Law Training Contract

About Us

We are Bristows, the world’s leading specialist law firm for clients that innovate.

Each year we run a series of workshops in place of vacation schemes. The workshop for first-year undergraduates is structured to give students of all degree disciplines an insight into the world of IP law at Bristows. We will run a variety of interactive sessions and provide time for networking with our current trainees too.

Our Work

We focus on dynamic, IP-rich sectors and have the expertise to solve a broad range of litigation, transactional, and advisory challenges. We have a true cross-disciplinary practice encompassing our renowned IP, competition, regulatory, corporate and commercial, dispute resolution, IT and data protection teams. The strength of each individual practice complements the others to provide a fully integrated and comprehensive service.

We are an eclectic mix of inquisitive thinkers who are fascinated by the law surrounding our clients’ sector. Many of us have science and technology backgrounds or have worked in the industry. Many of our trainees and associates also go on secondment at client companies, including Google, Google Deepmind, Capgemini, GSK, LifeArc. We live and breathe our clients’ business and can talk the same language. It means we are on the same wavelength and understand what makes our clients’ business tick.

Many of our clients are international and our work with them crosses different jurisdictions. We have remained fiercely independent since we first began in 1837 and are able to maintain a network of leading lawyers and specialists around the world. This means we are free to partner with the best people in any jurisdiction for each client need and build the right team of lawyers in the right locations.

Your Training Contract

Bristows is a unique place to work, quite unlike most law firms. The firm’s fee-earners are not given billing targets, which has a significant impact on the atmosphere of the firm, fostering a supportive, human environment where the focus is on quality rather than quantity. The firm is genuinely encouraging and supportive of its lawyers and support staff.

During the two-year training contract, trainees undertake seats within our core departments and have the opportunity to go on secondment to one of our key clients. All trainees gain experience in Intellectual Property law, including a guaranteed 6-month seat in Patent Litigation.

The Application and Assessment Process

All application forms are reviewed by our trainee recruitment team and a selection will be invited to complete recorded video interviews.

The assessment process includes two interview rounds with Senior Associates and Partners, a problem exercise and a written exercise. We do not ask candidates to complete any group exercises or psychometric testing in our process – we prefer getting to know each candidate as an individual.

All elements of our assessment process are flexible to suit any reasonable adjustments required by applicants with disabilities, so please flag any adjustments needed with the trainee recruitment team.

Once applications open, the deadline to apply is Sunday 3rd January 2027 .

Register Your Interest

To be the first to know once applications open, register your interest today!