Practical Vocational Training

A career defined by Your Growth. Our Ambition.

At Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, we align your growth and ambition with ours. This means we invest in your personal and professional growth and support you to achieve your ambitions. And as part of the team, you share responsibility for delivering the firm’s growth and ambition too. Over time, our firm will change with you and be changed by you.

We’re one of a small number of leading global law firms. Our lawyers are leaders in their field and deliver the high-profile, high-quality work that matters to our clients. You’ll be a hands-on part of the team and the life of the firm from the outset: supported and willing to do whatever it takes to strive for excellence.

Rotations

We invest in your growth. Our training is tailored, structured, focused on your long-term success and designed to provide a rounded and meaningful experience. You’ll be equipped to not only become an excellent lawyer, but to also discover what sort of lawyer you want to be.

You'll rotate through some of our practice areas, including Dispute Resolution, Corporate, Competition, Regulation & Trade and Projects, Energy & Infrastructure. Each rotation helps you explore your interests and build specialist skills in sectors where we lead.

Pro bono and community

We leverage our position to make a positive impact. We know we’re well-placed to continue our efforts to play a part in changing people’s lives. You’ll be given the opportunity to make a difference and for some, engage in pro bono work.

How to apply

We exclusively recruit Candidate Legal Practitioners from our vacation schemes, as it allows us to assess candidates' suitability for a trainee associate position in a practical setting.

In exceptional circumstances, we can make direct offers for our Practical Vocational Training Programme without a candidate attending a vacation scheme.

Apply

We are currently recruiting Candidate Attorneys to commence articles in January 2028. Applications are open and will close on 31 May 2026.

Applications are processed through our online application portal.

Apply now

Candidates

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a competency-based interview where scenarios will be presented to assess their situational judgement. There may also be legal questions.

Successful candidates will meet a panel of Partners and complete a written assessment.

Offers

Each activity allows us to assess candidates' suitability for a trainee position. Applicants that successfully complete our recruitment process may receive direct offers to join us as Candidate Attorneys. In some instances, we may invite a candidate to attend a vacation scheme prior to extending them an offer.