Our Graduate Opportunities
We’re recruiting trainees for 2028 and 2029 with vacancies open to both law and non-law students and graduates. Second-year students of a three-year law degree, third-year students of a four-year law degree, final-year students of a non-law degree or beyond are eligible to apply for our training contracts. Applications will open on 1 October 2026 and close on 13 December 2026.
We will host an open day in November 2026 at our offices. Second-year students of a three-year law degree, third-year students of a four-year law degree, final-year students of a non-law degree or beyond are eligible to apply for the open day. Applications will open on 1 October 2026 and close on 1 November 2026.
ACCELERATE is our exclusive early access programme for students interested in exploring the work, skills and career of a private equity lawyer at Kirkland. First-year students of a three-year law degree, second-year students of a four-year law degree, and penultimate-year students of a non-law degree will be eligible to apply. Applications will open on 1 January 2027 and close on 14 February 2027.
Rewards & Benefits
First year trainees receive a starting salary of £70,000 and this rises to £75,000 in the second year. We pay the fees for your PGDL course (if required) and the LLM in Legal Practice (including the SQE exams) and provide a competitive maintenance grant for the year(s) of study.
A full list of our benefits can be found in our brochure.
Brochure
To find out more about our training contract please view our brochure below.
View Brochure
Awards & Recognitions
The Legal 500 UK – Top Tier Firm 2026
Chambers UK – Top Ranked 2026
Chambers Student Guide – Elite Firm for Trainee Satisfaction 2025
Aspiring Solicitors – Best Firm Event 2024