer programmes.    

The spring and summer programmes    

Cooley's spring and summer programmes last two weeks, and participants typically split their time between the Business and Litigation departments, working alongside trainees, associates and partners and attending partner and associate-led skills sessions and talks. “There are structured activities like group-based tasks, and participants will also get exposure to and contribute on live client matters,” says Rachael. “Participants have joined conference calls, attended hearings and client meetings. They have also helped client teams produce witness statements or worked on complex legal and commercial matters.” There are also various socials: previous activities include games nights, sip and paint sessions and dinners. 

A word of warning: the American term for 'vacation scheme' is 'spring/summer programme'. Sometimes the firm will use this phrase, if you come across this, you now know it means vacation scheme.  

Trainee profile    

Those hoping to join the ranks of Cooley need at least a 2:1 degree and 128 UCAS points at A level (ABB) (not including points from General Studies).    

Rachael tells us that during the initial screening process, they are on the lookout for people who’ve made the most of work experience opportunities as “it can show commitment, a breadth of experience and transferrable skills” Note, this doesn't have to be law-related. “Candidates should include things like retail and hospitality work in their applications. It's rare to see an application from someone with no work experience at all, and it would certainly raise some questions from us. We like to see a strong work ethic and diverse experience.”    

She goes on to tell us that future trainees must have a positive attitude, “even when some of the tasks may not be the most glamorous, there still needs to be commitment to doing the best job you can.” Being adaptable is also important. “Our firm tends to use fairly lean teams, so trainees can expect to be the only junior member of the team on most matters and will frequently work directly with partners.”

Our trainee sources added: “The firm doesn't tend to recruit the stern, silent type! Instead, it favours people who are confident in their own abilities, but not arrogant, and with a capacity to express themselves. Putting your opinion forward is always encouraged here.”