14 Law Internships for Undergraduates in the UK
Participating in an internship as an undergraduate student gives you the chance to build a stronger resume, develop workplace-ready skills, and improve your employability by demonstrating field experience. For those interested in the legal field, law internships are valuable because they offer early insight into legal systems, professional expectations, and day-to-day legal work before committing to law school or postgraduate training. Law internships also help you develop core skills such as legal research, writing, analysis, and professional communication.
What law internships are available for undergraduates in the United Kingdom?
Law internships in the United Kingdom allow you to explore different legal career paths, such as commercial law, criminal law, public interest law, or policy, while gaining firsthand experience in the UK legal system. Many internships focus on practical skills like case research, drafting legal documents, attending hearings, and supporting solicitors or legal teams on active matters. Others emphasize exposure to legal careers through structured work experience, mentoring, and networking with professionals. Collectively, these internships help you clarify your interests, build relevant experience, and make more informed decisions about future legal training.
With that, here are 14 law internships for undergraduates in the UK that offer strong learning outcomes and meaningful exposure to legal practice across different sectors of the profession.
1. Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer – UK Early Careers Programme
Location: Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, London
Stipend: Paid (compensation rates vary by programme and role)
Dates: Varies by pathway (includes internships, insight programmes, and trainee routes)
Application Deadline: August 28
Eligibility: Undergraduates and early-career candidates with the right to work in the UK
The HSF Kramer UK Early Careers Programme provides you with multiple entry points into one of the world’s leading global law firms. Rather than a single internship, this program encompasses a range of early-career opportunities designed to help you explore commercial law, develop core professional skills, and build long-term career foundations. You’ll gain exposure to high-profile, complex legal matters while working alongside lawyers who are leaders in their fields. The firm’s international network provides insight into cross-border work, legal delivery innovation, and global market dynamics. HSF Kramer places strong emphasis on inclusion, welcoming candidates from both law and non-law backgrounds and valuing diverse perspectives.
2. Ladder University Internship Program
Location: Remote
Cost: Varies; Financial aid offered
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: Undergraduate students able to commit 10-20 hours per week for 8-12 weeks
The Ladder University Internship Program offers a competitive, fully remote internship experience that places you with startups and nonprofits working on real, time-bound challenges. Instead of shadowing or hypothetical exercises, you’ll take ownership of a defined project that addresses an actual organizational need, giving you tangible outcomes to showcase on your resume. Each placement is designed to mirror professional remote work environments, helping you build discipline, independence, and accountability. During the internship, you’ll work closely with a dedicated manager at your host organization, receiving regular feedback and guidance as you progress through your project. Your responsibilities may include research, strategy development, analysis, content creation, or operational support, depending on the organization and your skill set. Apply now!
3. Environment Agency: Legal Services Summer Internship Programme
Location: Environment Agency, Birmingham, Exeter, Peterborough, or Warrington
Stipend: £25,301
Dates: 12-week summer internship starting in June
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: Final-year undergraduates, postgraduate law students, or graduates within the past 12 months; Must have the right to work in the UK
The Environment Agency’s Legal Services Summer Internship Programme allows you to apply your legal studies to real-world environmental and public law challenges. As an intern within the Legal Services Team, you’ll support legal advice and decision-making that underpins environmental protection, sustainability, and regulatory enforcement. Your work may include legal research across environmental, planning, commercial, property, criminal, and employment law, as well as supporting litigation, judicial reviews, and prosecutions. You’ll also gain exposure to corporate governance, legal risk management, and major national infrastructure or environmental projects. Throughout the internship, you’ll work alongside experienced public-sector lawyers and receive structured support through mentoring, training plans, and peer networks.
4. Clifford Chance: SPARK Development Programme
Location: Clifford Chance, London
Stipend: £500 per week for paid elements of the program
Dates: 9 months from May to July
Application Deadline: February 16
Eligibility: First-year law students (3-year degree), second-year law students (4-year degree), or penultimate-year non-law undergraduates studying at a UK university with the right to work in the UK
The Clifford Chance SPARK Development Programme is a long-term introductory pathway designed to give you early, structured exposure to commercial law at a global law firm. Evolving from a short internship into a nine-month program, SPARK combines classroom-based learning, skills development, lawyer shadowing, and networking with professionals across the firm. You’ll begin with an in-person launch at Clifford Chance’s London office, followed by intensive insight and skills sessions and a dedicated shadowing week within a practice area. Throughout the programme, you will be supported by a “Buddy Bubble” that includes trainees, newly qualified associates, and fellow SPARK participants, helping you navigate both the firm and the profession.
