Our training contract

Our expertise

• As a firm, we are recognised by our clients and the industry alike as being distinct:

  • for our deep understanding, insight and advice to creative, innovative and brand-focused businesses;

  • for our market-leading international practice in employment, immigration and reward; and

  • for delivering pragmatic, commercial advice in a refreshingly human way.

• With 74 partners and more than 450 staff, our firm is structured around two key divisions:

  • Creators, Makers & Innovators (CMI)

    We are leading advisers for creative, innovative and brand-focused business, offering the full spectrum of legal services to support creative clients in a complex and converging international marketplace. From incorporating a new business, renewing a lease, registering a design, and protecting data or intellectual property, to expanding a business internationally, or handling major commercial disputes, we are able to provide the focus and commercial expertise needed. Read more about just one of the many interesting cases our trainees are able to contribute to here.

  • Employment, Immigration & Reward (EIR)

    Our EIR team offers an unrivalled service, supporting many of the world’s leading businesses with their HR, immigration and employment law needs. Through membership of Ius Laboris, the global alliance of specialist employment law firms, we offer an unmatched depth of support to clients’ international employment law needs, covering over 100 countries and with 1,400 of the world’s best employment lawyers through members, affiliates and favoured firms. From drafting contracts and policies, advising on tribunal claims, transferring employees from one business to another and hiring foreign nationals to work in the UK, to dealing with disciplinary and grievance issues, investigating complex workplace issues and handling complex and high value court claims involving unlawful competition, team moves, confidential information and post-termination restrictions, we support employers and employees on every stage of the employment relationship. Read more about just one of the many interesting cases our trainees are able to contribute to here.

Our Training

• Our two-year training contract programme provides you with an excellent foundation for a rewarding and stimulating career in law. Our trainees complete two years of training across four, six-month seats, typically spending time in our employment and dispute resolution teams as well as choosing from our other available seats:

*These seats are available on an adhoc basis.

• Our seat rotation policy ensures you have the opportunity to personalise your training programme towards your main areas of interest. We recommend trying a variety of seats but if there's one area you’re particularly passionate about, we'll do our best to accommodate you.

• Our trainees are also able to spend six months in one of our client’s in-house legal departments, allowing you the chance to improve your commerciality, build your legal expertise and hone your people skills. You’ll get to learn your client from the inside, giving you a well-rounded view of the legal profession.

• Throughout your training contract, you will have regular catch-ups with a dedicated member of the Human Resources team to talk about how you see your future evolving.

• During each seat, you’ll work closely with your supervisor to identify and build on your strengths. You’ll be encouraged to seek work from across the team, ensuring you receive a range of experience in each area.

• Upon qualification, you’ll be able to apply for any vacancies on offer. We aim to retain all our trainees and have achieved a great retention record for the past three years.

• Once you qualify, your personal and professional development remain our priority. We’ll continue to provide training and support throughout your career, starting with our foundational NQ workshop.

What you'll do

• Our trainees begin their career at Lewis Silkin with a two-week induction programme. You’ll receive all the training you’ll need to be able to make a fantastic contribution to the firm from the outset.

• At the start of each seat, you’ll be allocated a supervisor who will act as your mentor and provide you with regular feedback. They’ll also feedback more formally on your progress on two occasions – mid-way through your seat and at the end of your seat. These sessions will provide you with clear insight into your development so that you are able to enhance your experience, taking on more responsibility as you progress.

• Your supervisor will also be responsible for monitoring your workload. Whilst your typical tasks will vary depending on which team you’re sat with, you will most likely be:

  • Note-taking - you may attend investigation meetings, witness meetings and tribunal / court hearings where you will be expected to take a note of what is said.

  • Researching – you’ll often be asked to research the actual law, examining previous decisions to support your current work.

  • Bundling - you may be responsible for putting together indexes and files of evidence and correspondence to date.

  • Drafting - you may get the chance to write the first draft of documents such as letters and witness statements.

  • Getting involved in business development – you may find yourself assisting with creating slides for client training presentations or writing articles to publish externally.

Diversity and Inclusion

• We recognise that a more inclusive workplace allows for a plethora of ideas and thoughts, a variety of points of view that can trigger discussions or deliver innovative results as well as a wide scope of versatile skills and expertise. That’s why as part of our trainee recruitment process, we use the Rare Contextual Recruitment System, which uses big data to help us identify candidates with the greatest potential.

• The system allows us to look far beyond what a more traditional recruitment process might be able to tell us about someone's past achievements and future potential. It helps us to spot exciting talent we might otherwise have missed, and ensure we build an even richer and more diverse staff population.

• You can read more about our commitment to diversity here.

Applications for our London and Cardiff 2025 Training Contracts open on 10 October. Apply here. Applications for our Belfast Training Contracts will open on 02 November.