Your Next Chapter Is Up to You
We think you’ll find that MoFo is the perfect place to start your career story. Our continuing reputation as one of the world’s leading law firms depends upon the talents of our exceptional lawyers. So we don’t expect you to wait when it comes to taking on real, engaging work, whether that’s helping with writing briefs, contributing to client outreach, or taking part in a pro bono matter.
Write Your Success Story
Those with a commitment to excellence, tenacity, and curiosity will find common ground with their MoFo peers. Our clients have come to expect nothing but the best from us, so we look for the same commitment from each other. You’ll have access to in-depth training and mentoring to help integrate you into the fabric of the firm.
MoFo Stories
Get to know MoFo through the eyes of our talented lawyers. Click on the photos to read about their experiences as mentors and mentees.
Expect More
Real Work
Summer associates, interns, and trainees receive a broad mix of assignments tailored to their area of interest, ranging from writing briefs, motions, contracts, and client memoranda to assisting in drafting and negotiation sessions, helping with depositions and witness preparation, performing due diligence in corporate transactions, and volunteering for pro bono assignments. You’ll work closely with senior attorneys, partners, associates, paralegals, and staff on a variety of substantive projects. The goal is that you work on a variety of substantive projects to demonstrate your writing, research, and analytical skills, and get a realistic perspective on what it’s like to be a lawyer at MoFo.
Real Skills
We believe that direct participation and hands-on experience in engaging client matters provide the most rewarding student opportunities. Our summer and trainee programs are designed to give students the tools and skills they need to succeed and provide a realistic view into what a MoFo career might look like. As a summer associate, summer intern, or trainee, you’ll experience an engaging and robust program. You will participate in tailored training programs and practice group presentations that will introduce you to the full capabilities of the firm. Our goal is to prepare you to jump right in and get to work, and explore our wide range of practice areas.
Learn about MoFo’s wide-ranging practices and industries.
Real Guidance
You’ll be assigned one or more mentors to help you acclimate to the firm and introduce you to the attorneys and staff in their practice group and office. Our attorneys understand the importance of providing students not only guidance but a welcoming environment where you’re encouraged to ask questions and contribute to the team—after all, they were once in your shoes. Whether formally or informally, mentors are there to act as a sounding board for any questions or concerns you may have throughout the summer and beyond.
Learn more about MoFo’s culture and our commitment to supporting you.
Where Will Your MoFo Story Start?
We understand that selecting the right firm may seem overwhelming. There’s a lot to think about, from the city where you’d like to live, to the type of work that you’ll find interesting, and how to distinguish among the many highly respected firms that sound similar. Our summer associate, intern, and trainee programs are designed to help talented students like you explore the many career possibilities that MoFo offers, from your future practice area and office location to the partnership track.
United States
Summer Associate Program Overview
Every year, MoFo’s U.S. offices welcome some of the nation’s most talented law students to join us for an immersive Summer Associates Program. As a summer associate, you will be assigned real work focused on your area of interest. Throughout the program, you’ll have the opportunity to interact with clients, and you’ll play an active role in each matter you’re assigned to.
Many Ways to Start Your MoFo Story
2L Summer Associates
During the summer and fall, we recruit second-year law students for our following year’s Summer Associate Program. We recruit at various law schools and at several job fairs each year. Check our on-campus interview list to see if we’ll be visiting your school. Don’t see your school on the list? Contact a recruiter in the office nearest to you.
Keith Wetmore Fellowship for Excellence, Diversity, and Inclusion
We work to ensure that there are no barriers to serving clients at the highest level or to creating opportunities for our lawyers, potential lawyers, and staff. The firm has long viewed diversity and inclusion as critical to our success. We continuously seek to attract talented individuals and to ensure that they are supported, engaged, and given the tools necessary to thrive.
Our Wetmore Fellowship attracts highly motivated first and second-year law students who demonstrate an ongoing commitment to promoting diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in the legal profession. It provides the training, mentorship, and exposure critical to the students’ professional development and engagement.
Two-Summer Patent Program
In our Two-Summer Patent Program, you’ll do real work with one of the top IP teams in the United States—having appeared four times on National Law Journal’s “IP Hot List” and being twice named Law360’s “IP Practice Group of the Year”—to help you become the next successful MoFo IP attorney.
Our patent program has two tracks: Patent Strategy & Prosecution and Patent Litigation. Over two summers, you’ll be fully immersed in our patent prosecution group or patent litigation group, where you’ll receive guidance on your professional development as you prepare to take the USPTO exam, free of cost. You’ll also attend our unique Patent Boot Camp training program and be mentored by our leading IP partners.
Learn more about MoFo’s presence in the United States.