5. DLA Piper: UK Summer Internship Program
Location: DLA Piper, London, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds (Yorkshire), and Manchester (Northwest)
Stipend: Paid
Dates: June 18 – July 10
Application Deadline: London: November 21; Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds & Manchester: December 12
Eligibility: Undergraduates and graduates with the right to work in the UK
The DLA Piper UK Summer Internship Programme offers you a hands-on introduction to commercial law within a global legal and professional services firm. During this paid program, you’ll work as part of a legal team rather than observing from the sidelines, gaining exposure to client matters, court hearings, and cross-border legal work. The internship begins with a London-based induction, bringing together interns from across the UK before you join your chosen office. You’ll also take part in structured learning sessions, networking opportunities, and mentoring from supervisors, buddies, and trainees. Beyond core legal work, the programme introduces you to DLA Piper’s focus on legal technology, sustainability, and pro bono initiatives.
6. Bits: Legal Intern
Location: Bits, London
Stipend: £13 – £15 per hour
Dates: Part-time during the academic year
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Current undergraduate students with the right to work in the UK
The Legal Intern role at Bits gives you direct exposure to in-house legal work within a fast-growing fintech startup focused on credit access and financial inclusion. You’ll work closely with the founder and CEO, applying your legal knowledge to real product and business challenges rather than purely academic tasks. Your responsibilities will include researching UK and U.S. financial regulations, translating legal findings into practical guidance, and supporting compliance decisions tied to innovative financial products. This internship allows you to see how law, technology, and business strategy intersect in a regulated industry. You’ll collaborate with cross-functional teams and contribute to decisions that directly impact product development and consumer protection.
7. Capsticks Solicitors LLP: Legal Intern
Location: Capsticks Solicitors LLP, Wimbledon, London
Stipend: Paid
Dates: April 13 – 17
Application Deadline: Early March
Eligibility: First or second-year undergraduate students (law or non-law) who identify as LGBT+
The Capsticks Legal Internship is a short, immersive opportunity designed to give you firsthand exposure to life at a leading UK law firm focused on public service work. Sponsored by Capsticks’ LGBT+ employee network, Prism, this internship is specifically aimed at supporting greater LGBT+ representation within the legal profession. During the week, you’ll be based primarily in the Claims division, while also gaining insight into other practice areas such as Employment & Pensions and Advisory. You’ll work under the guidance of a dedicated supervisor, receive structured feedback, and learn how legal teams support clients across healthcare, housing, regulation, and emergency services. The programme also includes networking opportunities with trainee solicitors, associates, partners, and business services professionals, helping you understand different career pathways within the firm.
8. ABN AMRO: Legal Summer Internship
Location: ABN AMRO, London
Stipend: Paid (exact compensation not specified)
Dates: 8 weeks from June 22
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Penultimate-year undergraduate students with an interest in law
The ABN AMRO Legal Summer Internship places you within the bank’s UK Legal team, giving you broad exposure to in-house legal work in a global financial institution. During the program, you’ll support lawyers across areas such as lending, financial services regulation, corporate and commercial law, data protection, litigation, and employment. Your work may include reviewing lending and commercial contracts, conducting legal research on evolving regulations, and supporting day-to-day advisory work tied to the bank’s operations. You’ll work in a collaborative, professional environment that emphasizes sustainability, responsible banking, and long-term client relationships.
9. CMA Legal Internship
Location: Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), offices across the UK (including London and regional hubs)
Cost/Stipend: Paid (Civil Service internship rates; exact pay varies by role and intake)
Dates: Varies by program; typically summer or year-long placements
Application Deadline: Varies by intake; advertised through Civil Service Jobs
Eligibility: Undergraduates and recent graduates with the right to work in the UK
The CMA Legal Internship offers you direct exposure to public-sector legal work at the UK’s primary competition and consumer protection regulator. During the internship, you will support legal teams advising on competition law, consumer protection, and market regulation, contributing to work that shapes how UK markets operate. Your responsibilities may include conducting legal research, assisting with case preparation, drafting summaries and briefing notes, and supporting live investigations under the guidance of senior lawyers. You’ll gain insight into how competition and consumer law are applied in practice, including regulatory decision-making and enforcement actions.
