Are you a driven and ambitious individual with a passion for law? Gateley is offering an exciting opportunity for aspiring solicitors to join our training contract starting in 2027.
This route is available to anyone studying a law or non-law degree, with or without the PGDL/LPC/other post-graduate qualifications.
For those studying a non-law degree you will need to have graduated by Summer 2025 in order to study the PGDL, followed by the full-time LLM (SQE1&2) before joining us in September 2027.
For those studying law (with no postgraduate study), you will be required to study the full-time LLM (SQE1&2) before starting your training contract in September 2027.
For those who have completed the LPC, you will join us in September 2027 on the Professional Skills Course route to qualification.
What we offer
Comprehensive Training: Our training contract provides a balanced mix of on-the-job learning and formal training sessions. You will receive supervision and mentoring from highly-experienced solicitors, complemented by soft skills development training and quarterly coaching sessions from our talent development team. Our team of professional support lawyers will also provide regular technical training.
Four six-month seats, giving you well-rounded exposure to a number of areas of law.
Client Interaction: Engage directly with clients, building your confidence and professional network. You will have opportunities to work directly with clients allowing you to build your client-care and communication skills. Your progress and performance will be discussed regularly with you as well as more formally at your mid- and end-of-seat reviews.
From day one in your first seat, you will be given as much responsibility as possible and will play a crucial role in your team.
The chance to be based from our Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Nottingham or Reading offices. This year we are also offering the opportunity to have a split role between our Reading and Guildford office.
What we’re looking for
At Gateley, we seek candidates who bring a blend of key soft skills and a passion for personal and professional growth. Here’s what we value:
- Growth Mindset: We want people who are eager to develop, learn, and improve continuously, embracing challenges and actively seeking opportunities for self-improvement.
- Collaboration: Teamwork is at the heart of what we do. We are looking for individuals who enjoy working with others, communicate effectively, and are committed to achieving collective success.
- Time Optimisation: The ability to manage time efficiently and prioritise effectively is essential. We value candidates who can organise their work to deliver the best results under pressure.
- Personal Responsibility: Accountability matters. We want individuals who take ownership of their work, make considered decisions, and are committed to delivering excellence.
- Commercial Awareness: Our trainees need to understand the business world, spot opportunities, and think commercially to support our clients effectively. We’re looking for people who are curious about how their work contributes to broader business objectives.
- Relationship Management: Building and nurturing strong professional relationships is key to success. We value those who can connect with others, network confidently, and build trust.
- Resilience: A legal career can be demanding. We seek individuals who are adaptable, recover quickly from setbacks, and remain positive and focused under pressure.
- Pride in Work: We’re after candidates who take pride in delivering high-quality work and always strive to meet and exceed expectations.
If you’re driven, collaborative, and ready to take on the challenges of a dynamic legal environment, we’d love to hear from you.
How to apply
Our assessment process consists of the following elements:
- Online application form – this will cover some basic details such as academics, personal information and your location preference (we always advise giving just one location preference).
- Interactive assessment (sent to you up to one-week post-completion of application form) –this assessment will present you with a range of questions that measure how suited you are to a career at Gateley. You will be asked a number of different questions, including how you would respond in various situations, what your work preferences are, as well as a range of questions designed to test your critical reasoning and attention to detail capability.
- Video assessment (Feb 2025) – should you pass the benchmark score for the interactive assessment, you will then be invited to complete our video interview, which will present you with 3 questions which are required to record your answers to.
- Assessment centre (March 2025) – these will take place in March 2025 and will be specific to the office you have applied to. An interview will also take place as part of this assessment.
- Summer vacation placement (June/July 2025) – the SVP allows you to experience a week in the life of a Trainee Solicitor/Graduate Solicitor Apprentice, which will include real responsibility, working on case files and attending meetings.
Please note that the interactive assessment will be sent to you within one week of completing the online application form. You will then have 7 working days to complete this. If you require any adjustments to our assess mentor if you are unable to complete the assessment within this timeframe, please let our team know at earlycareers@gateleyplc.com.
N.B. Due to changes in the UK Government’s minimum salary requirements for visa sponsorship, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this level of role.
About us
The benefits
With support, coaching and feedback from some of the most engaging colleagues around our great development and progression opportunities will reward your commitment and loyalty. We offer a competitive remuneration package where you'll be rewarded for your individual performance with an opportunity to receive an annual bonus.
In addition, we have a wide range of learning and development opportunities via our Learn platform to develop new skills and progress your career. Our My Flex comprehensive rewards package includes options covering annual leave (and the benefit of purchasing extra days), cycle to work, critical illness benefit, employee assistance programme, group personal pension, health care, season ticket loan and many more benefits (grade dependent). Finally, with Perks At Work/Home you can select a host of retail benefits that suit your needs alongside a Community Online Academy, free courses for all from fitness to coding to languages to hip hop dance.
We are Gateley
We are forward thinking and straight talking, our approach is to find solutions to the problems that our clients face. Gateley is a legal and professional services group, we are a group of formidable experts in all areas of law and business. Passionate problem solvers, we get our kicks from finding the right answers and getting our legal and business clients where they need to be. We support more than 5,700 active clients, ranging from FTSE 100 companies to private individuals, in the UK and beyond. Being part of Gateley is not just about the expertise that you bring; it's about attitude too.
The' Gateley Story' is the story of our people and our culture. It is what has got us to where we are today as a successful business and it's the driving force behind the Gateley Team Spirit and the values that have shaped it. We have a set of shared internal values that capture what the Gateley Team Spirit is and this includes five elements that bind us all together as one Gateley: Ambitious for Success, Forward Thinking, Room to Breathe, Trusted to Do and Working Together. Every year across the group, we recognise members of our team that have gone and above and beyond and have lived these shared values. They are recognised at our annual Gateley Team Spirit awards.
