The business of law is changing, and we want you to be right there with it. To take us from largest to leading, we’re looking for our trainees to think big and see the future of law in a new way.

Our Dublin Trainee Solicitor Programme is designed to equip you with the skills required to be the lawyer of the future, now.

Alongside market leading support and development, you’ll have the chance to put knowledge into action and start building your legal career from day one. After all, it’s experience that makes great lawyers.

Our Dublin Trainee Solicitor Programme offers an immersive journey into legal practice with a focus on hands-on experience through seat rotations, tailored electives, and comprehensive support.

Starting September 2025, you will embark on the Professional Practice Course (PPC) full-time at Blackhall Place, equipping you with the practical skills necessary for your future legal career.

Following the completion of your PPC, you will commence your in-office training period at Dentons. This will give you the opportunity to experience four different practice areas enabling you to explore at least three distinct areas of law. With the successful completion of all required stages, you will be on track to qualify as a solicitor in 2028 and take part in our Newly Qualified selection process.

Our programme has been designed to support you becoming the lawyer of the future. In addition to gaining legal experience, our programme offers you the unique opportunity to gain exposure to three key streams that are integral to Dentons: connecting with our clients, innovation and resilience.

There will also be opportunities for international and client secondments during your time at the firm, these will be subject to availability, business needs, performance and eligibility.

Our Trainee Solicitor Programme marks the first stage in your journey from lawyer to leader.

The Client Experience 

Our strategy at Dentons is all about being better connected – to our clients, to our global firm and to each other. Building relationships with clients is an integral part of your role as a lawyer.

At Dentons the opportunity to understand the art of connecting with a client or contact begins at the start of your career with us. During your programme, you will have the opportunity to be an integral member of an internal team dedicated to the client relationship as well attending key client meetings and pitches. You will have the opportunity to support Partners and Business Development colleagues gain a deep understanding of the client and contribute to innovative solutions and insights.

Innovation

Here at Dentons, innovation isn’t something that sits in isolation – we believe it comes from everywhere and from everyone, and it is critical to our position as the world’s largest global law firm.

We do this by challenging ourselves to identify and implement innovation across all areas of service delivery to our clients.

Throughout your programme you will be encouraged to enrich your innovation skills and knowledge. Our trainees will participate in discovery exercises to explore how cutting-edge technology blended with Dentons knowledge can drive actionable advice for our clients. These projects, not only help to broaden trainees’ understanding of legal innovation, but also help us to identify and address innovation gaps within the firm.

See here for further information on how we help our clients innovate in different ways.

Resilience

On the journey from lawyer to leader, we recognise that a career in law is a constantly changing environment, providing new challenges every day.

We can help create a culture of openness and support by providing people with the tools they need to thrive and build resilience. Group workshops and one-to-one sessions are designed to support you through this transition, and open doors for you to become the lawyer of the future.

Following a detailed induction, and on top of our new modernised training modules, each seat comes with bespoke training and development, to give you the tools to succeed.

Alongside this trainee specific training, you’ll have access to our market leading programme of development sessions, and our online suite of virtual training courses. Whether you’d like a refresher on the basics, fine tune your networking skills, build your personal brand or improve your efficiency at work, there will be a course for you.

Our talent team will be with you throughout, helping you think of the bigger picture when it comes to your career.

Support is something that underpins your experience throughout your Trainee Solicitor Programme at Dentons.

You will have a dedicated supervisor for each seat, who will be a constant point of guidance, helping you define your career.

You will also have support from your trainee peers, who are encouraged to become active members of our diversity networks, social committee and Pro Bono teams, forging strong professional networks right across the firm.

Finally, our award-winning Early Careers team will also always be available to you, to discuss everything from seat moves and secondments, to trainee social events.

• FE1 and PPC Fees
• Life assurance
• Health and dental insurance
• Wellbeing contribution
• 24 annual leave days
• Pension scheme
• Income protection
• Access to well-being resources
• Dublin first year trainee salary €45,000

Eligibility

Our 2025 Dublin Trainee Solicitor Programme is open to applicants from all degree disciplines who have already completed all FE1 examinations or are in the process of completing them and will receive their results by May 2025. This means all FE1 examinations will need to be completed by the last sitting in March 2025.

The starting date for this role is September 2025.

The Final Examination (FE-1) is the entrance examination to the Law Society of Ireland. It is held twice a year, normally in spring and autumn and consists of eight papers on core legal subjects. Please visit the Law Society of Ireland website for full details.

We are looking for candidates with

• Strong academic performance in your Irish Leaving Certificate (at least 480 points) or equivalent post -16 education.

• 2:1 or higher in your undergraduate degree.

These are broad guidelines, and all interested candidates are encouraged to apply. We review every application holistically and consider all aspects of a candidate’s experience and background.

Application Window

Applications will open on 20 September 2024 and close on 22 November 2024. To access the application form, please click the ‘Apply‘ button on the top bar.

Please review our FAQs before you start your application.

Not ready to apply to the direct Trainee Solicitor Programme just yet? Apply to attend our Dublin Insight Event in January 2025 to get a glimpse into life at Dentons through interactions with our Partners, Associates and Early Careers Team. Or have a look at our 2025 Dublin Summer Vacation Scheme for a two-week work experience at our Dublin office.

In the meantime, sign up to Dentons.Next Talent to gain exclusive access to webinars, workshops and receive reminders of future events and opportunities.