DLA Piper LLP - True Picture

DLA Piper training contract review 2025 

The Firm 

What’s both international and regional? Perhaps the news? How about the weather? It’s rare that we try to describe a law firm as both, but DLA Piper is amongst the select few where this really is the case. With offices in 40 (yes, 40!) countries and trainees spread across six UK offices, it’s hard to call it one without acknowledging the other. The firm operates a ‘One UK’ policy, meaning that aspiring solicitors located in Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds, London, Manchester, and Sheffield are exposed to the same quality of work and given the same opportunities. For trainees outside the firm’s London office, this was a real point of appeal because it means that “you could work here for 30 years and still be an incredibly talented, varied lawyer.” 

“You could work here for 30 years and still be an incredibly talented, varied lawyer.” 

An interviewee explained that they’d been drawn to firms with “a footprint that allowed me to connect with people from other offices” and had found exactly that at DLA. They continued happily, “My work is not tunnel-visioned to one jurisdiction, and I get to work on so many cross-border matters!” The rankings in our sister guides are yet another example of the firm’s regional and international identity: Chambers Global recognises the firm as a global market leader in franchising and outsourcing, and the firm has a smattering of rankings from Chambers UK across the country. DLA shines particularly in the North West and Yorkshire, where it’s ranked amongst the best for banking and finance, litigation, and information technology to name just a few! 

The Seats 

The process for seat allocation is quite straightforward, with trainees submitting their top three choices for their next rotation. Whilst DLA has recently transitioned to an online system that collects trainees' seat preferences, “the grad rec team still has the power to adjust,” so conversations during mid- and end-of-seat reviews can still be considered. Even though not everybody gets their first choice every time, trainees did acknowledge that this is due to the ratio of trainee intake to the number of seats available.  

There can be competition over sought-after seats, particularly as secondments are also allocated in this way. Trainees are encouraged to apply though, with the firm arranging for panels of current secondees to do calls “so that the trainees not on secondment can learn and know more about what the secondment is.” International opportunities regularly involve the firm’s offices in Dubai, Bangkok and Singapore, and client secondments are available with several of the firm’s clients, too – from Goldman Sachs to a well-known chain of hotels!

IP & technology is a popular seat amongst trainees, and as one trainee gushed, “the team’s recognised as one of the leading groups worldwide. You can be doing anything from technology transactions to strategic coursing, up-sourcing for technology operations, and everything from public procurement to regulatory compliance.” The team is split into three subgroups: technology and sourcing; data; and media, sports, and entertainment. Some of the firm’s more notable clients include Sky, BrewDog, and even the Premier League (heads up, footie fans!), for which they have undertaken a range of copyright, trademark enforcement, and advisory work! Insiders shared that their typical tasks in the seat include drafting, research, and document review. The team does a lot of cross-border work too, with trainees regularly responsible for contacting different jurisdictions to gather advice.  

DLA trainees can also do a seat in litigation and arbitration, where clients range from “big multimedia conglomerates and aerospace companies, to oil rigging platforms and banks.” Some of these clients are definitely household names too – think amongst the likes of Aer Lingus, Goldman Sachs, Heineken, and PwC! Tasks for trainees include putting together bundles, conducting both legal and commercial research, and drafting letters and advice when given the opportunity. The seat was described by an interviewee as one where “no two days are the same,” thanks to the variety of matters and clients. Whether in relation to FinTech or banking, environmental or aviation matters, there’s lots of get involved in with this one! 

“I was given a lot of responsibility, and they really trusted me to do work that mattered.” 

With both contentious and non-contentious work available, those wanting to build their legal skills enjoyed working in the firm’s construction seat. This was described by one source as “unique, because many people think it’s a real estate seat, but there are so many specific things about construction to get up to speed on!” DLA covers both the development and infrastructure sides of the sector, and juniors enjoyed this “because there are tons of moving pieces and many interested parties; I’ve had the benefit of attending a few negotiation sessions between those parties, taking notes and feeding that information back to the client.” Interviewees were impressed by the level of client contact available to them too, as well as the chance to help with client queries: “I was given a lot of responsibility, and they really trusted me to do work that mattered.” Recent notable clients include National Highways and the London International Exhibition Centre. DLA have also advised CA Ventures on purpose-built student accommodation developments across the UK, with building contracts varying in value from £45m to £100m.

The firm’s corporate seat involves work with clients in a few different sectors, including life sciences, media, and the public sector. A trainee explained that the firm does a lot of M&A work with some restructuring on the side, so there’s “lots of variety.” Day-to-day, we heard that you could get involved in “something new every single day,” and this includes working on due diligence reports and helping with completions, with trainees often ensuring everything is ready and checked pre-completion. In the firm’s specific restructuring seat, insiders told us that the department can get quite busy, offering the chance to get stuck into some corporate, finance, and real estate work! One source shared that the seat is broad because it encompasses insolvency, liquidation, administration, and restructuring plans, excited that they “like both contentious and non-contentious work; restructuring is a chance to try out both and see what I prefer.” In recent news, the firm worked with Fitness First Clubs to plan and implement a restructuring plan to enable the company to address a liquidity shortfall. 

Trainee Life 

“DLA Piper’s biggest client is DLA Piper. It invests heavily in its population…” 

Trainees detailed that the culture at DLA is supportive and that the firm has a lot of personal awareness. As one interviewee put it, “DLA Piper’s biggest client is DLA Piper. It invests heavily in its population and things like technology systems, and is very conscious about diversity, inclusion, and pro bono initiatives too.” While the firm was described as “friendly,” we were told about events like regular leaving and welcome drinks when moving between seats, as well as the London office’s fortnightly drinks that helped paint a better picture of the firm’s social scene. In a cultural twist, we also heard that the firm hosts a painting exhibition where lawyers submit artwork, and a singing competition called ‘Big Sing’ where different offices from around the world gather at the London office to participate.  

