Goodwin - True Picture

Goodwin training contract review 2026

The Firm

People often think that science and law don’t particularly mix: science is often considered pretty black and white, while law has a fair few grey areas. But what if we told you they’re wrong? Like every seemingly unlikely duo – Shrek and Donkey, Jojo Siwa and Big Brother, Jess Glynn and Jet2Holidays – there’s magic to be made in the unexpected. Enter Goodwin, where the intersection between science and law is part of the firm’s recipe for success.

Many of our interviewees referenced their scientific backgrounds, whether it was previous work in pharmaceuticals, life sciences or simply just a passion for STEM at school. As one source explained, “I didn’t necessarily want to go down the corporate route,” adding that “I’ve always preferred core sciences instead.” This trainee continued: “I’d always had an interest in business and commercial affairs too, so because I was looking to combine those interests, that narrowed it down to only a handful of firms.”

What sets Goodwin apart from the rest, we heard, is the focus of their work. As another commentator clarified: “Goodwin prides itself on tech and life sciences. While the client base drew me to the firm” – ranging from startups at the beginning of their life cycle to more established big-name companies – “Goodwin also offers really great opportunities to engage in a strong and leading venture capital practice, while also getting involved in a leading private equity practice.”

Naturally, sources revelled in the high-level endeavours they could sink their teeth into.  All of this is exactly why Chambers UK awards Goodwin with gold-standard accolades for its nationwide work in venture capital investments, life sciences transactions and real estate funds. With the real estate practice recognised as one of the best in the city for mid-market deals too, the firm receives top marks in Chambers USA for much of its work stateside, as well as a tip of the hat in Chambers Globalfor its private equity prowess on the international stage.

“Everyone is in the office, everyone chimes in and it’s all collaborative.”

The smaller cohort on offer at Goodwin means trainees have no trouble getting their hands on some of this leading work. “US firms will give more of a hands-on learning approach in that you get a lot of responsibility as trainee,” one confirmed. But with Goodwin being “a very active and lively place” too, newbies noted that “everyone is in the office, everyone chimes in and it’s all collaborative.” That “active, collaborative energy,” combined with “people being super kind as well makes everyday an exciting day to come to work.”

The Seats

Newbies are given the opportunity to indicate their top three preferences for seats before each seat rotation, and we heard the firm will aim to match everyone up with their preferred choice. Trainees can speak to HR to explain their personal reasons for their decisions and are given the opportunity to provide comments for why a particular seat might work for them.

While some inevitably did not get their first choice every time, sources reassured us that in such cases, you’ll be prioritised next time round. There are currently no international secondments on offer at Goodwin, but interviewees highlighted a rolling client secondment option as part of the training contract.

Those in Goodwin’s technology and life sciences seat resoundingly beamed at the “really enjoyable” and “really cool” nature of the group. Working on the likes of M&A, fundraisings and investment, sources described their workstream as “a consistent flow at all times.” In fact, the M&A team advised banking giant Morgan Stanley as financial adviser to Royalty Pharma in a $1.1 billion transaction and acquisition.

While a fair amount of the work comprised of more basic processes like writing emails and creating Teams meetings, those we spoke to relished the opportunities to dig much deeper into their deals. “For the investments, I was able to get more responsibility by drafting ancillary documents and writing notices to investors,” one explained. They continued: “There’s other types of work such as granting certain options to employees of a company, drafting option plans, and looking at statutes.” A colleague agreed, recalling: “I went on quarterly meetings with companies where the founders would be speaking to their investors.”

Such responsibility afforded to newbies received rave reviews, as “you can really get so much responsibility if you show initiative, or if you ask for and do good work.” It’s quite a fast-paced seat, insiders warned, but the “genuinely-industry recognised partners” will be sure to guide you through it.

“You can really get so much responsibility if you show initiative, or if you ask for and do good work.”

It's telling that even the more “corporate-minded” newbies were enjoying their time in the complex litigation & dispute resolution (AKA litigation) seat. That’s because “you get to work on a wide range of disputes which is nice!” one interviewee enthused, with another mentioning that “the work is really interesting.” Case in point: the team represented Citigroup Global Markets in relation to a high-value banking breach of contract claim. Trainee tasks were comprised of creating bundles for trials and exhibits for witness statements, as well as creating redlines, in addition to drafting full responses to letters before action, setting out initial cases and general research.

