Our vacation schemes are a great introduction to life at Herbert Smith Freehills. You'll get first-hand experience in a leading global law firm – and we‘ll pay you while you’re with us.
During your placement, you’ll sit in the same room as a partner or an associate and be given real work for real clients. You’ll be involved in workshops and presentations – giving you a chance to gain a real insight into the depth and breadth of our practice areas. You’ll also work as a team on a project related to our pro bono and responsible business work.
On top of that, you’ll be invited to a range of formal and informal social events where you’ll have the opportunity to network with vacation scheme students, partners, associates and trainees. By the end of the scheme, you should have a good idea of whether a career in law is right for you – and whether you could be a part of Herbert Smith Freehills.
Our winter scheme
Our winter vacation schemes run through January for four weeks.
We welcome applications from Australian/New Zealand law graduates, penultimate year students and finalists.
APPLICATION INFORMATION
Applications for the 2024 Winter Vacation Scheme will open from 1 March 2023 to 1 May 2023.



Our summer scheme
Our summer vacation schemes run through June and July for four weeks each.
We welcome applications from Hong Kong/UK law graduates, penultimate year students and finalists.
APPLICATION INFORMATION
Applications for the 2023 Summer Vacation Scheme will open from 1 October 2022 to 1 January 2023.
If your initial application is successful, you’ll be interviewed by our graduate recruitment panel, including a Partner, a Senior Associate and a representative from our Graduate Recruitment team. A 1-hour translation test will be arranged after the interview.
We interview on a rolling basis, so please apply early to avoid missing out on an opportunity.