10. PwC Summer Internship Program
Location: PwC offices across the UK
Stipend: Paid a competitive pro-rata salary
Dates: 4-8 weeks from July
Application Deadline: Varies by business area and location
Eligibility: Undergraduate students exploring roles that may lead to a graduate job
The PwC Summer Internship Programme is designed to be much more than a short-term summer role, giving you meaningful exposure to professional services and the opportunity to explore a long-term career with the firm. During the internship, you’ll work alongside specialists in your chosen business area and contribute to client projects, taking on responsibility as a valued team member. You’ll receive structured onboarding through regional induction events, followed by on-the-job training that prepares you for client-facing work. Depending on your interests, you could gain experience in areas such as audit, accounting, tax and finance, advisory and consulting, strategy, or technology and AI. Alongside your day-to-day work, you’ll have opportunities to network with colleagues and fellow interns, take part in social and community initiatives, and experience PwC’s hybrid working model.
11. Spotify Summer Internship, Legal (LLB/LLM)
Location: Spotify, London
Stipend: Paid (stipend not publicly disclosed)
Dates: Mid-June – August (approximately 10 weeks)
Application Deadline: February 5
Eligibility: LLB or LLM students with valid UK work authorization
The Spotify Legal Summer Internship allows you to work alongside the legal team of one of the world’s most influential technology and media companies. Based in London, you’ll support Spotify’s in-house lawyers as they advise the business on how to grow responsibly, protect intellectual property, and stay compliant across global markets. This internship is designed to immerse you in the legal realities of a fast-scaling digital platform rather than limiting you to observation or administrative work. During the program, you’ll collaborate with lawyers across multiple practice areas, including original content, privacy, and litigation. Your responsibilities may include drafting and reviewing agreements, preparing deal summaries and internal legal memos, and conducting legal research on issues affecting music, podcasting, and digital streaming. You’ll gain exposure to key areas such as copyright, data protection, defamation, and broader corporate and commercial law, all within the context of a technology-driven creative industry.
12. Penguin Random House UK Commercial Legal Internship
Location: Penguin Random House, London (hybrid)
Stipend: £14.80 per hour
Dates: July 6 – late August (8 weeks)
Application Deadline: March 29
Eligibility: Applicants (18+) with the right to work in the UK who are from lower socio-economic backgrounds (as part of a positive action program); No prior legal experience required
Penguin Random House UK’s Commercial Legal Internship gives you insight into how legal strategy supports the publishing industry. Over eight weeks, you will work with the legal team on structured projects such as reviewing GDPR-related contracts, updating contract templates, and assisting with licensing agreements, including those for stage and screen adaptations. You will also research emerging legal issues—particularly around AI and its implications for publishing—and observe deal discussions to understand how legal and commercial considerations intersect. In addition, you may contribute to agreements tied to social impact initiatives like book donation programs. Throughout the internship, you will attend team meetings, develop skills in contract analysis, legal research, and risk assessment, and gain practical exposure to how legal frameworks enable creative and commercial decision-making in a major publishing house.
13. Cooley UK Diversity Fellowship
Location: Cooley, London
Stipend: £550 per week + up to £12,000 bursary
Dates: June 29 – July 10
Application Deadline: April 17
Eligibility: Full-time UK university students who do not hold another law firm inclusion award
Cooley’s UK Diversity Fellowship offers you early access to the firm’s summer programme, giving you a head start in exploring a career as a solicitor. During the two-week programme, you will engage in meaningful legal work across areas such as corporate transactions, intellectual property, technology, regulatory matters, and litigation. You will also participate in training sessions, professional development workshops, and networking opportunities with lawyers and peers. Each fellow is supported by a mentor, trainee buddy, and the legal talent team, ensuring structured guidance throughout the experience. A distinguishing feature of this fellowship is the opportunity to return for a second programme, allowing you to deepen your skills, build relationships within the firm, and strengthen your candidacy for a future training contract.
14. International Bar Association (IBA) Legal Internship Program
Location: International Bar Association, London
Stipend: Unpaid
Dates: Approximately 3 months; 4 intakes per year
Application Deadline: Applications close 5-6 months before each intake
Eligibility: Undergraduates and recent graduates with the right to work full-time in the UK
The IBA Legal Internship Programme places you within one of four specialist teams: the Legal Policy & Research Unit, the Human Rights Institute, the Executive Director’s Office, or the eyeWitness programme. As an intern, you will contribute to international legal research, policy development, and rule-of-law initiatives, working on topics such as human rights advocacy, judicial independence, business and human rights, and international justice. Your responsibilities typically include legal research, drafting reports and briefing notes, monitoring trials or media developments, and supporting high-level projects and events. Because much of the work is writing-intensive, you will be required to submit a substantive writing sample as part of the application.
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