Early Law Careers & Opportunities

Your training contract lasts for two years. You will complete four seat rotations in six monthly blocks, enabling you to gain experience in a variety of practice areas. You will have caseloads, attend client meetings, work closely with experienced Solicitors and much more.

We want you to make the most of your training, which is why we operate a preference-based method of allocating your seats.

Your development is our priority: you will have a training supervisor throughout the duration of your training contract, and ongoing support from our dedicated early careers team. We will also pair you with one of our second-year Trainee Solicitors who will be your mentor, enabling you to learn from those with direct experience.  

To ensure your success, we conduct mid-seat and end of seat career conversations for all trainees, focusing on developing all of your skills into strengths. 

Our training contacts are designed for both those on the LPC or SQE route as we appreciate your study route is your choice (see Brabners Bursary for more information on funding).

Applying for a training contract

Our application processes are designed to help us get to know you and why you believe that a career at Brabners is right for you.

We typically recruit two years in advance, to be eligible you must be:

• in the penultimate or final year of a qualifying law degree
• in the final year of a non-law degree
• a postgraduate in any discipline or hold a degree certificate

The selection process is overseen by our Training Principal, Rupert Gill, as well as our training partners and early careers team.

While we receive a high volume of applications, our team read every single one.

Our process consists of an online application form, situational judgement test and finally an assessment day. 

We advise you to research Brabners thoroughly. As a firm, we work hard to ensure that our culture and values are at the heart of everything we do, so it’s important to consider how you would contribute to this if you joined us. We pride ourselves on innovation, diversity and sustainability, so your application should demonstrate what inspires you and how you can make the difference.

Applications for training contracts opened on 7 October 2024 and will close on 27 February 2025. We don’t recruit on a rolling basis.

Apply now.

Visa sponsorship is available to successful candidates.

Training contract assessment days

If your application for a direct training contract is successful, or you have just completed a vacation scheme, we will invite you to attend an assessment day. It’s a great opportunity for you to get to know the training partners who will be supporting your journey and explore our award-winning offices.

This is your chance to showcase who you are and your personal values. The day will start with a group exercise, where we will get you working with other candidates. You will then be asked to deliver a short presentation on a topic of your choice, designed to showcase you, your interests and what you can bring to Brabners. This presentation will be delivered in front of a small panel in a relaxed setting. 

After you have completed these tasks, the training partners will invite successful applicants back later in the day for a formal strengths-based interview.

Training contract assessment day dates

Our assessment dates for 2025 are:

• 16-17 June (Liverpool)
• 19-20 June (Manchester)
• 23 June (Lancashire)
• 24 June (Leeds)

If you’re successful in gaining a training contract with us, you could be eligible to receive a bursary of up to £12,500 to help support your study programme of choice.

Whether you’ve completed a law or non-law degree, The Brabners Bursary can fully fund your journey through courses and exams all the way to qualification.

Our candidates come from a wide range of backgrounds and often have unique personal circumstances — so we hope that this bursary will help many of you to kickstart your legal careers.

Finding the right pathway to law

The route to become a trainee solicitor has diversified with the introduction of the SQE. With so many training providers and routes to qualification available, it can be difficult to decide which is right for you.

If you’re unsure where to go, our preferred programme of study is with BARBRI, which offers a range of flexible programmes to support part- or full-time study. We fund BARBRI programmes directly for our successful candidates.

However, we appreciate that the choice is yours. The Brabners Bursary can be used to fund your future study programme of choice, up to the value of £12,500. Regardless of your choice, we request that you have either fully completed your LPC or passed your SQE 1 and SQE 2 preparation courses and both exams before starting your training contract with us. We appreciate that unexpected circumstances may prevent this from happening and can therefore discuss progress on a case-by-case basis.

Please note that we don’t reimburse candidates for courses that you have already started or completed. However, we do fully pay SRA fees in addition to The Brabners Bursary.

Talk to us

If you have any questions, please get in touch with our friendly early careers team.

Our vacation scheme is a fantastic opportunity for you to experience work and the culture of Brabners. You will have the opportunity to experience a variety of sectors and meet experienced colleagues from across our teams.

Anyone is welcome to apply for our vacation scheme as long as you are studying an undergraduate degree or hold a degree certificate, but we recommend that first year students attend our insights programme. 

You will need to complete an online application and a situational judgement test — there is no assessment centre to secure a place on a vacation scheme. 

The scheme has been designed to support your skill and knowledge development as you prepare for your career ahead. We are passionate about adding value to your journey. With talks from our experienced leaders, advice and guidance from our current trainees and a series of challenging tasks, we are confident that you will have a rewarding experience. You will undertake work in a real context, be involved in live client work and embrace workshops designed to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for you to be outstanding in your field.

We support successful applicants to the vacation scheme by providing a Real Living Wage for the duration of the scheme, ensuring that the process is accessible to all.

Find out what our vacation scheme is really like from one of our candidates.

Successful applicants to our vacation scheme will be able to choose a training contract assessment day to attend, if you wish to do so. 

Our vacation scheme dates for 2025 are:

• 2-6 June 2025 (Liverpool)
• 9-13 June 2025 (Manchester)

Applications for our vacation scheme opened on 7 October 2024 and will close on 27 February 2025. We don’t recruit on a rolling basis. 

