Bevan Brittan

Next deadline

2026 Virtual insight evening - Training Contract & Vacation Scheme · 16 Nov 2026

(21 days)

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In their own words

Early responsibility, flexible working, inclusive culture, high quality work

Snapshot

Firm type

National

UK offices

Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, London

International offices

Not disclosed

Training contract places

Vacation scheme places

First-year salary

London: £37,000, Birmingham, Bristol and Leeds: £31,000

Second-year salary

London: £40,000, Birmingham, Bristol and Leeds: £34,000

Newly qualified salary

London: £70,000, Birmingham, Bristol and Leeds: £60,000

Trainee retention

100%

SQE support

Yes, full SQE1 and SQE2 funding.

Visa sponsorship

Yes

International secondment

Client secondment

Yes

Guaranteed secondment

Recruitment route

Direct training contract and vacation scheme

Rolling recruitment?

Yes

Seat structure

4 six-month long seats

Can trainees repeat a seat?

Sometimes, depending on circumstances

Can trainees express seat preferences?

Yes, they are taken into account

Trainee salaries review

Annually

Non-law applicants

Actively encouraged

Career-changer applicants

Actively encouraged

Remote working

Standard hybrid only

Minimum academic requirements

2:1 at University, ABB at A-level or equivalent

Typical start time

8:00am to 8:30am

Typical finish time

17:15pm to 18:40pm

Wellbeing support

Private health insurance including a subsidised gym membership, mental health first aiders, Employee Assistance Programme, access to the Thrive Mental Wellbeing app

Minimum holiday

25 days

% female trainees

63%

% female partners

54%

% BAME trainees

39%

% BAME partners

12%

% state school trainees

72%

SQE1 and SQE2 funding

Yes, full funding

SQE1 and SQE2 maintenance grant

Yes

PGDL funding

Yes, full funding

Retrospective funding

Before you apply

Before you apply, ask yourself:

Vacation scheme or direct application? The firm typically fills most places using the vacation scheme.

How important is your first seat choice? Trainees rank six preferences each rotation, but priority goes to those nearer qualification.

Are you happy to work across different offices? Trainees can apply across all four, and the firm covers travel if a supervisor is based elsewhere.

Is having a strong work life balance important to you?

Next deadline

2026 Virtual insight evening - Training Contract & Vacation Scheme

16 Nov 2026

(21 days)

View job

Deep dive

Explore this firm in detail

What makes it different

"Alongside our recognised expertise in housing, local government, and health and social care, we are specialists in the construction, energy and resource management, higher education and financial services sectors."

What this could mean for you

The first half of that sentence is where the rankings sit. Every UK-wide Band 1 the firm holds is public sector, and all fourteen of its Legal 500 tier 1 rankings are in public sector, healthcare, social housing or South West regional tables. The sectors named second are growth areas for the firm: the training principal describes moving towards a 50-50 split by growing the commercial side faster, rather than reducing the public work. You will spend most of your training working for hospitals, councils and housing providers. If you want corporate or finance work, you would be joining a fast growing part of the business.

"Our trainee solicitors get a tailored training and development programme that gives them early exposure to real work for real clients, and this careful management of the learning process allows confidence to grow alongside experience."

What this could mean for you

The responsibility is real and arrives quickly. In health and care, trainees begin on medical records and conference arrangements and by the end of the seat are running cases under supervision. In property regeneration, they draft leases and licences in volume, with commercial property being described as "hands-off, but in a good way". Every seat comes with both a supervisor and a buddy, though how much contact you get varies by department.

"We don't mandate any days in the office, but we do rely on our individual teams to agree on what flexible working looks like for that team."

What this could mean for you

There is no firm-wide rule, so the answer depends on your team. Trainees are encouraged to be for a minimum of two to three days a week, with teams free to choose pre-agreed days on top, and trainees report three as typical but negotiable. The flip side is your supervisor may not be in on the days you are.

Practice area strengths

Health and care

Bevan Brittan are a Chambers Band 1 UK-wide firm for healthcare and mental health providers, Band 2 for clinical negligence defence and Court of Protection, and Band 3 for inquests. Their practice is split into Resolution, which defends NHS trusts against clinical negligence claims, and Regulatory, covering inquests, mental health, serious medical cases and children's law. Some prominent clients include University Hospitals Birmingham, the Royal Free London, Guy's and St Thomas', and Barts Health NHS.

Property

The property practice at Bevan Brittan covers commercial property, property regeneration and property litigation, with the regeneration practice weighted towards leasing and licensing work for local authorities. Recently the team advised the City of London Corporation on the Museum of London redevelopment at Smithfield General Market, across agreements and leases worth £437m.

Employment, pensions and immigration

In this practice, the client base is heavily weighted towards the public sector, with strong ties to the NHS specifically. The firm runs a single national team that works across all four offices and has recently defended 52 English and Welsh fire and rescue authorities in the national public sector pension discrimination litigation, and advised National Savings and Investments on a £1bn IT outsourcing agreement.

All practice areas

HealthPropertyEmploymentBanking and financeCharitiesCommercialDispute resolutionCompetitionConstructionCorporateCriminalRegulatory and complianceData, privacy and cybersecurityESGRegulatory and governanceHealthcareImmigrationHousing litigationHousebuildingICTLitigationPlanningProcurementPublic law

Who it may suit

Before you apply, ask yourself:

Vacation scheme or direct application? The firm typically fills most places using the vacation scheme.
How important is your first seat choice? Trainees rank six preferences each rotation, but priority goes to those nearer qualification.
Are you happy to work across different offices? Trainees can apply across all four, and the firm covers travel if a supervisor is based elsewhere.
Is having a strong work life balance important to you?

This firm may suit candidates who…

Want to see the tangible results of their work in a hospital, school or housing estate.
Came to law late or by an unusual route. Three years of relevant commercial experience can stand in place of the stated ABB and 2:1, and there are no online tests at any stage.
Want nationally ranked work without basing themselves in London. The firm's Band 1 rankings are UK-wide and three of its four offices are outside the City.
Want courtroom exposure during their training rather than after it. Trainees attend hearings from early on, and the health and litigation seats take in trials and inquests.

Things to consider

The health and care department acts for NHS trusts against negligence claims, and the same team covers inquests and mental health cases.
The main application route is a two-week vacation scheme, which is harder to take if you are already working. Direct applications are considered, but the firm fills most of its places from the scheme.
Supervision is not uniform. Some trainees report weekly catch-ups, others say partners rely on the trainee to keep the contact going.

Culture & support

Office type

Fully open plan

Employee networks

Black Employee Network, East Asian Network, LGBTQ+ Network, Menopause Network and South Asian Employee Network.

Application process

Online application form

(1-2 hours)

Pre-recorded video interview

(20-30 minutes)

How to prepare

Practice tests are made available to you before your interview.

Route A, vacation scheme

(Two weeks)

What happens

You sit in a single department for two weeks, with the induction held in the Bristol office regardless of the office you sit the remainder of the scheme in. Candidates are assessed throughout and the scheme includes a client pitch, a group task and an interview with two partners and a member of the Early Talent team.

Route B, assessment centre

(Half day)

What happens

Stages: 1. Welcome and insights into the firm 2. Group assessment exercise 3. Trainee Q&A 4. Partner and Early Talent interview (conducted virtually in the days following the assessment centre).

Events

Property & energy at Bevan Brittan

Discover how property law plays a key role in the energy sector and the transition to a more sustainable future with lawyers from Bevan Brittan’s Property Energy team.

Tuesday 27 October12:00 - 13:00

Secure your place