Training Lawyers for the Future

Harbottle & Lewis offers five training contracts a year (two contracts commencing in March and three in September) to applicants who can demonstrate the high academic abilities, commercial awareness, initiative and character necessary to become part of a team advising clients in dynamic and demanding industries.

Areas of Training

The two year training contract is divided into four 'seats' of approximately six months each. Such seats include company and commercial, litigation and property as well as seats within groups focusing on industries such as music, sport, theatre, film and television, publishing, advertising and interactive entertainment. We also offer a seat in the firm's employment group as well as a trainee secondment to one of our aviation clients. There are a total of seven different seats. Each trainee will work in four of them.

Nature of Training

We have a policy of accepting a small number of trainees in order to ensure that our trainees are given relevant and challenging work and are exposed to and have responsibility for a full range of legal tasks. Trainees will be given training in drafting, negotiation and communication with clients and other lawyers, legal and court procedures, advocacy, case and transaction management, client care and practice support, research and efficient work management.

Monitoring During Training

A trainee supervisor is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day work, training and development of each trainee in each seat, to ensure that the trainee has a full and varied work-load and is receiving the appropriate skills training. In addition each trainee meets with a trainee partner, allocated to them, regularly to monitor their training and general progress. Each trainee is formally appraised by the Training Partner at the end of each seat to review the trainee's overall performance, assess the development of their skills and plan future training.

Law Society and Other Training Courses

Trainees are required to attend the various PSC courses during their training. In addition the firm runs a range of internal training sessions and seminars which trainees and other members of the firm attend. We also send trainees on specific external courses.

Grants and Loans

We pay the fees of the LPC course (but not resit-fees) for those applicants who are offered a training contract before or at the time of embarking on the LPC course. In addition we offer interest free loans to cover maintenance costs during the LPC course.

The Future

Harbottle & Lewis's clear purpose in recruiting trainee solicitors is to employ and train the firm's future lawyers. Whilst there is no obligation either on the part of the firm to offer employment at the end of the training contract, or on the part of the trainee to accept, the majority of our trainees stay with the firm following qualification.

Applications

Applicants are required to have obtained, or be predicted to obtain, a minimum of an upper second class degree and to have at least the grades of A, B, B at A level. Applications should be received between 1 May and 31 July. Applications should be in the form of a letter and full CV (which should include the most recent University examination results) sent to kathy.beilby@harbottle.com.

What is it like to be a trainee at Harbottle & Lewis?

The 2008 Chambers & Partners Student Guide gives an overview of the 'true picture' at Harbottle & Lewis and the firm was also ranked highly by trainees in The Lex 100 survey.