AllAboutLaw
Training contract – September 2029/March 2030
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Our Training Contract
Our training contract is designed to offer you the breadth of experience and training needed to advise on the full range of work within the practice areas you experience during the two years and on qualification.
During your time at the firm, you will spend time in different practice areas, known as ‘seats’. In each seat you will share an office with a partner or associate (your ‘supervisor’) who will guide you and ensure that you are actively involved in their work and the work of the group. You will be given responsibility from an early stage and the opportunity to work alongside partners, who, together with other team members in the firm, provide mentoring and individual support.
All our trainees complete at least two six-month seats in our Corporate and M&A and Financing groups. Subject to gaining some contentious experience, your remaining time can be divided into two or three specialist areas, for example, Disputes and Investigations, Competition, Real Estates and Projects.
Our overseas offices and longstanding relationships with leading law firms around the world mean there are also opportunities for trainees to apply for a secondment in their second year; this can either be an international secondment (to destinations such as Paris, Madrid, Amsterdam, New York and Hong Kong), or a client secondment located in and around London.
You can find out more on our website here.
What do we look for?
We aim to employ the brightest minds regardless of what or where they have studied – you will find graduates from 50+ universities at Slaughter and May.
Our work is intellectually demanding so we are looking for the following minimum academic achievements:
- A-levels: AAB (not including EPQ) or equivalent
- Undergraduate degree (and postgraduate degree if applicable): Strong 2:1, ideally a minimum of 65% and above in the majority of your modules for each academic year completed. If you are currently in the first year of your undergraduate degree, we understand that you may not yet have any university grades to include in your application.
If you do not meet these requirements due to mitigating circumstances which materially impacted your results, please include details of this on your application. All applications are considered on their own merits.
Across all of our opportunities, we are also looking for candidates with:
- a sharp intellect
- drive and an interest in commercial law
- commercial awareness
- communication and interpersonal skills
- resilience and resolve
- independent thought and curiosity
- a range of interests outside of the law
- a good sense of humour
- a willingness to take on responsibility
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Who can apply?
For this vacancy, we are looking for law and non-law finalists and graduates. Applications for our September 2029/March 2023 Law intake for penultimate year law students, law finalists and law graduates will open in June 2027.
We have approximately 80 - 85 vacancies for trainee solicitors each year.
We welcome applications irrespective of race, colour, ethnic or national origin, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, gender reassignment, age, religion/belief or marital status.
How To Apply
To apply, you will be asked to complete an online application form and attach a CV and cover letter. You can find out more about the application process here.
Applications close on 13 November 2026. We encourage candidates to submit their application as early as possible during an application window – training contract offers are made on a rolling basis.
About Slaughter And May
Slaughter and May is a leading international law firm, recognised for our exceptional legal service, commercial awareness and commitment to clients. We are trusted advisers to some of the world’s largest companies, advising on complex, high-profile and often ground-breaking transactions, and our forward thinking and innovative approach complements the best-in-class advice on which our reputation is built.
Whether you join us as a trainee solicitor or solicitor apprentice, you will be trained to advise on the full range of work within the practice areas you experience during your training and on qualification. Working across a broad variety of matters in each seat, you will develop the deep expertise, commercial judgement and independence of thought needed to deliver the landmark work for which we are known. From the outset, you will work with leading law firms around the world and will build strong relationships with clients through direct exposure to international and cross-border matters. You will do so in a collaborative and inclusive culture where excellence is achieved through collective effort and shared expertise.
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Our practice areas
We are a full-service law firm and have leading practitioners across a wide range of areas including Mergers and Acquisitions; Corporate and Commercial; Financing; Tax; Competition; Disputes and Investigations; Real Estate and Projects; Pensions, Employment and Incentives; Financial Regulation; and Technology, Digital, Data and Intellectual Property.
A world of difference
There are clear differences between Slaughter and May and other global law firms:
- We train our lawyers to advise across the full range of work within their practice area, giving them exposure to a broader range of matters than they might experience at another firm. This is hard work, but our lawyers say it makes for a far more fulfilling career. Working on complex, varied and high-profile matters from the start provides challenge and interest, and allows them to develop deeper relationships with clients, because they get to know their businesses better.
- Through longstanding relationships with leading law firms around the world and our overseas offices, we provide seamless legal advice to our clients wherever they operate. On average, we work with more than 200 law firms across 100 countries annually, giving our lawyers exposure to international work from an early stage. Through this experience, they gain valuable insights into different markets, cultures and legal systems, developing the judgement and adaptability our clients value.
- Our culture is built on collaboration, trust and diversity of thought, creating an inclusive environment in which our people achieve excellence through collective effort and shared expertise. Without billing or time targets, our lawyers are encouraged to focus on delivering the best outcomes for clients and supporting each other's development, fostering a strong sense of belonging and teamwork.
Diversity and Inclusion
Diversity and Inclusion is an integral part of how we do things as a firm. We believe that a supportive and inclusive workplace drives collaboration and helps people perform at their best. We are looking to employ the brightest minds regardless of what or where they studied, and we strive to ensure that people feel comfortable being themselves at work through fostering an inclusive culture which values diversity of experience and perspective.
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