During your two-year training contract, you’ll rotate through four seats across different practice groups. This means you’ll move around our business to experience different areas of law and work alongside new colleagues every six months as you find the area you want to pursue. Our training contract is structured so you can be immersed in our work almost immediately and develop your skills in the only way that really matters: on live projects for real clients taking real responsibility.
London Training Contract
Your training contract is where your journey to becoming an exceptional lawyer really begins. Over two years you’ll be working at the forefront of the global legal sector.
Every trainee’s journey is different but you can be confident you’ll be playing a meaningful role on some of the most exciting cases in the world as you learn from the top legal minds. After your training contract, you’ll have the technical skills, industry-recognised qualifications and the experience to become an exceptional lawyer.
Applications Open: 10 September 2025 (for training contracts commencing in 2028)
Application Deadline: 31 January 2026
SALARY
Year 1 - £56,000
Year 2 – £61,000
London NQ salary - £140,000
The City Consortium is a group of six leading, global law firms: Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Herbert Smith Freehills, Hogan Lovells, Linklaters, Norton Rose Fulbright and Slaughter and May. The role of City lawyers has transformed, going beyond technical expertise to become trusted business advisers who have the ability and confidence to operate and build relationships in a commercial setting.
The introduction of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) has given the City Consortium the opportunity to transform how we train our trainees to succeed in this fast-paced and rapidly evolving environment. We value education and believe that by investing in you, our future trainees, before you join us and by giving you the time and space to learn, you will be able to make a meaningful contribution to practice from day one.
You will need to pass the centralised assessments, which will test your knowledge across a wide range of law and practice (SQE1) as well as your core legal skills (SQE2). Above and beyond the SQE, we have partnered with BPP to create a unique and market-leading Plus Programme designed to prepare you for practice as a City lawyer.
Before you get started with your seats, we’ll provide you with a comprehensive one-week induction. You’ll learn skills that will underpin your personal growth and professional success for years to come. We’ll help you prepare for your first seat so you can dive straight in.
Later in your first seat, you’ll also complete our award-winning HL BaSE training, a mini-MBA style course for our trainees to develop their commercial skills and social impact.
During your two-year training contract you’ll rotate through different seats. You’ll build on your skills as you go, learning how to deliver level-headed advice to clients and deepen your commercial instincts and sector expertise. Two of your seats will be in one of our corporate and finance groups and another in one of our litigation teams. For your third or fourth seat, you’ll have the opportunity to apply for a secondment in one of our global offices or directly inside a client’s business. Each of these will last six months and will help you scope out where your interests lie and which area best matches your developing skill set.
In your second year you’ll have the opportunity to apply for a secondment to an international office or work with a client and see law from an entirely new perspective. You’ll be exposed to a new environment and come out of it with experience and skills you’ll draw on for the rest of your career.
On an international secondment, you’ll join a new team, experience life in a new city and see what the term "global law" really means. We currently offer trainees a secondment in Washington DC, Frankfurt, Dubai, Hong Kong, New York, Paris and Singapore. The world of law is your oyster.
Client secondments are your opportunity to sharpen your commercial edge as you understand how leading businesses work from the inside. It’s an irreplaceable chance to see the world through our clients’ eyes which will make you invaluable to other clients throughout your career.
To apply for a training contract, you must allow sufficient time to complete your Law Conversion course (*if relevant) and/or your SQE exams before the training contract starts. If you are still an undergraduate student you’ll need to be in at least the penultimate year of a law degree (of England & Wales) or in the final year of a non-law degree to apply.
*All future trainees who have not completed a degree in the law of England & Wales will need to complete the Law Conversion course.
You will need a 2:1 (predicted or obtained) or above in your bachelor’s degree, or an equivalent international grade. We also look for (at least) AAB at A Level or equivalent.
What we look for
Adaptable
People who love to meet changing demands and find the best fit.
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Ambition
People who are self-motivated and push themselves hard.
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Collaboration
People who enjoy achieving results by working as part of a team.
Critical Reasoning
The ability to evaluate information efficiently and to make evidence-based judgements in the workplace.
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Effective Communication
Ability to communicate clearly with colleagues and clients through effective listening, speaking and writing.
Growth
People who look for ways to grow and develop, whatever they are doing.
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Initiative
People who take the initiative and make decisions, to get things started.
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Innovation
People who approach things in ingenious and new ways.
Motivation
Motivation for a career in commercial law at Hogan Lovells.
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Personal Responsibility
People who take ownership of their decisions and are always accountable.
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Resilience
People who take hardships in their stride, recovering quickly and moving on.
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Technology Focus
People who focus on technology, keeping up to date with new developments.
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Work Ethic
People who are very hard working and put a lot of effort into everything.
Offer to office
Wondering what life as a Hogan Lovells trainee is really like? Our Offer to Office film series shares the real experiences of our people - from researching the firm, to accepting an offer, to stepping into the office for the first time. No scripts, no spin - just authentic stories from those who’ve been there.
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Coming soon - Discovery
Trainees share how they discovered Hogan Lovells, what attracted them to the firm, and their advice for others exploring career opportunities.
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Coming soon - Support
This episode explores the journey after securing a training contract — from the SQE and early interactions to the firm’s structured support systems.
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Coming soon - The Real Deal
This episode offers a genuine look at life after joining — from onboarding and firm culture to financial and wellbeing support, and the day-to-day experience of being part of Hogan Lovells.
Before you apply, do your homework.
Before submitting your application to Hogan Lovells, it’s essential to understand the firm’s culture, values, and practice areas. One great way to gain insight is by tuning in to the HL Legal Lounge podcast. Hosted by Hogan Lovells trainees and featuring a mix of interviews and topical discussions, the podcast offers a behind-the-scenes look at life at the firm - from landmark cases to career journeys and practical tips for aspiring lawyers.
Candidate Preparation Hub
Before you apply to us, we recommend you visit our candidate preparation hub, where you’ll be able to find out more about our assessment process and access practice tests and hints and tips.
Have a Question?
Our Early Careers team receive hundreds of questions every week - so there’s a good chance yours is already answered! Check out our FAQ section first to find quick, clear answers before getting in touch.
