Bates Wells |

Making a profit is core to all businesses but our goal is to combine this with a real social purpose. Our values are pivotal to us, they shape our decisions and the way we live and work.

We focus on positive social impact as much as we focus on being a successful law firm. Our top tier legal advice is coupled with a real desire to drive change and we were the first UK law firm with B Corp certification, awarded to businesses that balance purpose and profit.

Today, our clients are diverse – from corporate household names, to public bodies, to start ups. We’re also the firm of choice for thousands of charities and social enterprises. We continue to lead the market we helped to shape.

Bates Wells challenges what is possible in legal expertise delivery.

We’re Bates Wells, a City firm with a difference.

We believe in making a positive impact, whether that’s achieving legislative and regulatory change around sustainability, or working on a landmark case with wide-ranging implications. We’re not afraid to challenge the status quo.

Our clients are diverse – from global household names, to public bodies, to start-ups. We’re also the firm of choice for thousands of charities and social enterprises.

As a values-driven firm we show commitment to our clients, our people, the environment and society. We’re the first UK law firm with a B Corp certification.

We live by our principles.

At Bates Wells, we’re not the average law firm. We believe that actions speak louder than words. We strive to do the right thing and make a positive impact on our clients, our people and society.

Please visit our website to learn more about the Bates Wells way, specifically in relation to diversity and inclusion. 

We will normally have at least 2 interviews – to test your skills and competencies to work with us and to see if your values align with ours. We are currently working from home and so interviews are mostly taking place via Microsoft Teams.

To review our training contract process please take a look at the website, which is a slightly different process to lateral recruitment. 

Trainee seats

Over the two years of the training, you’ll complete four seats of six months each.

Trainees must complete a seat in our Charity and Social Enterprise department during their training contract. Other seats available include: Corporate & Commercial, Dispute Resolution, Employment, Immigration, Public & Regulatory and Real Estate.

As a trainee, you will have the opportunity to input into the seat allocation process throughout the two years, which provides excellent flexibility during your training. We’ll work with you to help you choose the seats that will best prepare you for your future career.

You’ll have a dedicated supervisor in each seat, who’ll make sure your work is relevant and varied, with plenty of training and support. At the interim and final appraisals for each seat, your supervisor will give feedback on your performance and set objectives for the next stage.

How the application process works

All applications for training contracts and vacation schemes should be made via our website. Please do not apply for more than one position. Your application for a vacation scheme will also be considered as your training contract application. By applying, you are confirming that you are eligible to begin training with us in 2028. We are following the SQE route to qualification, but if you have already completed or are currently working towards the LPC, you are still eligible to apply.

Complete online application form through our website

The application form will ask for details on your academics, work experience that you have undertaken – both legal and non-legal, voluntary work you have been involved with, as well as well as about your hobbies and interests outside of your work and studies. We are interested in your motivation for joining the firm and the profession as a whole. Our application form is a great opportunity to talk about your passions and how they can be applied to the life of a solicitor. Be sure to understand what a B-Corporation is and why we are proud of being the first UK law firm to achieve that.

To avoid any last minute panic, we advise you to submit your application before the deadline, rather than leaving it to the deadline date.

We use the upReach RealRating contextual recruitment tool, which is built into our application form, to make sure that we do not miss any high-potential candidates. We take mitigating circumstances very seriously and encourage you to tell us about anything that you think we should be aware about on your form – whether it is periods of illness or bereavement, caring responsibilities or anything else. Should you wish to discuss your experiences in confidence, please contact us at training@bateswells.co.uk.

Complete the Watson Glaser critical thinking test

If you submit an application that aligns to our values, shows academic ability or potential and a commitment to the life of a solicitor, then you may be invited to complete the next stage of the process:  the critical thinking test. If you are sent the test, you will be given up to 7 days to complete it, and a free practice test will be sent to you before you take the real thing. The test helps us assess your critical thinking skills, and once you’ve completed the test, we will re-review the application and test score to shortlist candidates to interview.