We heard that there is room for talking with counter partners, writing to courts to inform parties on deadline agreements and writing letters to opposing parties. There are opportunities in abundance for “creative thinking,” trainees explained, and “they’ll give you more responsibility as you work your way up.” Described as “a little bit different to the corporate seats,” rookies noted that “you’ll only have a handful of cases you carry through the whole seat,” with trainees instead picking up bits and pieces from longer-term matters.

Private equity was described by those who know it best as “a really good seat,” even if it can be a “baptism of fire.” The group works on predominantly buyer-side cases, helping clients acquire new companies. For instance, Goodwin advised portfolio company LoopMe on its acquisition of Chartboost, a leading in-app programmatic advertising and monetisation platform. “You get really stuck into the deals!” one source enthused, adding that “you’ll be drafting ancillary documents and negotiating NDAs on the sale side,” in addition to compiling due diligence reports.

A colleague agreed that “you really get to own a position and run that workstream,” while “you also get the first crack at a lot of things.” The same could be said of a stint in Goodwin’s finance seat, which was described to us as “a really rewarding experience.” A small team that engages in leveraged finance, real estate and restructuring, clients included the likes of capital investment and asset management firms.

Part of the wider real estate group in Goodwin’s London office, interviewees from the real estate transactionsdepartment explained that the group is split into two sub-sections comprising of corporate and transactional real estate. We heard the latter tends to focus on what’s called dirt law (Google it!), asset management through negotiating licence agreements, contracts for client tenancies and selling the properties themselves.

The corporate team looks more at special purpose vehicles (SPVs) and commercial real estate, but sources here mentioned doing lots of drafting and looking at land registry applications as some of their day-to-day tasks. Clients here include Orange Capital Partners, London Square and the Medical Properties Trust, while the group also advised Kennedy Wilson Real Estate Limited on the sale of the historic and prestigious Shelbourne Hotel located in Dublin.

Trainee Life

Having relocated to a new pad on the iconic Paternoster Square in 2024, trainees detailed the huge investment the firm made to its office space. It’s a modern building with great facilities, we heard, including bike storage, showers and changing rooms. Interviewees also made sure to shout out the cafeteria area on the main work floor; it offers a “great daily menu” with options for all dietary requirements and “a barista in the office,” and we can’t blame our insiders for delighting in the fact that it’s all subsidised by the firm.

The best part is that it overlooks St Paul’s in all its glory, with the bonus of a “terrace with amazing views. Eating outside there while there’s good weather” was a highlight for many, while the office space itself was described as “nice, bright, and super modern.” While not strictly open plan, sources noted that newbies do rotate around the rooms, with a hotdesking system in place. Some weren’t totally in love with the latter, but with trainees expected to be in three days a week, everyone was ultimately happy with the situation.

“People are respectful of your time and the fact that you have a personal life.”

Given Goodwin’s predominantly transactional focus, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the hours can be long. “When you’re busy, it can just keep going,” one insider hinted, before warning that “it’s to be expected and something you need to be prepared to do.” While hours generally fluctuated depending on team and matters, late nights were definitely a thing. “The latest I’ve worked is until one or two in the morning,” a source revealed, as “there can be times where you’re working very hard.”

That said, “it’s never a whole week of working until midnight!” one relieved interviewee assured, with many cases simply “at the behest of the client.” More typical workdays spanned from 9am to 7pm, with trainees afforded the ability to log back on at home in the evenings if needed. “People are very nice about it,” a source stated, “people are respectful of your time and the fact that you have a personal life.” While there’s “definitely an expectation to be available at all times,” as one insider shrugged: “It’s as good as it gets for a US firm!”

Words like “open” and “friendly” were thrown around by our interviewees when discussing Goodwin’s cultural offering, with one junior disclosing that “I feel really comfortable.” Part of this is that “the partners are super nice to you, regardless of seniority,” one explained, while another expressed that they’d “never felt belittled or afraid to ask follow-up questions to anyone” instructing them.

The vibe “certainly makes all the long hours more enjoyable,” but sources caveated that a lot of the culture can depend on the cohort. There are typical events like holiday-specific parties, but we did hear that the firm isn’t always the most social. “There isn’t a steady culture of people always going to the pub,” one contemplated, though others felt it’s “certainly social enough to enjoy some downtime with colleagues.”