Hong Kong
Summer Internship Program
Our Hong Kong Summer Internship Program is a great introduction to what a trainee contract at our Hong Kong office would offer you, and the best way for you to demonstrate your potential to us. Interns are included in every aspect of firm life, from social events to office-wide training sessions, and from legal research to client meetings.
Each summer, we run two sessions of one month each (in June and July), with a maximum of six students per session. You’ll work closely with our attorneys, and while assignments can come from all over the firm, if you are particularly enthused about a specific practice area, we will attempt to accommodate your interests.
Trainee Program
Our Hong Kong Trainee Program is a two-year contract that provides the practical and legal knowledge necessary to become a fully qualified lawyer. From day one, you’ll be surprised by how much direct contact you have with clients. The hands-on learning we offer will help you understand the legal and commercial context of the advice we give.
The training contract comprises four six-month seats, rotating between practices. All trainee solicitors will take seats in each of the capital markets, mergers and acquisitions/private equity, and litigation groups, with a final repeat seat in one of the practice areas listed, taking into account the trainee’s preferences. We also offer the opportunity during the training contract to be seconded for three months to one of our international offices.
We strongly prefer completion of a summer internship prior to commencement of a trainee contract, but it is not a requirement. New contracts begin each year in September.
Hong Kong graduate recruitment brochure.
How To Apply: Please submit an online application here. Applications are on a rolling basis.
Tokyo
Summer Associates Program
Our Tokyo office offers a U.S.-style summer program that is unprecedented in the local market. Students accepted into the program receive valuable mentoring and networking opportunities, and work on substantive client matters. They interact closely with attorneys of all levels (including both U.S. attorneys and Japan-licensed attorneys) as well as with clients, and have the opportunity to participate in various social events in and around Tokyo.
Berlin
Trainee Solicitors and Research Assistants (Referendare und wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiter)
Morrison & Foerster’s Berlin Office accepts trainee solicitors and research assistants throughout the year. Our practice includes corporate, M&A, litigation, IP/IT, commercial, media, media regulation, antitrust, finance, privacy, employment, and tax. If you are particularly interested in a specific area, let us know, and we will work to accommodate your interests.
The hands-on learning we offer will help you to understand the legal and commercial context of the advice we give. Our work is highly international. Hence you will have the opportunity to show or shape your cultural and English language skills.
While at MoFo Berlin, you will be able to benefit from multiple training opportunities beyond day-to-day legal work. Our offerings include:
- A mentoring team of senior lawyers that supports you during your tenure at MoFo
- Opportunity to participate in the MoFo Academy that is partly hosted in collaboration with Bucerius Law School
- Weekly English courses
- Online/VC trainings hosted by our international offices
- A €200 voucher for trainee solicitors (Referendare) for Kaiserseminare
- Participation in our MoFo Health program
Our trainee solicitors and research assistants are included in every aspect of firm life, from social events to formal client receptions.
For exceptional candidates, we offer the opportunity during the training period to be seconded to one of our international offices. We also offer competitive compensation and attractive work schedules.
For more information, learn about career opportunities in Germany.
London
See our other recruitment videos:
- Vacation Scheme & Training Contract
- Our Work & Dedication to Pro Bono
- Our Culture & Values
- What Makes MoFo London Stand Out?
Vacation Schemes
A MoFo vacation scheme is a great introduction to what a MoFo training contract can offer you. It is the best way for you to demonstrate your potential to us, but also gives you the opportunity to spend two weeks experiencing what life as a MoFo Trainee is like. The vacation scheme is our sole method of selecting our future trainees. During your vacation scheme, you will be given real work for real clients. You will be included in every aspect of firm life, from social events to office-wide training sessions and from legal research to client meetings. You’ll get to meet others on the scheme as well as our partners, associates, and trainees. By the end of the scheme, you should have a good idea of whether law is the career for you — and whether MoFo is the right firm for you.
We run two Summer Vacation Schemes every year; each lasts for two weeks. The dates for the 2024 Summer Vacation Schemes are: 17 June – 28 June and 1 July – 12 July 2024. For more information, download our London recruitment brochure.
We have received recognition from legal directories in the following categories:
- All About Law: Most Popular Law Firm (highly commended)
- All About Law: Most Engaging Law Firm (highly commended)
- Legal Cheek: Best Firm for International Secondments (shortlisted)
- Legal Cheek: Best Law Firm for Partner Approachability (shortlisted)
- Legal Cheek: Best Law Firm Office (shortlisted)
- The Legal 500 Future Lawyers: Winners in Financial Renumeration, Quality of Work, Vacation Schemes, Inclusiveness, International Secondments and Approachability.
MoFo has also been included in Law.com International’s 2022 inaugural A-List rankings.
Learn more about career opportunities in London.
