Cooley LLP - True Picture

Cooley training contract review 2025

The Firm

What’s cooler than being cool? Outkast may say ‘ice cold!’ but we think the answer is being a trainee at West Coast-born Cooley. This Californian export has considerable strength in the tech and life sciences space, championing innovation as a core value of the firm and being very active in the startup space. In fact, we’ve heard that one client they advised in its infancy – Google – has been pretty successful! With big tech and brand names on its client roster – throw in Uber too – this was a huge draw for newbies, who affirmed: “The firm has huge credentials in the tech and life sciences space.” But aside from its star-studded client list, the firm also places a large emphasis on pro bono, which counts towards fee earners’ billable hours and “is not seen as separate from billable work”; the firm regularly advises on PIP appeals and Kids in Need of Defence cases.

“The firm has huge credentials in the tech and life sciences space.”

When asked to describe the firm, training principal Claire Temple tells us: “I would say we are innovative. We absolutely pride ourselves as being problem solvers. Clients come to us with issues that span multiple countries because we have a global overview and are global problem solvers.”  No kidding – this Bay Area expat has swept up a whole host of accolades in Chambers UK, including gold stars in life sciences and product liability. It has also successfully snagged rankings in the Chambers Fintech guide, being recognised for its data protection and cybersecurity expertise. While this is all very impressive, we hear congratulations are in order for a different reason: this year marks the ten-year anniversary of Cooley’s London office! Funnily enough, Cooley’s office is in 22 Bishopsgate (the City’s tallest skyscraper), which is also inhabited by various other American heavy hitters, so being at Cooley means that you’ll be positioned in thick of it all – better not lose your cool!

The Seats

Newbies will sit in both a corporate and a litigation seat. Due to Cooley’s small trainee cohort size sitting around four, “it’s more flexible” and there is “plenty of room to make your interests known.” In fact, some interviewees reported that the firm is open to creating entirely new seats for trainees. For example, “there didn’t used to be a seat in export controls and economic sanctions, but someone showed interest in it. So, they made it a seat and split it with another similar department; there’s no ticking-box structure.” Second-year trainees are given priority over first years, which is standard industry practice, and while the firm does not offer international secondments, there is sometimes the chance to undertake a client secondment.

The seat allocation system is informal, consisting of conversations with graduate recruitment in which you relay to them what you want to do. However, because you meet ahead of each seat rotation, “it is perfectly fine if you change your choices throughout your training contract.” Although business needs take precedence on some occasions, “they would never let you qualify without you doing a seat you’re interested in.” Further, interviewees mentioned being able to qualify into their fourth seat if they take a particular interest in it and communicate this with their seat supervisor. In general, sources shared that they are afforded a lot of responsibility, which they believed was a result of the small training cohort, as you are often the only trainee in the department.

“They would never let you qualify without you doing a seat you’re interested in.”

Products was a seat that insiders were keen to speak to us about. The team handles a variety of compliance and liability issues, and the firm’s USP is that it can assist clients with the full product life cycle – including compliance, launch and any international recall. The firm services clients from a wide range of industries like tech, cosmetics and gaming, which explains why one source described this seat as “super varied.” Trainees are entrusted to liaise with local counsel that are involved in other countries, as well as responding to queries about regulatory issues in the UK and abroad. A large part of the work consists of researching different areas of law, so it’s the perfect chance “to become an expert on some niche areas of law in different jurisdictions. Who knew I’d know so much about Moldovan law!” And for all our side-hustle entrepreneurs out there, one of Cooley’s clients is Vinted, who they advise regarding product and platform liability.

Corporate/M&A is another bustling department at the firm, which marries its life sciences and tech sector specialisms together under its corporate arm. It frequently works with clients in MedTech, EdTech, AdTech and e-health. General rule of thumb: if the industry has ‘e-’ as a prefix or ‘tech’ as a suffix, Cooley likely has some involvement in it! The firm recently handled Redx Pharma’s all-share merger with Jounce Therapeutics, which was valued at an eye watering $425 million. Despite the reputation of corporate departments, Cooley’s team takes on lots of pro bono, largely on behalf of charities “who are trying to coordinate themselves properly, alongside financing and acquisitions.” Newbies can get involved at all stages of the life cycle, as one explained: “I was able to give everything a go, and everyone was happy for me to have the first stab at things. So, the seat was a really good experience for me.” Trainees are afforded plenty of responsibility if they want it: “in week one or two, you are trusted enough to email clients directly.” Trainees generally manage DocuSigns and ensure all formalities have been checked off, but they can also help move processes over the line by drafting ancillary documents – such as shareholder resolutions and powers of attorney – and cross-checking various other documents. “It is a small team,” admitted one interviewee, “so in any event, you feel important, which is nice.”

