Firm Profiles
Freshfields
Freshfields
A Magic Circle Firm
A Magic Circle Firm
Year 1 Trainee
£56,000
Year 2 Trainee
£61,000
Newly Qualified
£150,000
Freshfields is a leading international law firm with a history dating back over 275 years. With more than 2,800 lawyers across 33 offices worldwide, the firm advises major corporates, financial institutions, and governments on complex, cross-border matters. Its strengths lie in corporate, finance, disputes, antitrust, and regulatory work, often at the heart of the world’s most high-profile transactions and cases.
In 2024, the firm unveiled a bold brand refresh, formally shortening its name to Freshfields and introducing a modernised wordmark. The rebrand reflects the firm’s dynamic, entrepreneurial spirit and its ambitions for future growth in an evolving legal landscape.
TC Number
80
Seats
8
Secondments
Yes
Offices
33
Freshfields recruits between 80 to 100 trainees each year. Its distinctive eight-seat training contract allows trainees to rotate every three months across a wide range of practice areas. In the final two seats, trainees have the opportunity to undertake a six-month international secondment in one of the firm’s 28 global offices — including destinations such as New York, Dubai, and Hong Kong. These placements offer valuable insight into cross-border work and the chance to build lasting international relationships.
Rankings in Chambers
43
Category
Magic Circle
Freshfields has garnered significant recognition for its innovative approaches and excellence in legal services. At the 2024 Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Awards Europe, the firm secured three awards, being lauded for its originality, leadership, and impact in areas such as deals and financing, regulatory solutions, and pro bono advisory . Additionally, Freshfields was highly commended for its business of law strategy and efforts to enhance client experience through initiatives like its Mass Claims Unit. The firm’s excellence was further acknowledged at the 2024 Lexology Index Awards, where it was named Firm of the Year in five categories, including Competition, Arbitration, German Firm, M&A, and Corporate Governance .
The Application Process
Vacation Scheme Deadline
TBC
A-Levels Requirements
N/A
Degree Requirements
Degree Requirements
2.1+
Application Writing
The application process for Freshfields’ early careers programmes begins with an online application form and an 850-word personal statement. Applicants are encouraged to focus on their unique strengths, interests, and motivations—avoiding generic language and supporting their points with clear, relevant evidence. The personal statement should explain why a career in law appeals, and why Freshfields in particular, with an emphasis on authenticity over formality or cliché.
Assessment Centre
Successful candidates are then invited to attend a half-day assessment centre, comprising a written exercise, a general interview, and an analytical interview. The written exercise is designed to test attention to detail, a key skill for trainees, but does not assess legal knowledge. In the general interview, candidates are asked to reflect on their experiences, strengths, and motivations—demonstrating self-awareness and the qualities needed to succeed as a trainee. This hour-long interview is conducted by a partner and associate, who will have read the candidate’s personal statement but not the rest of their application.
The analytical interview begins with 30 minutes to review a commercial article, followed by an interview with two new lawyers. This session assesses commercial awareness and critical thinking, with questions focused on the article’s content. Interviewers won’t have seen the candidate’s application, ensuring a fresh and unbiased perspective. No legal knowledge is required, but candidates are encouraged to prepare by following current affairs and considering how global developments affect clients. The goal throughout is to understand how candidates think, engage with complex ideas, and demonstrate curiosity—rather than to catch them out.
Interview Stage
Application Writing
Psychometric Testing
The application process for Freshfields’ early careers programmes begins with an online application form and an 850-word personal statement. Applicants are encouraged to focus on their unique strengths, interests, and motivations—avoiding generic language and supporting their points with clear, relevant evidence. The personal statement should explain why a career in law appeals, and why Freshfields in particular, with an emphasis on authenticity over formality or cliché.
This is followed by a law-specific online assessment, and a separate critical thinking skills test.
Psychometric Testing
This is followed by a law-specific online assessment, and a separate critical thinking skills test.
