Firm Profiles
Norton Rose Fulbright
Norton Rose Fulbright
An International Law Firm
An International Law Firm
Year 1 Trainee
£50,000
Year 2 Trainee
£55,000
Newly Qualified
£135,000
Norton Rose Fulbright is a global powerhouse with over 3,000 lawyers across more than 50 offices. London trainees begin with two compulsory seats in Corporate and Banking, moving on to optional seats in Litigation, Energy, Infrastructure, Real Estate, and more. The firm is particularly respected in financial institutions, energy & infrastructure, technology, and transportation sectors.
TC Number
50
Seats
4
Secondments
Yes
Offices
50+
Around 50 trainees are recruited each year. All trainees complete four six-month seats, with initial focus on Corporate and Banking, followed by specialisms in areas like Litigation, Infrastructure, or Real Estate. International and client secondments are available, allowing trainees to gain valuable cross-jurisdictional experience.
Rankings in Chambers
47
Category
International
Norton Rose Fulbright is highly regarded in the UK, having been awarded seven Band 1 rankings in Chambers UK 2025, including Asset Finance (Aviation, Shipping), Aviation, Energy & Natural Resources, and Commodities. The firm was named Highly Commended for Innovation in Pro Bono at the FT Innovative Lawyers Europe Awards 2024 for pro bono work supporting Covid-19 Inquiry participants. Furthermore, the firm’s Energy, Infrastructure & Resources team was ranked top‑five global project finance advisor by volume at the IJGlobal Awards 2024, including Geothermal Deal of the Year Europe.
The Application Process
Vacation Scheme Deadline
TBD
A-Levels Requirements
AAB
Degree Requirements
Degree Requirements
2:1
Application Writing
This is a standard online application form. You must enter personal details, eligibility, and detail your education and legal/non-legal experience in chronological format. Include any open days or vacation schemes attended. Customise your answers using insights from the Early Careers podcast and competency framework. Honesty and clear language are essential. The firm highlights that while AI tools may assist, it won’t replace genuine responses.
Assessment Centre
Preceded by a skills briefing, the Assessment Day includes:
A Case-study/written exercise: analyse materials and deliver recommendations via presentation or report.
A Group or negotiation exercise: work on a commercial scenario, collaborate with others, and present outcomes.
An Interview with senior lawyers on scenario-based questions aligned to the competency framework.
Interview Stage
A 20-minute Microsoft Teams interview with an Early Careers recruiter. Be ready to discuss your application in line with the firm’s competency framework, and prepare thoughtful questions of your own.
Application Writing
Psychometric Testing
This is a standard online application form. You must enter personal details, eligibility, and detail your education and legal/non-legal experience in chronological format. Include any open days or vacation schemes attended. Customise your answers using insights from the Early Careers podcast and competency framework. Honesty and clear language are essential. The firm highlights that while AI tools may assist, it won’t replace genuine responses.
You must complete the Arctic Shores assessment. Arctic Shores is a task-based, interactive online assessment designed to evaluate a candidate’s behavioural strengths and cognitive style. Instead of traditional test questions, it presents a series of intuitive, game-like tasks based on neuroscience research. These tasks assess traits like decision-making, problem-solving, adaptability, and emotional resilience. The goal is to look beyond academic performance and CV credentials, and instead identify a candidate’s *potential*—how they might grow and perform in a professional environment with the right support and training. By focusing on innate behaviours and abilities, Arctic Shores ensures every candidate is evaluated fairly and consistently, offering a more holistic and inclusive assessment experience.
Psychometric Testing
You must complete the Arctic Shores assessment. Arctic Shores is a task-based, interactive online assessment designed to evaluate a candidate’s behavioural strengths and cognitive style. Instead of traditional test questions, it presents a series of intuitive, game-like tasks based on neuroscience research. These tasks assess traits like decision-making, problem-solving, adaptability, and emotional resilience. The goal is to look beyond academic performance and CV credentials, and instead identify a candidate’s *potential*—how they might grow and perform in a professional environment with the right support and training. By focusing on innate behaviours and abilities, Arctic Shores ensures every candidate is evaluated fairly and consistently, offering a more holistic and inclusive assessment experience.
