Lewis Silkin |

We aspire to be market leaders in employment law and within the creative, innovative and technology-focused industries. From iconic brands and leading multinationals to pioneering start-ups, we are proud to work with a huge range of inspiring clients, helping them to turn their ideas into reality and get the best from - and for - their people.

Our people are not only exceptional at what they do, they also enjoy doing it and consistently give their best to a firm they’re proud to be part of. This stems from our firm culture and our ethos of bravery and kindness. That ethos runs through everything we do, from our approach to recruitment, business practices, and DEI activities to the day-to-day environment in our office and our relationships with clients.  

With an internationally minded team of more than 700 working across key areas of law – plus strategic partnerships around the world – we’ve got both the combination and calibre of legal experts it takes to enable our clients’ businesses to thrive. Whether it is providing global employment law advice, managing a global IP portfolio or piecing together a multijurisdictional corporate transaction, we are able to have the right people, in the right place, at the right time.

We recognise our trainees and solicitor apprentices as the future of our firm and therefore invest heavily in offering comprehensive training and expert supervision. From the moment you join us, you will be actively involved in Lewis Silkin life. Not only will you be given hands-on training plus interesting, challenging and varied work, you will also be getting early responsibility, a chance to work with some of our big-name clients and most importantly, made to feel a key member of the team.

Training Contract

Our training programme offers you:

Experience: A four-seat training contract across our Legal Practice Groups (LPGs) including: corporate; data & privacy; digital, commerce & creative (commercial); dispute resolution; employment; immigration; intellectual property (IP) and real estate, sitting alongside experts in their field.

Support: Dedicated support throughout your training contract including a seat supervisor who will support your development through your seat, two buddies (trainee and senior) who will be able to answer any queries you have and a committed training principal and early careers team who will monitor your progress throughout your training contract.

Culture: Our small trainee intake allows us to action our ethos – to support and do the best for our employees as individuals. It also means you receive responsibility from the word “go”, being exposed to fast-paced challenging work within a supportive and friendly environment.

Our solicitor apprenticeship offers you:

Experience: Exposure to a wide range of practice areas, including: employment; immigration; and legal tech in the first four years. In the last two years, you’ll join the trainee seat rotation, spending time in four six-month seats across our Legal Practice Groups (LPGs) including: corporate; data & privacy; digital, commerce & creative (commercial); dispute resolution; employment; immigration; intellectual property (IP) and real estate, sitting alongside experts in their field.

Support: Dedicated support throughout your apprenticeship including a seat supervisor who will support your development through each seat, a buddy who will be able to answer any queries you have and a committed apprenticeship partner and early careers team who will monitor your progress throughout your training contract.

Culture: Our small intake of two apprentices allows us to action our ethos – to support and do the best for our employees as individuals. It also means you receive responsibility from the word “go”, being exposed to fast-paced challenging work within a supportive and friendly environment.

Recruitment process

At Lewis Silkin, we are looking for bright, open-minded and curious lateral thinkers, free from arrogance, bravado or working at the expense of others. As a firm, we are home to top tier talent within the industry, attracting innovative lawyers with ambition and drive.

We’re looking to understand two fundamental points – why you want to be a solicitor and why you want to train at Lewis Silkin. You’ll need to demonstrate solid commercial understanding, particularly in our specialist sectors and draw on your skills and experiences to highlight why you are a good candidate for the role. You’ll also need to be enthusiastic and motivated, possess strong communication skills and be able to act as a team player who works for the benefit of all.

When reviewing applications, we take a holistic approach and are focused on finding the best candidate for the role – regardless of their background. We review every single application thoroughly and holistically, taking account of your personal experience and circumstances.

Find out more here:
Trainees -  https://www.lewissilkin.com/en/join-us/trainees/application-process
Solicitor apprenticeship - https://www.lewissilkin.com/life-at-ls/careers/solicitor-apprentices

Our culture is encapsulated by our ethos of bravery and kindness. We aim to provide a supportive environment for our people, clients and wider community and embrace diversity, ensuring people are able to bring their full selves to work.

We have two things at our core: people — both ours and our clients' — and a focus on creative, tech and innovation.

We are passionate about people. Whether we are working with a fast growth start up or a large multinational business, we help you realise the potential in your people and navigate your strategic HR and legal issues, both nationally and internationally. Our award-winning employment team is one of the largest in the UK, with dedicated specialists in all areas of employment law and a track record of leading precedent setting cases on issues of the day. The team’s breadth of expertise is unrivalled and includes HR consultants as well as experts across specialisms including employment, immigration, data, tax and reward, health and safety, reputation management, dispute resolution, corporate and workplace environment.

Creativity, technology and innovation are at the heart of everything we do. It is reflected in the way we work, as well as in the types of businesses we work with. We help bring our clients' ideas to life by working alongside you as a trusted partner and bringing together leading commercial, corporate, data and privacy, dispute resolution, employment, immigration, intellectual property and real estate lawyers to help create, optimise, manage and protect your ideas and your business.

We are proud winners of the ‘Firm of the Year’ category at The Lawyer Awards 2025 – the most prestigious category in the UK’s most important legal awards. This is testament to our innovative approach and collaborative culture.

At Lewis Silkin we recognise that a more inclusive workplace allows for a plethora of ideas, thoughts, and skillsets, a variety of points of view that can generate broader discussions and result in innovation, enhanced client service and a stronger and more cohesive team.

We are proud of the diverse range of people within Lewis Silkin and culture of bravery and kindness that allows individuals to be themselves at work, ensuring we provide the best possible service to our clients. All colleagues are encouraged to play a role in activities related to DEI or Responsible Business. A number of DEI groups are active across the firm - Gender, Age, Race and Ethnicity, Social Mobility, Lewis SilkOut (LGBTQ+), Disability, Wellbeing, and Interfaith – supported by our DEI Board and DEI & Wellbeing Lead.

We are also inspired by our own history – a story of social mobility of Lewis Silkin (the man) who was born to a poor family of refugees, but whose determination and hard work won him a scholarship to Oxford University. The opportunity was subsequently lost when, due to his social status, his headmaster reputedly advised the University “this boy will not benefit from a university education”. Undeterred, Lewis Silkin worked in the London Docks until he spotted a notice in the window of a firm of solicitors seeking a ‘bright lad’. He was appointed as a clerk, eventually becoming an articled clerk and qualifying as a solicitor (going on to represent Deptford in the House of Commons and sit in the House of Lords).

This history is at the core of our culture and our values and it drives our commitment to ensure that access to the legal profession is open and fair and that the profession itself is diverse and socially inclusive.

We are a proud signatory to The Law Society’s Diversity and Inclusion Charter, the leading diversity initiative of the legal profession, and Gold Standard award recipient. We are also a legal partner to The Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion.

We are ranked 7th in the UK on the Social Mobility Index and have been accredited as a Living Wage Employer since 2012.