Addleshaw Goddard

Next deadline

ETHNICITY. TALENT. LAW. Leeds · 2 Nov 2026

(6 days)

Apply now

In their own words

Delivering high quality legal outcomes globally

Snapshot

Firm type

International

UK offices

Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, London, Manchester

International offices

16 offices including Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Berlin, Doha, Dubai, Dublin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Luxembourg, Madrid, Munich, Muscat, Paris, Riyadh, Singapore and Warsaw

Training contract places

Vacation scheme places

Not disclosed

First-year salary

London: £52,000, Leeds and Manchester: £33,000, Scotland: £29,000

Second-year salary

London: £56,000, Leeds and Manchester: £36,000, Scotland: £33,000

Newly qualified salary

Not disclosed

Trainee retention

87%

SQE support

Full SQE1 and SQE2 support and maintenance grant

Visa sponsorship

Not disclosed

International secondment

Yes

Client secondment

Yes

Guaranteed secondment

Not disclosed

Recruitment route

Vacation Scheme only

Seat structure

4 six-month seats

Non-law applicants

Actively welcomed

Career-changer applicants

Actively welcomed

Minimum academic requirements

On track for, or achieved, a 2:1 in any degree

Wellbeing support

Cycle scheme, gym allowance, CSR days, season ticket loan, Give as You Earn, buy/sell holiday, life assurance, pension with 5% matched contribution, voluntary critical illness cover, dental and private medical insurance, health screening, health and wellbeing subsidy (£240), Employee Assistance Programme.

Formal Pro Bono Scheme

Yes

% Female partners

34%

% Female fee-earners

57%

SQE1 and SQE2 funding

Yes, full funding

SQE1 and SQE2 maintenance grant

Yes

PGDL funding

Yes

Diversity programmes

OpenAG (LGBTQ+), AG Embrace (Ethnicity), The Vine (Gender), The Ability Forum (Disability and Carers), The SMART Network (Social Mobility), plus Jewish, Christian, Hindu/Sikh/Jain and Muslim faith networks.

Before you apply

Before you apply, ask yourself:

Does the chance of working in a global firm that also has strong North West and Yorkshire regional practices appeal to you?

Is having the opportunity to work on cross-border work important to you?

Next deadline

ETHNICITY. TALENT. LAW. Leeds

2 Nov 2026

(6 days)

View job

Deep dive

Explore this firm in detail

What makes it different

"Got Any Goggles? Because You'll Be Diving Right In"

What this could mean for you

Diving in means live transaction work from the start of a seat. Supervision is one-to-one, so you sit with your supervisor rather than being separated from them.

We deliver excellence through true collaboration and by doing the right things in the right ways.

What this could mean for you

Addleshaw Goddard sets high expectations. This is a high-performing firm, and succeeding here takes real intellectual ability, sharp commercial judgement and ambition. Character is what sets outstanding candidates apart from good ones: the drive to take ownership, the resilience to perform under pressure, and the fit with a culture that values both excellence and how you work with others. Contextual and anonymised applications, the absence of a minimum A-level requirement, and access schemes such as the Legal Access Scheme and Legal Explorers mean talented candidates are judged on their potential rather than their background. Use your application to show evidence of both your ability and your ambition.

Practice area strengths

Real estate

This top-tier UK wide practice has often takes on big-ticket work. Recently the firm has advised on both Arada's stake in the £2.5bn Thameside West regeneration and Tellon Capital on Formula 1's new St James's Park HQ.

Restructuring

Mergers and acquisitions

All practice areas

Real estateRestructuringMergers and acquisitions (M&A)Asset managementBusiness advisoryCharitiesCommercialCompetitionConstructionCorporateData, privacy and cybersecurityData centresData protectionDigital tradeDispute resolutionEnergyESGFinanceFull serviceFinTech and digital assetsFraudHealthIntellectual propertyInternational arbitrationPensionsPrivate clientPrivate equityPrivate fundsPrivate wealthProfessional practicesRisk and complianceSports lawTax

Who it may suit

Before you apply, ask yourself:

Does the chance of working in a global firm that also has strong North West and Yorkshire regional practices appeal to you?
Is having the opportunity to work on cross-border work important to you?

This firm may suit candidates who…

Want serious, high-value work without needing to be based in London.
Are drawn to international exposure, with Addleshaw Goddard boasting both international offices and connections with other firms reaching 100 countries.

Things to consider

Seat allocation is preference-based, but not guaranteed, so you may not get your first-choice practice area at every rotation.
There's no direct training contract application route, so you need to be able to sit a vacation scheme to apply here.

Work-life reality

Work-life balance varies by team, seat and transaction cycle. This section is designed to help you understand the pattern, not reduce the experience to a score.

Flexibility

Hybrid working, generally three office days and two home-working days per week

Holiday allowance

25 days

Culture & support

Diversity networks & partnerships

Includes OpenAG (LGBTQ+), AG Embrace (ethnicity), The Vine (gender), The Ability Forum (disability and carers), the SMART Network (social mobility), and Christian, Hindu, Jain and Sikh, Jewish and Muslim faith networks. The firm is also a founding member of the Legal Neurodiversity Network and NOTICED, a member of the Black Solicitors Network and PRIME, and a founding signatory to Aspiring Solicitors' SMART Legal Commitment, which provides financial assistance to aspiring lawyers from less advantaged backgrounds. Additional initiatives include the Ethnicity Talent Law programme, Rainbow Connection LGBTQ+ mentoring programme and Flourish career development programme.

Application process

Online application form

Critical thinking test

(20-30 minutes)

Voice interview

(15 minutes (including practice))

Assessment centre

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