Trainee Solicitor Jobs
If you are looking to take the first step in your legal career, Express Solicitors can help. Keep reading to find out more about how to get a job as a trainee solicitor at Express Solicitors.
Training Contracts/SQE
Express Solicitors does things a little differently to other law firms. We generally offer our Trainee Solicitor Jobs to our current employees. We want to ensure that personal injury is the right area of law for you and the only way to truly know that is to work in the area itself.
Therefore our potential trainees start a Litigation Assistants working their way to a Training Contact. We will give you 3 appraisals per annum so we can discuss your progress and readiness to be a Trainee Solicitor. You will always know what your next steps are or what you need to improve upon.
As part of our direct progression route, it generally takes 9 – 18 months, for our law graduates to obtain a trainee solicitor job.
We have around 80 Trainee Solicitors at any one time and we offer both an SQE route and a LPC route.
Express Solicitors has a year-round intake of Trainees, so you can progress to this stage through the year. There in an exception with those taking the SQE route, who will generally start in a either the January or September cohort, in line with our course provider, BPP, start dates
How the SQE works at Express
At Express Solicitors, our SQE programme is completed via a SQE degree apprenticeship with BPP, as the learning provider. This is a 2 year 8 month course and includes both Parts 1 & 2 of the Solicitors Qualifying Examinations as well as the required qualifying work experience. Whilst doing the apprenticeship you will receive regular in depth training and have 1 day a week ring-fenced for your studies. The rest you will be in the office completing your QWE. To be eligible for the programme you need a qualifying law degree and to meet the entry requirements set by BPP.
Quick Comparison Summary
Period of Recognised Training Route (LPC Route) | Solicitors Qualification Examination Route | |
Salary Year 1* | £27,250 | £26,750** |
Salary Year 2* | £27,750 | £27,250** |
Length | 2 years | 2 years 8 months |
Funding | Professional Skills Course fully funded | SQE Degree Apprenticeship fully funded |
Academic Requirements | Completion of LPC | Completion of LLB |
Start Times | Rolling throughout the year | September/January start |
*These figures include an average yearly commission of £1,500. Our generous commission is paid monthly in arrears. For some of our trainees, this figure is much higher where they are bringing in above-average legal fees.
** £24,750 for those who are not handling their own caseload.
Why be a Personal Injury Trainee Solicitor
Here are our top 5 reasons for being a personal injury trainee solicitor:
Supporting and helping vulnerable clients ![](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAMPDwwAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)
Individual client connections ![](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAMPDwwAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)
Making a genuine difference ![](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAMPDwwAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)
Winning at trial ![](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAMPDwwAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)
Seeing a case from start to finish ![](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAMPDwwAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)
What benefits does an Express Trainee Solicitor job offer
Here are 5 key reasons to become an Express Trainee Solicitor:
Express make PI experts ![](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAMPDwwAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)
Early file experience ![](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAMPDwwAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)
Growth and expansion ![](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAMPDwwAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)
Progression ![](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAMPDwwAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)
Specialities in a variety of areas ![](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAMPDwwAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)
What does a Trainee Solicitor do?
We think it’s really important that you understand what it’s like being a trainee solicitor here at Express. To have a genuine understanding of the ins and outs of a trainee solicitor role. To help with this one of our current trainees, has put together what a typical day looks like for them – to give you an idea about what you day might look like and that tasks you might get involved in.
![](https://c158d239900d9761bcf5.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Grace-Rainey-Cropped-e1681461054440.jpg)
Day in the life of an Express Trainee
Grace Rainey is a Trainee Solicitor in the Occupiers’ and Public Liability Department. Grace works alongside Daniel Slade, Chief Executive Officer (Legal) and Katryn Mercer, Senior Associate Solicitor Advocate at Express.
Working closely with Daniel and Katryn, Grace has gained a wealth of experience dealing with particularly complex, serious and catastrophic injury claims. Grace is currently studying for the Solicitors Qualifying Exam and is on route to becoming a qualified Solicitor.
Training and Support
Every trainee solicitor has a supervisor who will support them with a weekly supervision meeting. While we have an open door policy for day to day queries. This weekly session allows for in-depth conversations and file reviews for those more complex matters. It also help guide trainee solicitors, to help them stay on track with their targets and caseload milestones.
Each team member has buddy to help them and we also have a trainee solicitor Teams chat group, which allows for our trainees to help and support each other. This year we were Highly Commended for the Legal Cheek Peer Support award.
All trainee solicitors will have 3 appraisals per annum so we can discuss your progress. You will always know what your next steps are or what you need to improve upon.
Trainees also have the opportunity to meet with our Training Principle, Raana Lowery, once a week for an informal drop in catch up. As some who trained with Express herself, Raana is ideally placed to guide and mentor our trainees, with practical advice from her own experience.
Raana also heads our Learning & Development here at Express, along with the rest of her team. You can find out about the great help they provide here.
What are the stages in the recruitment process?
As mentioned above we generally take our trainees from our existing employees, so the recruitment process will be for a Litigation Assistant position in our Graduate Scheme. This process has 3 stages:
Stage 1 – Application: Please apply with a CV and cover letter to recruitment@expresssolicitors.co.uk.
Stage 2 – Video Interview: if your application has been successful, you will be invited to complete a strength-based video interview.
Video interviews:
• Allow us to assess a wider range and larger number of candidates on more than just the information provided on a cv & cover letter.
• Video interviews are more flexible for candidates as while subject to a deadline, it can be completed in your own time, around any existing commitments.
• Video interviews also ensure consistency in the interview process, making them a fair method of assessment.
Stage 3 – Partner Interview: those successful from video interview will be invited to partner interview. This will be on a one-to-one basis and will be skilled based, set around a case study. This gives candidates the chance to demonstrate their potential as personal injury lawyer and a genuine insight into their future role.
On a successful offer of a position, we will request two satisfactory references (from a teacher/employer). You will also be asked for copies of your academic credentials on start of completion.