Applications for DLA Piper's 2027 Summer Internship close at 5pm on Thursday 20 November 2026 for the firm's Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester offices. Applications for the London office closed at 5pm on Friday 23 October and are no longer being accepted.

The paid, in-person internship runs for two and a half weeks, from Tuesday 15 June to Friday 2 July 2027. Interns start with an interactive induction in London, then spend two weeks of work experience in their chosen office across two different practice groups. Those offered a place in the firm's North West (Manchester) office may have the opportunity to complete a seat rotation in Liverpool, while those in Yorkshire (Leeds) may undertake rotations in Sheffield.

What interns will do

DLA Piper says the internship goes beyond shadowing. Interns could attend court hearings, work directly with clients, collaborate with leading professionals and contribute to real client matters, while building the skills, behaviours and mindset needed to thrive as a commercial lawyer. The programme also includes structured learning, supervisors, buddies and mentors, and exposure to areas such as legal technology, sustainability and responsible business.

Before starting an application, candidates are taken through an anonymous Realistic Job Preview to explore the role and receive personalised feedback. Applicants will be assessed for a place on the firm's Future Lawyers Pathway, commencing in autumn 2029.

Who can apply

Applicants must be a second-year student on a three-year course, a third-year student on a four-year course, in the final year of a law degree, a law graduate, or a graduate or career changer. For the Edinburgh programme, law students must be in the penultimate or final year of an accredited Scots LLB or be a law graduate, and non-law students must have graduated and be completing the accelerated LLB route.

Candidates should have achieved, or be on track to achieve, a 2:1 undergraduate degree or equivalent, and the equivalent of 136 UCAS Tariff points, for example AAB at A-level. DLA Piper welcomes applications from candidates studying any degree subject and says it will consider mitigating circumstances on a case-by-case basis.

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK on a full-time basis for the entire duration of the internship. DLA Piper says it is unable to provide visa sponsorship for the Summer Internship, although candidates who later receive an offer to join the Future Lawyers Pathway will be eligible for visa sponsorship when they commence that pathway. Only one application per year may be submitted for one Summer Internship programme.