Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher, & Flom

With the resources of a massive global network and the cosiness of a much smaller firm, trainees at this US outfit have never Skad it so good.

Skadden training contract review 2026

About the firm

“We’re one of the only firms that’s mentioned in Suits, but they always seem to namedrop us in a bad way, like ‘Oh bloody Skadden, this or that’,” headlined one insider. Quick disclaimer: Suits is not the standard when it comes to understanding what a legal career is really like (that’s where we come in!). It’s also not to be taken at face value, especially when it comes to casting judgement on real-life firms. However, what we can promise is that a firm with its own profile on Suits Wiki certainly has gravitas.

Indeed, Skadden’s a firm with a storied history in its hometown of New York City, with a legacy dating back to the 40s. Clearly, its influence has since spread worldwide, with its first international office opening in Tokyo in 1987 and a London office shortly after. Its reputation also followed: this means that “we’re not just local counsel for New York or Chicago. We do our own thing and generate a lot of our own work,” local insiders explained.

In fact, training principal and European head of capital markets Danny Tricot emphasises how the London office has been a strategic focus for the wider firm: “In the last five or so years in particular, we have been on a real growth journey. We’ve invested very significantly in our London office and have sought to expand in most of the areas we cover.”The investment has certainly paid off: Skadden has earned a gold stamp from our colleagues over at Chambers UK for its London-based international commercial arbitration practice. Banking & finance, corporate/M&A and commercial and corporate litigation are just a few examples of other practices that receive recognition from the guide.

“It felt like it was this beast of a firm on the outside, but you meet people and they’re actually so nice.”

Despite “feeling like an English firm where I’m practising English law,” according to one source, Skadden still offers its trainees all the typical benefits you’d expect from a training contract at a US firm. This means that increased responsibility, leaner teams and “generalist department headings” are all part of the package deal. But, with such a reputation, one interviewee’s initial concern was that “it felt like it was this beast of a firm on the outside, but you meet people and they’re actually so nice. I could tell that from the very first day of the vacation scheme.”

In fact, this supportive training environment is a matter of pride for the firm, according to Tricot, who tells us, “Everyone seems to have a close-knit group of friends within the firm, and they get on really well. Trainees regularly get together and are constantly feeding off each other, getting lunch and going out. I think that attitude enhances how well they work together and learn from each other.”

Training Contract Structure

Ahead of their first seat, incoming trainees are invited to rank a total of 15 seats in order of preference. Fortunately, trainees assured that this doesn’t mean it’s likely that you’ll end up with your 15th choice coming into the firm: “For three out of four of my seats I got my first or second choice, and only one seat was my fourth.” Skadden allocates seats in twos, meaning that trainees join the firm with their first year mapped out, and so on.

Trainees also have the opportunity to apply to one of a number of international secondments. “It feels a bit like applying for a vacation scheme,” a trainee recalled, “you write a few short paragraphs on why you’re interested in a secondment and what skills you could bring.” Currently, Skadden offers a competition seat in Brussels, a litigation seat in Hong Kong and corporate seats in New York and Abu Dhabi. It’s worth noting that these practice area distinctions are not entirely set in stone: “It can be a mix depending on business need, especially in the new Abu Dhabi office which is still relatively small. You work with anyone who needs your help.”

Seat Experiences

Trainee Life

Pro bono at Skadden is a pretty big deal, and don’t just take our word for it. Trainees had plenty to say about the topic, including the fact that “we average around 60 hours of pro bono per person in the London office.” It certainly helps that all lawyers can count any time spent on pro bono towards their billable hours which, in turn, determines their annual bonus. However, aside from this, for many of our interviewees the benefits were simpler: “Some of my most rewarding achievements have come from pro bono. It’s the sort of work that makes you feel like you’re actually being a lawyer!”

In particular, many trainees take part in the Free Family Representation & Advocacy Project, which connects clients with legal advocates. The cases are typically divorce disputes, but it gives trainees a rare opportunity to do some oral advocacy in front of a judge. “It’s scary being a trainee going up against a barrister, but even though it’s challenging, you have a meaningful impact on the lives of people who need your help,” a trainee reflected.

