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Training contracts Qualify with a firm consistently rated as a Top Employer

What is a training contract?

A training contract is a two-year period where trainee solicitors put their knowledge and skills into practice. You’ll have a chance to test your skills while getting support and learning from expert solicitors.

You can apply to complete our training contract if you are currently studying towards, or have completed, the Legal Practice Course (LPC). If you have not yet commenced the LPC, you can become a trainee solicitor by following our graduate solicitor apprenticeship pathway to qualification.

Our 24-month training contract will provide you with excellent training and experience across four six-month seats in different areas of the business, which will include everything which is required for your qualification to solicitor. During this time, you will be given the opportunity to complete a range of different work with a robust support network of supervision and mentoring.

Who should apply?

We are looking for individuals with potential and the drive and determination to succeed. Our aim is that our qualified solicitors will possess the below competencies as they progress through and complete their programme.

These competencies are also used to help shape our early careers recruitment processes, we assess for potential in these areas but we do not expect experience.

  • Reasons and problem solves effectively with complex data and information and learns quickly
  • Plans, organises, prioritises and manages resources and time
  • IT literate
  • Has a strong commercial focus
  • Emotionally resilient, mature and positive when the going gets tough
  • Customer-centric — both internal and external
  • Flexible and adaptable
  • Demonstrates integrity
  • Is achievement-driven, shows initiative, takes responsibility with a ‘can do’
    attitude
  • Committed to continuous improvement
  • Attends to the detail and is quality minded
  • Self‐aware — knows own strengths and weaknesses
  • Demonstrates effective communication both verbally and in writing
  • Assertive and socially confident
  • Influential and persuasive
  • Team player and team builder who networks effectively
  • Diplomatic, tactful and empathic
  • Interpersonally skilled, reads people and situations and then adapts accordingly
  • Aware of and propagates a positive and professional image and persona

Why Weightmans?

Here at Weightmans, people are the most integral part of our culture and business, and so your success is our success. We have great working practices for ensuring a mindful and considerate working culture, as such we are signatories of the Mindful Business Charter.

In many of our offices, we have a unique and open office space accompanied by agile working for a great work-life balance. With a focus on learning and development of our people, we are proud to have consistently high trainee solicitor retention rates.

As much as we work hard, we like to play hard too! Having an appropriate work-life balance is something we value for all our people. Our social calendar is always full, from theatre visits and quizzes to office parties. Each of our offices has an active social committee who are always looking for new members to get involved.

We pride ourselves in our CSR (corporate social responsibility) work and support a number of deserving charities, both nationally and local to our offices, including Zoe’s Place, Francis House, Simon on the Streets and many more. As part of our commitment, all staff receive two days of paid CSR leave each year, and each office has a local committee who are always looking for new members, and this may be something you would like to be a part of once you join us.

Salary and benefits

We offer an excellent salary and benefits. For year one as a trainee solicitor, you would receive a salary of £27,000 (£34,000 London), which will increase after 12 months to £29,000 (£36,000 London). As a Weightmans employee, you will also be entitled to our excellent staff benefits including:

  • 28 days' holiday
  • Healthcare cover
  • Pension plan
  • Travel loan scheme
  • Employee care scheme
  • Discounted gym membership
  • Dental care scheme

How to apply

Applications for positions commencing September 2025 have now closed

Our application process consists of 4 stages:

  • Stage 1 — Written application

    Please note, applications have now closed and will reopen in Autumn 2024 for a September 2026 start.

    At this stage, we will look at your predicted/obtained degree score and your answer to an open question. This open question is designed to check your understanding of how a law firm, and Weightmans, works. We will also assess structure, depth, punctuation and grammar. The quality of your answer will determine if you progress to the next stage, therefore we suggest you spend some time on this and proofread before submitting it. We will review all written submissions individually, along with your degree score, in a blind marking process. You must complete this initial application by Wednesday 31 January 2024 at 12 noon. We will not be able to accept applications after this date.

  • Stage 2 — HIPO-I interactive online assessment

    If you are successful at the written application stage, you will then be invited to complete an online assessment called the HIPO-I. This assessment has been designed to test verbal and numerical reasoning along with some situational judgement questions to assess if our values align.

    Please note that this online assessment is not timed. You will also be invited to inform us during your initial written application if you require any reasonable adjustments to be made at any point during our recruitment process. If you would prefer to discuss with a member of the Early Careers team, please email earlycareers@weightmans.com or call us on +44 (0)345 073 9900.

  • Stage 3 — Virtual interview

    If you are successful at the HIPO-I assessment, you will be invited to attend a virtual interview with a member of HR and a Partner or Principal Associate from the Firm. The interview will be conducted via Zoom and will include a presentation. Virtual interviews will take place the week commencing Monday 18 March 2024.

    Please note, there will be no other dates available.

  • Stage 4 — assessment centre

    If you are successful at the virtual interview stage, you will then be invited to attend an assessment centre. This will consist of two parts: a group exercise and a written exercise. Before you attend, you will be given the opportunity to attend an online insight session which will be designed to prepare you for assessment, we will then walk you through the day and answer any questions you may have. You will also be provided with a written brief. Assessment centres will take place on the following weeks:

    • Week commencing Monday 29 April 2024
    • Week commencing Monday 6 May 2024

    Please note, there will be no other dates available.

We welcome you to contact us if you have any queries regarding this process.

Application tips

Watch our video below where Marc Prats from our early careers team provides some hints and tips for those looking to apply for one of our early careers programmes.

We welcome you to contact us if you have any queries regarding this process.

Summer vacation scheme

If you are interested, please check out our Summer Vacation Scheme page for more information.

Meet us and find out more

We are attending the following careers fair. Please keep an eye on this page for further events to be added.

  • Law fairs & careers fairs

    Thursday 22 February 2024 — UCLAN Business and Law Careers Fair

     

    To attend, please contact the university or organisation directly.

  • Open evenings

    Please click on the link below to register for our final online virtual open evening.

    We will be scheduling more open evenings to take place in Autumn 2024; please keep an eye on this page for further information.

    4 January — 4.30 – 5.30

Do you have any further queries?

Please contact our graduate recruitment team on +44 (0)345 073 9900, earlycareers@weightmans.com or by tweeting your question to @WeightmansJobs with the hashtag #askatrainee.