London-Asia Trainee Associate Internship Programme 2027

About the role

Freshfields runs a London-Asia Trainee Associate Internship Programme for candidates who are native or fluent in an Asian language such as Mandarin, Korean or Indonesian. Selected candidates spend their first year in London and their second in an Asian office, qualifying as a lawyer in England and Wales after two years and being admitted in the country where they worked, where permitted by local bar rules.

The programme starts with a summer vacation scheme: three weeks in Asia and one week in London. Selection is based on performance during the internship, followed by an interview and a language test, which may lead to a London-Asia training contract.

Required profile

Applications are open from 1 August 2026 to 31 December 2026. Candidates must be law or non-law students in their penultimate or final year of university, or graduates in any discipline. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK and provide evidence of it before employment begins.

What we offer

• A summer vacation scheme of three weeks in Asia and one week in London
• A training contract after the internship, depending on performance, interview and language test results
• Work with major global companies at a top international law firm