DLA Piper Summer Internship 2027

NoSummer Internship

No. DLA Piper does not sponsor its summer internship for international students who need a visa. The firm's own page says it is unable to provide visa sponsorship for the Summer Internship programme, but can sponsor a visa if a candidate later secures a place on the Future Lawyers Pathway and a trainee solicitor offer. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK full-time (40 hours/week) for the entire three-week internship, which runs mid-June to mid-July 2027 with a week-long London induction followed by two practice-group placements.

Sponsors grads?: No
Pay vs threshold: Below the threshold
Opportunity: vacation scheme
Pay: not stated on firm's page
2027 cycle: Applications open now, closing 23 October 2026 for London and 20 November 2026 for Birmingham, Edinburgh, Yorkshire (Leeds) and North West (Manchester)
Confidence: high

DLA Piper Summer Internship: at a glance

DLA Piper's UK Summer Internship is a 2 to 3 week, in-person, paid internship that starts with an induction in London. Interns contribute to real client matters, could attend court hearings and work directly with clients, and have supervisors, buddies and mentors. Interns are assessed for a place on the Future Lawyers Pathway, starting in autumn 2029. London applications closed on 23 October 2026; DLA Piper cannot sponsor visas for the internship, though the Future Lawyers Pathway is eligible for sponsorship. Source

Duration: 2 to 3 weeks“During the 2-3 week, in-person, paid internship”Source
Start date: 15 June 2027 (programme runs to 2 July 2027)Source
Who can apply: Second-year students on a three-year course, third-year students on a four-year course, or final-year law students; Edinburgh has separate LLB-based criteria. Applicants need the right to work full time in the UK for the whole internship.Source
Locations: London, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester“Birmingham, Edinburgh, Yorkshire (Leeds) and North West (Manchester)”Source
Degree requirement: Any degree subject; a 2:1 (achieved or on track, or equivalent) and the equivalent of 136 UCAS Tariff points (for example AAB at A-level)“You should have achieved, or be on track to achieve, a 2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) and have achieved equivalent to 136 UCAS Tariff points”Source

How DLA Piper recruits

Summer Internship 2027 (applications 21 September 2026; London closes 23 October 2026), leading to Future Lawyers Pathway from Autumn 2029. 6 stages, from DLA Piper's own careers pages, checked 2026-10-03. Test providers are named only where DLA Piper names them.

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

Realistic job preview
Other stage
Anonymous, unassessed job preview with personalised feedback, taken before the application.
“Before completing your application, you'll complete our anonymous and non-assessed Realistic Job Preview to gain insight into the role and our ways of working, and receive personalised feedback to help inform your decision to apply.”
Source
Application form
Application form
Application form with academics and experience, plus a CV. No cover letter. Rare contextual survey follows.
“Our application form captures essential information about you, your academic background and your experience. You'll need a CV, but you don't need to submit a cover letter.”
Source
Online assessment
Online tests, Neurosight
Adaptive strengths-based online assessment from Neurosight. No practice needed; uses automated profiling, with humans reviewing all results.
“Our online assessment is intuitive and easy to complete, with no preparation or practice required. [...] It adapts to how candidates process information and make decisions, using their responses to create a profile of their potential strengths and preferences.”
Source
4
Virtual case study
Case study
Virtual case study: analyse a business scenario, form a recommendation and discuss it with an assessor. About one hour. GenAI allowed in preparation.
- about 60 minutes
- assessor
“You'll review a realistic business scenario, analyse key information, and develop a recommendation. You'll then discuss your approach with an assessor, providing insight into your thinking and responding to questions. [...] It typically takes around one hour to complete.”
Source
Assessment centre
Assessment centre
In-person assessment centre with interactive exercises and interviews, from January 2027.
“The final stage of our recruitment process is an in-person assessment centre. You'll take part in a series of interactive exercises and interviews designed to assess your skills and potential.”
Source
End-of-internship assessment
Other stage
Interns are assessed at the end of the internship for the Future Lawyers Pathway (training contract).
“At the end of the programme, interns are assessed for a place on our Future Lawyers Pathway in the office where they completed their internship.”
Source

Every programme and stage at DLA Piper

“DLA Piper is unable to provide visa sponsorship for the Summer Internship programme”

DLA Piper, from its own careers pages

The catch: Student-visa holders must show permission to work full-time from the internship's mid-June start date, which can clash with term-time restrictions.

DLA Piper early careers Verify on gov.uk See the licence record

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What DLA Piper publishes about this programme

Checked against DLA Piper's own careers pages on 2026-10-01. 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 DLA Piper

Training Contracttraining contract, yes, with conditions

Sources

https://careers.dlapiper.com/early-careers/europe/uk/summer-internship.html

Verdict last checked 2026-09-18. Application dates last checked 2026-10-01. How we check programme verdicts

Common questions

Does DLA Piper sponsor visas for its summer internship?

What is the DLA Piper summer internship?

Does the pay clear the UK Skilled Worker salary threshold?

The pay for this scheme sits below the Skilled Worker salary threshold, which is itself a reason sponsorship is not possible.

What is the catch international students miss with DLA Piper?

Student-visa holders must show permission to work full-time from the internship's mid-June start date, which can clash with term-time restrictions.

When do applications open for the DLA Piper summer internship?

Applications open now, closing 23 October 2026 for London and 20 November 2026 for Birmingham, Edinburgh, Yorkshire (Leeds) and North West (Manchester). Checked on 2026-10-01 against DLA Piper's own site.

How long is the DLA Piper summer internship?

2 to 3 weeks, according to DLA Piper's own careers information.

When does the DLA Piper summer internship start?

15 June 2027 (programme runs to 2 July 2027), according to DLA Piper's own careers information.

Who can apply for the DLA Piper summer internship?

Second-year students on a three-year course, third-year students on a four-year course, or final-year law students; Edinburgh has separate LLB-based criteria. Applicants need the right to work full time in the UK for the whole internship, according to DLA Piper's own careers information.

Where is the DLA Piper summer internship based?

London, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, according to DLA Piper's own careers information.

What degree do you need for the DLA Piper summer internship?

Any degree subject; a 2:1 (achieved or on track, or equivalent) and the equivalent of 136 UCAS Tariff points (for example AAB at A-level), according to DLA Piper's own careers information.

How should I confirm DLA Piper's sponsorship before applying?

Read the specific vacancy on DLA Piper'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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