Graduate Recruitment

Summer schemes

We offer approximately 170 summer scheme places each year around the UK. These placements last for two weeks with the chance to experience two different departments and gain an insight into our firm.

There are plenty of talks, social events and activities which allow you to meet a wide range of people and ask lots of questions. You’ll get as much out of the scheme as you put in: its purpose is as much for you to assess us as it is for us to assess you.

DLA Piper's summer schemes take place between June and August, we do not run Christmas or Easter schemes.

Summer schemes are paid and for summer 2010 payments were:

£275 a week in London

£225 a week in English regional offices and Scotland

We do not provide accommodation for summer schemes. If you are doing a scheme in a city where you don't have accommodation, we would recommend you contact a local university to find out whether you can use one of their halls of residence.

To apply

You should apply for a summer scheme in the office where you'd like to do your training contract.

Applications for the summer scheme start in November each year and the closing deadlines for summer 2011 are as follows:

English offices         31 January 2011

Scottish offices        17 February 2011

In England you will be assessed via a one day business game. The business game is a great way for you to sharpen your commercial skills and candidates are always telling us how much they enjoyed it and found it rewarding.  Dates for 2011 are yet to be confirmed, however as a guide, 2010 assessment days were;

London office - Monday 15 February

Birmingham office - Tuesday 16 February

Sheffield office (for Sheffield and Leeds candidates) - Thursday 18 February

Manchester office (for Manchester and Liverpool candidates) - Friday 19 February 

In Scotland we ran one day of interviews on Monday 8 March in the Glasgow office.

If you are on a year abroad, arrangements may be made for you to have a telephone interview.

Visit our application overview page if you would like to apply for a summer scheme in 2011.