FAQ: Reed Smith Written Application 2027: What should you Write and When is it Due?

Reed Smith's 2027 London vacation scheme application involves an initial eligibility form, an online assessment and, for applicants who progress, written motivational questions.

The main application deadline is 5pm GMT on 18 December 2026, but that is not necessarily your individual written-stage deadline. Some applicants have reported conflicting seven-day and ten-day submission windows. If your invitation and portal disagree, contact Reed Smith's early careers team and work towards the earlier deadline until you receive confirmation.

This guide covers the London winter and spring 2027 vacation schemes, particularly the written application stage. It does not cover the separate direct training contract recruitment route.

What is the Reed Smith 2027 vacation scheme application process?

One reason the process causes confusion is that applicants do not complete all their written answers when they first register.

According to Reed Smith's official early careers guidance, the stages are:

1. Initial application: Submit your academic background, work experience and eligibility information. The first stage of the 2027 vacation scheme application is primarily an eligibility check.
2. Online assessment: Eligible applicants receive an assessment covering situational judgement, verbal reasoning and numerical reasoning. Reed Smith says this assessment is untimed and can be saved and resumed.
3. Written application: Successful candidates are invited to answer motivational questions explaining their interest in the firm and suitability for the opportunity.
4. On-demand video interview: Candidates progressing further answer strengths-based and motivational questions.
5. Assessment centre: Candidates review case-study material and discuss it in an interview.

The important distinction: The written application is not the same as the initial registration form, and the video interview is a separate subsequent stage.

The winter scheme runs from 19–26 February 2027, while the spring scheme runs from 16–23 April 2027. Successful applicants can express a preference, although places are allocated on a rolling basis.

When is the Reed Smith written application due?

There are two different deadlines applicants need to distinguish.

The main vacation scheme deadline

The published deadline for the 2027 vacation scheme recruitment route is Friday 18 December 2026 at 5pm GMT.

This is the deadline shown on Reed Smith's official application portal. It is not confirmation that every candidate who has already reached the written stage has until that date to submit their motivational answers.

Your individual written-stage deadline

Candidates progressing to the written stage receive separate instructions.

In late October 2026, applicants discussing the process on The Corporate Law Academy reported discrepancies between a deadline calculated from an invitation email and the date displayed on the application portal.

One applicant subsequently reported receiving clarification from graduate recruitment. However, that account is an individual applicant report, not a publicly verified rule for every candidate.

We could not find an official Reed Smith publication confirming a universal seven-day or ten-day written-stage deadline, or a standard midnight cut-off.

If your dates conflict:

• Check the original invitation, including any time-zone information.
• Check the deadline displayed in your own application portal.
• Save screenshots of both.
• Email earlycareers@reedsmith.com, identifying the two dates and requesting written confirmation of the applicable deadline and time.
• Unless Reed Smith confirms otherwise, plan to submit by the earlier deadline to reduce the risk of missing it.

Do not assume another applicant's deadline applies to you.

Hypothetical example: Suppose an invitation arrives on 19 October. One instruction appears to allow seven calendar days, while another appears to allow ten. Those could point towards 26 October and 29 October, depending on how the period is calculated. Rather than relying on either interpretation, request clarification and aim to be ready by the earlier date.

What should you write in Reed Smith's motivational questions?

Reed Smith confirms that the written stage is designed to understand applicants' motivations and why they believe they would be a good fit.

It has not publicly confirmed the precise questions or word limits for every 2027 written-stage invitation. Always use the wording in your own application.

For questions about your motivation for commercial law or Reed Smith, a useful approach is to build four connections:

Your interest → Evidence → The firm's work → Why that matters to you.

1. Explain your motivation with evidence

Avoid simply saying that commercial law is intellectually stimulating, fast-paced or varied.

Those descriptions could apply to dozens of firms.

Instead, identify what first interested you in commercial law and what you did to explore that interest. Perhaps you worked in a customer-facing business, organised a society event, studied an aspect of commercial regulation or investigated how a company responded to a commercial problem.

Explain what the experience taught you about business decisions and the role lawyers play.

2. Make your Reed Smith research specific

Reed Smith identifies five core industry groups:

• Energy and Natural Resources
• Entertainment and Media
• Financial Services
• Health Care and Life Sciences
• Transportation

The firm's approach connects legal advice to the commercial realities of these sectors. That gives applicants something more useful to discuss than its international reach alone.

Choose a sector or practice area you can explain convincingly. Identify the clients involved, their commercial priorities and one or two legal issues that could affect their decisions.

3. Show that you understand what a trainee contributes

A compelling motivation answer should not just describe exciting transactions or impressive clients.

Explain why you want to develop the skills needed to contribute to that work: researching an unfamiliar issue, managing information carefully, communicating clearly or balancing legal risk with commercial objectives.

