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Shoosmiths Jobs

Shoosmiths offer a training contract and a vacation scheme. If the firm is actively recruiting for any of these positions, opportunities will be listed below. 

Training Contract

Trainees at Shoosmiths complete four seats, each lasting six months. There are no compulsory seats, but you must sit in one non-contentious and one contentious seat. There are a variety of different practice areas available, such as commercial, corporate and real estate. 

Other practice areas like intellectual property and construction offer seats on a less regular basis. One of these seats could even be with a client’s in-house legal team, allowing you to gain a greater understanding of the client’s needs and the firm can best serve them. 

Shoosmiths ensure that there is only one trainee with each team, so you’ll work closely with senior lawyers and receive a high level of responsibility from day one. You’ll work directly with clients and have your own case files to manage, giving you confidence in your abilities. 

Trainees also get the chance to meet the trainees from other offices on a residential, and are encouraged to get involved in the firm’s corporate responsibility initiatives. Past trainees have donated food parcels to food banks and held bake sales to raise money for different charities.

Vacation Schemes

The firm offers 40 placements each Summer for students who are interested in a career in law. During the week-long scheme, you'll work on real-life cases, reading case files and attending meetings with clients. You’ll also be set a mini project to complete so you can get a feel for the culture and values at the firm. 

Candidates are also paired up with a current trainee, who will be on hand to provide you with support and answer any questions you may have. There will also be several socials to provide you with networking opportunities and you’ll also be able to attend events at the firm throughout the year. 

Solicitor Apprenticeship

This scheme, which begins in September 2024, complements the work the firm has been doing with organisations such as the Purpose Coalition on its Social Mobility Action Plan, and Aston University, Virgin Media O2 and the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) on the Pathways to Law project for college-age students. 

On the six-year programme, successful applicants will gain technical knowledge, practical experience and wider skills such as professional ethics needed for a career in the law. Apprentices will also benefit from the support of a Student Manager and a Personal Tutor. Apprentices who complete the programme and pass The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) will earn an LLB (Hons) in Law and Legal Practice.

Eleanor Tanner, director of people at Shoosmiths, said: “At Shoosmiths we are committed to nurturing talent and developing skills and expertise through providing relevant vocational and professional apprenticeships. 

“We believe that talent can come from anywhere – it doesn’t have to be through the traditional university route. We are very excited for the launch this pilot and are looking forward to meeting the first cohort in September 2024.”

Applications for the scheme open on 1 February and close on 10 March. There are four places and the apprenticeships will run from Shoosmiths’ Birmingham office. Birmingham has been chosen to host the pilot, given the depth and diversity of the talent pool and the range of departments available for apprenticeship seats with a view to increase the programme to more locations in future years.

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