Starting your legal career with a Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD) training contract or vacation scheme can certainly jump-start your future. The firm is renowned for its high-quality of work, excellent training, and prestigious clientele. Below, you will learn everything you need to know to succeed as an aspiring solicitor at WBD.
Having a well-crafted legal CV and a personalized cover letter can significantly increase your chances of securing a training contract or a vacation scheme.
What is the Womble Bond Dickinson Training Contract?
The Womble Bond Dickinson training contract is a structured program that allows trainees to experience four different areas of the firm over two years, with each seat lasting six months. Trainees are supported by specifically trained supervisors and are given the opportunity to work with senior clients and tackle complex legal work.
A secondment with a client’s in-house legal team is also a possibility. Womble Bond Dickinson seeks candidates with enthusiasm for the law, a strong academic background, and key professional skills such as honesty, communication, resilience, and commercial awareness. The selection process includes online assessments and an assessment day at the firm involving speed interviews, an insight exercise, and group exercises. All aspiring solicitors should be up-to-date with our training contract deadlines calendar.
Womble Bond Dickinson Training Contract Requirements
The Womble Bond Dickinson training contract requires applicants to exhibit four key competencies: collaboration, client focus, creating value, and adaptability. These competencies are integral to the firm’s business success and are the focus of their early talent recruitment, where the potential to develop these skills is evaluated rather than just past behaviours.
The minimum requirements are:
- Academic Qualifications: 3 A levels at grade C or above, or equivalent. 5 GCSEs, including Maths and English, at grade C/4 or above.
- Undergraduate Degree: Bachelor’s degree in law or in any other discipline.
What is the Womble Bond Dickinson Vacation Scheme
Vacation schemes at Womble Bond Dickinson offer a pivotal opportunity for university students to gain invaluable legal work experience. This experience can be crucial in securing a training contract with the firm. While the schemes are mainly designed for law students, they are open to students from any discipline, provided they meet the high standards expected in grades, experience, and skill set.
These schemes are a paid opportunity, where students can earn a competitive salary, allowing them to develop their legal skills and professional network within one of the firm’s locations, which include London, Leeds, Newcastle, Plymouth, Edinburgh, Bristol, and Southampton. Make sure to check out our vacation scheme deadlines calendar.
Summer Vacation Scheme at Womble Bond Dickinson
The Summer Vacation Scheme at Womble Bond Dickinson is an integral part of the firm’s early talent recruitment, designed to give law students a comprehensive insight into the workings of a legal practice. Participants in the Summer Associate Program are actively involved in various aspects of the firm’s legal work, including attending trials, mediations, depositions, and client conferences. They receive constructive feedback on their work assignments and are encouraged to immerse themselves in practical learning experiences.
In addition to academic achievements, the program seeks students with the ability, motivation, and personal qualities necessary to provide high-quality legal services and contribute positively to the firm’s culture. Candidates are asked to specify their preferred office and practice area during the application process.
What You Will Do at Womble Bond Dickinson Vacation Scheme
During the Womble Bond Dickinson Vacation Scheme, participants are deeply involved in the firm’s legal practices, particularly concerning client matters. As Summer Associates, they will receive feedback on work assignments and participate in hands-on learning experiences such as attending trials, motions, mediations, depositions, will executions, and client conferences.
The program is designed to offer a realistic and comprehensive insight into the day-to-day activities of legal professionals at the firm, ensuring that participants gain practical and applicable legal experience.
Application Process for Training Contract and Vacation Scheme at Womble Bond Dickinson
The application process for the Training Contract and Vacation Scheme at Womble Bond Dickinson consists of the following steps:
- Application Form: Applicants complete a short form, providing details of their undergraduate degree, any further education, life history, and contextual information through the Rare Contextualised Recruitment System. This system helps the firm understand the context of applicants’ experiences to identify the most promising candidates from a diverse pool.
- Blended High Potential Assessment: Following the application, eligible candidates are invited to complete an online assessment and a pre-recorded video interview. The interview includes three questions and offers candidates the chance to show their personality and potential. Get familiar with the Watson Glaser Test.
- Virtual Assessment Day: Successful candidates from the previous stage attend a virtual assessment day, which includes a commercial understanding task and interviews. This stage allows candidates to interact with various people from WBD and provides a deeper insight into the firm.
- Work Placement Week: This includes a final interview and allows candidates to gain a clear view of the work and responsibility given to trainees at WBD. It’s also an opportunity for candidates to assess whether WBD is the right fit for them.
