International Arbitration Intern

Applications accepted between 3 April - 27 April 2023. Please submit a CV and cover letter.

This is a 6 month fixed term role, starting in September 2023.

About Linklaters

Linklaters are a people business. Being best in class in the eyes of our clients means that our people must be exceptional.

We look not only for brilliant minds, but for people who will thrive in our environment: people who love working collaboratively and demonstrate the innovative, efficient, agile, entrepreneurial, and responsible mind-set we aim to bring to every interaction.

Ours is an environment of outperformance. We achieve this not with targets and incentives, but by fostering a positive, supportive, fair, and open atmosphere.

We respect and value difference but insist on inclusivity. We celebrate all aspects of diversity and challenge any form of bias, because we want everyone to feel that they belong. This is vital to our ability to work as one team, with a common mind-set.

We recognise that one size does not fit all. Our goal is to embed flexibility across our firm by giving everyone the opportunity to work in an agile way, whether as a regular pattern or on an ad hoc basis, and we will be happy to discuss this further.

Purpose

Linklaters' International Arbitration team acts in investment treaty disputes and commercial arbitrations for large multi-national companies, states and state entities. The team's usual caseload consists of more than 100 arbitrations, many of which are multi-jurisdictional, conducted under the arbitration rules of all the major institutions and seated in arbitration hubs across the world.

Members of the team are located across Linklaters' offices world-wide and handle disputes across an even wider range of jurisdictions. The team's work ranges from giving risk mitigation advice in advance of formal disputes, through to handling all aspects of an arbitration, including acting as counsel in final hearings, and representing clients in subsequent challenge / annulment / enforcement proceedings.

We are recruiting Interns to join the London-based members of our International Arbitration team, but they will assist both the London team and the global team as required in relation to existing arbitrations as well as various knowhow and business development projects.

What we are looking for

Graduate or post-graduate qualification(s) in international arbitration law and practice

• Given the international nature of our clients and our arbitration work, varied language skills would be helpful
• Experience of working on international arbitrations within a law firm would be ideal, particularly where that experience includes legal research and drafting submissions
• Experience of participating in the Vis moot, other arbitration internships or other legal practice in the field of international arbitration
• Strong commercial awareness
• Highly motivated and team-orientated and prepared to assist clients and colleagues (out of normal office hours) to meet deadlines
• Performs well under pressure whilst maintaining excellent attention to detail
• Able to comprehend, critically analyse and then use creatively large volumes of case information and documents

Expectations of the role

The role will likely include the following tasks:

• Research on aspects of investment arbitration, international commercial arbitration, public international law, private international law, construction law, energy law and other relevant areas of legal practice, and related drafting of internal and client memoranda, as well as relevant sections of submissions
• Assisting with the preparation and filing of pleadings and submissions
• Hearing preparation and attendance
• Review and analysis of documentary evidence, including preparation of factual chronologies
• Assisting in relation to the disclosure of documents
• Participation in client meetings/calls
• Monitoring developments in target jurisdictions from the perspective of anticipating potential BIT claims
• Drafting articles for the ArbitrationLinks blog on recent developments in international arbitration
• Involvement in marketing and Knowhow projects

Experience

• Graduate or post-graduate qualification(s) in international arbitration law and practice
• Experience of participating in arbitration moot competitions (eg, Willem C Vis Moot, FDI Moot, etc), internships in international arbitration in law firms, work experience with arbitrators or at arbitral institutions, and other experience in fields related to international arbitration
• Being fluent in English, with a proven track record of sophisticated legal drafting in English (e.g., pleadings, submissions, journal/research articles)

The Team

The Linklaters International arbitration team comprises more than 200 people worldwide, with more than 20 members based in London. The team keep in touch with each other and up to date with work and client developments through global newsletters, monthly business development calls and regular training/off-site meetings. Members of the team work together across time zones/seniority on agreed projects and initiatives, including tracking economic and political developments in different jurisdictions to anticipate work opportunities, and other ideas. This is an exciting time to join, as we are looking to grow the Arbitration practice considerably.

Through being part of the Arbitration team, this role would also become a part of the wider London Dispute Resolution team - a team that prides itself (alongside top-quality investigations and disputes expertise) on being at the forefront of people development and Diversity & Inclusion initiatives for the London office more widely, and with active client/BD and innovation teams as well as a creative social committee.

This list of responsibilities and skills is not exhaustive. It is intended to describe the general content of, and requirements for the performance of this job, and as such, the role may also include the undertaking of additional tasks as required.

How to Apply

Applications are only accepted online via the portal. Questions must be directed to the recruitment team on: and not the practice or partners.

Further Information

A band of PQE as advertised on a role does not intend to preclude applications from those candidates that may have more or less PQE. Our intention is only to indicate a guideline as to how long we would expect a qualified lawyer to have practised so as to have gained the necessary skills for the role as described.

Equal Opportunities

The firm operates as a meritocracy and, therefore, selection for recruitment is on merit, irrespective of race, colour, age, religion, nationality, ethnic or national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation or disability. This assumes that the applicants are fit and able to undertake the job. Selection decisions, and the reasons for those decisions, are recorded in writing at each stage of the selection process. Selection criteria and, where appropriate, technical skills tests are in place to measure an individual's ability for the safe and effective performance of a job. Those involved in recruitment, selection and dealing with the public are provided with training and guidance in administering equal opportunities.

Technical Skills

This list of duties and responsibilities above is not exhaustive. It is intended to describe the general content of, and requirements for, the performance of this job. As such, the role may also include the undertaking of additional tasks as required.

Application Policy

Applications are only accepted online via the portal. Any queries or profiles must be directed to the lateral recruitment team on: and not the practice or partners.