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Bird & Bird Spring and Summer Vacation Schemes 2027

Applications close 11 December 2026. Based in London.

Only some tracksSpring and Summer Vacation Schemes

Only in part. Bird & Bird sponsors its spring and summer vacation schemes for some tracks or offices, not all. The firm's FAQ states you need the right to work in the UK to apply for the vacation scheme and should check your own visa conditions. If you secure a training contract afterwards, Bird & Bird offers reasonable assistance with work permits and visas at that stage.

Sponsors grads?
Some tracks
Pay vs threshold
Borderline
Opportunity
vacation scheme
Pay
not confirmed on this page
2027 cycle
Applications open 5 October 2026, close 11 December 2026
Confidence
medium

Bird & Bird Spring and Summer Vacation Schemes: at a glance

Bird & Bird's spring and summer vacation schemes place students in one of the departments of its London office to do real legal work, alongside training, skill sessions, introductions to different areas of law and business services, and social events. The spring scheme runs from Monday 12 April to Friday 23 April 2027 and the summer scheme from Monday 14 June to Friday 25 June 2027, with up to 40 positions across both. Attendees are assessed for a training contract starting in September 2029 or sooner, and the vacation scheme is the only route into the September 2029 cohort. Final-year and completed non-law students, and those studying or having completed the PGDL or SQE, can also apply. Source

Start date
12 April 2027 (Spring Vacation Scheme)“Monday 12 April to Friday 23 April 2027”Source
Who can apply
Law students in their penultimate or final year, or law graduates“be in your penultimate year, final year, or have completed a law degree.”Source
Locations
LondonSource
Degree requirement
AAB at A-Level and a 2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent), achieved or expected“You should have, or expect to have, AAB at A-Level and 2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent).”Source

How Bird & Bird recruits

Spring and summer vacation schemes 2027 (applications 5 October to 11 December 2026). 4 stages, from Bird & Bird's own careers pages, checked 2026-10-03. Test providers are named only where Bird & Bird names them.

Applications may close early once places are filled, so apply well before any published deadline. Source

  1. Online application form

    Application form

    Online application form.

    “Stage 1 - Online application form”
    Source

  2. Capptivate Assessment

    Immersive assessment, Cappfinity

    Capptivate online assessment (Cappfinity's immersive assessment product). Content and timing not described on the page.

    “Stage 2 – Capptivate Assessment”
    Source

  3. Pre-recorded video interview

    Recorded video interview

    Pre-recorded (one-way) video interview. Platform, questions and timings not published.

    “Stage 3 - Pre-recorded video interview”
    SourceHow to prepare for a one-way video interview

  4. Virtual assessment centre

    Assessment centre

    Virtual assessment centre. Components not published.

    “Stage 4 - Virtual assessment centre”
    Source

Every programme and stage at Bird & Bird

“you need the right to work in the UK and will need to check the conditions of your visa”
Bird & Bird, from its own careers pages
The catch: Successful candidates should be able to start a training contract by September 2029 or sooner.
Bird & Bird early careersVerify on gov.ukSee the licence record

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What Bird & Bird publishes about this programme

Checked against Bird & Bird's own careers pages on 2026-09-18. Anything not published is worth asking the early careers team before you apply.

  • Visa sponsorship policy: published
  • Application dates: published
  • Programme description: published
  • Duration and start date: published
  • Who can apply: published
  • Pay: published
  • Locations: published
  • Degree requirement: published
  • Recruitment stages: published

More early careers programmes at Bird & Bird

Sources

Verdict last checked 2026-09-18. How we check programme verdicts

Common questions

Does Bird & Bird sponsor visas for its spring and summer vacation schemes?

Only in part. Bird & Bird sponsors its spring and summer vacation schemes for some tracks or offices, not all. The firm's FAQ states you need the right to work in the UK to apply for the vacation scheme and should check your own visa conditions. If you secure a training contract afterwards, Bird & Bird offers reasonable assistance with work permits and visas at that stage. The Spring scheme runs 12-23 April 2027 and Summer runs 14-25 June 2027, with up to 40 places between them.

What is the Bird & Bird spring and summer vacation schemes?

Bird & Bird's spring and summer vacation schemes place students in one of the departments of its London office to do real legal work, alongside training, skill sessions, introductions to different areas of law and business services, and social events. The spring scheme runs from Monday 12 April to Friday 23 April 2027 and the summer scheme from Monday 14 June to Friday 25 June 2027, with up to 40 positions across both. Attendees are assessed for a training contract starting in September 2029 or sooner, and the vacation scheme is the only route into the September 2029 cohort. Final-year and completed non-law students, and those studying or having completed the PGDL or SQE, can also apply.

Does the pay clear the UK Skilled Worker salary threshold?

The pay for this scheme sits close to the threshold, so it can depend on the office, the occupation going rate, or the new-entrant discount.

What is the catch international students miss with Bird & Bird?

Successful candidates should be able to start a training contract by September 2029 or sooner.

When do applications open for the Bird & Bird spring and summer vacation schemes?

Applications open 5 October 2026, close 11 December 2026. Checked on 2026-09-18 against Bird & Bird's own site.

When does the Bird & Bird spring and summer vacation schemes start?

12 April 2027 (Spring Vacation Scheme), according to Bird & Bird's own careers information.

Who can apply for the Bird & Bird spring and summer vacation schemes?

Law students in their penultimate or final year, or law graduates, according to Bird & Bird's own careers information.

Where is the Bird & Bird spring and summer vacation schemes based?

London, according to Bird & Bird's own careers information.

What degree do you need for the Bird & Bird spring and summer vacation schemes?

AAB at A-Level and a 2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent), achieved or expected, according to Bird & Bird's own careers information.

How should I confirm Bird & Bird's sponsorship before applying?

Read the specific vacancy on Bird & Bird's careers site, ask its early-careers team directly, and check the employer on the gov.uk Register of Licensed Sponsors. Policies and thresholds change, so treat this page as a starting point and confirm for the exact role and cycle.

Related guides

All visa and sponsorship guides

Other law schemes

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Other law schemes we track

Sponsorship data: Home Office register + job ad wording. Not immigration advice, verify on gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. How we check this data.