Apply now.

Our insights programme comprises of one day workshops, designed for those looking to find out more about a career in law. Through our insight days, you can discover what life is like both in the legal profession and at Brabners.

Our guest speakers — who come from a range of different sectors — will discuss their work and provide guidance on how to make a successful application and pathways into law (including advice for the SQE and apprenticeships). We will also host a Q&A panel discussion with our trainee solicitors in addition to a networking lunch.

The below insight days are open for all to attend, as long as you are studying an undergraduate degree, have obtained a degree certificate or are a postgraduate in any discipline. 

• 5 December 2024 — Liverpool
• 6 December 2024 — Manchester

Deadline to sign-up: 21 November 2024

• 19 February 2025 ­— Liverpool
• 20 February 2025 — Manchester

Deadline to sign-up: 6 February 2025

If you’re studying at college level or equivalent, you can sign-up for the following insight day:

• 17 February 2025 — Manchester

Deadline to sign-up: 6 February 2025

Sign-up for our insights programme.

Begin at Brabners is for anyone in their first year of an undergraduate degree looking to find out more about a career in law.

This two-day scheme will give you an in-depth insight into life at Brabners and the work of our award-winning teams. With various panel sessions, engaging activities and opportunities to network, it’s an experience that shouldn’t be missed.

If you join this scheme, you’ll be matched with a mentor — one of our young professionals — who can offer career guidance and support your legal journey. The early careers team will also host recruitment focused workshops to get you ready for all important applications down the line. 

Applications for Begin at Brabners opened on the 7 October 2024 and will close on the 20 February 2025. We don’t recruit on a rolling basis.

Apply now.

This year’s Begin at Brabners scheme dates are:

• 9-10 April 2025 — Manchester 

Our Legal Apprenticeship programme is designed for those looking for alternatives to university. 

Paralegal Apprenticeship

For the first two years of our Legal Apprenticeship programme you will grasp the basics of working in a law firm, working alongside our Paralegals while you undertake a Paralegal Apprenticeship.

At the end of the second year, we will review your progress to date with a view to progress you onto our Solicitor Apprenticeship programme. However, if you would like a year’s break from study, we are entirely flexible in our approach. 

Solicitor Apprenticeship

When you progress from the Paralegal Apprenticeship, you will commence a three-year Solicitor Apprenticeship. This will involve a 35-week training programme towards qualification, joining our cohort of Trainee Solicitors in the final two years. 

As part of the programme, you’ll be given the opportunity to rotate around departments on an annual basis ­— by the end of your apprenticeship you will have experienced at least five different areas of law. During your rotation, you will deal directly with clients and assist on complex transactions with close Partner support. 

This route to qualification is for those who haven’t attended university, therefore we welcome applicants who are in the process of completing or have completed A-Levels. Candidates must have at least five GCSEs at grade C (or 4) or above, including English and Mathematics (or equivalent) and a minimum of three A-Levels — obtained or predicted at grade BCC.

Applications for Legal Apprenticeships opened on 7 October 2024 and will close on 27 March 2025. We don’t recruit on a rolling basis. 

Apply now.

After you’ve submitted your application, we’ll invite you to complete a situational judgement test. If successful, you will then be invited to attend an assessment day.

Our Legal Apprenticeship assessment dates are:

• 26 May 2025 — Liverpool
• 27 May 2025 — Manchester 

Brabners is a purpose-led independent law firm and certified B Corp.

We're immensely proud to hold ten Legal 500 Future Lawyer awards for job satisfaction, quality of work, client contact, sustainability, legal technology, inclusiveness, approachability, social life, 'work from home' and work/life balance.

We strongly believe that business can bring about positive change. That’s why The Brabners Foundation — our independent grant-making charity — supports our mission to make the difference for our clients, people and communities.

We provide aspiring solicitors with all the support they expect from a leading law firm, along with the benefit of close mentoring from Partners.

Joining us also provides the opportunity to get involved with the programmes that set our award-winning culture apart, including diversity, sustainability and charitable giving.

As the largest law firm (and the first outside London) to achieve B Corp status, we're committed to promoting diversity, neurodiversity and social mobility.

That’s why we offer places for all qualification routes, including insight days (to find out more about who we are and what we do), vacation schemes, apprenticeships and bursary programmes to help those from disadvantaged backgrounds to access a career in law.

We also look to help candidates before the application process by hosting insight days and meeting with future lawyers at careers events.

We offer an inclusive and supportive working environment where everyone can be their authentic selves and achieve their full potential.

It’s important to us that our early career routes are accessible to all. If you require reasonable adjustments during the application process, please let us know what we can do to support and facilitate the experience.

If you have any questions, talk to our friendly learning and development team at learning@brabners.com.

We look for something different in our trainees.

While we want people who are driven and have the tenacity to succeed, we also want those who wish to be part of something much bigger. Those who are eager to learn, innovate and seek out responsibility.

In return, we will devote our time and focus to ensure that each and every one of our trainees has the opportunity to realise their full potential.

We strongly believe that trainees should experience a wide range of disciplines before making the decision to specialise. Our vast client base means that our trainees have the chance to experience different sectors and specialisms, deal directly with clients and assist our partners on complex cases.

Join us to kickstart your career in law.