Candidates are advised to express their uniqueness and potential throughout the process, with a focus on diversity, social mobility, and fairness in recruitment.
Without a doubt, it is crucial to practice your answers for why this law firm and why study law interview questions.
Why You Should Apply to Womble Bond Dickinson?
Applying to Womble Bond Dickinson offers several compelling opportunities and benefits:
- Meaningful Work: The firm provides work that is both challenging and exciting, ensuring that your legal practice extends beyond routine tasks.
- Professional Growth: With mentorship programs and a focus on professional development, the firm invests in helping its people grow and advance in their careers.
- Work-Life Balance: Womble Bond Dickinson emphasizes the importance of balancing professional responsibilities with personal life, offering the freedom to find a fulfilling equilibrium.
- Community Service: Lawyers at the firm contribute to pro bono work and community service, reflecting the firm’s commitment to social responsibility.
- Leadership Development: The Leadership Womble program is designed to develop leadership skills within the firm, offering extensive training and practical experience in professional services leadership.
- Secondment Program: The firm’s secondment program allows attorneys and staff to work in-house with clients, developing professional skills, enhancing their network, and gaining valuable industry insights.
History of Womble Bond Dickinson
Womble Bond Dickinson boasts a rich history, with its roots in the U.S. where the firm’s American predecessor, Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice LLP, was established in 1876 in Winston-Salem, N.C. For over 140 years, the firm has served clients across the U.S.
The modern entity of Womble Bond Dickinson was formed when the UK’s Bond Dickinson and the U.S. firm Womble Carlyle joined forces. This strategic transatlantic union has expanded the firm’s reach, allowing it to represent over 250 publicly traded companies through a network of more than 1,000 attorneys across 26 locations in the U.S and UK.
What Makes Womble Bond Dickinson Stand Out
Womble Bond Dickinson stands out for its unwavering commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, which is interwoven into the fabric of the firm’s culture. Their initiatives include active partnerships with organizations promoting diversity, internal affinity groups, and a comprehensive inclusion strategy aimed at increasing diversity at all levels, especially in leadership roles.
They are a Mansfield Rule 5.0 Certified Firm, actively pursuing advancements in diversity and inclusivity. The firm supports diverse law students through the Womble Scholars Program and the HBCU Succeed initiative, offering scholarships and professional development opportunities to foster a more representative legal community.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the answers to the frequently asked questions regarding the Womble Bond Dickinson training contract and vacation scheme:
How much do Womble Bond Dickinson London trainees get paid?
London trainees at Womble Bond Dickinson receive a salary of £42,000 in their first year and £44,000 in their second year. Learn all about solicitor salaries in our detailed overview.
How much do Womble Bond Dickinson trainees make in Leeds?
In Leeds, first-year trainees earn £27,000, and the salary increases to £29,000 in the second year.
Is Womble Bond Dickinson a good firm to work for?
Womble Bond Dickinson is considered to have a warm, collegial, and social culture. Partners are known to treat associates well, and the firm is noted for its good work-life balance and below-average billable hour requirement. Work is regarded as substantive and fulfilling, and the firm is seen as progressive and growing. Although WBD is not a magic circle law firm, it is a very prestigious company to work for.
How many trainees does Womble Bond Dickinson take?
The firm has up to 25 vacancies for trainees and currently has 53 trainees.
Who are Womble Bond Dickinson’s top clients?
Some of Womble Bond Dickinson’s notable clients include Nissan, HSBC, Grainger, Bellway, Sainsbury’s, New Look, Atom Bank, HS2, and Five Guys. The firm aims to build productive and trusting long-term relationships with a wide range of clients, from FTSE 100 companies to government organizations and privately managed companies.
Does Womble Bond Dickinson have a vacation scheme?
Yes, Womble Bond Dickinson offers a work placement week as part of its recruitment process, which typically takes place in the summer. This includes both virtual and in-person experiences, reflecting the firm’s hybrid working environment and reducing the environmental impact of the process.
What does Womble Bond Dickinson specialize in?
Womble Bond Dickinson specializes in a variety of sectors including Energy & Natural Resources, Financial Institutions, Healthcare, Insurance, Life Sciences & Pharmaceuticals, Manufacturing, Private Wealth, Public, Government Services & Third Sector, Real Estate, Retail & Hospitality, Technology, and Transport. Their services encompass Commercial, Corporate, Digital: IT & Privacy, Dispute Resolution & Litigation, Employment & Pensions, Finance: Banking, Restructuring, Insolvency, Intellectual Property, Private Wealth, and Projects, Construction & Infrastructure.
