Macfarlanes Jobs

Macfarlanes recuits trainee solicitors and vacation scheme students to its London office. Live opportunities are listed below, plus more information about the firm's programmes.

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Training Contract

Macfarlanes’ training programme combines hands-on experience with first-class education. As a trainee, you’ll spend six months in four different practice areas. Most of the firm’s trainees complete a seat in corporate and an M&A seat; however, you’ll have the opportunity to submit your seat preferences. No matter what seat you’re in, you’ll receive personal supervision from a partner or a senior solicitor.

Your training programme will involve seminars and lectures presented by partners and senior solicitors from the firm. The programme is ‘front-loaded,’ meaning that you’ll develop the knowledge and skills necessary from the very beginning. Some practice areas may even ask you to contribute to a seminar or to update the team on recent developments. This will be very rewarding in the long term and will boost your confidence greatly.

To help you assess your progress, each of your seats will involve a mid-seat and end-of-seat review. You’ll also be allocated a partner principal, who will be personally responsible for you for the entirety of your training programme. In addition to this, all trainees are divided into smaller groups, to give you direct access to your own Trainee Solicitor Committee Partner. Trainees attend reviews every six months with their partner principal and Trainee Solicitor Committee partner. This ensures that you are well supported and know who to turn to if you’re feeling lost.

Vacation Scheme

Students in at least their penultimate year of their degree can apply to complete a vacation scheme at Macfarlanes. Over the course of the two weeks, you’ll learn about what the life of a trainee is like, and whether law is right for you. There will be plenty of opportunities to gain practical experience, with past candidates carrying out live research, drafting documents and attending client briefings. You'll even get the chance to work on a mock transaction!

To gain a broader understanding of the firm, the two weeks will be split across two different practice areas. At every stage, you’ll be supported by a partner, solicitor or a trainee, who will be on hand to provide support and answer any questions.

You won’t spend your whole time working either, as there will be plenty of social activities put on (think lunch with partners or socials with your fellow trainees,) to allow you to get to know everyone in the firm. In the second week of the scheme, you’ll be assessed for a training programme.