Trainee Solicitor Recruitment

Become a Trainee Solicitor at The Wilkes Partnership

As a trainee at the Wilkes Partnership, you will be given all of the support you need and every opportunity to grow. You’ll be involved in client meetings to help to develop your soft skills while taking part in the ongoing development programme that’s available to all our professional staff. This will provide the breadth and depth of understanding you’ll need to establish and maintain your professional presence.

Applications are now open for training contracts commencing in 2026. To apply please click on the button below to complete our application form.

Join us at one of our Insight days!

We are excited to announce that applications are now open to attend one of our Insight Days which will be taking place across the next few months. These events offer you the opportunity to gain an insight into life at Wilkes.

This opportunity is offered to anyone who is interested in a future career in law. These will offer both practical and knowledge-based sessions, time with our current trainees to talk about their experiences as well as behind-the-scenes insight into the day-to-day life in a law firm. The first one of these events will be taking place in March and we hope to see you there!

To apply, please email a copy of your CV to [email protected] including a cover letter giving further details on why you are interested in the firm and what you hope to gain from the Insights Day by Thursday 29th February 2023. If you have any questions, please contact the firm’s Training Principal, Kate Hackett, at [email protected].

Join Us as a Trainee Solicitor

Who we’re looking for: Our reputation is built on providing first-class legal advice which we are able to provide through our skilled teams. We want to continue to do this by recruiting the most promising candidates for our trainee programme.

We are looking for the following characteristics from our trainees:

  • Curiosity
    We want people who can ask questions, who want to understand why something is the way it is, and who will persevere in finding out the answers. Our highest performers are people who want to learn and keep learning throughout their careers.
  • Drive
    From Day 1 you’ll be involved with cases and meeting clients and will be seen as a key part of the team you’re working in. We, therefore, need individuals who are self-motivated and take ownership of their work.
  • Team Player
    Our success depends on how well we work together and so we need people who will always step in to help out colleagues and can juggle their priorities to ensure the team succeeds. We also want individuals who work beyond their own immediate team and become involved in the wider business.
  • Client-Focused
    Without our clients, we have no business and so we need people who strive to understand exactly what our clients want from us and deliver the highest quality of service to them. You will also need to be active in promoting yourself and the firm externally to help ensure the future success of Wilkes.
  • Integrity
    We pride ourselves on holding ourselves accountable to high standards, as is evident through our Lexcel accreditation. The key to this is that we always have the utmost integrity in everything we do and that we are open and honest with our clients.
  • Academic Requirements
    If you have achieved a minimum of ABB at A Level and have achieved, or are on course to achieve, at least a 2.1 classification at degree level there could be an opportunity waiting for you.

If you would like to know more about being part of the next generation of experts at the Wilkes Partnership, please get in touch with one of our current trainees.

A Training Contract at Wilkes

During your training contract, you will generally complete four 6-month seats that give you the chance to experience issues from private clients to commercial litigation, and business recovery to personal injury and clinical negligence.

The exact seats will be determined according to business requirements but could include:

A Typical Day in a Trainee Solicitor Role

What Makes Us Different From Other Firms?

The keys things you’ll find at Wilkes that make us stand out are:

  • Work-Life Balance
    Whilst our team is busy, ambitious and works hard, we do not have (or foster) an "excessive hours culture" found in many larger firms doing similar quality work. Instead, we aim to provide flexibility where possible for staff in their working hours and location and support all staff in maintaining a good work-life balance.
  • Quality of Training
    We are recognised as providing some of the highest quality training contracts in Birmingham and the West Midlands, with individuals having the opportunity to work in a wide range of practice areas not always offered at other firms. Our size means that individuals get the benefit of more hands-on experience they may not get at larger firms, balanced with the support of more senior colleagues which may not be the case at smaller firms.
    Alongside your day-to-day work, we also provide a number of formal training courses that aim to develop the additional skills you will need as a solicitor, such as networking, financial knowledge and marketing.
  • Friendly Culture
    At Wilkes, we don’t have the traditional hierarchical feel of a lot of law firms. We are a friendly, down-to-earth bunch and promote the attitude that everyone in the firm is approachable.
  • Community-Focused
    Our history is firmly embedded in Birmingham and the West Midlands and as a firm, we believe we have a responsibility to make a positive impact on our local community. We encourage all staff to participate in our regular Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives including fund-raising for our nominated charity and participating in organised volunteering events. As part of this, we provide an additional 2 days paid leave for all staff to participate in volunteering activities.

