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Shakespeare Martineau

NQ - 3 PQE Solicitor, Employment Education

Birmingham
Posted 1 day ago
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Our Employment Team

Our Employment team provides commercial, practical advice to employers and senior employees on all aspects of employment law. The team comprises a number of highly skilled litigators and is known for its successful handling of Employment Tribunal litigation, including large complex discrimination cases.

Our Education Team

Our specialist Education team continues to grow and is one of the firm's leading practice areas recognised as a national leader, ranked in Tier 1 by both Chambers and The Legal 500.

Join Our Employment Education Team

We are looking for a Newly Qualified to 3 years’ PQE Solicitor to join our Employment Education team, predominantly advising Higher Education and Further Education clients, but also some Academy and Schools clients too.

You will have exposure to high quality work, working with our collaborative team on all aspects of employment law, which is both contentious and non-contentious.

Key Responsibilities

  • Attending and running client meetings
  • Taking clients’ instructions
  • Giving clear advice in correspondence and in person
  • Drafting documents, letters, and contracts tailored to the client’s individual needs
  • Attending and delivering internal and external training to clients
  • Negotiating with clients and other professionals to secure agreed objectives
  • Acting on behalf of clients in disputes and representing them in tribunal, if necessary
  • Instructing barristers or specialist advocates to appear in tribunal for the client in complex disputes
  • Preparing papers for tribunal
  • Working in a team, sometimes referring cases to the head of department
  • Producing internal bulletins
  • Delegating appropriate work to trainees/paralegals and supporting more senior staff on large complex matters
  • Taking a proactive approach to business development

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.

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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.

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Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme

PwC·London, UK
£35,000/yr

Why you're a good match

Strong

Your 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.

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It 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.

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Strong

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.

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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.

Skills and Experience

  • Previous experience in employment law. If newly qualified previous experience in a paralegal and/or trainee capacity within employment law. Employment Education sector experience is highly desirable but not essential.
  • Strong IT skills
  • The ability to manage files effectively
  • A willingness and enthusiasm to get involved in business development activities

Key Competencies

  • A desire to specialise in this area of law
  • A desire to enhance client relationships through day-to-day activity
  • Excellent communication skills
  • To be highly organised with flexibility during busy periods
  • Excellent attention to detail and accuracy
  • Willingness to work hard with drive and enthusiasm
  • A high degree of initiative and the ability to cope in a demanding environment
  • Excellent organisational and prioritising skills
  • The ability to work in a busy team

About You

  • Highly motivated, willing to go the extra mile and be happy to go beyond the job description
  • Respectful towards others and have a positive, willing and ‘can do’ attitude
  • Keen to learn, interested in driving your own career progression and be proactive in taking ownership of this

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Benefits, Agile Working and Additional Information

We embrace agile working and offer a blended approach to where and how we work.

We appreciate that people have different needs and preferences and we’re keen to be flexible, after all, we value what you do, not where you do it.

We have the following hubs across the UK: Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Leeds, Leicester, Lincoln, London, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Sheffield, Stratford upon Avon and in the South East; Brighton, Chichester, Crawley, East Grinstead, Eastbourne, Lewes, Seaford, Storrington, Southampton & Tunbridge Wells.

Want to find out more about our amazing benefits?

Equal Opportunities

Shakespeare Martineau is a committed equal opportunities employer. We seek to attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures. We value and respect individuality and encourage a culture within our business where people can be themselves and be valued for their strengths and experiences. Everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, regardless of their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.

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Skills

Employment Law
Litigation
Legal Advice
Drafting Contracts
Client Relationship Management
Negotiation
Tribunal Representation
Business Development
Legal Research
Case Management
Communication Skills
Organizational Skills
IT Skills

Location

Birmingham, England, United Kingdom

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