Becoming a trainee solicitor

Talking. Specifics.

Overview

Our application process is refreshingly straightforward: just an online form, including a cover letter and details of your grades and experience—no psychometric tests or unlikely heroics required. We want to get to know the real you, so focus on sharing your story and your motivation for joining Travers Smith.

Apply online at Travers Smith | Careers for Training Contracts starting from September 2028, with earlier start dates available. There are two ways to gain a Training Contract at Travers Smith.

  • Direct Training Contract Process – applications open on Friday 3 October 2025 and close on Friday 7 November 2025 (at midday)

  • Summer Vacation Scheme Process – applications open on Monday 3 November 2025 and close on Wednesday 14 January 2026 (at midday)

Our minimum criteria is AAB at A-level or equivalent and a 2:1 undergraduate degree (or on track for this), however we take into account contextual information and mitigating circumstances.

The contextual information for an application is provided via Rare Recruitments Contextual Recruitment System (or CRS). This CRS highlights candidates to us who have achieved impressive results taking into account certain disadvantages they may have faced. We are keen to consider the potential offered by such candidates so the above academic requirements are a guide only.

We take law and non-law students for our Vacation Schemes and Direct Training Contract Processes, with genuinely no preference for one over the other.

Non-law students must do the Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL/GDL). This runs from September to May each year and our course provider is BPP in London. We pay all course fees for the PGDL and a maintenance grant of £13,500 (paid over three instalments).

All students must now complete the SQE 1 and 2 and our firm specific Essentials to Practice course (EFP). This runs from September to August each year and our course provider is BPP in Holborn, London. We pay all course fees for the SQE (including exam costs) and a maintenance grant of £20,000 (paid over four instalments).

  1. Direct Training Contract
  2. Summer Vacation Schemes
  3. The Training Contract Process
  4. Salaries

Now Reading

Direct Training Contract

  • Apply

    October

  • Virtual interview

    November

  • Recruitment day

    December

  • Final in-person Interview

    January

All interviews are held by Early Careers Recruitment Partners and Senior Counsel.

The Recruitment Day will be one day in the office in early December, where you can get to experience the Travers Smith culture, as well as undertaking two assessments (one written and one group). Prior to the Recruitment Day you will also undertake a different written assessment.

Summer Vacation Schemes

  • Apply

    October - January

  • Virtual Interview

    February / March

  • Vacation schemes

     June / July

All interviews are held by Early Careers Recruitment Partners and Senior Counsel.

This year our Summer Vacation Schemes will run:

  • 15 June to 26 June 2026
  • 29 June to 10 July 2026

The scheme will follow our internal programme, which includes a number of talks, workshops, and a negotiating exercise. There will also be department insights and close contact with trainees. The week is designed specifically for students to be given an authentic taste of a City lawyer's work. There are also working lunches and informal evening events.

Vacation Scheme students will be paid £750 for completing each week. However, you must complete all three assessments on the scheme to be eligible for payment.

If you are a visa candidate please ensure your visa covers two weeks of paid work in London.

For a student visa this may mean checking on your University term times. If you need to apply for a visa to attend, we cannot sponsor these visa's, however we would recommend companies such as BUNAC to help you acquire a visa. 

The Training Contract Process

At Travers Smith, you’ll be trusted with real responsibility from day one—speaking to clients, joining meetings, and managing your own work, all with plenty of support and guidance. That’s why we look for people who match academic strength with clear-headed judgement and practical sense; who are determined, communicative, and quick-thinking; who are motivated and bring a positive, down-to-earth attitude to their work, alongside a healthy sense of humour.

Our training is hands-on and wide-ranging, giving you the chance to work directly with Partners and Associates on real client matters from day one. There is responsibility that goes with this, but you won't be alone. All trainees sit with Partners and Associates through our room sharing system, which ensures a refreshing lack of hierarchy and unparallelled opportunities to learn by osmosis.

You’ll rotate through four different departments over two years – with all trainees spending one of those rotations in one of our Corporate departments, and the rest in a spread of other departments.  This means you gain exposure to a variety of legal work, all within a supportive, non-hierarchical environment where learning from experienced lawyers is part of daily life.

At Travers Smith, collaboration and respect are at the heart of our culture, so you’re always encouraged to be yourself while building close relationships and skills that will shape your future.

Salaries

1st year salary: £54,000

2nd year salary: £59,000

NQ salary: £120,000 (basic) and discretionary bonus

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