Vacation scheme / Training Contract - 2025 & 2027 - Fladgate

Deadline 26 January 2025

Vacation Scheme (2025) leading to Training Contract (2027)

We recruit trainees solely through our new Vacation Scheme which provides the top 20 highest performing graduate students – our potential future trainees – with an opportunity to gain hands-on experience and lift the lid on life at Fladgate.

Vacation scheme attendees will experience a weeklong programme consisting of departmental exercises, assessments, networking and social events. Successful attendees will join us as trainees, undertaking four seat rotations across our fee earning departments.

We are open to receiving applications from both law and non-law graduates. If you are a non-law graduate we mandate that you complete the PGDL before enrolling in the SQE. As we recruit two years in advance for our Training Contract, you will have plenty of time to complete your PGDL and SQE prior to joining. Many of our trainees and lawyers chose not to study law at undergraduate level and went on to complete a conversion course.

Training Contract (2027)

As a general rule we have six to eight trainee vacancies per year.

Training at Fladgate combines a first class education programme with real hands-on experience and client contact. The nature of our business and small intake of trainees each year means you will be given exposure to high quality work with lots of responsibility from an early stage. We don’t expect you to learn by sitting on the side lines or standing at the photocopier; you will gain first-hand experience on a variety of deals both large and small. Where possible you will be given every opportunity to develop your drafting and negotiating skills in real life situations. During your two year training contract, you will sit in four seats across the various departments at the firm, giving you a diverse and well-rounded training experience. We are proud to have won awards for work-life balance and approachability.

The programme includes:

• A comprehensive induction programme.
• Seminars and practical workshops on basic and advanced legal skills during each of your four seats. This includes, in the first few weeks of each seat, three or four sessions on the topics you will come across most often, with a step by step guide to drafting relevant documents.
• Invitations to attend all other departmental meetings and training sessions as well as training sessions within the department where you are sitting.
• On-the-job training. You will work on a variety of deals both large and small. Where possible you will deal direct with the client and be given every opportunity to develop your drafting and negotiating skills in real life situations.
• A Professional Skills Course that will be undertaken externally and paid for by the firm
• A dedicated supervisor (a Partner or Senior Associate), mentor, and Trainee buddy, as well as a dedicated HR point-of-contact there to support you and with whom you will have regular check-ins

What We Offer:

We offer a comprehensive sponsorship package to our trainees who have yet to undertake the PGDL and/or SQE. We will pay the course fees of all our future students who study with our exclusive training partner the University of Law (ULaw) for the PGDL and/or the SQE. We will also provide a maintenance grant of £7,000 per annum for studying the course(s) in London and £6,000 per annum for studying the course(s) outside of London.

We also offer a competitive salary plus benefits as follows:

• Holiday: 26 days

• Life assurance

• Staff introduction bonus

• New business bonus

• Group income protection scheme

• Interest-free season ticket loan

• Interest-free sports club loan

• Free in-house weekly personal training sessions

• Private medical scheme

• Group personal pension scheme