Davis Polk

Values & Culture

Practice Areas

• Capital Markets
• Corporate & M&A
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Banking & Finance
• Financial Services & Regulation
• Private Equity & Venture Capital
• Insolvency & Restructuring
• Fraud & Investigations
• Intellectual Property
• Commercial Contracts
• Tax
• Real Estate
• Employment
• Investment Funds
• Environment & Planning

Geographic Focus: Global firm with a strong US base; significant non-US offices (London, Hong Kong, São Paulo) — practices English law in London; English and Hong Kong law in Hong Kong; Brazilian law in São Paulo.

Training Contract

• Application Deadline: 30 November 2025

International Opportunities

U.S. Summer Program; Training in London; Training in China

Mentorship

Firm highlights meaningful mentoring and individual attention to development; paralegals and new lawyers receive direct client contact, mentoring and ongoing professional development opportunities.

Apply on the Davis Polk website →

Notable Matters

What Davis Polk Looks For

Key Competencies

• Strong academic record / high academic achievement
• Collaboration and teamwork
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Detail-oriented and able to manage varied workload
• Motivation and drive (ambition)
• Relevant technical background for corporate roles (economics/STEM preferred for corporate paralegals)
• For non-US practice of US law: admission to NY, California or DC bar (for US-law practice in non-US offices)

Evidence Signals

• Law school transcript and college transcript
• Short academic writing sample or other writing sample
• Judicial clerkship experience (explicitly valued; clerkship bonuses mentioned)
• Relevant work experience and extracurricular activities demonstrating interest in the legal profession
• Bar admissions (NY/CA/DC) for practicing US law in non-US offices
• High academic achievement and prior firm experience for lateral roles

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The firm emphasises recruitment of outstanding talent, individual attention to professional development, a robust learning and development strategy for lawyers and business professionals, and extensive community-building programming (80+ events per year).

• Cultivating a culture of inclusion.
• We approach every client and every challenge as a team, with each individual bringing unique insights and talents to the table.
• We host or sponsor more than 80 events per year focused on building community and promoting an inclusive work environment.
• We are committed to inclusion
• Equal opportunity policy: Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (Davis Polk) is an equal opportunity employer and considers all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, or military or veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.

Pro Bono

The firm states it has one of the largest dedicated pro bono legal teams, devotes tens of thousands of hours to pro bono cases, and encourages lawyers, paralegals and business professionals to participate in pro bono work.

Innovation

The firm invests in knowledge management and innovation (a dedicated function is referenced) and hires roles (e.g., Practice Resource Attorney) to develop trainings, KM and client-facing initiatives. Specific legal-technology tools are not detailed in the provided content.

• Knowledge Management & Innovation (Director: Rebecca Yeargan referenced)
• Practice Resource Attorney – Real Estate role focused on substantive and skill-based trainings, knowledge management and client-facing initiatives

Quick Application Angles

• Emphasise collaboration and team-based results — use examples showing you work effectively in teams on complex problems.
• Show academic excellence and provide transcripts and a strong writing sample (these are explicitly requested for many entry-level roles).
• If applying as a lateral for US-law practice in a non-US office, highlight New York, California or DC bar admission and relevant local compliance.
• If you have judicial clerkship experience, make it prominent (the firm offers bonuses and explicitly values clerkship backgrounds).
• For corporate/paralegal roles, highlight relevant economics/STEM coursework or experience for a stronger fit.