Irwin Mitchell

Next deadline

Training Contract 2028 & 2029 · 1 Dec 2026

(35 days)

In their own words

Irwin Mitchell is one of the UK’s largest full-service law firms, providing expert legal advice for people and businesses at life’s important moments.

Snapshot

Firm type

Regional

UK offices

Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Chichester, Gatwick, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Reading, Sheffield, Southampton

International offices

N/A

Training contract places

Vacation scheme places

None

First-year salary

Regional: £32,000, London: £44,000

Second-year salary

Regional: £34,000, London: £46,000

Newly qualified salary

Regional: up to £60,000, London: up to £79,000 (depends on stream)

Trainee retention

92%

SQE support

Yes - full

Visa sponsorship

Yes

International secondment

Client secondment

Guaranteed secondment

Holiday allowance

25 days

Office attendance policy

There is no firm wide policy and office attendance is set per practice area and sometimes per office. Usually 3 days in the office but this can vary

Recruitment route

Direct training contract only

Solicitor apprenticeship places

Recruitment screening

Non-rolling

Seat structure

4 six-month long seats

Can trainees repeat seats?

Yes

Can trainees express seat preferences?

Yes (not guaranteed)

Non-law applicants

Actively encouraged

Career changer applicants

Actively encouraged

Remote working

Formal flexible working policy

Wellbeing support

Same as every other employee, including employee assistance programme, online GP service, Healthy Mind Advocates, Cycle to Work, Discounted gym membership, Wellbeing Passport, Managing Stress assessment

Typical start time

8:30am

Typical finish time

18:00pm

Average working hours

40 - 45 hours per week

Additional leave

14 volunteering hours

Parental support

Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption, and shared parental leave

Pro bono

Formal pro bono programme

PGDL funding

Yes, full

Retrospective funding

% female trainees

85%

% female associates

52%

% BAME trainees

30%

% BAME partners

% LGBTQ+ trainees

16%

% LGBTQ+ partners

% state school trainees

75%

% first-gen trainees

42%

Before you apply

Before you apply, ask yourself:

Do you know whether you want to work with individuals or if you would prefer to work with businesses? Applicants to Irwin Mitchell need to choose before applying.

Each office is a different size and therefore teams are a different size too. While part of a large firm (3000 people) and a large trainee cohort (45 trainees) your team and trainee intake per office can be small. Think about which office you want to work in as you can only pick one. The larger offices and trainee intakes align to the larger cities such as Sheffield, London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds.

Do you have an idea of which area of law you may want to qualify into? Trainees can only pick three or four unique seats within their stream during their training contract and those options are dependent on business need so before you apply have an open mind regarding departments you may end up in.

Next deadline

Training Contract 2028 & 2029

1 Dec 2026

(35 days)

View job

Deep dive

Explore this firm in detail

What makes it different

Delivering over 180 legal services to a range of clients

What this could mean for you

Irwin Mitchell offers UK-leading services in both business and personal legal matters, having one of most expansive personal injury teams, whilst also having a market-leading employment practice on the business side, allowing trainees to work in a firm that can support clients with all their legal needs even though you’ll be working in one stream

Practice area strengths

Employment

Employment is based in the firm's six major hubs: Birmingham, Gatwick/Brighton, Leeds, London, Manchester, and Sheffield. Hamza Qaisir (1st year trainee) in the firm's Leeds office said this about Employment: “What I have enjoyed most about my time in the Employment (LEI) team is the variety of work and the opportunity to be involved in matters at every stage of the litigation process. I have worked on employment disputes from the outset, assessing the merits and prospects of a claim, through to supporting matters as they progress towards final hearings and understanding the practical consequences of the outcomes. I have had the chance to draft a wide range of documents, including merits assessments, Employment Tribunal pleadings, and without prejudice settlement correspondence. This variety has allowed me to develop both my legal analysis and drafting skills, while gaining a broader understanding of employment litigation strategy. Above all, I have enjoyed working with the people in the LEI team who are supportive, knowledgeable and have a great sense of humour!”

