Business and Legal Operations Graduate Scheme

We provide the world’s preeminent corporations and financial institutions with a full business law service. We have more than 3,700 lawyers and other legal staff based in Europe, the United States, Canada, Latin America, Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Africa.

Recognised for our industry focus, we are strong across all the key industry sectors: financial institutions; energy; infrastructure, mining and commodities; transport; technology and innovation; and life sciences and healthcare. Through our global risk advisory group, we leverage our industry experience with our knowledge of legal, regulatory, compliance and governance issues to provide our clients with practical solutions to the legal and regulatory risks facing their businesses.

Wherever we are, we operate in accordance with our global business principles of quality, unity and integrity. We aim to provide the highest possible standard of legal service in each of our offices and to maintain that level of quality at every point of contact

What is the Business & Legal Operations Graduate Scheme?

Our Business and Legal Operations Graduate Scheme is a two-year programme encompassing every aspect of the rapid changes currently underway in the delivery of high-end legal services. This doesn't just involve the emergence of new technology. It involves the increasingly crucial role played by other technical disciplines in providing more complex and sophisticated client solutions and optimising our performance as a business. 

This two-year programme will mirror our traditional training contract for new lawyers, but with a focus on different disciplines. Those who progress to full time roles are expected to drive our business strategy in the years to come.

What can you expect?

The scheme sits within Norton Rose Fulbright’s Legal Transformation programme, NRF Transform, which supports our lawyers with matter delivery, and develops innovative solutions to address industry-wide issues. The scheme is built around four six-month rotations across:

- Applied Technology - the team building complex solutions to bespoke client or industry legal needs

- Commercial Management - the team promoting our legal transformation offerings both internally and to clients

- Innovation, Design and Technology - the team reviewing new tools and approaches for the delivery of legal work

- Legal Operations Consulting - the team advising clients on how to manage their in-house legal operations like a business, from strategy and operating model design to the implementation of transformation programmes

- Digital Solutions - the team developing new solutions to support industry-wide issues 

- Legal Project Management - the team managing our efficient and effective delivery of matters and projects

- Pricing and Commercial Insights – the team working with partners to achieve optimal pricing and commercial arrangements 

- Bids – the team driving growth through effective bid strategies. 

- Business Transformation – the team supporting delivery of strategic project across EMEA, improving our firm’s operations.

- GenAi – a programme executing our GenAi strategy across the business and with clients

- Client secondment – opportunity to work at a large financial institution, supporting their in-house team to drive innovation across their global legal function.

While Business & Legal Operations Trainees will always be within one of these teams, they may also be assigned work flexibly and in multi-disciplinary groups across all teams. All rotations, except the client secondment, will be based in our London office following the firm's hybrid working policy.

Those gaining places on the scheme will be given extensive support and expected to perform at a high level. Graduates successfully completing the two-year scheme will be offered permanent roles. The scheme does not lead to a legal qualification.

To strengthen your application, learn more about the Business & Legal Operations Graduate Scheme here. You can familiarise yourself with the Early Careers recruitment process here.

Application details

The deadline to apply is 2 December 2025. Applicants should be available to attend an in-person assessment day in late January/early February.

For more information and to apply please visit our website.

Jump Start Podcast

What are we really looking for in your application? And how can you shine in your interview? Jump Start is presented by our Early Careers recruitment team, providing practice advice and insights into what happens behind the scenes of the application process.

Through a series of informal conversations, we also meet our colleagues across the firm to talk about different paths into law, as well as tackling some of the more difficult topics, such as diversity, equity and inclusion in the legal sector.

To listen to our Jump Start podcasts please visit here.