Our trainee solicitor pathway (previously called a training contract) is offered across all our UK office locations, please select your preferred office location when applying. Please note that you must be in the penultimate year of a degree (or equivalent) or beyond to be eligible to apply.
About the role
First things first: why have we changed the name of the ‘training contract’ to ‘Trainee Solicitor Pathway’? It’s because training contracts, as they used to be, are no longer the way you train and qualify as a solicitor. Our Trainee Solicitor Pathway will take you through the new requirements: to take the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) and to do two years of Qualifying Work Experience (QWE).
Our Trainee Solicitor Pathway sets you up for success by allowing you to gain practical experience alongside studying and undertaking SQE assessments through our Graduate Solicitor Apprenticeship. This 27-month programme, in partnership with the University of Law, is structured to provide you with excellent training and experience, paving the way for your successful qualification as a solicitor. You’ll spend four days per week working in our firm and one day per week studying with the University of Law. Every six months, you'll have the opportunity to rotate into different teams, ensuring a broad experience.
Throughout this journey, you won't be alone. The emerging talent team alongside your supervisor will be there to guide, support, and mentor you. During your studies, you’ll have a designated skills coach from the University of Law to support your learning, too.
Here’s why we think our Trainee Solicitor Pathway gives you the best possible start
- Your choice of career - you might already be passionate about a specific area of law and are eager to expand your expertise. Alternatively, you might be unsure where you’d like to specialise and would like to learn more about different areas of law to better understand where your passion lies. We’ll give you seat options and guidance to ensure you get a broad mix of experience. This enables you to obtain an overview of our practice whilst gaining valuable qualifying work experience in a commercial law firm.
- Location, location, location - we offer opportunities each year at all our UK office locations.
- Inclusivity – this is at the heart of everything we do, and we want everyone to feel that they have equal access to opportunities. This is why we offer part-time opportunities on our Trainee Solicitor Pathway.
- The level of work you’ll receive aims to prepare you to qualify as a solicitor - this puts you in good stead for the realities and expectations of working as a qualified solicitor. With us, you’ll gain invaluable practical experience before sitting your SQE assessments.
- Interested in pro bono work - we give back to our community and many of our Future Lawyers are on our Community Action Committee.
- You’ll receive all the support you need – as the first law firm to partner with O Shaped we’re proud to create a safe and productive learning environment where you’ll be comfortable to give and receive feedback, discuss your progress, and address the challenges you face (we all have challenges) to ensure we set you up for success. You’ll also have support from our emerging talent team, who you’ll be in contact with right from recruitment until qualification.
There are two main routes to join our Trainee Solicitor Pathway
- Firstly, via our summer vacation scheme - a two-week placement that takes place in the last two weeks of June. Assessment centres usually take place in April/May.
- Secondly, via a direct application for the trainee solicitor pathway. Assessment centres usually take place in July.
You can only make one application to either the summer vacation scheme or via the direct route per calendar year, and the application process is the same for both routes. The majority of Trainee Solicitor Pathway offers are made to candidates who have been on our summer vacation scheme, so we encourage applications via this route. However, we also understand that not everyone can attend our summer vacation scheme so if this is the case, please do apply via the direct route.
Your journey starts with an online application. Shortly after your application you’ll be invited to take our online tests (situational judgement assessments). The next stage for successful candidates is a telephone interview – your chance to show us why you want to work for us, how your values align with ours and why you’d thrive as a Future Lawyer at our firm. The final stage is an assessment centre which includes:
- Face-to-face interview
- Case study exercise (which involves a presentation)
- In-tray exercise
Our assessment centres will take place in-person at one of our offices or virtually. Our emerging talent team will provide you with all the information you’ll need to attend an assessment centre nearer the time.
