Please read the below before starting your application.

You can only apply to either the Spring or Summer Vacation Scheme. Please do not apply for both as only your first application will be considered.

The opportunity

Spring Vacation Scheme: Monday 15 to Friday 26 June 2026

There are up to 15 positions available on our Summer Vacation Scheme.

Our two-week, hybrid vacation scheme is both an opportunity for you to showcase your potential as a trainee solicitor and decide whether Bird & Bird is the right firm for you.

All vacation scheme participants will be assessed for a training contract.

As a vacation scheme participant, you will:

• Spend time working in one department for two weeks, undertaking real work to give you exposure to the life of a trainee at Bird & Bird;
• Take part in a range of formal assessments to enable us to consider you for a training contract;
• Spend time with our trainees, associates and partners, immersing yourself in our culture; and
• Spend one day each week working from home to get a sense of what it's like to be a trainee solicitor in an agile working environment.

Applying to us

Applications open: Midday on 15 September 2025

Deadline: Midday on 11 December 2025

We operate rolling recruitment, which means we screen applications as they are received, rather than after our deadline. Therefore, we encourage you to apply as early as possible.

At the time of submitting your application, you should:

• have achieved AAB in your A-Levels; and
• be on track to achieve 2:1 in your degree.

AND

• be in your final year of a non-law degree; or
• be in the penultimate or final year law degree; or
• have already graduated.

You must be able to attend the entire two-week vacation scheme to be eligible for this opportunity.

We understand that you may not have received the grades you hoped for due to extenuating or mitigating circumstances. Please detail any relevant information in your application for us to take into consideration. We also use a Contextual Recruitment System (CRS) to enable us to recruit people from different backgrounds and help us understand your achievements in the context in which they were gained.

Using AI in your application

At Bird & Bird, we are committed to maintaining the integrity of the recruitment process as well as upholding the highest standards of professionalism and ethical conduct. As part of our ongoing strategy to embrace innovation, we recognise the increasing role of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in various tasks, including the preparation of application forms, assessments and interviews. However, we wish to emphasise the importance of original thought and personal engagement throughout the recruitment and selection process.

Original thought and personal engagement are essential to your application to Bird & Bird. We value the opportunity to understand your unique perspective and approach – what makes you, you. All responses to application questions must reflect your own thinking, reasoning, and insights. Your ability to articulate your qualifications, experiences, and motivations for a career at Bird & Bird in your own voice is critical to the assessment and evaluation process.

While we acknowledge that AI tools are useful in certain contexts, such as grammar checking or assisting with language structure, we expect candidates to use AI in the application process only where appropriate and within reason. For example:

• AI tools may be used to proofread or enhance the clarity of your application materials.
• AI tools should not be used to generate content or draft responses to interview questions or assessments on your behalf. You should not copy and paste AI-generated text directly into your application form or in any other assessment.

Fundamentally, AI should not be used as a substitute for your own effort, ideas, or writing.

Regardless of the tools used, you are responsible for the content of your answers throughout the recruitment process from application form through to interview. We expect that all information provided by you is truthful, accurate, and genuinely reflective of your qualifications, experience, and motivations.

Vantage

Please note that in our application process, we collaborate with Vantage which facilitates connections with legal employers such as Bird & Bird. Owned by Rare Recruitment, Vantage functions as a comprehensive database of candidate profiles, enhancing the efficiency of the application process. Rare Recruitment initially acts as the data controller for your personal information until you submit your application to us, after which Bird & Bird assumes responsibility as the data controller. We strongly recommend reviewing Rare Recruitment's Privacy Policy, available here. For further details on how Vantage processes your personal data, including access to their Privacy Policy, please refer to the information provided below.

Application deadline:
Thursday, 11 December 2025 at 12:00 (UTC)
(i) Times are displayed in your local time zone