A training contract is a two-year period of supervised work at a law firm or organisation that prepares you to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales. Under the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), the formal requirement is now two years of “qualifying work experience” (QWE), but most large firms still run structured two-year trainee programmes, and most people still call them training contracts. They usually involve four six-month “seats” in different departments, supervision by experienced solicitors, and support with SQE exams.
This guide is for students and graduates aiming to qualify as solicitors, especially at commercial firms. It explains how training contracts work now, how they fit the SQE, how firms recruit, what the application process involves, how to stand out, and what to do if you don’t get one.
Training contracts before and after the SQE
Until 2021, the standard route was a qualifying law degree (or a conversion course), the Legal Practice Course (LPC) and then a two-year training contract. The SQE replaced that structure for new entrants. Now everyone must:
- hold a degree or equivalent qualification,
- pass SQE1 and SQE2,
- complete two years of qualifying work experience,
- pass the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s character and suitability checks.
QWE can be gained with up to four organisations, including as a paralegal or in a law clinic, as long as a solicitor confirms it. A training contract is therefore one structured way to get QWE in a single organisation, not the only way. Transitional rules allow some candidates who started the old route before September 2021 to qualify through it until the end of 2032. See the SQE route explained for the full rules.
What a modern training contract looks like
Seats and rotations
Most firms rotate trainees through four six-month seats. A commercial firm might require seats in corporate, finance or real estate, and disputes, with choices among specialist areas such as employment, intellectual property, tax or competition. Some firms use different seat lengths or allow trainees to repeat a seat in the team they hope to qualify into.
Supervision and feedback
Each seat has a supervisor, usually a senior associate or partner, who allocates work, reviews drafts and gives feedback. Firms typically hold mid-seat and end-of-seat reviews, and these feed into qualification decisions.
Secondments
Some firms send trainees on client secondments (working inside a client’s legal team) or international secondments to overseas offices. Secondments offer a different perspective and are popular with trainees.
Exams and study support
Many large firms pay for SQE preparation courses and exam fees, and sometimes a maintenance grant during study, usually before the training contract starts. Some combine SQE preparation with a master’s degree.
Qualification
At the end of the programme, trainees who have completed QWE and passed the SQE can qualify. Firms then offer newly qualified (NQ) roles in particular departments; retention rates vary by firm and year.
How firms recruit trainees
Large firms usually recruit about two years before the training contract starts. Common routes:
- Vacation schemes: placements of one to three weeks, often the main pipeline to training contracts. Many firms recruit a large share of trainees from their schemes.
- Direct training contract applications: some firms take direct applications from final-year students and graduates.
- First-year programmes and open days: insight events for first-year students that can lead to fast-track routes.
- Solicitor apprenticeships: an alternative for school leavers, combining work and study.
Deadlines vary, but many fall in the autumn and winter for schemes the following year. Keep a spreadsheet of firms, deadlines and requirements, and apply early, since some firms review applications on a rolling basis.
The application process
Most large firms use a similar sequence:
- Online application with questions about motivation, competencies and commercial awareness.
- Online tests, such as situational judgement tests or the Watson Glaser critical thinking test.
- Video or telephone interview.
- Assessment centre: group exercise, written task, case study and partner interview.
Each stage filters candidates, so treat early stages as seriously as the final interview. Our legal CV guide and the legal interview questions guide help with written and interview stages.
How to stand out
- Show genuine interest in the firm. Connect its practice strengths, clients and training approach to your own interests, using specific examples.
- Demonstrate commercial awareness. Explain business stories clearly and link them to legal work and clients.
- Use specific, evidenced examples of teamwork, resilience, attention to detail and communication.
- Write precisely. Application answers are a test of writing; keep them clear, structured and error-free.
- Apply selectively. Ten to fifteen well-researched applications usually beat fifty generic ones.
What trainees actually do in each seat
Trainee work varies by department, but some patterns are common across firms.
Corporate seats involve due diligence on target companies, drafting board minutes and ancillary documents, maintaining deal checklists and helping organise signings. Trainees often see the full life of a transaction.
Finance seats focus on conditions precedent checklists, reviewing security documents, collating signatures and supporting loan and bond transactions.
Real estate seats can involve reviewing title documents, preparing reports on title, drafting simple leases and licences, and handling completion formalities. Trainees sometimes run small matters themselves under supervision.
Disputes seats include legal research, document review for disclosure, preparing court bundles, drafting witness statement outlines and attending hearings or client meetings.
Specialist seats such as employment, intellectual property, tax, competition or private client give trainees deeper exposure to one area and are often where they discover what to qualify into.
Across all seats, trainees are judged on reliability, accuracy and how quickly they learn. Our guide to the first 90 days in a legal job explains the habits that impress supervisors early.
Choosing where to apply
Not every firm suits every candidate. Before applying, compare firms on:
| Factor | Questions to ask |
|---|---|
| Practice strengths | Which areas is the firm known for? Do they match your interests? |
| Client base | Large corporates, financial institutions, private individuals, public sector? |
| Intake size | Large intakes offer peer support; small intakes can mean more responsibility |
| Seat structure | Are any seats compulsory? Can you choose specialist seats? |
| Secondments | Are client or international secondments available? |
| Retention | How many trainees typically stay on qualification? |
| Culture and hours | What do current trainees say about workload and support? |
| Location | City, national, regional or international offices? |
Speaking to current trainees at law fairs, open days and online events is the best way to answer these questions honestly. Firms’ own brochures are useful but naturally positive.