Interview Stage
Assessment Centre
Successful candidates are then invited to attend a half-day assessment centre, comprising a written exercise, a general interview, and an analytical interview. The written exercise is designed to test attention to detail, a key skill for trainees, but does not assess legal knowledge. In the general interview, candidates are asked to reflect on their experiences, strengths, and motivations—demonstrating self-awareness and the qualities needed to succeed as a trainee. This hour-long interview is conducted by a partner and associate, who will have read the candidate’s personal statement but not the rest of their application.
The analytical interview begins with 30 minutes to review a commercial article, followed by an interview with two new lawyers. This session assesses commercial awareness and critical thinking, with questions focused on the article’s content. Interviewers won’t have seen the candidate’s application, ensuring a fresh and unbiased perspective. No legal knowledge is required, but candidates are encouraged to prepare by following current affairs and considering how global developments affect clients. The goal throughout is to understand how candidates think, engage with complex ideas, and demonstrate curiosity—rather than to catch them out.
Firm Profiles
Freshfields
A Magic Circle Firm
Year 1
Trainee
£56,000
Year 2
Trainee
£61,000
Newly
Qualified
£150,000
Freshfields is a leading international law firm with a history dating back over 275 years. With more than 2,800 lawyers across 33 offices worldwide, the firm advises major corporates, financial institutions, and governments on complex, cross-border matters. Its strengths lie in corporate, finance, disputes, antitrust, and regulatory work, often at the heart of the world’s most high-profile transactions and cases.
In 2024, the firm unveiled a bold brand refresh, formally shortening its name to Freshfields and introducing a modernised wordmark. The rebrand reflects the firm’s dynamic, entrepreneurial spirit and its ambitions for future growth in an evolving legal landscape.
TC Number
80
Seats
8
Secondments
Yes
Offices
33
Freshfields recruits between 80 to 100 trainees each year. Its distinctive eight-seat training contract allows trainees to rotate every three months across a wide range of practice areas. In the final two seats, trainees have the opportunity to undertake a six-month international secondment in one of the firm’s 28 global offices — including destinations such as New York, Dubai, and Hong Kong. These placements offer valuable insight into cross-border work and the chance to build lasting international relationships.
Rankings in Chambers
43
Awards
Category
Magic Circle
Freshfields has garnered significant recognition for its innovative approaches and excellence in legal services. At the 2024 Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Awards Europe, the firm secured three awards, being lauded for its originality, leadership, and impact in areas such as deals and financing, regulatory solutions, and pro bono advisory . Additionally, Freshfields was highly commended for its business of law strategy and efforts to enhance client experience through initiatives like its Mass Claims Unit. The firm’s excellence was further acknowledged at the 2024 Lexology Index Awards, where it was named Firm of the Year in five categories, including Competition, Arbitration, German Firm, M&A, and Corporate Governance .
The Vacation Scheme Application Process
Application Writing
The application process for Freshfields’ early careers programmes begins with an online application form and an 850-word personal statement. Applicants are encouraged to focus on their unique strengths, interests, and motivations—avoiding generic language and supporting their points with clear, relevant evidence. The personal statement should explain why a career in law appeals, and why Freshfields in particular, with an emphasis on authenticity over formality or cliché.
Psychometric Testing
This is followed by a law-specific online assessment, and a separate critical thinking skills test.
Interview Stage
Assessment Centre
Successful candidates are then invited to attend a half-day assessment centre, comprising a written exercise, a general interview, and an analytical interview. The written exercise is designed to test attention to detail, a key skill for trainees, but does not assess legal knowledge. In the general interview, candidates are asked to reflect on their experiences, strengths, and motivations—demonstrating self-awareness and the qualities needed to succeed as a trainee. This hour-long interview is conducted by a partner and associate, who will have read the candidate’s personal statement but not the rest of their application.
The analytical interview begins with 30 minutes to review a commercial article, followed by an interview with two new lawyers. This session assesses commercial awareness and critical thinking, with questions focused on the article’s content. Interviewers won’t have seen the candidate’s application, ensuring a fresh and unbiased perspective. No legal knowledge is required, but candidates are encouraged to prepare by following current affairs and considering how global developments affect clients. The goal throughout is to understand how candidates think, engage with complex ideas, and demonstrate curiosity—rather than to catch them out.
Vacation Scheme Deadline
TBC
N/A
A-Levels Requirements
Degree Requirements
2.1+