Interviewees explained that supervision at Goodwin consists of an appointed supervisor on each seat rotation “who is your main point of contact,” which is always an associate, though we heard that some teams also provide newbies with a partner mentor in addition to the general mentor also allocated at some point during the training contract. The latter is simply there for mentoring purposes and career advice, while you’ll work more closely with the others on case matters. Sources detailed that trainees typically sit with their supervisor, meaning regular catchups were the norm alongside the more official mid- and end-of-seat appraisals.

Training was described as both firmwide and department specific. We heard that the latter comprises of weekly sessions on the likes of “explaining how to do tasks, how to create bundles for trials, how to research a case,” and many more on M&A, private equity, corporate, and finance, alongside general training at the beginning of the year. Pro bono proved a great way to develop legal skills too, with trainees highlighting the numerous opportunities available through legal advice clinics, in addition to work within the realm of immigration, human rights, and Kids In Need of Defence (KIND).

“…Because Goodwin has this entrepreneurial mindset, each person individually has scope to build a practice and has the leeway to do that.”

With a number of interviewees expressing their desire to stay on at the firm, sources explained Goodwin’s qualification process: “They’re transparent about which department is hiring, but they don’t tell you how many spots they’ve got.” We were told that typically, HR will send a list of the teams hiring towards the end of April, with trainees then invited to select their preferences at the beginning of their fourth seat, so it's quite common for trainees to qualify into their fourth seat destination. “It’s a case of putting down applications for as many teams as you’d like” before official CV applications are submitted and interviews are conducted.

Most trainees we spoke to had no doubt about wanting to stay at the firm, as one source confirmed: “What’s really cool is that you can learn loads, and because Goodwin has this entrepreneurial mindset, each person individually has scope to build a practice and has the leeway to do that.” As their colleague neatly summarised: “because of the culture too, everyone feels welcome.” And with the proof being very much in the pudding, they revealed that “people would ultimately like to stay.” In 2025, the firm retained 11 of 14 qualifiers.

How to get into Goodwin

Apply here

• Vacation scheme deadline (2026): 12 December 2025
• Trainee Solicitor Programme deadline (2028): 12 December 2025

The application and assessment

Candidates can apply to the firm via the online application form. Within the application, Goodwin is looking for the classics: “We would like to understand why they have chosen a career in law and why they are interested in Goodwin specifically.” Goodwin's early careers recruitment manager adds: “We expect candidates to have explored what it would be like to work in a City commercial law firm, and be able to demonstrate their commercial awareness.”

Those that pass the initial review are invited to a first-stage interview with two members of the early careers recruitment panel.

Goodwin's early careers recruitment manager warns that candidates should “be prepared to  answer questions around their motivation for law and Goodwin, and to be asked some relatively tough questions to test their commercial awareness.”

Assessments come in the form of a written exercise and group exercise, both based on a case study. With the written exercise, the “emphasis is on assessing the candidate's written communication, time management and attention to detail,” whereas the group exercise “looks at interpersonal skills, how they present and how they work in a group.”

Vacation scheme

There are up to 20 spaces on offer for each of Goodwin's spring and summer vacation schemes. The application is the same as the direct trainee solicitor programme application, and vac schemers are automatically considered for the trainee solicitor role as well. The vacation scheme route is Goodwin’s primary recruitment route for their Trainee Solicitor Programme.

Vacation Scheme participants gain exposure in at least one practice area: “We try to meet everyone’s preferences on practice area, although this is not always possible.” Vac schemers can expect to shadow associates, gain real work experience and attend information sessions on the work of practice areas in the London office. The emphasis is very much ensuring that candidates “experience the Goodwin culture.” Highlights include a session with the firm’s global chair. On top of that, there are a number of social perks. “Our headline socials for the vac schemers were the painting social and an evening at the F1 Arcade,” Goodwin's early careers recruitment manager tells us. “It was good to see them mix with the current trainees.”

“We recruited 14 trainees across several intakes from our 2025 vacation schemes and direct assessment centres,” Goodwin's early careers recruitment manager confirms.

Trainee profile

There are up to 14 spots per cohort up for grabs, but with around 2,000 applicants each year, how can a candidate really stand out? “Those that stood out had really researched the firm and tailored their application to us. They had highlighted traits in themselves that matched our values,” Goodwin's early careers recruitment manager reflects. ‘Our recruitment process is designed to get to know candidates, so we encourage all candidates to answer questions authentically and in their own words’