Your example does not need to come from legal work experience. What matters is whether you can demonstrate the relevant skill and explain its connection to a trainee's responsibilities.

Worked example: How to improve a generic Reed Smith application answer

Consider a hypothetical applicant who helped organise a university film festival and developed an interest in media law.

The weaker approach

The applicant focuses on Reed Smith's international reputation, impressive clients, collaborative culture and opportunities to work on interesting transactions.

Nothing here is necessarily wrong. The problem is that almost every point could be used in an application to another international firm.

The stronger approach

The applicant instead builds their answer around four connected points:

1. Personal experience: Organising a university film festival introduced them to the practical importance of screening permissions and agreements with contributors.
2. Commercial understanding: They recognised that securing content rights and negotiating commercial terms can determine whether a creative project goes ahead.
3. Firm-specific research: Reed Smith's media practice advises on matters including production, financing, distribution and digital content regulation.
4. Career motivation: The applicant explains why they want to develop the skills required to help media businesses navigate these commercial and legal challenges.

This approach demonstrates considerably more than enthusiasm for the firm's reputation.

It establishes a genuine starting point, shows commercial understanding and connects the applicant's interests to an identifiable part of Reed Smith's work.

The lesson: A firm fact becomes persuasive when you explain why it matters to your own career decision. Research is the evidence, not the entire answer.

How do you turn sector research into a strong application point?

Try this three-question framework.

1. What is happening in the industry?

Identify a development that affects how businesses operate.

For example, streaming platforms must make decisions about content investment, distribution arrangements and regulatory compliance.

2. Why does it matter commercially?

Consider whether the development changes costs, revenue, negotiating power, customer expectations or business risk.

A streaming company entering a new market might reach millions of potential customers, but that expansion could also introduce substantial licensing costs and regulatory obligations.

3. Where could Reed Smith's lawyers contribute?

Connect the issue to identifiable services such as commercial agreements, financing, intellectual property or regulatory advice.

For example, lawyers advising a streaming company on international expansion may need to consider how content rights, distribution agreements and applicable local regulations affect its commercial strategy.

An effective application would explain the relationship between those issues, rather than simply listing legal practice areas.

ZipLaw tip: The strongest commercial awareness points explain the business problem first and the legal implications second. This demonstrates that you understand why clients seek legal advice, rather than simply knowing what lawyers do.

What should you check before submitting?

Your final review needs to cover both the quality of your answers and the mechanics of submission.

First, check the substance. Compare each answer with the exact question. Have you answered every part, stayed within the stated word limit and supported your claims with evidence?

Second, check your firm research. Make sure the work, sectors and opportunities you mention are genuinely relevant to Reed Smith. Avoid presenting broad descriptions of international law firms as reasons specific to this firm.

Third, check the portal. Confirm that you have pasted the latest version of each answer into the correct field. Read the text inside the portal, rather than relying solely on the document you drafted.

Finally, check the deadline. Leave enough time to submit properly. Keep a copy of your answers and retain the submission confirmation or reference number.

If you realise you have submitted an outdated version, contact graduate recruitment promptly. Explain the error clearly, identify the application concerned and ask whether a correction is possible.

Do not assume the portal will allow an amendment or that the firm must accept one.

Reed Smith 2027 application FAQs

Is Reed Smith recruiting on a rolling basis?

Yes. Reed Smith's official 2027 application portal says applications are considered on a rolling basis and recommends applying before the final deadline.

This means candidates should not treat 18 December as a reason to delay a complete application unnecessarily. It does not mean an individual candidate's outcome can be predicted.

Can I apply for both a vacation scheme and a direct training contract?

Not in the same application cycle. Reed Smith says applicants can apply to only one vacancy per cycle and should decide between the vacation scheme and direct training contract route.

The next direct training contract application route is expected to open in spring 2027, with different eligibility requirements. It should not be confused with the current vacation scheme recruitment.

Is the Reed Smith online assessment timed?

Reed Smith states that its online assessment is untimed and can be saved and resumed.

However, that does not establish that the subsequent written application has no deadline or that the video interview follows identical rules.

Check each stage's instructions separately.

Does Reed Smith ask the same written questions every year?

Applicants can learn from previous application cycles, but they should not assume the questions will remain unchanged.

The only reliable starting point for a 2027 application is the wording supplied in the candidate's own written-stage invitation.

For additional practice, ZipLaw's Reed Smith Application Insider features a successful application from an earlier recruitment cycle, alongside expert feedback on what makes an effective answer.

This can help you understand how successful applicants structure their responses, but it should not be treated as confirmation of the 2027 questions.

Recruitment arrangements and individual deadlines may change. Always prioritise your latest instructions from Reed Smith and its authorised application portal.