“There is no sense that you are a trainee; they do fully trust you to have a go at everything.”

For your SRA-prescribed litigious seat, you have the option to sit in commercial or business litigation. As expected, both are reportedly very busy, with one insider aptly describing it as “hectic but brilliant.” With the opportunity to work on cases across their various cycles, some new and some years in the making. “I worked on a big arbitration, which I had never done before, so I learnt a lot from that,” praised one. There is a lot of oversight, and work completed by trainees is usually sent to associates for approval, but these are the typical checks and balances in place for a litigious seat. However, “there is no sense that you are a trainee,” a pleased interviewee gushed. “They do fully trust you to have a go at everything, like organising action lists, meetings, etc.” The department encourages rookies to get involved in more administrative tasks like admin lists and trackers, so “you hold the information instead of doing the substance of it.” However, newbies are often brought to sit in on client meetings or calls, as well as meet with expert witnesses. In business litigation, there are plenty of pro bono matters on which you can spread your wings by taking the first stab at drafting forms, witness statements and letters. In recent news, the firm is currently involved in litigation on behalf of the Turks and Caicos Islands government against a US developer, who acquired land due to a minister breaching his duties.

“Hard but fantastic” is what one candid source called Cooley’s capital markets group. One recent client was Wizz Air, for which Cooley advised on its Class 1 transaction purchase of 75 aircraft. (Hopefully some of our insiders managed to bag a Wizz Air mystery flight!) In this seat, rookies can work with third-party sponsors in the financial sphere (think JP Morgan and the Big 4), as well as liaise with clients. “One of the perks of this seat is that it gives you a lot of skills when it comes to emailing and speaking to clients,” an interviewee told us. “You end up becoming very knowledgeable about whatever client you’re working with.” Tasks here include verification notes, organising meetings and checking documents.

Trainee Life

Do not fear if all of the above sounds a little daunting; new starters at the firm are enrolled into Cooley Uni. After your undergrad and SQE, maybe you can consider this as your doctorate! Depending on your seat, trainees will enter either a business or litigation programme, and this works in tandem with department-specific training and weekly legal updates. We were told that the “training is really good. The work you get assigned to can be luck of the draw, so sometimes you might learn something purely from Cooley Uni. It covers everything, it’s a whole curriculum.” Regarding supervision, trainee experience is seat-dependent. Some departments schedule more formal sit-downs, whereas others will catch up on a more ad hoc basis. There are also fixed mid and end-of-seat reviews where you receive anonymous feedback from everyone you have worked with. Sources were happy to share that supervisors are also “more than happy” to schedule ten or 15 minutes in the diary to go through any work you have done.

“You can sit with your coffee, a green juice and your breakfast, look out on the view, and just go, ‘Ahhh!’”

Cooley trainees are only expected to be in the office at least three days a week, but if we were them, we’d probably just set up camp! The office has the amenities you could only dream of: a subsidised canteen with in-house chefs, a fully equipped barista bar (“with all the milks!”) which even has matcha, juices and smoothies. There are also protein shakes on offer, perfect for those who decide to make use of the subsidised gym. The firm also benefits from excellent tech – which makes sense due to their focus in the area – and frequent offerings of cakes and ice cream. “You can sit with your coffee, a green juice and your breakfast, look out on the view, and just go, ‘Ahhh!’,” one particularly satisfied trainee sighed contentedly. Sounds good to us!