Any Questions?

If you have any questions about a training contract with the Wilkes Partnership or want to know more about the application process, contact our Training Recruitment Partner, Kate Hackett.

However, if you’d like to know what your time as a trainee with us would be like, why not contact one of our current trainees?

Emma Richardson Contentious Probate

Emma Richardson

2nd year Trainee
ellie trainee(1)

Olivia Meek

1st year Trainee
Natasha Patel

Natasha Patel

2nd year Trainee
ellie trainee

Ellie Chapman

1st year Trainee
Michela Martinelli

Michela Martinelli

2nd year Trainee
ellie trainee(2)

Ryan Gardner

1st year Trainee
Emily Conway

Emily Conway

2nd year Trainee
Lauren Green

Lauren Green

2nd year Trainee

FAQ

Each year, we recruit between 4 and 5 trainee solicitors.

Our Wilkes Insights Experience is aimed at both undergraduates (any subject), and individuals currently studying for a postgraduate law degree.

It is a 2-day event that provides the opportunity for individuals interested in pursuing a career in law to build their skills and learn more about the day-to-day life of a law firm. The event is a mix of hands-on work experience, and formal training sessions to help you develop the skills you need to become a successful lawyer.

The next dates for our Insights Experience will be published later this year, but are generally organised to coincide with the Easter holidays. To apply to attend, please email a copy of your CV and a cover letter to [email protected].

We are also able to offer work experience for 15-18-year-olds who are interested in pursuing a career in law. To apply for work experience, please forward a copy of your CV and cover letter to [email protected].

We accept applications from anyone in their second year of their degree onwards.

Applications for the 2026 intake are now open and will close on 30th June 2024.

You should complete an application form on our website in which you can set out both your academic achievements, work experience and the reasons you wish to apply to us. Please ensure all sections on the application form are completed in full before submitting it.

Once you have submitted your application, you will receive a confirmation email from us that includes a copy of your application form. If you do not receive this, please email [email protected].

A career as a solicitor is intellectually demanding, and as such we require a high level of academic achievement from candidates.
In general, we ask for:

  • A minimum of ABB at A Level, or equivalent.
  • At least a 2.1 classification at degree level.

However, we consider all applicants holistically and we will not automatically discount your application if these have not been gained. You should ensure your application form reflects any mitigating circumstances we should take into account when looking at your academics.

If you are offered a training contract, this will also be dependent on you successfully passing your Legal Practice Certificate before starting with us.

We are happy to accept applications for individuals pursuing either the route to qualification via the LPC or SQE route.

For those individuals still eligible to qualify via the LPC, this will need to be completed prior to starting your training contract with us. Please note that to follow the LPC route, you must meet the transitional arrangements set out by the SRA.

For those individuals looking to qualify via the SQE route, you will need to complete SQE1 prior to starting your training contract with us. You will be able to complete you SQE2 during your training contract, and you will receive funding of £1,500 towards the cost of this.

Further information on which route to qualification you should follow can be found on the SRA website.

As well as a strong academic background we are looking for the following from our trainees:

Curiosity

We want people who can ask questions, who want to understand why something is the way it is, and will persevere in finding out the answers. Our highest performers are people who want to learn and keep learning throughout their careers.

Drive

From Day 1 you’ll be involved with cases and meeting clients and will be seen as a key part of the team you’re working in. We therefore need individuals who are self-motivated and take ownership of their work.

Team player

Our success depends on how well we work together and so we need people who will always step in to help out colleagues and can juggle their priorities to ensure the team succeeds. We also want individuals who work beyond their own immediate team and become involved in the wider business.

Client-focused

Without our clients, we have no business and so we need people who strive to understand exactly what our clients want from us, and deliver the highest quality of service to them. You will also need to be active in promoting yourself and the firm externally to help ensure the future success of Wilkes.

