What is a training contract?

You also gain a lot of practical work experience, where you will sample a wide range of practice areas available depending upon the work-focus of the firm offering you the Training Contract. 

The training contract is usually comprised of some induction/orientation training in the beginning, followed by some formal training sessions and rotations around the various areas of practice for a set period of time known as ‘seats’. 

The duration of a seat varies from firm to firm but is usually about four seats for a period of six months each. Trainees are assigned to a supervisor in every seat, who allocates, monitors and reviews tasks done by the trainee solicitor.

Performance in every seat will allow you and the firm to get an understanding of your capabilities and strengths in that department, enabling future planning for specialisation.

The Professional Skills Course

The Professional Skills Course (PSC) is also a recent innovation introduced by the Law Society. The programme aims to gauge your learning and achievements during the Legal Practice Course and training contracts.

The Professional Skills Course (PSC) consists of three core modules: financial & business ; client care & professional standards and advocacy & communication. In addition to the core modules, trainee solicitors will need to undertake about 24 hours of elective modules. 

As mentioned before, most Professional Skills Course (PSC) programmes are conducted by the firms themselves. The core part needs to be finished in the first phase itself, while elective modules can be completed over a period of time but definitely before the end of the training contract.

Where to apply & seat rotations

You will usually apply to law firms having a good practice in a particular area; most are full-service firms and are usually in the commercial category, but all interests are catered for at varying degrees. So, if you’re looking to become a solicitor in commercial and business law, it is best to apply to such firms. Medium-sized or smaller or boutique firms will usually have a practice specialization in a particular area of law. 

Others may have 2 – 3 or more areas which are interrelated and work only in these. Some instances of such specialities are shipping, aviation, international trade & movement of goods as a combination; IP & IT as a set, etc. For more information on the various areas of law, see our relevant section on it.

Within full-service or multi-speciality firms, your choice of seats during the training period is also very important. Most firms will have a few preconditions on selection of seats; there are Law Society rules to consider and also important is the availability of training capacities in the area you would want to spend time in. 

In smaller or boutique firms, choice of seats will be very limited, but since you’ve picked these firms for their speciality, these shouldn’t be a problem.

Most large firms also offer trainee solicitors the opportunity to take up client secondments or overseas placements, usually towards the end of the second year and it is always advisable to make good use of such chances. 

The size, scale and operations of law firms differ quite a bit.

How to decide which firm?

Copious amounts of research can give you some idea of the range and variety of work available, even word of mouth feedback or reputation in the market can help decide what the best fit is for you.

But how do you decide that all that information and feedback is actually based on reality and absolute fact? Work placements are the answer. 

Taking up multiple vacation schemes while still studying for your degree will provide you with first-hand experience of how it will be to work as a full-fledged solicitor. Most firms offer various schemes throughout the year and at various stages for law and non-law students. 

Most programmes run for one or more weeks and you get to spend time with practising lawyers and partners, assist in tasks related to casework and most firms conduct some form of evaluations during this period to gauge potential and fit for a future career as a solicitor.

The application process

Law students should start looking at sending in applications at the end of their second year, non-law students during the final year and with the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) enrolment process underway or complete.

Applications should be sent to the selected firms directly; most of the websites carry on-line application forms and guidance in completing the process and the schedule for recruitment. 

Important points to remember while selecting firms are contents of the training programme support for Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) & Legal Practice Course (LPC) course, salary levels, standing in the market, variety and range of practice available and feedback from former and current trainees. 

22-09-2009