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Slaughter and May Summer Work Experience Scheme 2027

Applications close 4 December 2026. Pays £550 a week in London.

NoSummer Work Experience Scheme

No. Slaughter and May does not sponsor its summer work experience scheme for international students who need a visa. Asked whether it sponsors visas for the summer work experience scheme, the firm's FAQ answers no: anyone without a British or Irish passport needs an existing immigration status that permits work, and international students in the UK must hold a Student visa allowing work outside term dates. The firm does sponsor Skilled Worker visas for training contracts, so a student visa holder can attend the scheme and be sponsored later if offered a training contract.

Sponsors grads?
No
Pay vs threshold
Borderline
Opportunity
vacation scheme
Pay
£550 per week
2027 cycle
Summer Work Experience Schemes close Friday 4 December 2026
Confidence
high

Slaughter and May Summer Work Experience Scheme: at a glance

Slaughter and May runs paid summer work experience schemes in London. Students are paid a weekly amount to cover expenses, and the firm helps arrange and pays for accommodation for those relocating to London, with a professional clothing grant for those who need it. The schemes are not formally assessed, but supervisors give the Early Careers team written feedback, and unsuccessful applicants can still apply for a training contract. Source

Who can apply
Penultimate-year students (third year on a four-year course, or second or third year if studying overseas in the third year; first year of a two-year accelerated degree); final-year students are directed to other routes“If you won't be studying overseas for the third year of your degree, you should apply for the summer schemes in your third (penultimate) year.”Source
Locations
London“If you will be relocating to London for the scheme and require accommodation, we will assist you with the arrangements for this and cover the cost.”Source
Starting pay
£550 per week“Our summer work experience scheme and Spring Forward Programme students are paid £550 per week which is intended to cover your expenses during the scheme.”Source
Degree requirement
Strong 2:1, ideally 65% or above in the majority of modules for each year completedSource

How Slaughter and May recruits

Summer work experience 2027 (applications close 4 December 2026). 3 stages, from Slaughter and May's own careers pages, checked 2026-10-03. Test providers are named only where Slaughter and May names them.

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

  1. Online application form with CV and cover letter

    Application form

    Online form with full exam results, plus a CV (max two sides) and a one-page cover letter. No online tests are mentioned anywhere in the process.

    “You will be asked to provide some personal details (including a full breakdown of all your examination results) and to attach your cover letter (or your responses to questions if applying for the Spring Forward programme or Solicitor Apprenticeship Programme) and CV.”
    Source

  2. Interview

    Final interview

    In-person interview in London; virtual for applicants on a year abroad. Format of the scheme interview is not described separately.

    “Our training contract and summer work experience scheme interviews take place in person at our London office.”
    Source

  3. Training contract interview at end of scheme

    Partner interview

    Scheme attendees are offered a training contract interview at the end of the scheme; the scheme itself is not formally assessed.

    “Yes, we offer training contract interviews at the end of our summer schemes.”
    Source

Every programme and stage at Slaughter and May

“No, if you do not hold a British or Irish passport, any offer to attend our work experience scheme will be conditional on you having permission to enter or remain in the UK with an immigration status that permits work.”
Slaughter and May, from its own careers pages
The catch: Sponsorship exists for the training contract, not for the paid work experience scheme itself, so non-UK/Irish applicants need independent right to work to attend.
Slaughter and May early careersVerify on gov.ukSee the licence record

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What Slaughter and May publishes about this programme

Checked against Slaughter and May's own careers pages on 2026-10-24. 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: not published
  • Who can apply: published
  • Pay: published
  • Locations: published
  • Degree requirement: published
  • Recruitment stages: published

More early careers programmes at Slaughter and May

Sources

Verdict last checked 2026-10-24. How we check programme verdicts

Common questions

Does Slaughter and May sponsor visas for its summer work experience scheme?

No. Slaughter and May does not sponsor its summer work experience scheme for international students who need a visa. Asked whether it sponsors visas for the summer work experience scheme, the firm's FAQ answers no: anyone without a British or Irish passport needs an existing immigration status that permits work, and international students in the UK must hold a Student visa allowing work outside term dates. The firm does sponsor Skilled Worker visas for training contracts, so a student visa holder can attend the scheme and be sponsored later if offered a training contract.

What is the Slaughter and May summer work experience scheme?

Slaughter and May runs paid summer work experience schemes in London. Students are paid a weekly amount to cover expenses, and the firm helps arrange and pays for accommodation for those relocating to London, with a professional clothing grant for those who need it. The schemes are not formally assessed, but supervisors give the Early Careers team written feedback, and unsuccessful applicants can still apply for a training contract.

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 Slaughter and May?

Sponsorship exists for the training contract, not for the paid work experience scheme itself, so non-UK/Irish applicants need independent right to work to attend.

When do applications open for the Slaughter and May summer work experience scheme?

Summer Work Experience Schemes close Friday 4 December 2026. Checked on 2026-10-24 against Slaughter and May's own site.

Who can apply for the Slaughter and May summer work experience scheme?

Penultimate-year students (third year on a four-year course, or second or third year if studying overseas in the third year; first year of a two-year accelerated degree); final-year students are directed to other routes, according to Slaughter and May's own careers information.

Where is the Slaughter and May summer work experience scheme based?

London, according to Slaughter and May's own careers information.

What does the Slaughter and May summer work experience scheme pay?

£550 per week, according to Slaughter and May's own careers information.

What degree do you need for the Slaughter and May summer work experience scheme?

Strong 2:1, ideally 65% or above in the majority of modules for each year completed, according to Slaughter and May's own careers information.

How should I confirm Slaughter and May's sponsorship before applying?

Read the specific vacancy on Slaughter and May'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.

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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.