Interview Stage
A 20-minute Microsoft Teams interview with an Early Careers recruiter. Be ready to discuss your application in line with the firm’s competency framework, and prepare thoughtful questions of your own.
Assessment Centre
Preceded by a skills briefing, the Assessment Day includes:
A Case-study/written exercise: analyse materials and deliver recommendations via presentation or report.
A Group or negotiation exercise: work on a commercial scenario, collaborate with others, and present outcomes.
An Interview with senior lawyers on scenario-based questions aligned to the competency framework.
Firm Profiles
Norton Rose Fulbright
An International Law Firm
Year 1
Trainee
£50,000
Year 2
Trainee
£55,000
Newly
Qualified
£135,000
Norton Rose Fulbright is a global powerhouse with over 3,000 lawyers across more than 50 offices. London trainees begin with two compulsory seats in Corporate and Banking, moving on to optional seats in Litigation, Energy, Infrastructure, Real Estate, and more. The firm is particularly respected in financial institutions, energy & infrastructure, technology, and transportation sectors.
TC Number
50
Seats
4
Secondments
Yes
Offices
50+
Around 50 trainees are recruited each year. All trainees complete four six-month seats, with initial focus on Corporate and Banking, followed by specialisms in areas like Litigation, Infrastructure, or Real Estate. International and client secondments are available, allowing trainees to gain valuable cross-jurisdictional experience.
Rankings in Chambers
47
Awards
Category
International
Norton Rose Fulbright is highly regarded in the UK, having been awarded seven Band 1 rankings in Chambers UK 2025, including Asset Finance (Aviation, Shipping), Aviation, Energy & Natural Resources, and Commodities. The firm was named Highly Commended for Innovation in Pro Bono at the FT Innovative Lawyers Europe Awards 2024 for pro bono work supporting Covid-19 Inquiry participants. Furthermore, the firm’s Energy, Infrastructure & Resources team was ranked top‑five global project finance advisor by volume at the IJGlobal Awards 2024, including Geothermal Deal of the Year Europe.
The Vacation Scheme Application Process
Application Writing
This is a standard online application form. You must enter personal details, eligibility, and detail your education and legal/non-legal experience in chronological format. Include any open days or vacation schemes attended. Customise your answers using insights from the Early Careers podcast and competency framework. Honesty and clear language are essential. The firm highlights that while AI tools may assist, it won’t replace genuine responses.
Psychometric Testing
You must complete the Arctic Shores assessment. Arctic Shores is a task-based, interactive online assessment designed to evaluate a candidate’s behavioural strengths and cognitive style. Instead of traditional test questions, it presents a series of intuitive, game-like tasks based on neuroscience research. These tasks assess traits like decision-making, problem-solving, adaptability, and emotional resilience. The goal is to look beyond academic performance and CV credentials, and instead identify a candidate’s *potential*—how they might grow and perform in a professional environment with the right support and training. By focusing on innate behaviours and abilities, Arctic Shores ensures every candidate is evaluated fairly and consistently, offering a more holistic and inclusive assessment experience.
Interview Stage
A 20-minute Microsoft Teams interview with an Early Careers recruiter. Be ready to discuss your application in line with the firm’s competency framework, and prepare thoughtful questions of your own.
Assessment Centre
Preceded by a skills briefing, the Assessment Day includes:
A Case-study/written exercise: analyse materials and deliver recommendations via presentation or report.
A Group or negotiation exercise: work on a commercial scenario, collaborate with others, and present outcomes.
An Interview with senior lawyers on scenario-based questions aligned to the competency framework.
Vacation Scheme Deadline
TBD
AAB
A-Levels Requirements
Degree Requirements
2:1