Integrity

We pride ourselves on holding ourselves accountable to high standards, as is evident through our Lexcel accreditation. Key to this is that we always have the utmost integrity in everything we do and that we are open and honest with our clients.

All applications are considered together to ensure a fair comparison. The initial review takes place shortly after the closing date, and applicants will generally hear back as to whether they have been successful in obtaining an interview within a month of this date.

Please note that when you initially submit your application form online, you will receive a confirmation email which includes a copy of your form. If you don't receive this, please email [email protected]

We don't want our candidates to jump through hoops to secure a role with us. Instead our focus is on getting to know you as an individual, what your strengths are and what you aim to achieve in your career as a solicitor.

We have a single interview day. You will firstly complete a short exercise which aims to help us ascertain whether you have the practical skills needed to be a solicitor.   After this you will have a face-to-face interview with, amongst others, our Training Principal, Kate Hackett and another Partner.

Following the interview, we aim to get back to candidates as soon as possible.

We will stay in regular contact during the period from which you receive an offer and you joining Wilkes. You can also contact us at any time during this period if you have any questions about your training contract.

With your permission, we also share contact details of all our trainees so that you can get to know each other before joining, and start to build up links with the firm.

There may be an opportunity for future trainees to work as paralegals within Wilkes before they commence their training contract. We find both the individual and Wilkes benefit from the practical knowledge they gain during these.

On the rare occasion where this happens, each case is considered individually by the firm, but we will only withdraw a training contract offer in exceptional circumstances.

We review our trainee salaries every year to ensure these are in line with market rates. Starting salary for our 2023 Trainees is £26,000 per annum. Salaries are reviewed in May each year. Upon qualifying, you can expect to earn a minimum of £46,000 per annum.

In addition, our benefits include:

  • 24 days annual leave plus the option to purchase additional days.
  • 2 days paid time off for volunteering
  • Matching 4% pension contributions.
  • Life Assurance of 4X base salary.
  • Medicash health cash plan
  • Discounts on personal conveyancing and wills.
  • Corporate discounts on gym memberships, restaurants and days out.
  • Cycle to Work Scheme
  • Annual flu jabs.

During your training contract, you will generally complete four 6-month seats that give you the chance to experience issues from private client to commercial litigation, and business recovery to personal injury and clinical negligence.

The exact seats will be determined according to business requirements, but could include:

  • Corporate & Commercial
  • Real Estate
  • Business Recovery
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Property & Probate Litigation
  • Private Client
  • Family
  • Personal injury and clinical negligence
  • We aim to take an individual’s preference into account as far as possible.

By joining Wilkes, you will benefit from the opportunity to have much more involvement with work than you may at other larger firms.

Typical work completed by a trainee:

  • you can be required to draft various documents from Wills to Corporate Agreements, Court documents such as Part 36 Offers and Witness Statements;
  • you will attend client meetings, whether that be via telephone, zoom, teams or in person; and
  • you may have the opportunity to attend trials, hearings, mediations and conferences with Counsel.

Our training seats will either be in our Birmingham City Office, or our Stanton Office based in Shirley, Solihull.

You will always be supervised by a qualified member of staff who will provide you with support and guidance in your day-to-day work. You will also have regular meetings with our Training Principal, Kate Hackett, to discuss your progress and address any concerns you or the firm may have.

You will have access to online webinars that cover a wide range of skills and knowledge areas. We also provide a Junior Fee Earner programme that provides you with training in the key soft skills needed by solicitors, such as networking, negotiation, etc.

We pride ourselves on attracting quality candidates and aim to retain as many as possible at the end of their training contracts.

We will have regular discussions with you throughout your training contract to understand your preference in the area of law you wish to pursue. Any available newly qualified (NQ) vacancies are notified to trainees as soon as they are known. Trainees can apply to any team with a vacancy, whether or not they have done a seat in that team.

You can email [email protected] with any questions you have on the application process or how our training contracts work.   Our current trainees would also be happy to answer your questions on what life as a trainee is really like at Wilkes.  Please contact them via the links above.

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