London Training Contract

Program Overview

A Training Contract is your opportunity to put your knowledge to use in a professional setting. Over two years, London trainees will complete a range of seats to ensure they have a well-rounded Training Contract. Our graduate recruitment team will ensure that your selection meets the firm’s and the SRA’s requirements.

Our Program

As well as completing rotations across our core practice areas, trainees may also get the chance to undertake exciting secondment opportunities. This could be a client secondment in the UK or an international secondment at one of the firm’s offices.

To fast-track your development, in each of your four seats you’ll share an office with a partner or senior associate who will supervise your progress.

Applications Open

London Training Contract 2028: 1 September 2025

Deadline

London Training Contract 2028: 31 March 2026

If you have any queries please contact the graduate recruitment team via email at grecruitment@mayerbrown.com.

Development

During your Training Contract, you’ll attend legal training and workshops specific to each practice area you’re working in and participate in practice group meetings where recent legal developments and updates are discussed. You’ll also be invited to attend briefing sessions given by professional support lawyers on key legal developments and in-house databases.

We provide you with the guidance and support you need throughout your two years. Midway through each seat and at the end of each seat, you will have an appraisal with you supervisor to ensure your personal development and progress is tracked.

Perks

During the training contract trainees will receive an annual salary of £55,000 in their first year with an increase to £60,000 in their second year. Should you accept an Associate role in London with Mayer Brown after your training contract, our NQ salary is £150,000. 

We offer a range of benefits including an on-site GP and on-site counsellor, subsidised canteen and gym membership, access to life insurance and automatic enrolment to the firm’s Contributory Pension Plan.

Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL) & Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE)

PGDL & SQE 1&2 LLM

Our future trainees complete SQE 1&2 prior to the commencement of their training contract. If you are currently studying a non-law degree, you will also complete the PGDL. To support our future trainees the firm will provide those studying the PGDL with a maintenance grant of £15,000, and those studying the SQE 1 & 2 £20,000 for the year in study. Future trainees will also be eligible to request an additional £3,000 interest-free loan from the firm for additional support.

To make sure you feel like part of Mayer Brown from day one, you’ll have regular contact with the firm. On top of social events with your fellow SQE students, you’ll be invited to presentations given by partners and associates from different practice areas.

 

How to Apply

Step 1: Starting Your Application

We’ll ask you to provide some personal information, including your educational background and any relevant work experience that you have. Don’t worry if you haven’t completed any legal work experience—we’re interested in any experience where you can demonstrate transferable skills. Please make sure you thoroughly check your application for any spelling or grammatical errors.

Virtual Experience Program

In collaboration with Forage, we have created a bespoke virtual work experience program to help you learn more about our Finance practice group. This includes two hypothetical tasks that represent a ‘day-in-the-life’ of a trainee solicitor in our London finance practice. This would be a great way for you to further your research and prepare additional experiences to include in your application. You can learn about a transaction, and experience typical trainee tasks.

Mayer Brown | Introduction to Finance | Forage

 

How to Apply

Step 2: Immersive Assessment

Alongside your application form you’ll need to complete an immersive assessment, which consists of behavioural questions, numerical and verbal reasoning questions, and video response questions.

The behavioural questions establish how you would react in different scenarios that you may find yourself in as a trainee, while the numerical and verbal reasoning questions test how you perform in typical trainee tasks. You will also be asked several video response questions, which allow you to explain your motivation for a career in law with Mayer Brown and ability in several key competencies. Your responses will be scored in relation to traits that will help you succeed at Mayer Brown, and to progress to the next stage of the application process you’ll need to meet or surpass our benchmark scores.

At the end of the assessment, you’ll receive a report which will help you understand how you performed and highlight any potential development opportunities. Please note that no legal knowledge is required to complete the assessment.

How to Apply

Step 3: Assessment Days

If you are successful at the Immersive Assessment, you’ll be invited to an assessment day where you will be invited to take part in a variety of tasks. These include a written task, group exercise, fact find task and a final interview. Your experience at an assessment day will vary slightly depending on which position you apply for.

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