Arnold & Porter—Accelerate

Arnold & Porter offers paid work experience to Year 12 students who are interested in pursuing a career in law. Recognising that entering the profession can be extremely difficult, especially for those with least opportunity, we are committed to improving access to the legal profession through our work experience programme.

Programme Overview

Week 1: Students spend a week in our London office, gaining valuable insight into life at the firm and taking part in various workshops and sessions.

Learn more about our London Office

Week 2: Students spend a day at five different organisations as part of the Social Mobility Business Partnership (SMBP).

Visit the SMBP website

Ongoing Mentoring Support

Students will be matched with an Arnold & Porter mentor throughout Year 13 as part of our structured mentoring programme with Mentoring Works.

Read more about Mentoring Works

Important Student Information

• Students need to be available to take part in both weeks.
• Travel costs will be covered and paid for in advance. Lunch will also be provided each day.
• Students must live within a 90-minute commute of the London office for the duration of the programme, as we are unable to provide accommodation. You can check your journey time on Google Maps here.

Criteria

We are looking for enthusiastic students who are interested in a career in law. Additionally, students must meet both sets of conditions listed below, created by both Arnold & Porter and PRIME, an alliance of law firms across the UK and Republic of Ireland that is committed to improving access to the legal profession through work experience.

Read more about PRIME

Students who participate must:

• Be in Year 12
• Want to pursue a career in law
• Attend, and have always attended, a state-funded, non-fee-paying school/college

We prioritise students who have achieved an average General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) Grade of 5.5 or above.

Additional PRIME Criteria

Students must also meet one or more of the following:

• You have been, or are currently, in local authority care.
• You are currently in receipt of, or have previously received, free school meals, Pupil Premium, Education Maintenance Allowance and/or 16 to 19 Bursary.
• You are, or have been, a full-time or part-time carer.
• You came to the UK as a refugee or asylum seeker.
• The occupation of your main household earner is categorised as a routine or manual occupation. A summary of this can be found here.
• You are attending a state school or college with:
  • below average A-Level or Higher point score and/or
  • low rate of progression to higher education (PRIME Work Experience School Eligibility Criteria).
• You grew up in a household where no parent or guardian attended University.  

Note: young people who meet the local authority care criterion do not need to meet any other criterion. These criteria are not exhaustive and may be amended over time.

Key Dates

• September 2026: Applications open
• 14 December 2026: Applications close
• February/March 2027: Telephone interviews take place
• April/May 2027: Offers confirmed
• 19 – 23 July 2027: Arnold & Porter Week takes place
• 26 – 30 July 2027: SMBP Week takes place

Application Process

We want to know more about you, why you are interested in a career in law and what you hope to gain from your work experience at Arnold & Porter. Before completing your application:

• Research Arnold & Porter and the areas of law we specialise in.
• Think about why you want to apply to Arnold & Porter.
• Proofread your application before submitting it, making sure to check spelling and grammar. The ”spelling and grammar” checker in Word is an easy way to do this.
• For any questions about the process, please contact us via email. 

Feedback from previous students:

“I got an amazing idea of what lawyers do day to day, learning how to carry out research and drafting clauses in contracts. Because of my experience at Arnold and Porter I know I want to become a commercial solicitor and I’d love to return on a vacation scheme or even as a trainee if I get the opportunity.”

“Law is notoriously difficult to enter and I knew that work experience would give me insight into this sector. Work experience taught me that a career as competitive as law means dealing with unexpected situations and that succeeding in such an environment requires resilience. I refined my presentation skills significantly and learnt how to create a CV that stands out from other applicants.”

“Taking part in the programme has given me an amazing insight into law. It was infinitely better than I could have ever imagined, I cannot imagine how much work goes into making it such an amazing week. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of it.”

“The thing that really stood out to me about Arnold & Porter was the people I met, everyone I spoke to was so kind and welcoming. Even in my short time being there, I felt as though we were part of a family that really cared about us and that gave us valuable advice we can take forward.”