We are a leading regional law firm, serving a wide range of commercial and private clients across SE London and the surrounding counties, from our Head Office in Bromley and additional offices in Beckenham, Blackheath and Sidcup. Established since 1889, we’ve come a long way and today we are a modern, progressive practice, proud of our record on diversity and inclusion and reputation for training and promoting staff from within the business.
We are always looking for bright and enthusiastic people, who share our values. In return, we will work with you to develop your career and achieve your full potential. Our business is now about servicing modern-day legal needs. With teams specialising in the major areas of law: Housing Management, Private Client, Debt Recovery, Family Residential Conveyancing, Property Litigation and Commercial Property teams. We have a loyal client base who rely on us for our forward-thinking approach to their situation.
Your training
You will be working with solicitors and partners to support their activities and your training will be split between at least two departments (unless you are undertaking a specialised seat) From an early stage, you will be encouraged, under supervision, to take on direct client contact and work on live matters as part of your training and progression. Successful candidates at J&P have, in the past, progressed their careers within the business up to partner level.
During your training you will be involved in intellectually challenging work and be provided with the support needed to flourish into an outstanding solicitor. You will be expected to put in lots of hard work and plenty of commitment to achieve the best results for the firm and for our clients. You will be expected to behave in a way that is representative and in line with our values and demonstrate these values on a daily basis.
Your attributes
You are a bright enthusiastic candidate with proven academic abilities and have a genuine desire and talent for a career in law. As an able and committed team player you enjoy legal research and are committed to taking the lead in enhancing your knowledge to ensure that you have a strong understanding of the law. You also have a practical problem-solving approach and the ability to think creatively whilst working efficiently in a fast-paced environment. You will be committed to developing the “soft skills” that our profession requires in order to develop and further good relationships with colleagues, our clients and fellow professionals.
Eligibility criteria for training contract route
You have
- At least a 2:1 in a relevant degree preferably in Law
- If you do not have a qualifying law degree you must have a non-qualifying degree, minimum grade of 2:1 along with the GDL, graded at commendation or above.
- Successful completion of the Legal Practice Course with distinction or commendation or are in the process of completing your Legal Practice Course at present with predicted grades of a distinction or commendation or successfully passed both SQE 1 and SQE 2
SQE 1 and SQE 2 sat and prepared for via BPP part time prep courses, alongside our 24-month QWE training contract.
- At least a 2:1 in a relevant degree preferably in Law
- If you do not have a qualifying law degree you must have a non-qualifying degree, minimum grade of 2:1 along with the GDL, graded at commendation or above.
- At least 6 months experience as a paralegal or a legal assistant gained in a legal organisation, preferably in private practice.
- This will be partially funded by Judge & Priestley
Please note that if you are new to J&P and are successful in your application you will initially join one of our teams as a Paralegal until the probation period is passed. If you are successful in clearing your probation, you will move onto your training contract.
Salary & benefits
We offer an attractive salary and benefits.
The successful candidate will be paid £30,500 per annum in their first year and £31,500 per annum in their second year of training.
In addition you will receive 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays. Other benefits include profit share bonus, Medicash Plan, birthday off, paid CSR days, death in service insurance, contribution to legal fees, access to ‘cycle to work’ scheme, to name a few.
How to apply
If you feel your attributes, experience and skillset match our requirements, we would be interested in hearing from you. When applying please make your training seat preferences known.
Please apply with your CV and a covering letter (covering letter limited to one page) succinctly setting out why you consider yourself suitable for a role, which route you are applying for and your preferred training seats. Please note that we cannot guarantee that you will be offered your requested combination of seats however we will endeavour to accommodate your request should you be successful.
About Judge Priestley LLP
We are a leading regional law firm, serving a wide range of commercial and private clients across London and the surrounding counties, from our Head Office in Bromley. Established since 1889, we’ve come a long way and today we are a modern, progressive practice, proud of our record on diversity and inclusion and reputation for training and promoting staff from within the business.
At Judge & Priestley, we invest in our expertise. We recruit the best people and we are proud to retain them. Our teams have access to the latest resources and the continuing professional development opportunities they need to remain at the forefront of commercial legal practice.
