Cleary Gottlieb offers an informal and collegial working environment that fosters the professional and personal growth of our lawyers. We seek individuals, both law and non-law graduates, who are confident in their abilities, creative in their thinking, and who display a strong measure of common sense and commercial awareness.
We limit our graduate intake to just 10-12 trainees each year to ensure our ability to offer bespoke training, which is individually tailored to the interests, experience and aptitudes of the exceptional individuals who join us.
Salary and Benefits
We offer a market-leading salary and benefits package that reflects the premium nature of our practice and is commensurate with our aim to recruit the best lawyers of the future. As at September 1, 2008, our trainee salaries are:
£40,000 for the first twelve months
£45,000 for the second twelve months
£92,000 on qualification
In addition, trainees receive a discretionary, year-end bonus. In keeping with the fundamental principles of the firm, the level of any bonus paid, whether to trainees or to associates, depends solely on seniority.
We fund the Legal Practice Course for all our future trainee solicitors. For non-law graduates, we also fund the Graduate Diploma in Law. In each year of professional study, we pay a maintenance grant of £8,000.
Benefits
Additional benefits include:
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Virgin Active gym membership
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Employer pension contributions
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BUPA private healthcare cover (personal and family)
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Life insurance of twice annual salary
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Long-term disability insurance
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Childcare vouchers
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Employee assistance programme
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Subsidised staff restaurant
Qualification Requirements
We seek individuals, both law and non-law graduates, whom we believe have the exceptional qualities necessary to become the leaders of the profession in the next generation. Unlike the larger U.K. firms, for whom a set quota of trainees is necessary to the operation of the firm machine, we recruit our trainees with a view to them becoming potential future partners of the firm. While our aim is to recruit 10-12 trainees to join us in September 2011 or March 2012, we will only recruit those candidates that we think have a long-term future with us.
We look for candidates who are enthusiastic about the practice of law in a challenging and dynamic international setting. Whilst academic excellence is a pre-requisite, we place particular emphasis on recruiting candidates that we and our clients will enjoy working with. A sense of humour is as important as the ability to think critically and creatively about cutting-edge legal issues.
Trainee Solicitor Brochure
Click here to view our current Trainee Solicitor brochure.
How to Apply
All candidates should submit a cover letter and full curriculum vitae, including a breakdown by subject of all A-Level (or equivalent) results and degree results where known. We will be unable to consider applications that do not include this information. Details of at least one academic referee should be included, whom we may choose to contact directly. Applications for both vacation placements and trainee solicitor positions should be submitted either via our website (www.clearygottlieb.com/london/apply/) or by post.