Interviews and assessments

Training Contract

If you have applied for a direct training contract, you will be invited to an assessment day. These days are designed to ensure that all candidates have an equal opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of the firm, skills and experiences. Our assessment consists of an interview in front of a panel of two, usually a member of the trainee recruitment team and associate, partner or member of the business team, a written assessment and a presentation. No preparation for the written assessment or presentation is needed, we will provide you with all the information you need on the day. We will however send you information on how to best prepare for the interview. You will also get to meet other people across the firm, including our trainees, so you can get a better idea of the people you might be working with.

Following the Assessment Centre, successful candidates will be invited back for a final stage interview. Offers for training contracts are made shortly after this final stage interview. Regardless of whether your application is progressed to the final stage, everyone will be encouraged to have a feedback call with the recruitment team.

Adjustments

If you require any adjustments to be made to the process owing to a disability, or for a general conversation regarding adjustments, please let us know by emailing training@bateswells.co.uk. It might be that you need extra time in order to complete a written assessment or perhaps you need coloured overlays to make your screen easier to read – whatever your required adjustments are, we will be more than happy to discuss them with you.

Final Interview

If you are successfully invited to a final stage interview, this will be held by our Managing Partner, and another Partner. These interviews take place from June, and will last for approximately an hour. We will communicate outcomes by August.

Feedback to help you prepare for the final interview will be offered to every candidate at this stage, which is also a great opportunity to ask questions and provide your own feedback on your experience of the process.

Our Values

To learn a little more about who we are, the values that drive us, and our B Corp certification (we’re very proud to be the first UK law firm to get accredited).

Financial Assistance

We currently pay first year trainees £43,000 and second year trainees £45,000. Our NQ salary is £75,000. We review all salaries annually.

If you secure a training contract with us and have not already completed the LPC or SQE, we will fund your SQE and PGDL (where applicable) studies by paying your course fees, provided you have not already accepted a place on a course at the point at which we offer you a training contract. Please note that we do not cover course fees retrospectively.

We also provide maintenance grants of no less than £10,000 to support you whilst you’re studying.

Our vacation schemes are a great way to make your mark – and could lead to a training contract.

If you’re committed to applying for a trainee position at Bates Wells, our vacation schemes are worth a look. By applying for a vacation scheme, you’re guaranteed to be considered for a training contract. You don’t need to apply for both the vacation scheme and the training contract – please only apply for one.

Vacation Scheme 2026

Our 2026 vacation scheme will take place from 13-24 April inclusive, in-person at our London offices.

Please make your vacation scheme application between 1 October 2025 – 3 December 2025. We review applications on a rolling basis, so please apply at your earliest convenience. We will not accept any applications after the deadline has passed, and technical issues will not be accepted as mitigating circumstances for missing the deadline.

Please note that we are able to detect where ChatGPT and similar software have been used to support the writing of application forms.

How you will be assessed

If you have applied for a place on our vacation scheme, you will be invited to an assessment centre, which will include an interview with a panel of two, a written assessment and a presentation. These days are designed to ensure that all candidates have an equal opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of the firm, skills and experiences.

What you can expect from the vacation scheme

You’ll sit in two different departments during your fortnight with us. But from day one, you’ll feel part of something bigger. You’ll have the chance to explore the firm and the values that drive us, and we’ll always support you to be yourself.

You’ll meet a wide range of our people, and you’ll get to know our shared sense of purpose and values. We encourage you to get involved with the whole department and any events happening during your time with us.

How the vacation scheme fits into the training contract application process

If you are successfully invited to, and attend our vacation scheme, you will automatically be invited to attend a final stage interview with our Managing Partner and another Partner. Following this, we will offer successful candidates a training contract. When applying for the Vacation Scheme, please ensure that you are ready to start a training contract with us in September 2028.

We want you to feel as prepared as possible for your Vacation Scheme with us, so that you can really enjoy your experience. Before joining the vacation scheme you will receive an overview agenda of the scheme, what has been planned for you, including the different events happening during your time with us. You will have contact with the Emerging Talent Manager, so can reach out with any questions about the scheme.