Ashurst is a leading international law firm advising corporates, financial institutions and governments, with core businesses in corporate, finance, energy, resources and infrastructure. In March 2012, Ashurst and Blake Dawson combined forces to form one global team under the Ashurst brand.  We now have 24 offices in 14 countries as well as an associated office in Jakarta, and a best-friend referral relationship with an Indian law firm. With over 400 partners and 1,700 lawyers in total, we offer the international insight of a global network combined with local market knowledge.

Types of work

Our main areas of practice are in competition and EU; corporate; employment, incentives and pensions; energy, transport and infrastructure; international finance; dispute resolution; real estate; tax; and technology.

The training

You will complete a comprehensive firm induction during the first two weeks of your training contract. This will help you get to grips with our departments in detail as well as our IT systems, library and other resources. You will also begin the Professional Skills Course and skills training that will continue throughout the next two years and beyond qualification.

However good your academic understanding of the law, your training contract will demand that you get to grips with a great deal more.  In addition to the more obvious practical applications of law, you will develop the skills required to become a shrewd negotiator, while also learning general business skills. You will develop a deep understanding of specific industries and much more besides.  You will complete four seats of six months each. One will be in our corporate department and another in our finance department. The other two seats can be in any of our broad range of practice areas. You could choose a seat in an area in which you have a particular interest, join an international office or go on secondment to a client. We will work hard to accommodate your wishes and ask you to let us know early if your ambition lies in a particular direction. 

Who we're looking for

Firstly, you will need to be absolutely driven to succeed.  There will be late nights where you will be in the office, facing tight deadlines and real pressure to perform. A love for the law  will only carry you so far. You need to be totally committed to delivering for your clients, and for the firm as a whole.  After that, we look for everything you would expect to see in us: common sense, discipline, professionalism, good judgement, dextrous thinking, creative ideas, an intelligent, international, commercial perspective – and the confidence to express yourself on paper, within teams and to a boardroom of your peers.  You will need to be on track for a strong 2:1 (or equivalent) in your undergraduate degree. We will support you through the Graduate Diploma in Law (where applicable) and the Legal Practice Course before you officially start your training contract.  With our commitment to strong relationships, we will be looking for examples in your own history of building strong links, whether in teams or with customers. And with our work stretching so far around the globe, foreign languages will certainly weigh in your favour.

Applications