Mills & Reeve
Associate - Employment (0585)

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Join our top-ranked Employment Team and build your career working with a diverse client base, high-quality work, and leading employment law specialists.
The role
Due to continued growth, we are looking for an ambitious Employment Solicitor to join our highly regarded Manchester team. This is an exciting opportunity to develop your expertise across a broad range of contentious and non-contentious employment matters while working alongside experienced partners Sara Barrett and Danielle Ingham.
Why join us?
Our Manchester team forms part of the firm's nationally recognised Employment, Pensions and Immigration National Service Line, comprising nearly 100 lawyers across our offices. Led by David Mills, the team is supported by three dedicated Professional Support Lawyers.
You'll Benefit From
- A collaborative and supportive national team environment.
- Regular cross-office training sessions and knowledge sharing.
- Opportunities to work with colleagues across different sectors and locations.
- National and sector-specific away days that strengthen connections and expertise.
- Exposure to high-quality work and excellent career development opportunities.
The person
You'll be a proactive and commercially minded lawyer who enjoys working as part of a high-performing team. With strong interpersonal skills and a client-focused approach, you'll be motivated to deliver outstanding service while continuing to develop your technical expertise and professional profile.
You will be 2 - 4 years' PQE, with experience gained in a reputable firm with a substantive employment law practice.
The activities
- Managing a varied caseload of contentious and non-contentious employment matters.
- Leading and progressing Employment Tribunal cases with appropriate supervision.
- Providing practical, commercial employment law advice to clients.
- Assisting with the delivery of client training, seminars and legal updates.
- Building strong relationships with clients and developing your profile in the market.
- Contributing to business development activities and helping identify new opportunities.
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
See breakdownIt searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Please Ensure You Read The Full Job Description Below.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
The Benefits
As you'd expect, we offer a competitive salary and a wide range of benefits. Click here to find out more about our core benefit offering.
Pre employment screening
If we offer you a role, we will conduct comprehensive pre-employment screening. This screening will include, but is not limited to, a basic DBS, verification of your right to work, a three year employment history and a self-declaration to assess your character and suitability for the role. Full details of our pre-screening employment process are available upon request.
The firm
Mills & Reeve is centred on achieving more for clients, their businesses and the wider communities we serve. Our clients and their industries benefit from our knowledge and learning, and receive consistent experiences with no surprises. We tell them what they need to know when they need to know it.
We build personal relationships, with advice individually tailored to individual need. And if clients need things we don't offer, we draw on our network to give recommendations. Our 1,450 plus people and over 850 lawyers share one vision – achieving more for clients.


Get help with your application
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By joining Mills & Reeve, you'll have the chance to build your skills and experience within a firm that's not only ranked in the top 50 UK law firms, but also one that truly values their people. We're also ranked in The Sunday Times Best Places to Work list, and have been awarded Platinum Investors in People. Our mantra is “Achieve more. Together.”, which we feel embodies our purpose and is more than just a catchphrase!
Our values are the principles that help us fulfil our purpose. Our people shaped them and live them every day.
- We're ambitious - We aim high, we embrace new ideas and we're passionate about our work
- We're open - We communicate openly and honestly to build trust, and we do what's right
- We care - We're committed to each other, our clients, our communities and the planet
- We collaborate - We're easy to work with, we offer help willingly and we get things done – together
And finally
Everyone at Mills & Reeve brings a unique perspective and ideas to the team and we do everything we can to help each person to thrive. We're committed to providing an inclusive and supportive working environment, are happy to consider flexible working arrangements, and want to achieve the right balance for both our people and the firm. We encourage everyone to ask if they feel they need any workplace adjustments, and will do our best to support with these.
To find out more about our diversity and inclusion work, visit our website.
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