Legal Vacation Scheme

Who are we?

Howden is a collective - a group of talented and passionate people all around the world. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mind-set, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 18,000 employees spanning over 100 countries. Our people are our biggest asset as well as our largest shareholder group and are everything that makes us unique; our inclusive culture, the quality service we offer our clients, and our continued growth, all come from our people-first approach. There's no such thing as individual success. We all need to play our part, contributing our skills and experience to make a true difference. That's Howden.

Why work at Howden?

We have always been employee-owned and driven by entrepreneurial spirit. Right from the beginning, we've focused on employing talented individuals and empowering them to make a real difference to the company, whilst building successful and fulfilling careers at the same time. Simply put, we hire talented specialists and give them what they need to make a difference for clients. Always have, always will. People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It's what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down disappointed headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities - work/life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering - you'll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

Job Description

The Howden Legal Vacation Scheme is the most innovative in the market. You'll get two weeks' real-world legal experience based in our large in-house legal team, plus the chance to spend time with some of our partner law firms

As a Legal Intern at Howden you will gain a unique insight into the issues in-house teams face. Working alongside senior lawyers in the Howden Legal team will give you the opportunity to do substantive work across a wide range of areas which will help prepare you for applications and interviews (and line you up nicely for your training contract!).

Our scheme is, of course, paid and we'll also provide accommodation for the duration of the scheme for anyone who isn't within commuting distance of London, so our scheme is accessible to applicants from throughout the U.K.

What you'll do

This internship entails, but is not limited to:
• Assisting in reviewing commercial agreements for key terms, compliance, or risk areas.
• Conducting research on regulations, compliance requirements, or specific legal issues
• Shadowing senior legal staff during contract negotiations or discussions with vendors and clients.
• Gaining an understanding of how disputes are managed.
• Receiving guidance on developing skills, such as contract interpretation or legal writing.

By the end of the scheme, you'll have gained:
• Insight into how in-house legal teams operate and their role in business decisions.
• Experience with practical legal tasks that impact a company's operations.
• A clearer understanding of how your skills fit into the corporate legal environment.

Who we're looking for:

The Howden Legal Vacation Scheme is aimed at enabling access into a legal career for great candidates who haven't been able to secure an internship or vacation scheme elsewhere. You will therefore:
• Be able to demonstrate a clear passion for a career in law;
• Have completed at least the first year of a qualifying law degree (we also welcome applicants who have already graduated);
• Have not previously attended another vacation scheme or internship or obtained one for 2025.

Recruitment and selection process
• Application Period: Monday 3rd - Friday 21st February
• Online Assessment
• Phone Screen
• Interview: Monday 24th March - Friday 4th April
• Internship Period(s): Monday 16th - Friday 27th June, Monday 30th June - Friday 11th July, or Monday 14th - Friday 24th July

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define. Our business succeeds by allowing our people to make a mark in the areas they care about most: personal development, volunteering, and fundraising for charity, or creating new insurance products that address society's greatest challenges. And we know that separate home and work lives don't really exist. If you're happy and healthy at home, you're more likely to be happy and fulfilled at work - and vice versa. That's why we do our best to support our people in every aspect of their lives.

Diversity and Inclusion

At Howden we value diversity - there is no one Howden 'personality type'. Instead, we're looking for individuals who share the same values as us:
• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new
• We support each other, in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges
• We are determined to make a positive difference, at work and beyond

We consider our people our chief competitive advantage and as such we treat colleagues, candidates, clients, and business partners with equality, fairness, and respect - regardless of age, disability, race, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, or family circumstances.

Our sustainability promise

We're on a life-long journey to become an ever-more sustainable group. It's a commitment to taking care of our people and the world we live in, to doing good business, and to making a positive impact wherever we can. Our governance processes, company policies, and review systems are all geared towards our goal of making a positive impact in the world. You can read more about our sustainability work here Read more