Clyde & Co

Next deadline

Insight days 2026 - Bristol Insight Day (in person) · 29 Oct 2026

(2 days)

Apply now

In their own words

Global reach, sector expertise, early responsibility, meaningful impact.

Snapshot

Firm type

International

UK offices

London, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Guildford, Belfast, Aberdeen, Southampton

International offices

Over 70 offices worldwide

Training contract places

Vacation scheme places

First-year salary

London: £48,500; Manchester: £33,000; Bristol £40,000; Scotland: £28,500; Belfast: £25,900

Second-year salary

London: £51,000; Manchester: £35,500; Bristol £42,000; Scotland £34,000; Belfast £29,200

Newly qualified salary

London: up to £90,000; Region: up to £60,000

Trainee retention

76%

SQE support

Full funding for SQE1 and SQE2, full PGDL funding, and a maintenance grant. No retrospective funding for self-funders, though the firms offers pro-rata support from the point an offer is accepted if a candidate is mid-course.

Visa sponsorship

Yes

International secondment

Yes

Client secondment

Yes

Guaranteed secondment

Recruitment route

Direct training contract and vacation scheme

Rolling recruitment?

Seat structure

4 six-month long seats and non-rotational programmes

Can trainees repeat a seat?

Can trainees express seat preferences?

Yes, but they are not guaranteed

Trainee salaries review

Annually

Non-law applicants

Actively encouraged

Career-changer applicants

Actively encouraged

Remote working

Standard hybrid only

Minimum academic requirements

AAB at A level or equivalent, and 2.1 at degree level

Typical start time

9:30am

Typical finish time

5:30pm

Wellbeing support

Mental health first aiders, wellbeing day, subsidised gym, health and dental insurance and cover, wellbeing workshops, EAP

Holiday allowance

25 days minimum

Additional leave

Wellbeing day

% female trainees

71%

% female partners

29%

% BAME trainees

26%

% BAME partners

SQE1 and SQE2 funding

Yes, full funding

SQE1 and SQE2 maintenance grant

Yes

PGDL funding

Yes, full funding

Retrospective funding

Employee Resource Groups

Culture & Heritage Network, Gender Equality Network, Faith Network, Disability, Neurodiversity & Accessibility Network, Mental Wellbeing Network, Parents & Carers Network, Pride Network

Before you apply

Before you apply, ask yourself:

Do you know what area you want to practice? Certain regional offices, like Bristol, offer non-rotational training contracts.

Insurance and transport are two of the firm's biggest areas, are they areas that interest you and that you could touch on in an interview?

Some trainees in London also work in the Guildford office, is this something you're comfortable doing in your training contract?

Next deadline

Insight days 2026 - Bristol Insight Day (in person)

29 Oct 2026

(2 days)

View job

Deep dive

Explore this firm in detail

What makes it different

"Our sector-focused approach sets us apart. We are recognised for our expertise in insurance, transport, infrastructure, energy, trade and commodities, combining deep industry knowledge with high-quality legal advice.”

What this could mean for you

The firm's Band 1 UK-wide rankings are in aviation, contentious insurance, clinical negligence, personal injury, professional discipline and travel, all of which are contentious. You will be learning how a ship, an aircraft or an insurance policy actually works alongside the law, and build your industry knowledge as you develop.

"You don't have to be the finished article to apply for an early careers role here."

What this could mean for you

The selection process is built around strengths rather than polish. There is no long written application, the online stage is a critical reasoning test paired with a strengths assessment, and both the video interview and the final interview are strengths-based, which means the firm is testing how you think and what energises you.

“We work on a 70:20:10 principle, in that most of your learning happens when you're hands-on with tasks. But we won't leave you to figure it out alone.”

What this could mean for you

The model splits learning into seventy per cent from doing the work, twenty from the people around you and ten from formal courses. You will learn by doing the work, with training running alongside it rather than in front of it.

Practice area strengths

Insurance

This Band 1 practice generally works insurer-side, and has some of the biggest names in the sector as clients. These have included AIG, Allianz and Aviva, but also some individual professionals.

Casualty

Within casualty sit thirteen subgroups, including catastrophic injury, motor, fraud, abuse and neglect and occupational disease. Trainees in this practice can expect to have their own caseload from the outset, and work on a high volume of matters.

Energy, Marine and Trade

The work in this practice covers everything clients in these sectors could need, from insurance and operational matters, to dispute resolution and arbitration support when things don't go to plan.

All practice areas

Aviation and aerospaceCasualtyClimate change riskCommercialDispute resolutionCorporateBusiness advisoryInsuranceComplianceData, privacy and cybersecurityDronesEducationEmploymentPensionsImmigrationEnergyMarineEnvironmentalFinanceGlobal recoveriesHealthcareHospitalityInfrastructureRestructuring and insolvencyIntellectual propertyInternational arbitrationProfessional practicesProjectsConstructionReal estateRegulatory and governanceRetailTaxTechnologyOutsourcingCommoditiesTrade

Who it may suit

Before you apply, ask yourself:

Do you know what area you want to practice? Certain regional offices, like Bristol, offer non-rotational training contracts.
Insurance and transport are two of the firm's biggest areas, are they areas that interest you and that you could touch on in an interview?
Some trainees in London also work in the Guildford office, is this something you're comfortable doing in your training contract?

This firm may suit candidates who…

Would rather get a high level of exposure and the opportunity to take charge of their own matters early.
Are curious and looking to learn about very technical areas of law, especially in shipping, aviation and insurance related matters.
Understand the impact legal services can have on individuals, especially when work on casualty or insurance matters.

Things to consider

The firm generally recruits most of its trainees from its vacation scheme routes, or from paralegals within the firm.
Despite the large network of offices, secondment opportunities are largely client-based.

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

Standard hybrid only.

Holiday allowance

25 days minimum plus a wellbeing day.

Office attendance

Four days a week in the office.

Application process

Online application form

(10 minutes)

What happens

Basic personal information only. The careers site confirms "There are no lengthy written tasks for you to complete here", which explains the short time. It's the same form for the vacation scheme and the direct training contract route. Non-rolling, shortlisting happens only after the window closes

Online assessment

(1 hour)

What happens

Two parts: a critical reasoning test and a Cappfinity strengths assessment using slider and rank-order questions.

Assessing

Time recorded rather than time limited, but speed as well as accuracy counts towards the score. Must be completed within 5 days of the invitation. An automated feedback report follows this stage.

How to prepare

The firm points candidates to the Cappfinity Preparation Hub at https://hub.preparationplus.com/

Video interview

(40 minutes)

What happens

This is a pre-recorded video interview.

Assessing

There are several questions focusing on motivation for the firm and role, but also situational-based questions to test the strengths the firm looks for in trainees.

How to prepare

There is no advance practice beyond a practice question inside the tool.

Assessment centre

(Full day)

What happens

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