Salaries, financials, the assessment each firm uses, and when applications open, in one place. Then analyse your CV against the firm and practise the exact test they screen with, without leaving Calibre.
One of the five Magic Circle firms, known for market-leading finance, capital markets and global corporate work.
What they look for: Commercial awareness, genuine firm-specific motivation, and intellectual ability shown through reasoning, not adjectives.
Figures: CC FY2025 results; Legal Cheek; targetjobs
Training contract and vacation scheme. Vacation scheme applications typically open in September, with deadlines from November to January, often on a rolling basis. Confirm exact dates on the firm's own site.
A Magic Circle firm with a strong disputes, antitrust and global transactions practice, and no minimum A-level requirement.
What they look for: Contextual view of grades, commercial curiosity, and evidence of resilience and teamwork through named examples.
Figures: Freshfields FY2025 results; The Global Legal Post; targetjobs
Training contract and vacation scheme. Vacation scheme applications typically open in September, with deadlines from November to January, often on a rolling basis. Confirm exact dates on the firm's own site.
A Magic Circle firm with a deep finance and corporate practice and a large international trainee intake.
What they look for: No UCAS points cut-off; a strong 2:1, commercial awareness, and specific reasons for choosing the firm.
Figures: Linklaters FY2025 results; The Global Legal Post; targetjobs
Training contract and vacation scheme. Vacation scheme applications typically open in September, with deadlines from November to January, often on a rolling basis. Confirm exact dates on the firm's own site.
Formed by the 2024 merger of Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling, now one of the largest firms in the world by revenue.
What they look for: Contextual recruitment guiding to AAB, commercial awareness, and clear, evidenced competency examples.
Figures: A&O Shearman FY2025 results; The Lawyer; Legal Cheek; targetjobs
Training contract and vacation scheme. Vacation scheme applications typically open in September, with deadlines from November to January, often on a rolling basis. Confirm exact dates on the firm's own site.
A Magic Circle firm with a distinctive multi-specialist model, a smaller trainee intake and the highest profitability per partner of any UK firm.
What they look for: Intellectual strength, a genuine multi-specialist interest, and quality over quantity in experience.
Figures: Financial Times / Legal Cheek (PEP estimate, private partnership); targetjobs
Training contract and work experience scheme. Applications for the work experience schemes typically close in the winter and spring. Confirm exact dates on the firm's own site.
The largest law firm in the world by revenue, with a powerful private equity and restructuring practice and a growing London office.
What they look for: Top academics, commercial and deal awareness, and drive. Smaller, transaction-focused London trainee intake.
Figures: Am Law 2024; Bloomberg Law; The Global Legal Post; targetjobs
Training contract and vacation scheme. Vacation scheme applications typically open in September, with deadlines from November to January, often on a rolling basis. Confirm exact dates on the firm's own site.
One of the largest firms in the world by revenue, strong in finance, capital markets and corporate work, with a substantial London base.
What they look for: Excellent academics, commercial drive, and a genuine interest in transactional work.
Figures: Am Law 2024; The Global Legal Post; targetjobs
Training contract and vacation scheme. Vacation scheme applications typically open in September, with deadlines from November to January, often on a rolling basis. Confirm exact dates on the firm's own site.
The largest of the "MBB" strategy consultancies, advising senior leaders across sectors worldwide.
What they look for: Structured problem solving, clear communication, leadership and evidence of impact. Strong academics assessed in context.
Figures: Canary Wharfian; preplounge; industry revenue estimates (private firm)
Graduate and internship programmes. Graduate and internship applications typically open in the autumn and are often reviewed on a rolling basis. Confirm dates on the firm's own site.
One of the three leading global strategy consultancies, known for its work on corporate strategy and transformation.
What they look for: Analytical rigour, creativity in problem solving, and the ability to structure ambiguous problems clearly.