So, with such a varied workload, it’s safe to say that trainees are kept plenty busy. In terms of hours, weeks can vary from regular 9am to 6pms, to “100-hour weeks at my busiest.” Working patterns also differ depending on the department, with trainees in transactional teams adjusting to “some short, very busy periods where you’re working until 3am to meet deadlines, and then you get some time to relax afterwards. It means people keep telling me the work is hard enough as it is, so no one will fault you for enjoying quiet times.”

In other teams such as litigation, hours can get similarly hectic but there’s often more time to prepare: “My team told me ahead of the Christmas period that it was going to get chock-a-block, so I was ready for it.” These are the kinds of differences you’ll encounter across the legal industry, but insiders explained that expectations at Skadden are that “when it’s all hands on deck ahead of a deadline, you’re expected to put the hours in to get it done, even if it’s a weekend or evening.”

Still, trainees aren’t expected to be present for the sake of it – and holidays and other commitments will be protected when possible – but insiders were clear that “you’re supposed to be responsive and available.” This meant that many were especially optimistic when it comes to the salary: “it’s tough for us to complain. We’re paid top of the market, and all that hard work comes with the expectation that you’ll get a much higher salary once you stay and qualify.”

“We actually like spending time with each other!”

These expectations play some part in the culture as there’s an “internal drive to excellence.” Even so, “people are hard-working and intense, but never in a super stressed-out way that would feed into any kind of bad culture.” More specifically, according to those on the inside, “it’s a people-driven culture. You feel supported, people have their heads screwed on with a good set of morals and they’re interesting to talk to. It’s a good recipe for working together.”

Trainee cohesion received resounding praise from interviewees, one of whom went so far as to say, “I love the other trainees. They’re one of my favourite groups of people in the world.” Though a small bunch, trainees have arranged plenty of socials amongst themselves, including “going out to watch The Godfather on a random weekday. We actually like spending time with each other!” There are also firmwide socials, such as annual summer and Christmas parties, as well as team-specific dos, including a weekly financial sponsors general knowledge quiz.

The level of support also stood out to our trainee interviewees, who happily told us, “The people I’ve worked with have been very generous. They try to give you learning opportunities, space to improve, plenty of feedback, and extra support if you’re struggling.” This is aided by the fact that trainees share an office with their supervisors (usually a mid-level or senior associate) so you “don’t have to build questions up for the end of the day. If they’re free, you can ask whenever and they’re happy to help.”

Trainees work closely with their supervisors in some seats, but interviewees pointed out how they are also there for moral support and managing or protecting trainee time. Insiders advised that making the most of the relationship for one-to-one training and feedback is especially helpful. “It’s some of the most valuable training I’ve had at the firm,” said one trainee, “The fact that you have supervisors who are that senior but also that open is a godsend when you’re trying to kickstart your career.” Trainees also get assigned an NQ mentor at the start of their training contract and, once they become NQs themselves, they can then choose another mentor outside of their department.

“… people generally only come to us with their most complicated work.”

On top of this, there is plenty of training on offer to help newbies’ development, though it differs significantly across seats. Private equity, for example, has a very structured training regimen and “runs like a well-oiled machine!” Partners and senior associates hold regular sessions, and M&A trainees typically join as well.

In litigation, meanwhile, it’s much less formalised, and most learning comes from trying things and getting feedback. Interviewees saw the value in both methods, noting how “you accumulate knowledge. Some is formal, some is informal, but you’re constantly learning. Our fees are so high that people generally only come to us with their most complicated work. Everything you work on is pretty complex.”

Qualification

The qualification process kicks off in May, when fourth-seat trainees formally submit their top choice for qualification alongside a brief cover letter indicating why they want to qualify into the team. After this, the trainee development team looks at trainees’ preferences, compares them to the needs of the business and then allocates and offers jobs within a month.

Although most of the process “happens behind the scenes and is probably opaque by industry standards,” those who had been through it “got the sense that people are fairly satisfied.” There are typically no interviews – after all, the training contract is essentially a two-year-long interview – which means that “a lot of the process is about going up to the partners you’ve worked for, expressing your interest in joining the team, and asking about how likely you are to get an NQ position there.” Skadden did not disclose its 2025 trainee retention rates.