Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP

Overview

Arnold & Porter is a US-headquartered global law firm with a transatlantic footprint and a strong reputation in regulatory, litigation and transactional work. The firm highlights deep government and public-sector experience across its bench, multidisciplinary life sciences and financial services capabilities, and longstanding pro bono leadership dating back to Gideon v. Wainwright. Its platform serves a significant roster of major corporate clients (including more than half of the Fortune 100) and is notable for integrated cross-border teams across the US, Europe and Asia.

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

Values & Culture

Practice Areas

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

Geographic Focus: US-headquartered with an international platform focused on cross-border regulatory, litigation and transactional matters. Key markets include the United States (multiple major offices), Europe (notably London, Brussels and Amsterdam) and Asia (Seoul, Shanghai and Silicon Valley/Palo Alto presence). The firm leverages transatlantic teams for EU/US regulatory disputes, life sciences and financial services work and routinely handles multi-jurisdictional merger control, investigations and complex IP

Training Contract

In London, the training contract provides four six-month seats (trainees typically spend six months in four practice groups during the two-year training period). Training includes firm induction, external fast-track Professional Skills Course, in-house and external professional development sessions linked to a competencies framework, practical IT and library training, and mentor support throughout training.

• Academic Requirements: Candidates are expected to have or be likely to achieve a 2.1 degree or above. The firm welcomes applicants from all degree backgrounds and values evidence of extracurricular achievement, teamwork, communication skills and commercial awareness.
• Application Deadline: 01/03/2027

Seat Options

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

SQE Support

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

Mentorship

Formal mentor programmes and buddy arrangements: summer associates are matched with attorney mentors; business services placement students are allocated a buddy; trainees participate in mentoring and firmwide professional development and have access to internal career counsellors and development resources.

Apply on the Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP website →

Programmes & Schemes

Notable Matters

What Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP Looks For

Key Competencies

• Commercial awareness
• Excellent analytical and written communication skills
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Intellectual independence and initiative
• Resilience and adaptability
• Commitment to pro bono and public service
• Interest in cross-border and regulatory work (for relevant practice groups)

Evidence Signals

• High academic achievement (2:1 or above) and contextualised academic performance (RealRating/UpReach)
• Relevant work experience or vacation scheme/summer associate experience
• Pro bono or community engagement experience
• Demonstrable teamwork (societies, sports, group projects) and leadership roles
• Practical experience or interest aligned to practise area (e.g., life sciences/technology for those seats, regulatory internships for public law/competition)

Benefits & Wellbeing

• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance for eligible employees, spouses/domestic partners, and their children
• Life Insurance
• Supplemental Life Insurance
• Dependent Life Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• 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 (for staff)
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Community Service Day (one fully-paid day off per calendar year)
• Mental Health & Well-Being Resources (including Lyra mental health benefit)
• Health Advocate Medical Concierge
• Voluntary Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital Insurance
• Pre-Tax Transportation Program
• Travel Accident Insurance
• On-site and Virtual Advisors
• Pet Insurance
• Optical testing and private health/dental insurance
• Seasonal holiday bonus and participation in Healthy Incentive Bonus Scheme
• Interest-free travel season ticket loan (London)
• Reimbursement/payment of required post-graduate course fees (PGDL/SQE/LPC) prior to Training Contract

Wellbeing

Firmwide wellbeing resources include Lyra mental health support, Health Advocate Medical Concierge, on-site and virtual advisors, firm-sponsored wellbeing programming and paid community service leave.

Awards & Recognition

• The American Lawyer – 2026 A-List (Ranked among the top 10 firms)
• Financial Times Innovative Lawyers – 2025 ‘Standout’ in Innovative Lawyers in Pro Bono
• Bloomberg Law – 2025 Pro Bono Innovators
• Legal 500 recognitions (multiple years)
• Chambers rankings (numerous lawyers ranked; 173 lawyers firmwide ranked by Chambers 2026)

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Firmwide D&I approach across recruitment, retention, advancement, engagement and service; led by an executive-level D&I Committee and supported by named leadership and affinity groups.

• Diversity & Inclusion Committee (led by Anand Agneshwar and Kathleen Harris)
• AIDE (Accessibility, Inclusion, Disability, and Empowerment)
• APCares (parents and/or caregivers network)
• ACCORD (Attorney Community Championing Our Racial Diversity)
• BLAC (Black Lawyers of ACCORD Caucus)
• Professionals of Color
• First Gen
• Interfaith Affinity Group
• Jewish Professionals
• Muslim Professionals
• Pride (LGBTQ+ network)
• VALOR (Veterans and Affiliates Leadership Organization)
• WISE (Women’s Initiative for Success and Empowerment)
• Paid leave for approved community service and annual Day of Service
• Partnerships and outreach activities (mock interviews, panel discussions, scholarships and fellowships, student outreach, bar association career fairs)

Pro Bono

More than 107,000 total pro bono hours in 2025; long tradition of pro bono including landmark early involvement in Gideon v. Wainwright and recent high-profile impact litigation such as the FCI Dublin class action and related Consent Decree.

Innovation

Arnold & Porter invests in practical skills and legal technology, with named leadership roles for practice innovation and AI and training programmes such as Trial School that give hands-on courtroom experience. The firm runs thought leadership and benchmarking work on AI and life sciences, integrates tools such as RealRating into recruitment to support social mobility, and highlights internal innovation awards and directories that recognise technology-driven access-to-justice work.

• Trial School (immersive courtroom training for associates)
• Chief Practice Innovation Officer role
• Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer role
• Partnership to use RealRating in recruitment (with UpReach)
• Firm-sponsored AI, tech and life sciences benchmark reports and webinars
• Recognition for innovation in access to justice (awards for eData innovations)

Quick Application Angles

• Highlight pro bono commitment and relevant pro bono experience—reference the firm’s recent leadership in the FCI Dublin matter and its 107,000+ pro bono hours in 2025 to show genuine alignment with the firm’s public service values.
• For London applications, reference interest in cross‑specialism work and give concrete examples linking your experience to the firm’s core areas (e.g., regulatory, life sciences, technology or complex litigation) rather than generic statements.
• Mention the firm’s use of RealRating and social‑mobility outreach (UpReach partnership) if you have contextual circumstances to add; this shows awareness of the firm’s inclusive recruitment approaches.
• Demonstrate commercial awareness with a short, specific insight about a recent Arnold & Porter matter (e.g., a transactional highlight or regulatory development) and tie that to how you would add value in that practice area.
• Emphasise teamwork and mentoring experiences (peer mentoring, formal buddy schemes or sponsored programmes) because the firm stresses collegiality, mentoring and cross‑practice collaboration.