But how long are we looking to spend at the office day to day? “I wouldn’t say the hours are the same all the time,” an insider contemplated. “It fluctuates so there are some late nights. But if you have one, then everyone is mindful to balance it out. No one is overloaded with work they can’t handle, and there is a support system in place.” Our survey respondents agreed, with the majority being happy with their work-life balance and claiming that their hours are both reasonable and manageable. There are also no billing targets for trainees. In addition to this, salary and maintenance loans have increased. When asked how they felt about their £55k salary, one interviewee laughed, “It’s more than I have ever earned, so I was gassed!”

Culturally, trainees are encouraged to be “Cooley” – exactly what does this mean? Being collaborative, open and creative, as a source told us. “One of the main things I want people to take away from this is that everyone is super friendly. We all see each other as friends and people we would get along with outside of work. I feel super integrated, supported and welcome. We are all made to feel like a part of the firm.” Cooley also organises a range of social events, but trainees get the honour of organising the Christmas quiz and are entrusted to pick the questions and food. “It’s a great way to get properly introduced to everyone and work alongside your cohort,” one insider smiled. We also heard that the firm goes all out for the Christmas party; “a couple years ago, they turned the office into a ski resort. You genuinely couldn’t tell it was the office! There were even musicians and magicians.” Alongside the more formal events are plenty of random socials to attend such as the Cooley Cool Down, a monthly drinks event in the office, and a Family, Parent and Caregiver Day.

“A couple years ago, they turned the office into a ski resort.”

As well as the social events, Cooley hosts several diversity, equity & inclusion events, and there are a number of initiatives to join. For example, the firm hosts an Eid lunch and flexible schedules were offered to those fasting, with plenty of prayer rooms available to book. External speakers are often invited to present, but trainees are also encouraged to flag topics they care about and are welcome to present about them in front of the firm. There is also yoga every week to decompress, as well as ten counselling sessions available to employees.

When it comes to qualification, trainees are not told what positions are available, but the process is “as transparent as it can be.” Partners can request an interview or case study when trainees are looking to qualify into a department. The firm did not disclose its retention rate, but everyone was enthusiastic about the prospect of staying on, and who can blame them? – Cooley employees never have to pay for coffee again!

How to get a Cooley training contract   

• Vacation schemes (spring and summer programmes 2025) / training contract (Autumn 2027) deadline: 31 December 2024

Applications and assessments   

Cooley recruits through its spring and summer programmes and usually receives around 500 applications for this. Trainee recruitment and legal talent manager Sarah Warnes tell us: “We focus our efforts on recruiting through the spring and summer programmes, so we tend not to have any further training places come the end of summer.” So if you want in: get on one of these programmes.    

Applications begin with an online form. “It's very obvious who has and hasn't done any research at this point,” says Sarah Warnes, telling us that “authentic and specific tends to impress – avoid anything generic.” You should research things like the trainee role, how the firm organises itself, who our key clients are, what our key strengths are and where our future plans might be.” Warnes goes on to reveal that “we get a lot of applicants who have interesting experiences to draw upon but don't write about them in the best way possible. Ultimately this doesn't put them in a strong position. We can see in someone's writing whether they have genuine energy and motivation and are engaged.”    

The firm shortlists the most impressive applicants for an online critical thinking appraisal, designed to assess candidates’ critical thinking skills. Those who perform strongly are then invited to attend a half-day assessment which typically takes place in February. Assessment 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 individuals’ 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 candidates typically split their time between two 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 and contribute on live matters,” says Warnes. “In the past, they've sat in on conference calls, attended hearings and client meetings, and helped client teams produce witness statements or dug into thorny legal and commercial problems for them too.” There are also various socials: previous activities include games nights, comedy evenings, bowling and dinners. 

A word of warning: the American term for 'vacation scheme' is 'summer/spring programme'.  We've come across the firm using this phrase, so if you do too then know it means the same as vac 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).    

Warnes tells us that during the initial screening process, recruiters are on the lookout for people who’ve made the most of work experience opportunities as “it can show commitment, common sense and being grounded, plus a willingness to get involved.” Note, this doesn't have to be law-related. “Candidates should definitely include things like shop or bar 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 backgrounds.”    

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 one at their level on most matters, and to work closely with senior partners. As a result, the kind of person who does well is someone who tends to gravitate towards responsibility and who is always eager to get stuck in.”    

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.”