2029 training programme
As one of our trainees, we will provide you with training and full sponsorship to help you through the first and second stages of the SQE in the year after you graduate from university. In the two-year training programme that follows, you will experience the broad range of our practices – including M&A, finance and restructuring – and typically have the opportunity to work in our New York or Brussels office.
Training programme participants receive a first-year base salary of £65,000, rising to £70,000 in the second year and then £180,000 upon qualification, along with a comprehensive benefits package.
Training programme assessment days
The training programme assessment day is held in our London office and is an opportunity for you to get a sense of what life at Davis Polk is really like, while also demonstrating your strengths and potential. Alongside a range of assessments, you will have the chance to meet lawyers from across the office and gain an insight into our practices, people and culture. We recruit directly for our two-year training programme from our assessment days.
Eligibility
Our training programme assessment days are open to penultimate-year undergraduate law students, as well as postgraduate students with a law degree. To apply, you must be eligible to start the training programme in September 2029.
Applications open on 1 October 2026 and close on 30 November 2026.
Find out more
To learn more about Davis Polk and our London training opportunities, law students, as well as postgraduate students with a law degree, can apply for an Insight Day, which includes overview sessions of the firm and select practice groups, as well as networking opportunities with trainees, associates and partners.
| Insight Day | Programme date | Applications open | Applications close |
| Penultimate years and postgraduates | 14 October 2026 | 10 September 2026 | 30 September 2026 |
| Penultimate years and postgraduates | 17 November 2026 | 1 October 2026 | 31 October 2026 |
| First years | 16 March 2027 | 1 February 2027 | 22 February 2027 |