London Graduate Recruitment

Exceptional Foundation, Empowering Career

Jumpstart your legal career at Vinson & Elkins’ dynamic London office, the hub for our firm’s international work on projects, transactions, investments, and disputes.

London Graduate Recruitment Opportunities

Our Program
Career Events
Primary Contacts

A Dynamic Office

Vinson & Elkins opened its London office in 1971, putting us among the first U.S. law firms to operate in the city.

In the more than half-century since, we’ve built a dynamic office, developing a sterling reputation for producing excellent work, advising on highly complex matters, succeeding through teamwork, and caring for our clients, colleagues, and communities.

Our strategy for growth in London is simple: build on our strengths and focus on the long term. We believe that hiring talented, driven lawyers — and giving them every opportunity to develop their practice in a supportive environment — empowers them to flourish, and strengthens our firm in the process.

Trainee Resources

Vinson & Elkins currently offers four-six training contracts commencing in September each year. Training contracts are not run on a rigid seat system, but instead, our trainees will gain wide experience in many different areas simultaneously, working with a variety of associates and partners.

Whilst being based in London, trainees often take secondments in our other offices (particularly our offices in the Middle East, Brussels, and Houston), and travel is a likely part of any training contract with us. Trainees will have the support of an associate mentor to provide an extra, and hands-on, port of call for support and assistance.

Compensation and Benefits

Vinson & Elkins looks to recruit from the best candidates, and we believe our training contracts reflect this — both in quality of training and work, as well as in the highly competitive salary and benefits:

£60,000 for first-year trainees (2025)
£65,000 for second-year trainees (2025)
£173,077 for newly qualified associates (2025)

In addition, we offer funding for V&E preparatory course(s) and examination for the SQE and a maintenance grant of £20,000 for the SQE year.

Benefits Include:

Medical insurance
Dental Insurance
Travel Insurance
Life Insurance
Simply Health Cash Plan (which includes wellness benefits)
Subsided Gym Membership
Access to Private GPs
Employee Assistance Programme
Pension
Cycle Scheme
Interest-Free Season Ticket Loan

For further information about the training programme and V&E as a whole, please contact us at [email protected].

How to Apply for a Training Contract at V&E

All students who attend one of our vacation schemes will automatically be considered for a training contract.

We view vacation schemes as an invaluable tool for allowing both the trainee candidate and V&E to assess each other, and accordingly, when considering training contract applications, we offer only to those who have completed a placement with us.

During the course of the one week that candidates spend in Vinson & Elkins’ London office, they will experience firsthand what it is like to be a trainee at the firm. From the client led tasks, such as research projects, drafting documents, participating in internal strategy discussions, joining calls and meetings with clients and opposing counsel, as well as mentoring, support, and infrastructure the firm provides to ensure lawyers thrive, you will be confident as to whether V&E is right for you. Not only will a candidate share a room with an associate or partner, they will also have the opportunity to meet and work with a variety of different practice groups during the week.

Eligibility Requirements

Our vacation schemes are limited. To be eligible, applicants should be, at a minimum, in the penultimate year of their degree.

We would expect all candidates to have achieved a minimum of AAB at A-Level (or equivalent) and 60% or above across all first-year university modules or, if a graduate, a minimum of a 2.1 in their undergraduate degree.

Successful applications will clearly demonstrate a genuine commitment to the law and a real interest in V&E’s core practice areas in the London office.

How to Apply for a Vacation Scheme at V&E

Applications for the 2027 Spring and Summer Vacation Scheme will open on October 5^th 2026.

Applications for the 2027 Spring and Summer Vacation Scheme will open in Autumn 2026.

Students in the ﬁrst year of their degree (or second year of a four year degree) who would like to learn more about Vinson & Elkins may be interested in attending our Open Day, discoVEr V&E, which is held at our London office annually in the Spring.

Learn more about V&E and our London office
Join an Illustrative Case Study of a Deal
Participate in a Commercial Awareness Workshop
Get practical tips on how to do well in your applications
Trainee and Graduate Recruitment Q&A Panel
Network with partners, counsel, associates, and trainees in a relaxed environment over refreshments

How to Apply for our Open Day – discoVEr

Applications for the 2027 Open Day, discoVEr will open on 2^nd November 2026.

Spring/Summer 2027 Vacation Scheme

Applications Close: 8 January 2027
Week-long placements will be held between April – August 2027

Autumn/Winter 2027 Vacation Scheme

Applications Close: 11 June 2027
Week-long placements between October – December 2027

Please note, the Autumn/Winter Vacation Scheme will only take place if there are still training contract positions available following the Spring/Summer Vacation Scheme.

2027 Open Day – discoVEr

This Open Day is for students who are due to graduate in 2029.

Event Date: 15 April 2027
Applications Close: 5 February 2027

London Graduate Program

Quality at the Core

We currently offer four to six training contracts commencing in September each year. Our smaller intake of trainees means that every hire we make is an important investment for the firm, because each team member has a distinct role to play in delivering outstanding client service. It also means that, as a Vinson & Elkins lawyer, you’ll work on high-value, complex and globally focused matters from the outset of your career. While based in London, trainees often take secondments in our other offices.

We recruit from the best candidates, and our training contracts reflect this — both in the quality of training and work and in the highly competitive salary and benefits.

All students who attend one of our vacation schemes will automatically be considered for a training contract. We typically recruit all of our trainees from our Spring/Summer Vacation Scheme.

Learn More About Vinson & Elkins’ London Program

Download Our Program Brochure

2026 Career Events

Our Graduate Recruitment Team, trainees and associates attend a number of events throughout Autumn where we provide insights into the firm culture at V&E and answer questions you have on our vacation scheme, open day and training contract opportunities. Additional events will be added as we approach Autumn.

Bespoke Virtual Events Series

If you are interested in learning more about our practice areas and life as a trainee, join us for a series of evening webinars to hear from our Partners, Associates and Trainees about the work we do! This is a great opportunity to receive valuable information and guidance to enhance your application.

Dates and registration links for this series will become available in October 2026.

An Evening with V&E: Transactions (Corporate, Energy Projects & Finance)
An Evening with V&E: International Disputes

Step Inside Vinson & Elkins London

From High Court litigation to global energy deals, our London office is where bold ideas meet international impact. Our lawyers lead on everything from international arbitration to complex energy, finance, and infrastructure matters — all in the heart of one of the world’s great legal and cultural capitals.

Watch Video

London Vacation Scheme

Learn about the Vinson & Elkins London office Vacation Scheme from our Training Principle and trainees.

London Trainee Program

What’s it like to train in the heart of London? Aaron Sahota, Ellen Swarbrick, and Scott Stiegler give an insider’s view.

London Discover Open Day

Deals. Dialogue. Discovery. Here’s a look inside discoVEr V&E — our London Open Day that brings the next generation of legal minds face-to-face with the world of international law.

Credentials at a Glance

How do you rate the training you received?

Great training program with very strong mentors and good access to friendly senior associates and partners. I was given high level work from early on with growing amounts of responsibility.

How stimulating is the work you are given?

The work is challenging and engaging, pushing me to develop new skills. I was exposed to real client matters quickly, which made the experience dynamic and rewarding.

How supportive are your peers?

My peers were collaborative and approachable, always willing to share knowledge and provide help when needed. This created a very positive and encouraging team atmosphere.

How approachable are the senior staff and partners?

They were always available to answer questions and provide guidance. I felt encouraged to seek feedback, which helped me grow quickly in my role.

How well does the program prepare you for future career progression?

The training and early responsibilities gave me strong foundations and confidence to take on more complex tasks, which I believe will benefit my long-term career.