Jones Day
London·Cleveland
M&A·Litigation·Global disputes
Unlike almost every other firm, Jones Day trainees aren't assigned to fixed six-month seats. Instead they 'knock on doors' to seek out their own work across departments, sharing an office with a peer rather than sitting with a specific partner or team.
Why this firm
No formal seat rotation at all
No fixed seat rotation: trainees 'knock on doors' to source their own work, a system inherited from Gouldens, the London firm Jones Day merged with in 2003, which never ran a traditional rotation either
Runs as one fully integrated global partnership: a single worldwide profit pool, no headquarters, and no 'branch' or 'satellite' offices anywhere, so no office outranks another
A deliberately non-lockstep, closed compensation model: pay is set on individual contribution rather than published bands, removing the usual associate-to-associate comparisons
What this firm looks for
Drawn from Jones Day's own recruitment materials
Based on the firm's published recruitment materials, graduate recruitment commentary and stated values.
Self-starters for the no-seat system
Jones Day trainees don't join a specific practice group. They join the New Lawyers Group and must "walk the floors" to source their own work across departments rather than following a formal seat rotation, so the firm explicitly recruits for resourcefulness and initiative to thrive without that structure.
Global, single-firm mindset
The firm's own site frames itself as "One Firm Worldwide" with no headquarters and no branch offices, and says it wants candidates committed to a legal career who want to be challenged on an international platform, recruiting for fit with that fully-integrated global structure.
Collegiality over internal competition
The firm's own recruitment materials describe a deliberately non-competitive, team-oriented culture with no rivalry among lawyers, consistent with its well-documented non-lockstep, closed compensation model that removes the usual associate pay comparisons.
Past applications
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What makes you a good candidate for a training contract at Jones Day - Your answer should be reflective of your skills and personal experience
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