Sidley Austin LLP - True Picture

Sidley Austin training contract review 2026

The Firm

The stock exchange can be a volatile space, you never know what’s a sure thing and what’s about to crash out. However, one investment worth your time and attention is the ever-rising stock of Sidley Austin, a financial juggernaut imported from our stateside neighbours. Despite the reputation for high-quality work, our interviewees outlined that “what really drew me to Sidley was that everyone was just really lovely and unpretentious, it enticed me straight away!” While it's “a busy firm” with a penchant for knuckling down and cracking on with things, “we’re regular people too!” one source quipped.

While the culture proved an almighty draw to incoming trainees, you simply cannot get away from Sidley’s practice punch. Our colleagues over at Chambers UK shower praise on over ten departments in Sidley’s London office such as the financial services, investment funds and regulatory: life sciences teams. Don’t forget that larger global picture either, with Chambers USA offering up accolades in over 130 departments.

“I didn’t want to be part of a big trainee intake.”

With its impressive reputation within the world of global finance, Sidley’s practice offerings were undeniably another major attraction for our sources: “I found I was most interested in private equity and finance,” one interviewee recalled, “I also liked the idea of taking on more responsibility.” And there’s no doubting that Sidley’s smaller cohort facilitates such a model. In fact, “I didn’t want to be part of a big trainee intake,” one junior admitted, with colleagues agreeing that Sidley was perfect for those looking for hands-on experience.

Harrison notes this was only likely to increase, as “the office has grown, and so more opportunities have come about for trainees as well.” As befitting a US firm, insiders flagged the “sink or swim” nature of the training contract and concluded that Sidley was the place to be for those who “like less handholding from day one.”

The Seats

Even before their feet hit the ground, incoming trainees are treated to presentations on different practice areas to familiarise newbies with their varying seat options. After that, new arrivals send through a list of preferences in order to select their first seat. From there, about a month before each rotation, trainees then submit three ranked choice. “You can speak with HR about what you particularly enjoyed in certain seats,” one insider began, “if you enjoyed research for example, they might recommend doing a more regulatory seat next.”

While the firm seeks to match everyone up with where they’d like to be, many noted that it isn’t always possible: “If it doesn’t work out then they’ll put you into one of your other choices, and they’ll look to prioritise you next time.” We heard it was a similar process for selecting the firm’s solitary international secondment to Brussels for a competition seat, which is advertised about six months prior and then allocated based on business need and previous seats. We heard there are client secondments on offer too.

Structured finance at Sidley is mainly comprised of “bread and butter” financing and private credit funds work, which means mostly transaction management at the trainee level. With drafting important documents such as purchase agreements a standard task in the seat, trainees also highlighted daily tasks such as acting as review counsel, checking amendments and board minutes, case management, negotiating and coordinating closings.

Trainees were afforded a good degree of trust, one rookie told us that “I was doing a lot of those things by myself at the end!” Trainees also appreciated the big-name clients within global finance. With big names and stakes, it’s unsurprising that juniors pointed out it’s one of the “more complex seats with a lot of jargon.” This led to interviewees musing that “it can generally be a tough first seat,” with long hours at the peak seasons. That said, other sources reflected that being dropped into the deep end made it “a great place to start and get your bearings for the firm.”

Described as “a more research heavy seat,” Sidley’s banking and finance regulatory department covers everything from fintech to financial services regulatory work: “It’s a broader regulatory team than you’ll find at other US firms,” one trainee told us, and several interviewees noted that they hoped to qualify there. The nitty-gritty of the seat involved the likes of fund-focused regulation, sanctions and AML, with typical trainee tasks spanning counsel outreach, keeping trackers, and drafting, and there were further opportunities for business development. The “lovely people” found in the department provided the cherry on top of the cake. 

“It’s an opportunity to get quite involved in the world...”

We heard the restructuringdepartment offered “a good balance” between transactional, advisory and contentious work. What’s more, there’s some overlap between the London restructuring team with Sidley’s Hong Kong office, which our interviewees relished as “it’s an opportunity to get quite involved in the world.” This translated to trainees being able to jump onto Chinese and Hong Kong-based real estate deals. Trainee tasks include project management, updating trackers, preparing signature packages and reviewing documents. With lots of opportunities for business development too, one rookie explained how they’d been able to get the chance to present in team meetings a fair few times: “They really care about evolving your skillset.”

As one of the firm’s larger departments, litigation is made up of around 20 fee earners. Sources in litigation explained that the seat had “a lot going on all the time, but the work was amazing.” For instance, matters covered the likes of arbitration, fraud and banking, with trainees also speaking about a role in assisting with FCA investigations, in addition to admin, organisation and project management work.

In the litigation group, variety springs eternal! While “drafting letters and documents is understandably a big part of trainee life,” our interviewees praised the level of responsibility afforded to juniors in the team, though added the caveat that it might depend on how experienced you are when entering the seat. As such, “I was given more responsibility as a third seater,” but “with the very lean teams, there’s lots of responsibility anyway.” It was noted that litigation trainees can have some of the longest hours at the firm, but the invaluable experience made it worth their time. “Honestly I didn’t mind that much,” one junior added, “the team is very cohesive, and everyone here is all in.”

Trainee Life

We heard that most of the firm’s pro bono work revolves around four clinics, which cover cases relating to non-redemption, helping children with citizenship applications, independent payment decisions and supporting families for those that are unable to afford legal representation. “It’s a really big thing here,” one insider told us, “we have our own dedicated pro bono counsel. I’d genuinely say it’s the best firm I’ve come across for pro bono in London!”