Restructuring and insolvency

Katie Parker (NQ in R&I) in the firm's Sheffield office said this: “I was fortunate to undertake two seats in Irwin Mitchell’s Restructuring & Insolvency Team. Restructuring & Insolvency is a technical and complex area of law, which means every single day is different and challenging in the best way. During my seats, I was exposed to a variety of contentious insolvency work, including bankruptcies and liquidations. Typical tasks included drafting letters before action, research, preparing for mediations and court hearings, and negotiating with adverse parties. I was also lucky enough to attend a court hearing and two mediations. Business development is a key part of working in Restructuring & Insolvency, so I had a lot of client contact and was able to attend some great events to get to know clients better.”

Medical negligence

Owen Haywood (1st year Trainee) in the firm's Birmingham office said this about Medical Negligence: “During my time in the Medical Negligence team, I have been exposed to medical litigation at all stages of a claim. This ranges from taking new client enquiry calls on the phone myself and discussing their likely prospects with our Medical Researcher, right the way through to attending Joint Settlement Meetings where damages in a case have been agreed with the Defendant. Through this work, I have gained an understanding of the processes and steps involved in medical litigation which is both broad-ranging and of great depth. In particular, I have developed a detailed understanding of how we build our Schedule of Loss in a case, and the importance of continually assessing the value and merits of a claim as we build our expert evidence. I have particularly enjoyed the level of client contact I have experienced in the team. This has involved conducting interviews with clients myself, and using the information gained to draft witness statements to support our claims. The clients in medical negligence are often vulnerable and require an empathetic approach, and it has been greatly rewarding to be able to provide reassurance and guidance to help these clients to understand the litigation process. Under supervision, I have continuously worked on cases of high complexity. My supervisor and other members of the team have always been mindful to bring me into these cases to develop my skills. This has been particularly key in developing my drafting skills. I have drafted witness statements, court applications, detailed advice letters to clients, letters of instruction for experts – the list goes on! The team are very busy, but time is always made to provide me with the help and guidance I need. I’ve had a great experience on the team and I’m grateful for the opportunities I have been given to develop myself as a trainee.”

Personal injury

Salma Kafafy (1st year Trainee) in the firm's Birmingham office said this about Serious Injury: “I have genuinely enjoyed my time in the Serious Injury team and have developed a wide range of skills as a trainee. I have been lucky enough to work on tasks from the very beginning of a claim all the way to the end, from attending new client enquiry meetings to joint settlement meetings and approval hearings. I have also had the opportunity to get involved in a range of external conferences, training events and networking opportunities where I was able to learn from top professionals in this field, including medical experts and barristers. My team have been welcoming, supportive and approachable and I always feel comfortable asking questions or seeking advice. I feel supported in my development as a trainee and am excited to see what opportunities the rest of my time in this seat will bring!”

All practice areas

EmploymentRestructuring and insolvencyMedical negligencePersonal injuryPrivate clientBanking and financeCommercialDispute resolutionCorporateEnvironmental litigation and mass tortIntellectual propertyMedia and entertainmentPensionsReal estateBusiness crimeIn-house counselLicensingBusiness immigrationLegal helplineRegulatory and complianceLitigationESGFamilyPropertyWills, trusts and inheritanceTrusts, estates and inheritanceProbate and estate administrationTaxWealth managementPublic lawCostsHuman rightsPower of attorney

Who it may suit

Before you apply, ask yourself:

Do you know whether you want to work with individuals or if you would prefer to work with businesses? Applicants to Irwin Mitchell need to choose before applying.
Each office is a different size and therefore teams are a different size too. While part of a large firm (3000 people) and a large trainee cohort (45 trainees) your team and trainee intake per office can be small. Think about which office you want to work in as you can only pick one. The larger offices and trainee intakes align to the larger cities such as Sheffield, London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds.
Do you have an idea of which area of law you may want to qualify into? Trainees can only pick three or four unique seats within their stream during their training contract and those options are dependent on business need so before you apply have an open mind regarding departments you may end up in.

This firm may suit candidates who...

Know whether they want to specialise business or individual legal services before applying.
Are looking to work in a firm with regional offices, as well as a base in London.
Want to work at a firm where pro bono and charitable initiatives are central to the ethos.

Something to consider