Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP - True Picture

Curtis training contract review 2026

The Firm

We all know the dating scene is tough out there these days. Finding the right partner that shares your values and interests, as well as lifts you up and pushes you to succeed, is no easy task. Finding a good law firm is equally as difficult, but luckily, we may have the right match for you. After all, it can’t hurt to flirt with Curtis.

“I’m working with colleagues in different offices all across the globe.”

There were two big things about the firm that appealed to our interviewees and the first was the international presence of both the firm and its work. “I chose to apply for its international arbitration and public and international law reputation, it’s difficult to find firms like that,” one source revealed.

Indeed, Chambers Global places over ten of the firm’s departments including international trade/WTO, arbitration, and dispute resolution in the top bands. It also receives a nod for being a global market leader in public international law.  The firm typically represents States, so a huge plus for this interviewee was that “I’m working with colleagues in different offices all across the globe.” With 18 offices in total covering Europe, US, South America, Middle East & Asia, Curtis truly embodies the meaning of international.

Thesecond big draw also had something to do with scale, except this time at the opposite end of the spectrum. The US tradition of small London based trainee intakes was another pull for newbies: “I wanted that small boutique feel!”. This was something our interviewees relished as it means “you get a lot of responsibility and learning opportunities up front.”

The Seats

One of the biggest unique selling points of Curtis is that it doesn’t actually have traditional seats at all. The firm has taken a leaf out of its American counterpart’s book by running its training contract not dissimilarly to how newly joining associates would be treated in the US.

What this means is Curtis runs a non-rotational training contract where trainees can pick up work from any department at any one time. “You’re seen as being available to work on whatever comes in,” one junior explained, “you can tailor your contract more to your interests as time goes on.”

Sources felt there are some good pros to a non-rotational system, mainly as you are able to get to know everyone at the firm equally, develop your skills in key areas faster and, as one source put it, “it’s nice that you don’t feel like you’re restarting your job every six months.”

Just as with departments, there’s no strict structure to how much pro bono trainees can do, but it is present and there are external pro bono clinics to get involved with. “They encourage you to go off and find your own thing,” revealed one source, “if you want to do it then they’ll support you.”

The firm’s “bread and butter” is its international arbitration practice. The team is split between commercial arbitration and investor state arbitration, and trainees can get as much of their fill of both as they please. The latter is specific in that the firm represents sovereign states against a foreign investor on such matters as sanctions. A recent example of the firm’s work would be its representation of Kuwait against a claimant who initiated proceedings into alleged human rights violations. Curtis won the matter for Kuwait which was valued at $174 million.

On the commercial arbitration side of things, it’s typical to see high net-worth individuals and large companies pop up. “It’s been really fascinating work,” beamed one newbie, “as you progress, you get to be involved in discussions where you can be involved with strategy.”

Typical tasks and opportunities include attending hearings, legal research, creating notes and summaries of cases, updating case law, project management, analysing documents, indexing, drafting pleadings, and meeting clients.

“…you’re treated like an associate which can be daunting, but you can learn and grow quickly.”

Over in litigation, the work primarily covers enforcement proceedings for arbitral awards and sanctions. The firm generally represents states such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE. An example of when that is not the case would be the firm’s representation of Gain Aircraft in a dispute involving two Russian state-owned airlines which refused to return Gain Aircraft’s leased planes after the EU’s sanctions made the leases unlawful. The matter was valued at $50 million.

“I’m very happy with the level of responsibility so far,” one rookie beamed, “there’s a lot to go around.” This largely includes bundling, witness statements, correspondence with the opposing side, filing, and even doing “very senior associate tasks like drafting arguments for hearings which barristers can deliver!” That level of trust was an aspect insiders dined on, with one elaborating “if you show you can do it, you’re treated like an associate which can be daunting, but you can learn and grow quickly.”

As for the corporate work on offer, trainees reported getting stuck in with the likes of M&A, commercial agreements, IPOs, and wealth management work. “A lot of work can come from other offices,” one trainee divulged, “I’ve done deals with the Dubai office which is pretty cool.” The group covers the breadth of expected corporate tasks such as coordinating, due diligence, client exposure, drafting an asset purchase agreement, initial markups of documents, attending negotiations, and drafting NDAs.