Trainee Program – What to Expect
What We’re Looking For
We are looking for dynamic and driven individuals who display a genuine enthusiasm for a career in law and interest in our core London practices. At MoFo, we collaborate as one firm across borders, practice areas, and business functions, and value fresh ideas and innovation over conformity and competition.
Our approach at Morrison Foerster enables trainees to start strong in their legal careers, with an induction that is carefully crafted to enhance professional and practical skills developed during formal education, equipping trainees with the essential tools to meet the needs of our colleagues across the firm and our clients. Trainees have access to a variety of mentors to guide them through new experiences and ongoing learning and development opportunities required to underpin their legal skills, from the initial trainee orientation sessions, to regular skills-based training, significant daily responsibility and autonomy, and contributions to our culture and future of the firm. This combined approach stretches trainees to develop core skills and behaviours and understand the business of law to deliver exceptional client service on complex global matters.
The training period consists of four six-month seats, with the potential to complete secondments overseas or with our clients. During your training contract, you’ll have the opportunity to work in at least three distinct areas of law. Corporate M&A and Litigation and Dispute Resolution are two of our core practice areas in London, but there’s also a wide range of specialised practice areas to get involved in. These include Data Privacy, Employment, Finance and Banking, Intellectual Property, Tax, Technology Transactions, and more! Trainees have numerous opportunities to work with colleagues across the firm on both billable matters and pro bono projects.
Partners and associates at the firm are committed to our trainees’ success, so you will receive both formal and informal support, including a trainee buddy (a second-year trainee), trainee supervisor (for each of the four seats), and trainee liaison. Your liaison will be a senior associate who will act as your mentor throughout the training contract, helping you to identify strengths, areas for development and stretch opportunities, and offering personalised career guidance. There is an active mentoring programme, a formal evaluation and feedback process every quarter and career development workshops tailored to individual needs and interests. Trainees also have access to our health and well-being resources, such as a free subscription to the Calm app and a wealth of online information on our portal. In addition, the Attorney Learning and Development team is a constant source of resources, guidance and support.
We require you to be on track for or to have already achieved a minimum of a 2(i) degree (or the equivalent if you are studying outside the UK) and a minimum of AAB (or equivalent) at A Level.
When and How to Apply
Applications for the 2024 Vacation Schemes are now open! In 2024, we will be running two, two-week summer vacation schemes from 17 June to 28 June and 1 July to 12 July. Our vacation schemes provide insight into life at MoFo and offer the opportunity to consider whether we are the right firm for you. Vacation scheme associates will gain a good picture of how much responsibility our trainees are given; the vacation scheme is also a chance to meet and learn more about our London-based attorneys and business professionals. The vacation scheme is our sole method of recruiting future trainees.
If you are currently a law student, you should apply from the penultimate year of your law degree. Non-law students should apply from the final year of your degree. If you have already gained industry experience and are considering training as a solicitor, you should decide which year you want to start your training contract and apply before the deadline. We also welcome applications from individuals with relevant industry experience who are considering a career change.
Come and speak to us about graduate careers in London:
- 11th and 25th September and 9th October: Aspiring Solicitors Virtual Diversity Law Fairs
- 11th October: Durham University Law Fair
- 17th and 19th October: All About Law Virtual Law Fair
- 21st October: Oxford University Law Fair
- 24th October: Exeter University Virtual Skills Session
- 25th October: Bristol University Virtual Skills Session
- 26th October: Warwick University Skills Session
- 6th November: All About Law Unveiling Pathways Panel
- 9th November: All About Law Pro Bono Panel
- 10th November: Kings College London Law & Justice Fair
- 15th November: GTI Inspire Law Event
- 15th November: All About Law Digital Campus
- 21st November: Legal Cheek Virtual Law Fair
- 21st November [Hong Kong Training Contracts only]: Hong Kong Law Fair in London
- 23rd November: Manchester University Virtual Skills Session
- 29th November: Cambridge University Skills Session (on campus)
- 4th December: GTI Aspire Law Event
Legal Study Support
Morrison Foerster is partnered with the University of Law to deliver the SQE preparation programmes.
We will sponsor future MoFo trainees who are completing non-law subjects through the PgDL with the University of Law and offer the SQE+ programme (in addition to SQE 1 and 2 preparation programmes) for all future MoFo trainees completing the SQE route.
Intentionally chosen for the breadth and depth of teaching expertise, understanding of our key practice areas and wider industry and sector developments, the collaboration ensures that all future trainees have the essential knowledge and commercial awareness for the next steps of their legal career with the firm and provides our future trainees with a well-rounded introduction to the practice and business of law. For future trainees being sponsored through the PgDL or SQE by MoFo, full course and exam fees will be covered by the firm, in addition to a £15,000 maintenance grant for the PgDL and £17,000 maintenance grant for the SQE to assist with living costs during study.