Arnold & Porter

Overview

Arnold & Porter is a major US-headquartered international law firm known for its regulatory, litigation and transactional capabilities and a long pro bono heritage. Formed through the 2017 combination of Washington, D.C.-based Arnold & Porter and New York-based Kaye Scholer, the firm now fields over 1,000 lawyers across 16 offices and advises more than half of the Fortune 100. Distinctive strengths include deep government and regulatory experience (many former senior officials and prosecutors), an industry-focused multidisciplinary approach (notably life sciences, financial services and technology), and a widely publicised commitment to pro bono impact and public service.

• Headquarters: Washington, D.C.
• Founded: 2017
• Lawyers: Over 1,000
• Offices: 16

Values & Culture

Practice Areas

• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Regulatory & Compliance
• Competition & Antitrust
• Intellectual Property
• Healthcare & Life Sciences
• Corporate & M&A
• Technology & Digital
• Energy & Natural Resources
• Financial Services & Regulation
• Real Estate
• Employment
• International Arbitration
• Private Equity & Venture Capital
• White Collar Crime
• Capital Markets
• Insolvency & Restructuring
• Tax
• Environment & Planning
• Investment Funds
• Data Protection & Privacy

Geographic Focus: A large US-based global practice with principal strength in the United States (Washington, D.C., New York, Silicon Valley, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, Seattle, Denver) and significant European capability (London, Brussels, Amsterdam) plus offices in Asia (Seoul, Shanghai). The firm provides cross-border regulatory and transactional advice to multinational clients (including over half of the Fortune 100) and positions itself as a global adviser on U.S., international and cross-border (

Training Contract

London training contracts consist of four six-month seats across the firm's practice groups (seats typically last six months each). The programme mixes in-house and external training, is linked to a competencies framework, and includes an induction, fast-track Professional Skills Course (externally provided), IT and library training, and mentor/buddy support. Trainees undertake substantive work across specialisms and are expected to work across practice groups.

• Academic Requirements: Candidates are expected to have a consistently high academic background; London vacancies ask for a 2.1 degree or above (or be likely to achieve one).
• Application Deadline: 1 March 2026

Seat Options

• Healthcare & Life Sciences
• Intellectual Property
• Corporate & M&A
• Competition & Antitrust
• White Collar Crime
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• International Arbitration

Sponsorship

Firm will pay fees for required post-graduate courses (PGDL/SQE/LPC) prior to the Training Contract.

SQE Support

The firm will pay required post-graduate course fees (PGDL / SQE / LPC) prior to the Training Contract.

Mentorship

Formal mentor and buddy programmes: trainees and summer associates are matched with attorney mentors at varying levels of seniority and placement-year students are allocated a buddy; continuous manager support and structured mentoring is provided throughout placements and training.

Apply on the Arnold & Porter website →

Programmes & Schemes

Notable Matters

What Arnold & Porter Looks For

Key Competencies

• Commercial awareness
• Analytical skills
• Strong written and verbal communication
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Self-motivation and initiative
• Resilience
• Commitment to public service / pro bono
• Intellectual curiosity and adaptability

Evidence Signals

• Relevant commercial or regulatory work experience
• Pro bono or voluntary experience
• Mooting, advocacy or research competitions
• Work experience placements (e.g., Year 12/Accerate programme or summer associate internships)
• Language skills and international experience for cross-border roles
• Academic excellence (2.1 degree or above for UK hires)
• Engagement with affinity groups or diversity outreach

Benefits & Wellbeing

• Medical, Vision, and Dental Insurance (for employees working 20+ hours/week)
• Medical, Vision, and Dental Insurance for Spouses, Domestic Partners, and Their Children
• Life Insurance
• Supplemental Life Insurance
• Dependent (Spouse/Domestic Partner/Child) Life Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance and Supplemental Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Healthcare, Dependent Care, and Limited Purpose Flexible Spending Accounts
• Health Savings Account
• 401(k) Deferrals
• Profit-Sharing Contributions (staff)
• Paid Time Off
• Travel Accident Insurance
• Lyra Mental Health Benefit
• Health Advocate Medical Concierge (medical concierge service)
• On-site and Virtual Advisors
• Voluntary Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital Insurance
• Pet Insurance
• Pre-Tax Transportation Program
• Interest-free travel season ticket loan
• Healthy Incentive Bonus Scheme (trainees/associates)
• Seasonal holiday bonus
• Optical testing
• Private health and private dental insurance