“I was running my own corporate matter,” another newbie relished, “if you’re willing and keen then people are happy to let you take on a lot of responsibility.” Sources pointed out that trainees would be best placed to be proactive in driving their workflow, noting “we’re encouraged to not keep our cards close to our chest, I’ve been open to everything, so I’ve received a lot of work.”

That being said, insiders acknowledged that patience is a virtue given the confidentiality of some of the cases: “We do work on quite a lot of sensitive matters so it can be quite difficult for a trainee to break into.”

Trainee Life

The level of supervision varied across our sources with it largely depending on the individual supervising them, but most of our interviewees mentioned that due to the size of the firm “you can get thrown in the deep end a bit, you’re added on to matters and expected to have more responsibility earlier on.” Insiders pointed out that their supervisors were still always on hand to answer questions and provide feedback where needed.

Similarly, training has a lighter touch with a reported session once every two weeks. The sessions run were said to be “interesting and useful”, but trainees appreciated the unfiltered learning that comes with learning on the job. “It can be quite scary to have that much responsibility sometimes,” one interviewee revealed, “but this is why we want to be a lawyer right!”

“I come in almost every day because it’s just such a nice working environment.”

The London office is located between Bank and Moorgate, and we heard it covets a “family feel” thanks to the small headcount and intimate setting. The firm moved to a new floor within its office building last year which has helped give a more “fresh and modern” feel to it, combined with the more traditional fact that trainees have their own office which they share with another person.

Though there’s no formal policy in place, the minimum expectation is for trainees to be in the office four days a week. However, one keen source told us “I come in almost every day because it’s just such a nice working environment.” Most of our interviews reported a normal 9am-6pm working week, with occasional late finishes. Some trainees reported working weekends too, though again this depended on the teams they were sat in.

As such, pay was generally well received by the cohort, given that they weren’t typically working crazy hours. Though as one source surmised: “As a small London firm it’s okay, but when the hours get long then we’re lagging behind other firms.”

With an “informal and unstructured”culture at hand, trainees reported that there is a “high level of trust put in juniors.” This means that they are given the freedom to relax and be themselves in an office of 60 where “you end up knowing everyone, and no one takes themselves too seriously.”

Although interpersonal relationships can form from a small headcount, some noted there was a low number of social events outside of the office Christmas party. “I think we’re trying to do more of that stuff now,” one insider revealed, “it’s quite ad hoc and on the fly at the moment.”

One element that was praised throughout was the “diverse and multicultural” office that comes from its international roster of employees: “I think that is a big positive and it creates a really interesting dynamic.”

Thanks to the small cohort there isn’t much need for an overly formalised qualification process. One source recalled “I was just sent my contract without much of a prior discussion to be honest.” Although interviewees noted that getting a job at the end of their contract is “not a given,” they were overall positive about the experience, and one trainee highlighted that “historically, they’ve been flawless with retention.”

Most of our interviewees felt that getting into the firm in the first place is the toughest hurdle and once you’re in, “they invest in you and want you to stay.” Clearly this is paying off, as in 2025, Curtis retained 100% of its trainees!

How to get a Curtis training contract  

• In order to apply, please send your CV and a covering letter to recruitmentlondon@curtis.com for the attention of Sophie Joy Zoghbi.

Applications  

Curtis receives around 250 applications for its training contract each year, with prospective trainees submitting a CV and covering letter to the firm’s recruitment email address. For those candidates that stand out, there are what the firm describes as ‘several rounds’ of interviews, which include interviews with both associates and partners. But what is it that candidates who want to stand out should look to demonstrate?  

Trainee profile  

The firm seeks applicants with consistently strong academic records, and expect at least an AAB at A-Level and a 2:1 or higher at degree level. This is not to say that intellect alone will secure you a training contract however, as the team at Curtis look for candidates with people skills, energy, and an ability to get on with others. Given the firm’s reputation for international work, prospective trainees would benefit from having a multinational outlook, and speaking another language is an advantage.