Careers
Law Students
Gibson Dunn offers law students the very best in workplace camaraderie, an inclusive culture, the biggest clients in the world, and exciting and challenging work—but more than that, we offer you the freedom to shape your own career.
With our guidance, training, connections and opportunities, and the encouragement to pursue your passion, we know you will naturally perform to your best, and achieve your full potential. This philosophy not only allows Gibson Dunn to create a winning team, but also a happy team.
We are dedicated to excellence in all that we do, and instill that spirit in each of our lawyers from the moment they arrive. We represent our clients with passion, commitment and a drive to succeed on their matters. Whether for exciting start-ups or the world’s largest multinationals, we marshal targeted client teams to deliver results through unparalleled, innovative thinking. This is why Gibson Dunn is a recognized leader in a broad range of practice areas. Internally, ours is a collegial workplace with a supportive culture based on core values of quality, integrity and mutual respect. We believe that cultivating diversity in all forms and providing an environment inclusive of all viewpoints, experiences and competencies is integral to maintaining our history of excellence. To that end, we undertake extensive efforts to connect with and empower law students of color, female law students, and LGBTQ law students.
U.S. Programs
Summer Program Overview
Gibson Dunn’s ability to recruit the top talent is crucial to its continued success. Our summer program is the primary method through which new lawyers become a part of our firm. We continually attract the most intelligent, creative and personable legal talent in the world to participate.
How to Apply:
The primary method by which to apply for our 2025 Summer Program will be through early-application or early-interview programs that we have arranged with law schools. To preserve fairness in the hiring process, we ask that students apply through these programs. We plan on interviewing all students at the same school with similar (or the same) timing. In order to ensure that we are able to see all students who are interested in us, we anticipate conducting the majority of our interviews in June, in advance of on-campus interview programs. Please check with your law school’s career services office for details on when and how to apply. You may also find our specific timing for your law school here.
If we have not set up a formal application program with your particular law school, please submit an application via our applicant tracking system for a position in our summer program. That portal will open June 17. If you have any questions about the application process or our offices in general, please do not hesitate to reach out to the appropriate contact in the office in which you are interested in working. We look forward to meeting you!
Diversity Recruiting Overview
Gibson Dunn believes that diversity among our lawyers is essential to our continued success as one of the preeminent law firms in the world. We define diversity very broadly and seek to incorporate myriad competencies, experiences, and viewpoints into our workforce and look forward to developing the next generation of Gibson Dunn lawyers.
Gibson Dunn is a proud sponsor of the SEO Law Fellowship Program and other pipeline programs. We are also actively involved in partnerships with many student groups on law school campuses across the nation. In addition to providing financial support to these organizations, our attorneys connect with law students seeking information and opportunities by participating in panel presentations, mentoring programs, receptions, and mock interview trainings.
Furthermore, Gibson Dunn offers specific program opportunities to select first-year and second-year law students in the form of our 1L Diversity Fellowship Program and 2L Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship. Learn more about these opportunities, including how to apply, below.
We are proud of our external and internal efforts to promote legal diversity. Our dedicated Diversity department, local diversity committees, office affinity groups, and Recruiting professionals are all happy to answer questions or tell you more.
IP Fellowship
Gibson Dunn’s renowned Intellectual Property practice will be offering an IP Fellowship to a select number of rising 2Ls who have a passion for IP litigation. The fellowship program is designed for law students committed to pursuing a career in Intellectual Property and will provide the opportunity to work closely with our award-winning IP litigators for the duration of the summer program. Selected students will receive a summer associate position that is specifically-focused on IP litigation. They will effectively join our firmwide IP practice and make direct connections with partners across the firm. All 2L law students who have a demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in intellectual property litigation and have a science background, or are eligible for the USPTO exam, are encouraged to apply. Find out more about our IP Fellowship, including how to apply, here.
