Linklaters LLP is one of the world’s leading law firms, with a place as one of the five companies within the Magic Circle. Since first being established in London, Linklaters has expanded to open offices in 21 countries, and almost all of the key global financial centres such as New York, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Frankfurt and Dubai. The company is able to offer integrated services to clients with global and international operations as a result of their esteemed reputation. Hence, the firm handles some of the biggest and most transformational mandates for the world’s leading financial sponsors, corporates and banks.

Practitioners at the firm specialise in sectors such as corporate law, banking and finance, capital finance, tax and litigation. As such, Linklaters placed 4th on the 2024 UK 100 ranking, and 17th in the Global 200 ranking. The reputation held by Linklaters is highlighted by the firm’s role as a trusted advisor in key negotiations - in 2023 the firm advised an impressive 30 of the FTSE100 companies, including 18 of the top 20.

Alongside striving to cultivate and maintain a standard of excellence company-wide, on an individual scale, Linklaters has a clear set of moral and ethical values. The firm encourages an environment of respect, integrity and unity, with the team embracing new and innovative ideas to present to clients.

As of late, Linklaters has also adopted their new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program, with an aim to use the firm’s position as a global business to push for the establishment of fairer systems and a more inclusive culture. The firm’s commitment to EDI starts from the top down:

● senior leaders actively champion diversity , setting goals and taking personal accountability for reaching EDI goals.

This is reflected in LinkLaters’ most recent hires and promotions:

● in 2024 40% of the new partners elected were women

● 33% of new partners elected in the UK and USA in 2024 identified as belonging to a part of a minority ethnic group

This, alongside Linklaters’ proud partnership with the Oxford Afro-Caribbean society, highlights how Linklaters is using their platform as a global firm to modernise the industry.

Linklaters boasts an impressive array of opportunities for young people enquiring about and/ or looking to get a head start on their careers in law. The schemes aim to provide a more general introduction to the potential areas of work within the firm, getting attendees more accustomed to Linklaters’ environment.

● Pathfinder - Pathfinder is Linklaters’ flagship first-year insight and development programme, giving aspiring commercial lawyers a taste of life at a global law firm. The scheme starts with two days in-person at their London office, followed by a six-month virtual series of professional development sessions. Once completed, participants will be fast-tracked to a Linklaters Vacation Scheme assessment centre.

● Making Links Scholarship - Linklaters’ six-month Making Links Scholarship is designed to help socially mobile students fulfil their potential and access a career in law. This unique opportunity provides students going into their second year with £6,000 in financial support, a week of practical work experience and a dedicated mentor

● Virtual Internships - For those who perhaps cannot make it to Linklaters’ offices, the firm also offers multiple online internships which give young people a taste of life at a Magic Circle commercial law firm

The firm also offers multiple paid vacation schemes for university students in their penultimate year at university, as well as a Solicitor Apprenticeship for sixth-form students who want a career in law but don’t see themselves going to university.

For more information on Early Careers at Linklaters, see their webpage on Early Careers.