BCLP

Next deadline

Vacation Schemes 2027 · 4 Jan 2027

(79 days)

In their own words

Our graduates thrive in a business that celebrates difference, builds extraordinary careers, and works together to create positive change.

Snapshot

Firm type

Silver Circle

UK offices

London, Manchester, Southampton

International offices

Circa. 30 offices, including Abu Dhabi, Berlin, Brussels and 18 US locations.

Training contract places

Vacation scheme places

First-year salary

London: £53,000

Second-year salary

London: £58,000

Newly qualified salary

London: £125,000

Trainee retention

92%

SQE support

Full SQE1 and SQE2 funding and maintenance grant.

Visa sponsorship

Yes

International secondment

Not disclosed

Client secondment

Yes

Guaranteed secondment

Recruitment route

Direct training contract and vacation scheme

Rolling basis?

Yes

Seat structure

4 six-month long seats

Can trainees repeat a seat?

Sometimes, depending on circumstances

Can trainees express seat preferences?

Yes, they are taken into account

Trainee salaries review

Annually

Non-law applicants

Actively encouraged

Career-changer applicants

Actively encouraged

Remote working

Standard hybrid only

Minimum academic requirements

Typical start time

9:00am to 9:30am

Typical finish time

19:00pm to 20:00pm

Wellbeing support

Mental health first aiders, quiet rooms, private health insurance, subsidised benefits, onsite GP, onsite physiotherapy and massage, trainee development programme

Minimum holiday

25 days

% female trainees

50%

% female partners

35%

% BAME trainees

25%

% BAME partners

15%

SQE1 and SQE2 funding

Yes, full funding

SQE1 and SQE2 maintenance grant

Yes

PGDL funding

Yes, full funding

Retrospective funding

Considered on a case by case basis

Before you apply

Before you apply, ask yourself:

Are you interested in property law? Real estate is where the firm is strongest and most trainees will sit in this practice area during their training contract.

Do you want to work in London or Manchester? Prospective applicants need to choose one of these offices to apply to.

Are you interested in working on novel legal products at the forefront of the industry? There is an innovation seat where trainees build a product, and AI tools are central to practice.

Do you learn best with more consistent support? You are in-office four days a week and usually share an office with your supervisor.

Next deadline

Vacation Schemes 2027

4 Jan 2027

(79 days)

View job

Deep dive

Explore this firm in detail

What makes it different

"During your Training Contract, you will receive some of the best legal training in the city."

What this could mean for you

During your Training Contract, you would be supported by 232 hours of formal training before qualification, a week-long induction, technical sessions run in every seat, and a supervisor you sit with day to day. The four days in-office are part of this training, as the firm believes the office is where learning happens. 85% of trainees get their first or second seat choice, giving trainees a high level of control over their development.

"But being global isn't just about scale—it's a mindset."

What this could mean for you

The network is real, as the firm boasts 29 overseas locations. The work done by the nearly 700 fee earners in the London office has a global impact, touching 130 countries. For trainees, this means working on cross-border deals and overseas counterparties, handled from a UK desk. You will get to see international matters and foreign counterparties early, without necessarily leaving London or Manchester.

"Our comprehensive innovation training programs include a dedicated trainee position and training at all levels in prompt engineering, process improvement, and innovation strategy."

What this could mean for you

There is a trainee innovation seat spent building a deliverable product, and the firm's tools are in live use with an example being the firm's FLARE lease reporting system built on an AI engine. Departmental training covers how to use AI in the workplace alongside the traditional learning. If you want to, you can spend six months of your training contract on how legal work gets delivered, working on prompt engineering and process improvements, allowing you to have a lasting impact early in your career.

Practice area strengths

Real estate

BCLP's work is defined by high-value, complex transactions and disputes, often involving financing and cross-border elements. As a trainee, you are not just observing—you are actively contributing to deals and cases from an early stage, with exposure to major clients and commercially significant work. Recent work in the real estate practice has included advising the Crown Estate on its £24billion urban regeneration joint venture with Lendlease to invest in areas surrounding Euston Station.

Corporate and finance transactions

BCLP's corporate and finance transaction team has recently advised Playtech on a €2.3 billion sale of Snailtech to Flutter.

Litigation and investments

All practice areas

Real estateCorporateLitigationEmployee benefitsFundsCorporate / M&AInternational tradeFinanceOutsourcingPrivate equityPublic policySecuritisationTaxTechnologyBanking and financeFinTech and digital assetsFinancial services and regulationRestructuring and insolvencyStructured credit and financeTransportIntellectual propertyData, privacy and cybersecurityEnvironmentalCommercialArbitrationInvestigationsAntitrustClass actionsProduct liabilityExecutive compensation

Who it may suit

Before you apply, ask yourself:

Are you interested in property law? Real estate is where the firm is strongest and most trainees will sit in this practice area during their training contract.
Do you want to work in London or Manchester? Prospective applicants need to choose one of these offices to apply to.
Are you interested in working on novel legal products at the forefront of the industry? There is an innovation seat where trainees build a product, and AI tools are central to practice.
Do you learn best with more consistent support? You are in-office four days a week and usually share an office with your supervisor.

This firm may suit candidates who…

Prefer to have more structured training. The firm provides a supervisor you sit with, a partner mentor, a trainee buddy and 232 hours of formal training before you qualify.
May have mitigating circumstances surrounding their academic results. There is no minimum grade requirement, applications are screened contextually through Rare, and current trainees came from 37 different universities.
Have a strong preference for working on real estate matters. Real estate is one of the firm's strongest departments, acting for owners like the Crown Estate and Grosvenor.

Things to consider

Trainees are expected to be in office four days a week for the full two year training contract.
Around 85% to 90% of trainees are chosen from the vacation scheme.