Legal Internship

Explore the intersection between law and business. Find out how an international law firm makes an impact in Italy and across the world. Develop the foundation of skills you need for a global legal career. You’ll do all this and more during your 6-month full time and paid internship in our Milan or Rome office, taking place from September 2026 to March 2027.

Your time with us

This isn’t just a chance to shadow our lawyers. You’ll play an active role in our teams and take on responsibility from day one. You’ll attend court hearings, work with clients and develop your professional network. Experience the cutting edge of the legal sector and discover how law can unlock potential across the world and in your own career. See how our purpose-led organisation makes a difference beyond our day-to-day work through programmes like our pro bono work and sustainability commitments.

The Internship is your chance to see if law is a career you can thrive in. You’ll also develop your personal and professional skillset through experiences that will be valued in any sector you choose to continue into. You’ll undertake work experience in one of our practice groups. We’ll try our best to allocate you to a practice group based on your preferences which you’ll share with us in advance. We’ll evaluate the possibility of offering successful candidates a permanent opportunity when they finish their internship.

During the internship, you will

• Work on a variety of interesting challenges across different sectors
• Join a diverse and friendly team while collaborating with colleagues across the world
• Have opportunities to engage with initiatives beyond your role, including technology, sustainability, and pro bono work
• Develop essential business skills through our extensive learning programmes and supportive culture
• Get support from a network of supervisors, buddies and mentors to develop confidence and identify your own personal and professional goals
• Be part of an international Early Careers community full of talented colleagues who will become part of your global network
• Enjoy a working environment where your wellbeing is always a priority and your workload will be managed to ensure you can always deliver your best. Gain support for your registration for the mandatory traineeship to qualify for the bar exam (pratica forense) or for the chartered accountant exam
• Be able to structure your working week so you can balance your time between the office and home through our agile approach called WorkSmart

What we look for

In addition to the eligibility criteria, we look for those with the skills that will enable success at DLA Piper and within a legal career. These include, but are not limited to

• Motivation to work in the legal industry and start your career with us
• A desire to learn more, proactively seeking opportunities to do so
• Tking pride in every aspect of your work, where no detail is too small
• Connecting with others to create long lasting relationships
• Adapting your approach depending on the situation and in the face of any setbacks

The application process

• Complete our application form, preferably in English, to give us some key information about you. We’ll ask you about why you’re applying to DLA Piper, and we’ll also ask you to confirm your practice group preferences. And we’ll ask you to submit a CV and your academic transcripts
• After submitting your application, you’ll be invited to complete some online assessments to test your English language, we’ll give you the chance to demonstrate your writing, strengths and help us to know you better
• The final stage is an interview which will give you the chance to demonstrate your strengths and help us get to know you better
• We recruit on a rolling basis, so you’re encouraged to apply ahead of the application deadline

Learn more by visiting our early careers website.

Apply now