Career opportunities

Joining Herbert Smith means joining an internationally renowned team that provides market-leading legal advice to a client base of the highest quality.

However you would like your career to progress, Herbert Smith can help you make it a reality, with a wide array of opportunities to work across the globe and a range of options other than partnership.

Associates
We offer all our associates ongoing training and development, along with opportunities for international or client secondments as their career progresses. Once our associates have four years post-qualification experience they are promoted to senior associate in recognition of their seniority and experience.

We develop our lawyers' skills in business development, client interviewing and client contact. Technical and skills training is provided according to the needs of each practice area, and this includes formal and informal knowledge sharing and language training where required. All of our lawyers attend development centres at two and five years post qualification, where key areas such as people management, organisational/delegation skills, financial management, business development and client relationship management skills are augmented.

Partners
All our new partners attend a tailored induction to support them in their transition to partnership. We continue to develop their people, business and practice management skills as well as their leadership and business development skills on an ongoing basis.

Of counsel
The role of "of counsel" is a distinct role for senior lawyers with recognised expertise in their field, holding particular client and management responsibilities. We offer this role as an alternative career path to partnership - one which offers many interesting challenges and the opportunity to develop expertise in a particular area.

The firm runs an annual induction for newly promoted of counsel, and of counsel discussion group meetings take place every six months.

Professional Support Lawyer (PSL)
Professional support is recognised as having a vital role within Herbert Smith and our professional support lawyers (PSLs) are highly regarded. PSLs are expected to be at the forefront of law and practice in their specialist area and to use their knowledge and communication skills to give advice and support to transactional lawyers.

Legal knowledge and ability to advise and train fee-earning lawyers are regarded as being essential for the role, and PSLs are likely to get involved in a wide variety of tasks. Many also assist with the marketing of the relevant practice areas through the production of briefings, articles and speaking at conferences.

All PSLs attend an annual away day that acts both as a team-building event and as a platform upon which personal development training programmes are devised. PSLs are offered training programmes on a quarterly basis covering both legal skills and other technical and personal skills required to work as an effective PSL in an international law firm. PSLs also have their own Liaison Group, which meets every six weeks to discuss ongoing issues and developments.

Professional support is headed up by Richard King. The PSLs are well supported with paralegals and database administrators.

Professional Support Consultant (PSC)
The role of professional support consultant offers the opportunity of career progression for PSLs with acknowledged expertise. It recognises those PSLs whose use of know-how has made a substantial contribution to strengthening the firm's external profile and its client relationships. PSCs enjoy enhanced salary and holiday entitlement.


Paralegals
We are often in need of quality paralegals across the firm in both temporary and permanent roles. The roles are varied, depending on the practice area, and offer exposure to the mechanics of an international law firm.

All paralegals are encouraged to broaden their knowledge and experience and are invited to attend a comprehensive programme of workshops, which are held for our trainee solicitors. These workshops cover all the black letter law necessary to work effectively in an international commercial law practice. This is a distinctly different career path to that of a trainee solicitor and candidates must appreciate that this is not a route into a training contract at Herbert Smith. Successful candidates will be graduates who have completed the LPC.