Dentons Vacation Scheme 2027

NoVacation Scheme

No. Dentons does not sponsor its vacation scheme for international students who need a visa. The two-week Vacation Scheme requires candidates to already hold the right to work in the location they apply to, with the firm explicitly saying it cannot sponsor a visa for the scheme itself. Because Dentons has stopped taking direct applications to its Trainee Solicitor Programme for the UK and Dublin, and only recruits those trainees from the Vacation Scheme, this closes off the entire non-Middle East UK and Ireland training contract route to anyone needing sponsorship.

Sponsors grads?: No
Pay vs threshold: Clears the threshold
Opportunity: vacation scheme
Pay: £500 or €500 per week, plus a £250 or €250 grant
2027 cycle: London and Milton Keynes: 5 to 16 April 2027. Scotland: 7 to 18 June 2027. Dublin: 14 to 25 June 2027. Middle East: July/August 2027 (exact dates not published)
Confidence: high

Dentons Vacation Scheme: at a glance

Dentons' two-week Vacation Scheme combines real work with training and networking, with practice areas allocated by availability. It is the firm's sole route to its London, Milton Keynes and Dublin Trainee Solicitor Programmes: participants are assessed throughout, with a final reflective interview, for a training contract in the office where they did the scheme. Source

Duration: Two weeks“Our two-week Vacation Scheme is your chance to experience life with us”Source
Start date: 5 April 2027 (London and Milton Keynes)Source
Who can apply: London and Milton Keynes: penultimate-year England and Wales LLB Law students, final-year non-law students and all graduatesSource
Locations: London, Milton Keynes, Scotland, DublinSource
Starting pay: £500 or €500 a week, plus a grant of £250 or €250“Vacation Scheme participants receive £500 or €500 a week, plus a grant of £250 or €250.”Source

How Dentons recruits

2027 vacation schemes (London and Milton Keynes April 2027, Scotland and Dublin June 2027). 4 stages, from Dentons's own careers pages, checked 2026-10-03. Test providers are named only where Dentons names them.

Application form
Application form
Short online form covering education, work history and activities. One application per year, to a specific location. Contextual recruitment via Rare.
“When you begin your path to Dentons, it all starts with a short online application form. It's your chance to share your education, work history, and the activities that define you. You can make one application to us each year.”
Source
2
Legal High Potential Assessment
Online tests
Untimed online assessment of scenario-based, numerical and verbal questions, about 45 minutes. A shorter practice test is provided first.
- about 45 minutes
“If you meet our initial criteria in the application form, next up is our Legal High Potential Assessment. To make sure we get a well-rounded view of all our applicants, it consists of scenario-based, numerical and verbal questions. [...] It's untimed, but typically takes approximately 45 minutes to complete.”
Source
Interview
Other stage
Interview with short questions on past experience, skills, drivers, strengths and motivation for commercial law and Dentons. Format (live or recorded) not stated.
“The interview will see you answer some short questions. It will also look at your past experiences and the skills you've developed through them, along with your key drivers and strengths. We'll also look at why you've chosen to apply to a commercial law firm, and to us specifically.”
Source
Assessment centre
Assessment centre
Final stage: written exercise, case study and interview.
“This is the final stage of the application process. Our assessment centres consist of a written exercise, a case study and an interview.”
Source

Every programme and stage at Dentons

“You must hold the right to work in the location you're applying for. Because of the nature of the scheme, we can't sponsor candidates for a visa.”

Dentons, from its own careers pages

The catch: Since the Vacation Scheme is now the sole route to a UK or Dublin training contract, its no-sponsorship rule effectively blocks the whole UK and Dublin trainee pipeline for anyone without existing right to work, not just the two-week placement.

Dentons early careers Verify on gov.uk See the licence record

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What Dentons publishes about this programme

Checked against Dentons's own careers pages on 2026-09-23. 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: not published
Recruitment stages: published

More early careers programmes at Dentons

Trainee Solicitor Programmetraining contract, no
Solicitor Apprenticeshipapprenticeship, no published policy
Open Daysspring week, no published policy

Sources

https://ukime-earlycareers.dentons.com/p/7

Verdict last checked 2026-09-23. How we check programme verdicts

Common questions

Does Dentons sponsor visas for its vacation scheme?

What is the Dentons vacation scheme?

Does the pay clear the UK Skilled Worker salary threshold?

The pay for this scheme clears the Skilled Worker salary threshold.

What is the catch international students miss with Dentons?

Since the Vacation Scheme is now the sole route to a UK or Dublin training contract, its no-sponsorship rule effectively blocks the whole UK and Dublin trainee pipeline for anyone without existing right to work, not just the two-week placement.

When do applications open for the Dentons vacation scheme?

London and Milton Keynes: 5 to 16 April 2027. Scotland: 7 to 18 June 2027. Dublin: 14 to 25 June 2027. Middle East: July/August 2027 (exact dates not published). Checked on 2026-09-23 against Dentons's own site.

How long is the Dentons vacation scheme?

Two weeks, according to Dentons's own careers information.

When does the Dentons vacation scheme start?

5 April 2027 (London and Milton Keynes), according to Dentons's own careers information.

Who can apply for the Dentons vacation scheme?

London and Milton Keynes: penultimate-year England and Wales LLB Law students, final-year non-law students and all graduates, according to Dentons's own careers information.

Where is the Dentons vacation scheme based?

London, Milton Keynes, Scotland, Dublin, according to Dentons's own careers information.

What does the Dentons vacation scheme pay?

£500 or €500 a week, plus a grant of £250 or €250, according to Dentons's own careers information.

How should I confirm Dentons's sponsorship before applying?

Read the specific vacancy on Dentons'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

Before you apply

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