Internships!

Most of the large firms in Dublin offer structured internships. As these programmes are quite well established you can expect to get decent work when you're there. Application forms are put up on the firm websites around April.

As far as getting an apprenticeship as a result goes, it varies from firm to firm. Some firms recruit heavily from their summer programmes, others just give their interns an automatic contract interview afterwards with no guarantees of a placement. Of course it's possible that they decide after having you in the office for two weeks that they just don't like you . Overall, they're very worthwhile doing.

Regards having no contacts in the legal profession, I think that this was more the position 15 years ago than today. Yes, nepotism is rife in the small high street offices dotted around the country, but given the fact that they only have one or two trainees at a time, you can hardly expect them to run a graduate recruitment programme and pick an unknown over, say, a client's son or daughter. The Top 10 firms in Ireland are by and large meritocratic, i.e, if you're good you'll get in regardless of contacts.

To anyone who's concerned about nepotism, etc, in Ireland then London is only an hour away and the legal profession is much more accessible and open. London learned far earlier then Dublin that the way to get the best people (who will make them the most money and are most motivated) is through fair and open competiton.

Im currently in my final year of a law degree and spent most of last summer interning mainly in London. Applications for most London firms are now closed with October/ November being the peak time for those in their penultimate year to apply. Irish applications are much later with deadlines generally in March and April. Internships in most of the big firms are a great expereince with brilliant social events and are generally a great insight into what working in that particular firm is really like. Interns usually get to assist on real cases and are not just stuck doing menial admin tasks.

However competiton for places is fierce; there is an unfounded belief that getting a training contract as a result of an internship is the easy option. This could'nt be further from the truth- As it is now more difficult to secure an internship at Dublins top five firms and in the London magic circle firms than it is to get an apprenticeship. Some of the London firms for exapmle receive 4,000 applications for about 100 places, thankfully its not that bad in Ireland yet! That said good grades and a very well researched and articulate application form goes a long way in the selection process. Some firms are more thorough than others for example MOPS and the top 5 London firms have seriously demanding assessment days, partner interviews etc.

Though if your successful its definitely worth it in the long run; I done an internship at one of these firms, had an amazing time and 95% of my intake (including myself) were offered training contracts. You have nothing to loose in applying .. its definitely worth a shot.

I did two, both in top firms. I highly advise doing one as they are a real shoe in the door in terms of getting traineeships (in fact, many lead to traineeships)


Most of the firms don't care a whit about family connections anymore, certainly not Arthur Cox, MOP, A&L or Frys. The only thing is, not all firms have structured internships. The more structured (MOP, Cox, Frys) the more likely the work will be good and the selection process fair.

They are difficult to get but that shouldn't be an issue. You fill in the form and hopefully do an interview (which is good experience in and of itself)....but what do you lose by applying? Nothing in life is easy and if you only apply for things that are easy to get you won't advance very far!

In one firm I did filing (if you PM me I can tell you which one.....) and in another I did great work (memos, research, ringing clients etc).

Go for it!