Irwin Mitchell |

We are legal experts and we can offer you an amazing start in your legal career.

Whether it’s personal or business, we carry out complex and challenging work to give our clients exceptional outcomes, with offices in over 20 locations across the UK.

A career with us will allow you to help support and deliver for our clients within a variety of UK departments and sectors covering individual and business clients.

As the leading personal injury and medical negligence practice in the UK, we help thousands of families whose lives have been turned upside down. Supported by a national Public Law team and the UK’s leading Court of Protection practice, we offer help and reassurance during the hardest times.

Our private client offering specialises in residential property, family, Wills, tax, as well as trusts and estate disputes. We protect high and ultra-high net worth individuals, including business owners and entrepreneurs, corporate executives, investors, and multi-generational families.  Our Chichester and Reading offices specifically only focus on private client work.

Established national experts in our business teams means an exciting time working across multiple sectors with national and regional clients. We offer a full suite of business services for corporate clients and institutions such as litigation, corporate, commercial, real estate and employment law.  Our business teams are based across six IM locations (Birmingham, Gatwick, Leeds, London, Manchester, Sheffield) with 350+ employees - it’s a £60 million business on its own. The business teams take on 10-15 trainees each year and offer a training contract that provides experience in four teams with client sharing across all business departments – a real opportunity to understand how teams work together for the best outcome for our clients. 

We have 45 training contracts per year across legal services for individuals to start in 2028 and 2029 and training contract within our business services group for 2028 available across our UK offices.

When you apply for a training contract, you’ll need to decide on two key pieces of information that suit you:

• Which stream – individual or business?
• Which location?

Our streams are split into Business Services Group (BSG) or Legal Services for Individuals (LSI) and there are 16 locations to choose from.  Please see our website to understand which teams are within which offices.

You'll undertake three to four seats within LSI or within BSG, all within your location, over two years, giving you a breadth of experience.

By completing seats in one stream only allows you to complete seats that complement each other and develop your knowledge and skills regarding your particular client base.

Join an incredible firm where you will feel valued and included while assisting quality cases and deals across a wide breadth of legal teams.

Please see our website for more details – Early Careers | Irwin Mitchell Solicitors

Our strategic pillars guide us in everything we do: colleagues, clients and communities. Every day we strive to make a positive impact to each through living our values and DNA. We believe in equal opportunities for all and to value people for who they are and what they bring.

Find Out Here

Training Contract

First Year Salary:
Regional: £32,000
London: £44,000

Second Year Salary:
Regional: £34,000
London: £46,000

NQ Salary:
Regional: £47,000 - £60,000 (dependent on practice area)
London: £60,000 - £79,000 (dependent on practice area)

You’ll also get a range of employee benefits, find out more on our website.

Stage 1 – Registration, Online Assessment & Video Interview
The first stage involves an online form with basic personal info and academic record. Don’t worry this is for reporting only, we have a blind screening approach throughout our recruitment process which means your personal and academic information isn’t shared with any of our assessors at any stage.

We’ll then invite you to complete a strengths-based assessment. This will take about 90 minutes to two hours and you have seven days to complete it.

It’s important to us that everybody has an equal chance to succeed. The strengths approach explores what motivates and energises you, rather than placing too much emphasis on what experience you might have (as not everyone has legal experience).

All candidates undertaking the online assessment will also need to complete a video interview. 

There is no interviewer on the video so hopefully you’ll not feel watched by an assessor. The question will appear as text and also be read out to you, and you’ll have 30 seconds to prepare. You’ll have two minutes to give an answer so use the time to give us everything you want to say – we like to hear your views, take a pause if you want to think of further information. 

Stage 2 – In Person Assessment Centre
If successful, we’ll invite you to attend one of our in-person assessment centres. You will be assessed by members of the early careers team, senior associates and partners, who have all been through unconscious bias training. 

Assessment centres will take place across February and March. 

These have three parts to it – written, group exercise, interview. 

We’ll be assessing different strengths across all these assessments which relate to the trainee role and skills required.

We’ll inform all candidates who attend our assessment centres of the outcome of their application.

Stage 3 – Insight Day & Final Assessment
The final stage assessment of our recruitment process takes place in May.

The in-person Insight Day gives everyone a chance to meet us face-to-face and discover the office you’ve applied to, the people you’ll be working with, and the role you’ll be doing. 

There are some assessed elements to the day, and you’ll be able to assess us, and ask questions to ensure we’re the right firm for you.

If you’d like to discuss any reasonable adjustments for any part of the application process, please feel free to email us. 

We’re committed to creating a diverse and inclusive culture where our people can flourish.

We work with a diverse range of clients and communities, and we celebrate diversity amongst our colleagues too. We’re passionate about creating a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for everyone.

We aim to provide a culture of openness and support for our colleagues' physical and mental wellbeing. We're committed to charters of Mindful Business, Mindful Employer and Suicide Prevention.

You’ll have regular conversations with your supervisor, but there are lots of other colleagues looking out for you too. 

Our Early Careers Managers will support you through your training contract and you’ll have scheduled catch-ups with them. We also have an Early Careers Regional Representative in each office. They’re experienced in caring for trainees, particularly at times when you may feel overwhelmed.

Your training contract journey begins as soon as you accept your offer. You'll receive a welcome pack inviting you to future trainee events where you'll meet your buddy and get to know your fellow trainees. Whether you're still studying or working before you begin, you’ll feel a part of the Irwin Mitchell team.

If successful, you'll attend a two-week induction before you start your first seat. It’s a great way to get to know the firm and your fellow trainees. With 45 training contracts spread across 16 locations, you’ll have a strong support network of other trainees, but still have room to grow and make your mark.

Irwin Mitchell is committed to a net-zero future and believe we can play a significant role in supporting the transition together with our clients, colleagues and our communities.