Please note: While we offer an advance application period for this fellowship program, we also participate in law schools’ formal application programs (primarily preview programs and resume collections, in addition to minimal participation in on-campus interview programs). We will conduct the majority (if not all) of our interviewing through those programs. To that end, we ask that interested students applying for our fellowship program also apply to interview with us through those law school programs.
International Programmes
Middle East Training Programme
Solicitor Training Programme
Gibson Dunn is delighted to offer training contracts to a selected group of exceptional students and graduates. We are looking for individuals who can take the initiative and fulfil our clients’ needs, who have strong interpersonal and organisational skills and who can rise to the challenge of working directly with partners within small, focused teams and having client contact early in their careers. You should have excellent academics and a strong interest in a legal career.
Trainee Solicitors experience first-rate work experience with leading lawyers in their fields, together with excellent practical training, mentoring and support within a collegial, respectful, and relaxed environment. We offer a highly competitive salary and benefits package and will provide you with the tools you need to build an exceptional career.
We also offer a structured, tailored suite of departmental training for trainees at the start of each seat rotation, and throughout, to complement their on-the-job learning.
Brussels Trainee Program
Gibson Dunn’s Brussels office focuses on European antitrust law. We provide expert advice on all aspects of European Union and EU national competition law, including merger control, cartels, co-operative arrangements, abuse of dominance and State aids.
We look for lawyers with excellent academic grades who can demonstrate an affinity with competition policy and cases. Often, this will have involved studies and writing on specialized competition law subjects, and may well have involved previous traineeships with competition authorities. Our Lawyers are qualified and members of the bar in one or more Members States of the European Union. Curiosity and collegiality are essential.
Brussels Trainee Programme
Gibson Dunn’s Brussels office has been running a highly successful and much praised trainee scheme for well over a decade. We typically hire four trainees every six months, with the cycles starting in March and September (though, recognising Bar school dates vary, we can be flexible). Trainees can expect to handle a wide range of matters dealing with some of the most interesting and challenging competition law issues of the day.
Our trainees are treated as an integral part of our case teams, which typically comprise three people: a partner, a senior or middle associate, and the trainee. They therefore enjoy close contact with the people deciding on the merits and strategy of a case. There is no set rule for the responsibilities they are given, which can vary depending on enthusiasm, experience and ability. Our main working language is English, but we handle matters in all the main EU languages.
We look for people with excellent academic grades who can demonstrate an affinity with competition policy and cases. Often, this will have involved studies and writing on specialised competition law subjects, and may well have involved previous traineeships with competition authorities, or competition law departments of businesses or law firms. It is important that we see a path to how the candidate plans to become a fully-qualified EU lawyer (not least because we like to hire our trainees as junior associates when we can). Curiosity and collegiality are essential.
Candidates are offered a six-month full-time contract at a competitive rate and, in line with the usual arrangements for lawyers in Belgium, are hired as independents. For more information about the firm, our Antitrust and Competition Practice Group and the Brussels office, please take a look at www.gibsondunn.com. Applications should be made by sending a CV, transcripts and a motivation letter to [email protected]. Gibson Dunn recruits on a strictly equal opportunities basis.
Frankfurt & Munich Internship Program
The Opportunities: Gibson Dunn’s ability to recruit top talent is crucial to its continued success. Our German offices offer internship programs for both students who are still in law school (Praktikanten) and legal clerks (Referendare) as part of their two-year mandatory legal clerkship.
What You Will Learn: Designed to facilitate a smooth transition from university to legal practice, our internship programs provide substantive training in various different areas. Our interns are actually involved in client representations, maximizing their exposure to a variety of practical aspects of lawyering.
Who You Will Meet: You will be immediately involved in the highest profile legal matters in the world that the firm works on every day. We provide practical training in the skills and techniques required to make top-notch lawyers, as well as the opportunity to know Gibson Dunn, its lawyers, and its staff.
How to Apply: Interested Applicants should send a cover letter and CV to: [email protected]
Hong Kong Graduate Recruitment
Hong Kong Solicitor Training Program
Our Hong Kong office is delighted to offer training contracts to one or two exceptional students or graduates each year. We are looking for individuals who are entrepreneurial and ambitious, who are naturally curious, who have strong interpersonal and organizational skills. Successful candidates can rise to the challenge of working directly with partners within focused teams and having client contact early in their careers.