Social events are also organised by the firm’s people networks, which are part of its diversity efforts. Most frequently mentioned by our interviewees was Mosaic – the firm’s racial and ethnic diversity network. We heard that the group is prominent within the office and that recent events have included Chinese calligraphy, salad tossing (a tradition in Malaysia), and several events for South Asian Heritage month. A source even went as far to say that the firm is “inclusive in all aspects!” Glowing reviews of Iris (DLA’s LGBTQ+ network) and Horizons (the firm’s social mobility network) were aplenty too.  

Trainees also felt supported by their supervisors who “have just been the friendliest bunch. It’s impressive how cool, calm and collected they are. They’re both knowledgeable and friendly – before coming into the industry, I thought that was a rare occurrence, but all my supervisors are absolutely fantastic!” Support goes further than just assigned supervisors too: “Even though your team aren’t your supervisor, they’ll constantly check in with you, even arranging separate training sessions with you to get up to speed on stuff.” Those training sessions supplement those at the beginning of each seat, where all UK trainees receive training from the firm’s expert in that area – no matter what location they’re based in. Sometimes these are online and other times in-person, so all trainees in the seat will meet in one of the firm’s offices “over a day or two to go through all the mandatory training for that department.” 

“…all my supervisors are absolutely fantastic!” 

Newbies are expected to be in the office for around half of the week, but how strictly this is enforced varies by department depending on what each team’s requirements are. The London office is open plan, which was considered “cool” by trainees because “people get to sit everywhere and anywhere they want; you can sit between partners and senior associates. It’s just a very friendly atmosphere!” The firm’s Leeds office is soon moving to a new location, but it’s not going too far – “it’s right next to the one we’re currently in!” A minute away from the train station, interviewees appreciated the convenience of the location and the fact that they could pop out for a lunchtime stroll to take a break from their desks. Working hours aren’t too brutal either according to our sources, with one explaining, “I think most people tend to leave around 7pm-ish if not earlier.” Going further, another detailed, “A typical week is probably 9am to 6.30pm every day. Busier periods can be from the same time in the morning until 10 or 11pm, but I’ve found that they’re in small pockets, so it is manageable.” 

We heard that the qualification process at the firm is simple: when trainees begin their fourth seat, they receive details of the timeline and later receive an application form. They can list up to three teams on their applications, submit these along with a shortform CV, and review forms from across their seat. A couple of weeks later, trainees are then contacted by grad rec about their positions. Insiders explained that some teams do mandatory exercises or interviews (we’re looking at you, litigation, regulatory and employment!), but we were reassured that these aren’t too stressful. An NQ shared that they’d felt supported through the process, being able to chat openly to fee-earners about their careers and receiving a lot of support from current associates. “Lots of associates sent me their CVs when I was doing mine, so it felt like a really supportive process,” they nodded, “almost like the whole firm was involved for those eight weeks or so.” The firm did not disclose the number of qualifiers this year.

How to get a place on DLA Piper's International Training Programme

• Places on the International Training programme are filled via the firm’s Summer Internship. The firm recruits two years in advance for the International Training programme.
• 2025 Summer Internship deadline: TBC (will be recruiting on a rolling basis) 

The Application Form  

Each year, the firm receives over 5000 applications for their Summer Internships, available across the UK, Dublin, Hong Kong and Dubai. Whilst the firm has removed its minimum grade boundaries at A-Level and degree, applicants will need to pass the PGDL (where applicable) and the SQE 1 and 2. 

When reviewing your application, law-related experience is not essential, but the firm's specialists will be looking to gain an understanding as to why a candidate is interested in law and the firm itself and how they can demonstrate that passion throughout their application.   

Candidates are required to submit an online application (including a CV) and are then invited to take the Watson Glaser test. Successful candidates are then invited to a video interview which comprises of 3 pre-recorded questions and then the final stage – an assessment centre.  

The Assessment Centre  

The half day assessment centre will be held in-person in the office closest to your chosen location for the Summer Internship. “Candidates get to meet fee-earners from their chosen office, which gives them an insight into our 'One-UK' approach.” There are three exercises to complete, and candidates are provided an overview of these ahead of the assessment centre, along with the right tools and tips to set you up for success.  

Attendees will be provided with feedback and an outcome from the day within a week after their assessment centre. The Early Careers team will when work closely with all those that have obtained an offer for the Summer internship, giving support and guidance before they start their Summer Internship at DLA Piper.  

UK and Dublin Summer Internship  

DLA Piper recruits its trainees from the three-and-a-half-week summer internship. UK and Ireland Summer interns take part in a three-day induction in London. Interns then return to their local offices to partake in a local office induction, to then sit within two practice groups across three weeks.  

Across the Induction, participants will have the chance to participate in sector workshops along with lots of networking opportunities. They will also hear from: Senior leaders at the firm, the Responsible Business team, DLA Piper’s People’s networks, the Diversity and Inclusion team and many more.  

Towards the end of the Induction, interns will then join the relevant practice groups they have been assigned to, in their local offices. The interns will sit in two practice groups – Placement One taking place across Week 1 and 2, and Placement Two taking place across Week 3. Feedback is provided throughout of the internship. Participants are assessed throughout the scheme on various projects (as well as through participation in compulsory 'practice group insight' and 'thought leadership' sessions).