Figures: Canary Wharfian; preplounge; Statista
Graduate and internship programmes. Graduate and internship applications typically open in the autumn, often on a rolling basis. Confirm dates on the firm's own site.
A leading global strategy consultancy, known for a close-knit culture and a strong private equity advisory practice.
What they look for: Sharp problem solving, commercial instinct, teamwork and a results-focused mindset.
Figures: Canary Wharfian; preplounge; industry revenue estimates (private firm)
Graduate and internship programmes. Graduate and internship applications typically open in the autumn, often on a rolling basis. Confirm dates on the firm's own site.
A leading global investment bank, strong in advisory, markets and asset and wealth management.
What they look for: Numerical strength, commercial awareness, resilience and genuine interest in markets. Academics assessed with context.
Figures: Goldman Sachs FY2024 results; Canary Wharfian; levels.fyi
Graduate analyst and summer internship programmes. Applications typically open in the summer before the graduate year and are reviewed on a rolling basis, so apply early. Confirm dates on the firm's own site.
The largest US bank by assets, with a major London presence across investment banking, markets and technology.
What they look for: Commercial awareness, analytical ability, teamwork and drive. A wide range of degree backgrounds welcomed.
Figures: JPMorgan Chase FY2024 results; Canary Wharfian; levels.fyi
Graduate and summer internship programmes. Applications typically open in the summer before the graduate year and are reviewed on a rolling basis, so apply early. Confirm dates on the firm's own site.
Alphabet's core business and one of the world's largest technology companies, with a substantial London engineering base.
What they look for: Strong problem solving and coding ability, evidence of building things, and role-relevant projects or internships.
Figures: Alphabet FY2024 results; levels.fyi; Glassdoor
Graduate and internship programmes. Applications typically open in the autumn and can close early once places fill. Confirm dates on the firm's own site.
One of the oldest and most selective universities in the world, teaching undergraduates through a college and tutorial system.
What they look for: Outstanding academic ability, genuine subject interest beyond the syllabus, and strong performance at admissions test and interview.
Figures: Oxford admissions statistics 2024/25; UCAS
Undergraduate admissions. UCAS deadline is 15 October (a year earlier than most universities). Interviews follow in December.
A world-leading collegiate university, teaching undergraduates through small-group supervisions alongside lectures.
What they look for: Top academic results, deep subject motivation, and strong performance in admissions assessments and interviews.
Figures: Cambridge admissions statistics 2024/25; UCAS
Undergraduate admissions. UCAS deadline is 15 October (a year earlier than most universities). Interviews follow in December.
A world-leading social science university in central London, especially strong in economics, law, politics and finance.
What they look for: Excellent grades, a focused and well-evidenced personal statement, and clear interest in the social sciences.
Figures: LSE admissions data; UCAS
Undergraduate admissions. UCAS deadline is in mid-January. LSE does not interview for most undergraduate courses.
A specialist science, engineering, medicine and business university in London, consistently ranked among the world's best.
What they look for: Very strong grades in maths and science subjects, technical aptitude, and genuine interest in the field.
Figures: Imperial admissions data; UCAS
Undergraduate admissions. UCAS deadline is in mid-January (15 October for Medicine). Many courses interview.
An Ivy League university in Massachusetts and one of the most selective in the United States, with a holistic admissions process.
What they look for: Academic excellence plus distinctive achievement, character and context, assessed holistically across the whole application.
Figures: Harvard College admissions statistics (Class of 2029); Common App
Undergraduate admissions (Common App). Restrictive Early Action deadline around 1 November; Regular Decision around 1 January.
An Ivy League university in Connecticut, highly selective, with strengths across the humanities, social sciences and sciences.
What they look for: Exceptional academics alongside evidence of impact, curiosity and character, assessed across the whole application.
Figures: Yale admissions data (Class of 2029); Common App
Undergraduate admissions (Common App). Restrictive Early Action deadline around 1 November; Regular Decision around 1 January.