Dublin Trainee Solicitor Programme 2025

We are Dentons. The world’s largest law firm. With more than 12,500 people in 80+ countries around the world, we have unique breadth, depth and diversity. Alongside our award-winning global work, we are committed to a culture of innovation, giving back and inclusion. 

Dentons is designed to be different. The landscape we work in is changing at an accelerating pace. We embrace this change and are looking for trainees and apprentices to join us in redefining what is possible and in shaping the future of law. 

Your career at Dentons can shape up to be something extraordinary. It’s a place for those who are driven to challenge. To question. To break tradition. To put your career firmly into fast-forward. This could be the start of something big. 

Ireland – our Dublin office 

At Dentons, we’re not just partaking in the legal market; we’re actively shaping it. With our global network spanning 80+ countries, we bring world-class legal expertise right here to Dublin.

Our Dublin office is more than just a workplace – it’s a space where ideas come to life. Since the office launch in 2020, we have introduced a fresh, innovative, and truly international presence to the Irish legal market. Our team is driven by innovation and creativity, always looking for new ways to serve our clients and disrupt traditional law practices. We offer an unrivalled opportunity to work on the most complex and significant domestic and cross-border matters. 

Dublin Trainee Solicitor Programme 2025

The business of law is changing, and we want you to be right there with it. To take us from largest to leading, we’re looking for our trainees to think big and see the future of law in a new way.

Our Dublin Trainee Solicitor Programme is designed to equip you with the skills required to be the lawyer of the future, now. Alongside market leading support and development, you’ll have the chance to put knowledge into action and start building your legal career from day one. After all, it’s experience that makes great lawyers.

On top of our existing development programme, we have enhanced our Trainee Solicitor Programme to include three additional modules that you will be required to complete throughout the course of the programme: legal project management, innovation and resilience. All designed to help you become the lawyer of the future. 

So, if you’re an ambitious candidate seeking more than just any career opportunity and you want to be part of shaping what’s next in global law, then step into the Dentons Dublin office. 

The deadline to apply is 22 November 2024.

Who Should Apply?

Our 2025 Dublin Trainee Solicitor Programme is open to applicants from all degree disciplines who have already completed all FE1 examinations or are in the process of completing them and will receive their results by May 2025. This means all FE1 examinations will need to be completed by the last sitting in March 2025.

The starting date for this role is September 2025.

There is no such thing as a ‘typical’ trainee or apprentice at Dentons and that’s the way we like it. Our expertise within the Firm is as diverse as the needs of our global clients. What we have in common is the ability to contribute to our growing success.

We also look for:

• Strong academic performance in your Irish Leaving Certificate (at least obtained 480 points) or equivalent post -16 education

• 2:1 or higher in your undergraduate degree.

These are broad guidelines and all interested candidates are encouraged to apply. We review every application holistically and consider all aspects of a candidate's experiences and background.

We have also implemented the Rare Contextual Recruitment System, to give us additional context to every candidate’s application.

Diversity, inclusion and wellbeing

At Dentons, inclusion and diversity are not just core values – they are an integral part of our strategy. Building a more inclusive and diverse law firm is core to our strategy because it leads to better business outcomes for our clients, our communities and for Dentons.

We believe in creating an environment where everyone can thrive. We work hard to nurture a sense of inclusion that is empowering to the individual, to the teams and to the Firm.

Examples of our inclusion strategy include a focus on allyship programmes, access initiatives, mentoring programmes, and a series of events and conversation focussed on equity and inclusion.

Our Inclusion Networks also play a huge part in fostering a sense of belonging and support for everyone at the firm. These groups include GLOW (LGBTQ+), Fusion (Asian Professionals), BPN (Black Professionals), Inspire (Gender Equality), Accessibility (Disability), and our Parents and Carers network. 

Innovation

Here at Dentons, innovation isn’t something that sits in isolation – we believe it comes from everywhere and from everyone, and it is critical to our position as the world’s largest global law firm. We do this by challenging ourselves to identify and implement innovation across all areas of service delivery to our clients. 

We have created a highly bespoke programme for our trainees, to enhance their knowledge around legal innovation and digital transformation. At every seat rotation, each trainee will undertake an innovation project, and with the help of their designated Innovation Training Scheme supervisor, and Innovation team, will create a project based on one of the following categories: AI (Machine Learning), Document Automation, Design Thinking, RPA (Robotic Process Automation), Data Visualization or a Business Case. These projects, not only help to broaden trainees’ understanding of legal innovation, but also help us to identify and address innovation gaps within the firm.

See here for further information on how we help our clients innovate in different ways.