What’s more, Sidley offers a three-month pro bono fellowship immediately after qualification, which many sources expressed they were keen to do as they relished the opportunity to “really have an impact.” When it came to diversity at the firm, trainees reported “a number of women in senior positions” in addition to diversity access events and broader representation across all backgrounds. One source concluded “that the firm quite clearly cares.”

While relationships with each supervisor “depends on the individual,” everyone we spoke to referenced their experience of “excellent supervision throughout.” They continued that “some will naturally be a little more hands-off, whereas others give feedback on a more ongoing basis.” As such, “I think it’s a case of being prepared to be malleable and flexible.” The formal mid-seat and end-of-seat reviews are mixed in with regular check-ins. “They really took me under their wing,” one trainee explained, “and made me feel like a really valued member of the team.” So much so, that “I felt like we were friends by the end of the seat!”

The training however, was on the lighter side with trainees noting that it’s “more hands-off compared to other magic circle firms.” Of what’s on offer, onboarding training is a given when joining the firm, and department-specific training sessions kick in with each seat. Interviewees did take an optimistic outlook though; “the learning curve is steep but very useful as a trainee. You end up being a better well-rounded lawyer.”

When asked about the culture of the firm, the general consensus was that the folks at Sidley have created a warm, friendly and collaborative environment: “Everyone’s willing to chat and support you as a trainee,” one explained, with another agreeing that “people are keen to sit you down and talk through things.” One thing flagged up by the current cohort was that there is room for a more active social scene at the firm, with insiders noting that things are “a bit lacking” in that department.

That’s not to say that there aren’t times to get together however, Sidley hosts events such as Christmas and summer parties, in addition to afternoon teas and firm lunches. With more of an “independence culture,” trainees explained that “whilst there is stuff going on, the priority is ultimately work.” A potential trade-off for reduced social calendar perhaps, is the remuneration package, with the salarysitting at £60k for first years and £65k for seconds, scaling up to a jaw-dropping £175k for NQs.

“…high tech, state of the art, and a great place to start your career.”

Of course, the trade-off of this is that “the hours can be intense!” While at quieter times a classic 9am-5.30pm is a possibility, our interviewees made sure to highlight what applicants were getting themselves into: “There’s always an element of not making plans on a weekday,” one trainee explained, and “there might be two or three days a week where you’re leaving at midnight.”

Sidley's office is situated “in the can of ham next to the Gherkin,” in other words, it's close to Liverpool Street station. Commuters rejoice! Despite the “excellent views” that trainees will be seeing in person for a minimum of four days a week, some did bemoan the lack of a canteen. All in all, however, insiders described the office as “high tech, state of the art, and a great place to start your career.”

Sources noted that a number of both trainees and partners have sought to stay at the firm for the long-haul. With that being said, others recognised the demanding nature of the job, leaving a few questioning whether “I could work in such a high-pressure environment for so long.” That said, “the experience you get as a trainee and post-qualification is invaluable.”

Speaking of qualification, most of our interviewees were looking to remain at the firm, if the right team was hiring: “There’s a real buzz around the office for certain groups, so there’s definitely options.” The process typically begins with the release of a jobs list around April time, before trainees are invited to list at least two teams they’d like to join. For certain teams, a CV, cover letter and subsequent interview follows, whereas others might only ask for more of an informal chat. In 2025, the firm did not disclose its retention statistics.

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Vacation scheme deadline: Winter: 12 September 2025

Spring/Summer: 19 January 2026

Applications and assessments 

The firm launched a vacation scheme in summer 2013 and now receives around 2,500 applications each year. Sidley recruits all trainees through the vacation scheme.

The initial online form sets out to assess candidates' commercial awareness, academic record and work experience. The form includes a question asking applicants to describe a recent commercial issue. A graduate recruitment source tells us this is “the first question I look at when shortlisting candidates – it's a very telling question, as it reveals what interests applicants have and speaks to elements of their personality.” 

Aspiring recruits need a high 2:1 degree with consistently good grades throughout. The firm pays attention to A level results, but also uses Rare’s contextual recruitment system and considers mitigating circumstances.

The firm keeps an open mind on the work experience front. “This doesn't have to be legal experience,” confirms our recruiter source, telling us, “It’s actually refreshing to see non-legal work experience on the form. It's particularly impressive to see someone who has thrived academically while also holding down a part-time job.” Tying these experiences and the skills acquired from them to the realities of a job in a City firm is a must. 

Those who impress on paper are invited to attend an hour-long interview with one partner/counsel.

The interview 

“We can see from their application form that shortlisted candidates have excelled academically,” our source tells us, “so the next part of the selection process provides us with an opportunity to test their intellect and find out more about the individual and their personality.” Candidates are given each interviewer's biography beforehand. We suggest using this as a tool to stimulate conversation and make the interview a two-way exchange.  

Ultimately, it's “the subtle things” that are scrutinised during the interview. “They asked me some professional conduct-type questions to see how I'd deal with certain situations,” recalled a current trainee. “It's about seeing how you react under pressure.” 

Interviewers are also likely to raise questions involving the economy and the latest financial news. “They want to see that a candidate has their own thoughts and isn't swayed automatically by the interviewer’s views,” our source reveals. “We're not looking for 'yes' people in that sense; it's always good to have a debate.” 

Interviewees aren't expected to be an expert on the inner workings of Sidley's practice areas, but they do need to demonstrate a sound understanding of the firm's work, clients, and recent matters to impress. 

Vacation scheme 

Since 2015/16, the firm has run a one-week winter and two-week spring scheme on top of its usual two-week summer schemes. Each scheme has space for up to 15-20 candidates and participants spend each week in a different department. 

“We try to make it into a mini training contract and cram as much in as we can,” the firm tells us. In between live work, vac schemers attend briefings from various practice groups and a few social events.