A realistic timeline for students
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| First year | Attend open days and first-year schemes; start following business news; build part-time work experience |
| Second (penultimate) year, autumn–winter | Apply for vacation schemes and, at some firms, direct training contracts |
| Penultimate year, spring–summer | Attend vacation schemes; interview for training contracts |
| Final year | Apply to firms that recruit final-year students and graduates; consider paralegal work as a backup |
| After graduating | SQE preparation (often firm-funded), then the training contract begins |
Non-law students often apply during their final year or after graduating, so the timeline can shift by a year. Check each firm’s eligibility criteria.
Training contract vs building QWE elsewhere
A training contract offers structure, funded exams, rotation across practice areas and a clear route to an NQ role. Building QWE through paralegal or in-house roles offers flexibility and earnings while you qualify, but requires more planning: you need solicitors to confirm each period and you must fund your own SQE study unless an employer helps. Many candidates combine both, gaining paralegal QWE while continuing to apply for trainee programmes.
Trainee pay
Trainee salaries vary widely in England and Wales, from around the national minimum wage at some small firms to high salaries at large City and U.S. firms in London. The SRA no longer sets a specific minimum for trainees beyond the national minimum wage. Large firms often add bonuses, pension contributions and study support. Check firm websites and legal press salary surveys for current figures.
Life as a trainee: hours, support and expectations
Trainee hours depend on the firm and seat. At large commercial firms, corporate and finance seats can involve long days around deal deadlines, while some specialist seats are more predictable. Smaller and regional firms often offer steadier hours. Most firms provide formal training sessions, a supervisor, a mentor or “buddy” from the year above, and regular reviews.
Expectations are fairly consistent across firms:
- Accuracy over speed at the start, then increasing speed as you learn.
- Responsiveness: replying to emails promptly and flagging if you can’t meet a deadline.
- Ownership: keeping track of your tasks and following up without being chased.
- Professional conduct: confidentiality, careful communication with clients and honest time recording.
Trainees who ask good questions, take feedback well and show steady improvement usually do well, even if their first weeks feel overwhelming.
How qualification decisions are made
Towards the end of the programme, trainees apply for newly qualified roles, usually stating one or two preferred departments. Firms consider seat reviews, feedback from supervisors and partners, the needs of each team and sometimes an interview. Doing well in the seat you want to qualify into helps, but so does a strong overall record, because teams talk to each other. If your preferred team has no vacancy, the firm may offer a role elsewhere, and some trainees choose to qualify at another firm.
Online tests: what to expect
Many firms use online tests early in the process to manage high application volumes. The most common are:
- Situational judgement tests, which present workplace scenarios and ask you to rank or choose responses. They test judgement, professionalism and alignment with the firm’s values.
- Critical thinking tests such as the Watson Glaser, which assess inference, assumptions, deduction, interpretation and evaluation of arguments.
- Verbal or numerical reasoning tests, used by some firms.
Practice tests are widely available and familiarity improves performance. Take them in a quiet place, read every instruction, and don’t spend too long on any single question.
Common application mistakes
- Copy-paste answers that name the wrong firm or could apply anywhere.
- Answering a different question from the one asked.
- No evidence: claiming skills without examples.
- Weak commercial awareness that repeats a headline without analysis.
- Ignoring word limits or submitting at the last minute with errors.
- Not practising online tests, which screen out many candidates early.
If you don’t get a training contract
You can still qualify. Paralegal roles, in-house legal teams, law clinics and some legal service providers can all provide QWE, as long as a solicitor confirms it. Many people build QWE this way and later secure NQ roles. See how to become a solicitor and our paralegal career guide.
FAQ
Do training contracts still exist?
Yes, in practice. Many firms still run two-year trainee programmes, which now count as qualifying work experience under the SQE.
When should I apply?
Usually two years before you want to start, often in your penultimate or final year at university.
Can non-law students get training contracts?
Yes. Firms recruit heavily from non-law degrees and often fund SQE preparation.
Can previous paralegal experience shorten a training contract?
Some firms recognise earlier QWE and may shorten the programme, but policies differ. Ask the firm directly, because the rules on recognising prior experience vary.
How many applications should I make?
There’s no magic number, but quality matters more than volume. Many successful candidates make around ten to fifteen carefully researched applications per cycle.
What grades do firms require?
Many large firms ask for a strong degree result and good school grades, though an increasing number use contextual recruitment that considers your background and circumstances. Check each firm’s criteria.
Is it worth taking a gap year before applying?
It can be, if you use the time to gain legal or commercial experience. A year as a paralegal or in a business role often strengthens an application.
Next step
Shortlist eight to twelve firms whose practice areas and culture genuinely interest you, note their deadlines, and attend at least one open day or online event for each. Then draft your motivation answers early, so you have time to refine them before applications open. Our solicitor vs barrister comparison is worth reading first if you’re still choosing between the two professions.