Wellbeing

Lyra mental health benefit, Health Advocate medical concierge, on-site and virtual advisors, firm wellbeing and pro bono/community service leave (one fully paid Day of Service per calendar year)

Awards & Recognition

• The American Lawyer 2025 A-List (Ranked among the top 10 firms)
• Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Awards — 'Standout' in Pro Bono (2025)
• Bloomberg Law’s 2025 Pro Bono Innovators
• BTI Consulting Group’s 2025 Client Service 30
• The American Lawyer’s 2025 Pro Bono Scorecard: Top 10 National
• Legal 500 recognitions (multiple practices; 2024-2026 listings)
• Chambers-ranked lawyers (164 lawyers firmwide ranked by Chambers, 2025)
• Daily Journal 2025 'California Lawyers of the Year' recognitions
• Veterans Consortium 'Pro Bono Mission Partner of the Year' (date noted on pro bono page)

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The firm maintains a formal Diversity & Inclusion Committee, organises affinity groups firmwide, focuses on five pillars (recruitment, retention, advancement, engagement, and service), provides paid leave for approved community service, offers scholarships and fellowships, and runs outreach and mentoring programmes to widen access and support retention and advancement.

• Diversity & Inclusion Committee (led by Anand Agneshwar and Kathleen Harris)
• Affinity groups: AIDE (Accessibility, Inclusion, Disability, and Empowerment)
• APCares (parents and caregivers)
• ACCORD (Attorney Community Championing Our Racial Diversity)
• BLAC (Black Lawyers of ACCORD Caucus)
• Professionals of Color (business professionals)
• First Gen
• Interfaith Affinity Group
• Jewish Professionals
• Muslim Professionals
• Pride (LGBTQ+)
• VALOR (Veterans and Affiliates Leadership Organization)
• WISE (Women’s Initiative for Success and Empowerment)
• Paid Day of Service (one fully‑paid day off per calendar year for community service)
• Scholarships and fellowships for rising second-year law students
• Outreach and recruitment events, mock interviews, panel discussions for first-year students

Pro Bono

Pro bono is a stated core value; firm reports over 100,000 pro bono hours (notably 107K+ in 2025). Signature pro bono matters include Gideon v. Wainwright (historical) and California Coalition for Women Prisoners v. U.S. Bureau of Prisons; the firm runs an extensive pro bono practice and partners with legal services and nonprofit organisations. The firm does not accept direct pro bono inquiries but provides referral resources.

Innovation

The firm invests in practice innovation and e-discovery/data analytics capabilities (eData/eData Edge), centralised practice innovation leadership (Chief Practice Innovation Officer), and technology-focused practice resources. Technology initiatives intersect with substantive practice (Technology Transactions, IP, Privacy & Cybersecurity) and trainees/summers are exposed to interactive training, practice technology tools and data/e-discovery work as part of real matters.

• eData / eData Edge (e-discovery and data analytics capability)
• eDiscovery & Data Analytics practice capabilities
• Technology & Media Resource Center
• Chief Practice Innovation Officer and a Practice Innovation team
• Practice-specific innovation awards and recognitions (e.g., Innovation Award for Access to Justice for eData leadership)

Quick Application Angles

• Lead with the firm's pro bono legacy and recent impact (e.g., the California Coalition for Women Prisoners matter and the firm's >100,000 pro bono hours) to demonstrate alignment with its public‑service ethos.
• Demonstrate commercial awareness in the firm's key sectors (life sciences, technology, financial services) — reference relevant regulatory or transactions experience and recent highlighted deals/matters.
• For applications to the London office, emphasise cross-border/regulatory interest and any EU/UK competition or life sciences exposure (the firm has dedicated Brussels and Amsterdam regulatory capabilities).
• Highlight teamwork, concrete examples of responsibility (e.g., managing a project or supervising others) and mentorable experiences — Arnold & Porter stresses mentors, buddies and early substantive responsibility.
• If applying for business services placements, reference process improvement or technology experience and note the advertised placement salary/benefits (£28,000 and 20 days' pro rata annual leave).