Choosing a training contract with a law firm outside London

'I am ambitious but have strong links to South Wales. Eversheds is the only international firm based in Cardiff and therefore the best place for me to train.'

Do you want to find a training contract in London – or at a regional or national law firm? This is likely to be one of the first questions you ask yourself as an aspiring trainee solicitor. Here are some good reasons to apply for training contracts outside the capital. 

Seven good reasons to want to work at a national or regional firm

There are plenty of reasons why you may want to work for a regional firm:

1. You want a decent work-life balance

Trainees at many national, regional and high street firms enjoy a good work/life balance thanks to shorter and less stressful commutes. Lower housing costs outside London mean that it’s also likely you’ll be able to live nearer to your place of work and entertainment and leisure venues. 'There can be huge benefits to training with a regional or national firm,’ points out Carole Wigley, HR director at Freeths LLP. ‘Not only is there the opportunity to get involved in high-level corporate and commercial work with good quality clients but regional and national firms can often offer a good work/life balance with trainees regularly socialising  after work, spending less time on their commute and with late night and weekend working being the exception rather than the norm.’

2. You have links to the region

Quality of life is a big consideration for many employees but what this means differs from person to person. Many people love the buzz of working in London, but you may make a conscious decision to give London a miss in favour of more predictable working hours, proximity to friends and family, and a shorter commute. A  trainee at Eversheds LLP told targetjobs: 'I am an ambitious person, but I have a very strong link to South Wales. Eversheds is the only international law firm based in Cardiff and therefore I felt that it would be the best place for me to train.'

Craig Muir, a former trainee at Shoosmiths LLP and now at DWF LLP, had similar reasons for choosing to train in Edinburgh. He told targetjobs Law: 'Scotland is home for me – my main motivation for training in a Scottish office is that most of my family live here.' Bear in mind that if you want to practise in Scotland you’ll need to have taken an undergraduate degree there as it has a separate legal system: see our article on training as a solicitor in Scotland for useful information on the Scottish qualification process, and the differences between a traineeship and a training contract.

Make sure you are clear on why you want a training contract at a regional or national firm, as you are likely to be asked about your motivation in applications and interviews. As one current trainee at Bristol firm Burges Salmon told targetjobs:‘I was asked “Why Bristol?” in my interview. Make sure you have an answer to this one!’.

3. You want the early responsibility that being a trainee at a regional law firm can bring 

You may find that you can take on responsibility at an earlier stage if you’re working in a smaller team or where there are fewer trainees, as is common outside London. ‘At national or regional firms you may be the only trainee in your department, meaning you would have significant responsibilities within your team, more time spent working directly with your senior colleagues and greater involvement in high levels of  technical work,’ adds Carole. ‘The level of work that trainees will be exposed to can often be of a more challenging nature, as you may be working in smaller teams. In terms of training of course, this represents a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate your abilities and learn from those around you.’ 

4. You still want top-quality legal work

Regional and national firms are conscious of the pull towards London felt by graduates wanting to go into law. Don’t assume that working as a solicitor outside London means being cut off from top-quality training and interesting clients. Commercial law firms, whether in London, Birmingham or Leeds, advise large companies and investment banks on high-profile deals, commercial litigation matters or tax and employment issues. 

5. You want to be part of a smaller intake of trainee solicitors

Junior lawyers in regional firms often cite being in a smaller team as one of the advantages to training outside the capital – partners know their name. The big magic circle firms tend to take on between 90 and 100 trainee solicitors each year; a smaller regional firm is more likely to employ 20 or 30 trainees. 'One of the biggest advantages of training at a regional law firm is that you are generally the only trainee solicitor in the department,’ advises Sam Lee, graduate recruitment manager at Womble Bond Dickinson. 'This allows you to gain much broader experience within a practice area, working with a number of different lawyers – many of whom are experts in their field.’ One of the former trainees at Womble Bond Dickinson (now at IKEA), Ailsa May, told targetjobs Law: 'I think what has surprised me most about working life is the amount of responsibility I have been entrusted with and the amount of client contact involved in my day-today role. Our clients are incredibly varied. We deal with land agents, wealthy landowners, trustees and farmers. I also deal with solicitors on the other side of transactions,negotiating sale contracts and other agreements. The most exciting thing so far was when my supervisor and I represented a large high street bank, advising them, preparing reports and completing a legal charge worth £5m.'

6. Your preferred area of practice is found in smaller law firms

If you're interested in the more people-centred areas of law, such as family or crime, you’ll be better off targeting training contracts outside London, particularly in smaller, high street firms that tend to advise individuals on ‘everyday’ legal matters such as conveyancing, family and wills & probate. ‘There can be a variety of areas of law for you to explore during your training contract,’ says Carole. ‘This may include specialist areas, such as media or agriculture, and private client services like family or probate law.’

7. Earning the highest salary possible isn't your main motivation for a career in law

Salaries are lower outside London, in line with the local cost of living. For instance, Mills & Reeve pays £30,000 to its trainees; candidates applying to CMS can expect to start on  £28,000 (in Scotland), £43,000 (in Bristol) and £31,500 (in Sheffield). Find out what regional firms pay in our special targetjobs Law annual salary survey and weigh up how important a hefty salary is to you. 

What’s the difference between a regional law firm and a national law firm?

The growing trend for law firms to brand themselves as full-service firms with both national and international clients makes the distinction between international, national and regional firms harder to define. Generally speaking, national law firms have offices around the country, often including a London office, such as DLA, DWF or CMS. Regional firms may also have several offices but will typically base their headquarters in a major city or region outside London, eg Burges Salmon in Bristol or Mills & Reeve in Cambridge.

Firms may describe themselves as global or international even if they are, on the face of it, a regional organisation but have offices or alliances overseas – making them even more difficult to pigeonhole. For instance, Hill Dickinson has a strong presence in the north west of England with offices in Chester, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield, but also has lawyers based in London, Piraeus (a clue to their strong shipping law practice) and Singapore. 

This blurring of the boundaries is another good reason (if you needed one) to make your applications specific to the firm you’re targeting, rather than the category of firms it may or may not belong to. Graduate recruiters will fail to be impressed with a general desire to work for a certain type of firm. ‘Nothing beats an applicant who can demonstrate that they have gone above and beyond to find out about the firm, speak to the people at the firm and really pick up on its culture and values,’ says the recruitment manager at Shoosmiths.

Excellent training contract applications, wherever you apply

Whether you are applying to a regional, national, City or high street firm, the advice for making strong training contract applications is the same: be well researched, targeted and accurate. Always research the firm you are applying to thoroughly and understand what is being asked of you in the questions. Make sure you speak to trainees, secure work experience and attend open days – recruiters want to know why you’re applying to their individual firm, not their type of firm.