You should have an excellent academic record and have obtained, or expect to obtain, a 2.1 degree (or 3.5 GPA), or better. Fluency in English is a pre-requisite and other Asian language skills are strongly desirable.
Trainee Solicitors experience first-rate work experience with leading lawyers in their fields, together with excellent practical training, mentoring, and support within a collegial and respectful environment. We offer a highly competitive salary and benefits package. Gibson Dunn will provide you with the tools you need to build an exceptional career.
London Graduate Recruitment
Gibson Dunn’s London Office differentiates itself from many other U.S. firms in London by offering a broad capability including public and private M&A, Private Equity, Finance, Capital Markets, Restructuring, Real Estate, Regulatory and Disputes covering both English and US law capability. We provide business law advice of the highest quality representing a wide range of clients in all major industries, from start-up ventures to multinational corporations, as well as commercial and investment banks and funds.
We value team work and creativity, and have a strong client focus as well as entrepreneurial environment. Our genuine international approach means that our lawyers work on a fully integrated basis with all of our international offices. We are looking for lawyers, who can demonstrate an affinity with corporate Law and graduated from any Common Law or European jurisdictions.
London Solicitor Training Programme
Gibson Dunn is delighted to offer training contracts to a selected group of exceptional students and graduates. We are looking for individuals who can take the initiative and fulfil our clients’ needs, who have strong interpersonal and organisational skills and who can rise to the challenge of working directly with partners within small, focused teams and having client contact early in their careers. You should have at least three ‘A’ levels (AAA, AAB or ABB) or equivalent, and have obtained, or expect to obtain, a 2.1 degree or better.
Trainee Solicitors experience first-rate work experience with leading lawyers in their fields, together with excellent practical training, mentoring, and support within a collegial, respectful, and relaxed environment. We also offer a highly competitive salary and benefits package and will provide you with the tools you need to build an exceptional career.
Having commenced in 2015, our training programme is well-established and 2027 will see our twelfth intake of trainees join the firm. Our intake numbers have grown and our training programme goes from strength to strength with regular secondment opportunities available to our international offices and to clients and the design and development of a structured, tailored suite of departmental training for trainees at the start of each seat rotation, and throughout, to complement their on-the-job learning.
Paris Graduate Recruitment
The Ideal Candidate: We look for ambitious French law students with excellent grades who share our core values of collegiality, teamwork, and mutual respect. We give preference to candidates who have completed high level legal studies, particularly those with a double degree (Business School, LLM, Sciences Po). Involvement, motivation, and responsiveness are indispensable qualities that will help candidates stand out. A very good command of written and spoken English is also required.
The Opportunity: Gibson Dunn’s ability to recruit top talent is crucial to its continued global success. Our French office offers internships throughout the year, but we prefer full-time internships lasting 6 months during two periods: January-June or July-December.
What You Will Learn: Designed to facilitate a smooth transition from university to legal practice by giving interns vital experience, our internship programs provide substantive training in our various practice areas. Our interns are actually involved in client representations, maximizing their exposure to a variety of practical aspects of lawyering.
Who You Will Meet: You will be immediately involved in some of the highest profile legal matters in the world that the firm works on every day. We provide practical training in the skills and techniques required to develop top-notch lawyers, as well as the opportunity to get to know Gibson Dunn, its lawyers, and its staff.
How to Apply: Interested Applicants should send a cover letter, transcripts, and CV to: [email protected]
Our Practice Groups
Riyadh Training Programme
Gibson Dunn is delighted to offer training to a selected group of exceptional students and graduates. We are looking for individuals who can take the initiative and fulfil our clients’ needs, who have strong interpersonal and organisational skills and who can rise to the challenge of working directly with partners within small, focused teams and having client contact early in their careers. You should have excellent academics and a strong interest in a legal career.