Training Contracts

Drawing on the experience and teaching abilities of Skadden partners, counsel and associates, qualified external consultants, and our full-time global training and development team, we regularly offer luncheon training seminars and workshops for associates at all levels and across practice areas. Additionally, a qualified solicitor will act as your principal and mentor throughout your training contract, providing advice and guidance.

Program Overview

Year One
Trainees gain experience in two of the following practice areas: corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and private equity, banking and finance, or international litigation and arbitration.

Year Two
Trainees discuss with their supervisors the remaining practice areas in which they would like to work prior to qualifying as a solicitor. Trainees also may have the opportunity to undertake a secondment to our Beijing, London, Brussels or New York offices.

Sponsorship and Funding
Skadden pays for the P.C.LL. course fees and provides a stipend of HK$50,000. For students required to take conversion exams for the P.C.LL., Skadden will cover the cost of required examinations.

Start Your Path

To secure a training contract with the firm, we encourage you to apply for a vacation placement with the firm. Our vacation placements come from a diversity of schools, experiences and backgrounds. We look for academic achievement, including a minimum of a 2:1 (UK/HK) or HD/D (Australia) at degree level or equivalent. We recruit our vacation placements through interviews on campus in the U.K. and Australia, and through in office interviews in Hong Kong. We encourage students to attend our information receptions held throughout the year to get a feel for our culture and working environment. We also encourage you to stop by our information stand at the following law fairs to speak about our interview and selection process:

  • Cambridge (Hong Kong) Law Fair
  • London (Hong Kong) Law Fair
  • Oxford (Hong Kong) Law Fair
  • University of Melbourne (Hong Kong) Law Fair
  • University of Sydney (Hong Kong) Law Fair
  • University of New South Wales (Hong Kong) Law Fair
  • Hong Kong Law Fair

For more information on the location and timing of the law fairs, please contact us or your campus careers service.

Application Deadlines

September 2025 Training Contracts: August 1, 2023

September 2026 Training Contracts: August 1, 2024