Qualify with a firm consistently rated as a Top Employer
What is a training contract?
You can apply to complete our training contract, as a trainee solicitor, if you are currently studying towards, or have completed, the Legal Practice Course (LPC). If you have not yet commenced the LPC, you can become a trainee solicitor by following our graduate solicitor apprenticeship pathway to qualification.
Our training contract is a two-year programme designed to provide you with an excellent training experience leading to your qualification as a solicitor. You’ll be able to test your skills across four seats within the business whilst supported by a robust network. You will be given the opportunity to learn from legal experts whilst completing high quality work with responsibly and client exposure.
Eligibility and requirements
To apply for the role of trainee solicitor (following the training contract pathway) you will be a graduate who is currently studying towards, or completed, the legal practice course (LPC).
Our trainee solicitors will develop the competencies listed below as they progress through the programme. These competencies are also used to help shape our early careers recruitment processes; we assess for potential in these areas, but we do not expect experience.
- Reasons and problem solves effectively with complex data and information and learns quickly.
- Plans, organises, prioritises and manages resources and time.
- IT literate.
- Has a strong commercial focus.
- Emotionally resilient, mature and positive when the going gets tough.
- Customer-centric — both internal and external.
- Flexible and adaptable.
- Demonstrates integrity.
- Is achievement-driven, shows initiative, takes responsibility with a ‘can do’ attitude.
- Committed to continuous improvement.
- Attends to the detail and is quality minded.
- Self‐aware — knows own strengths and weaknesses.
- Demonstrates effective communication both verbally and in writing.
- Assertive and socially confident.
- Influential and persuasive.
- Team player and team builder who networks effectively.
- Diplomatic, tactful and empathic.
- Interpersonally skilled, reads people and situations and then adapts accordingly.
- Aware of and propagates a positive and professional image and persona
Why Weightmans?
We want to help you nurture a career you love, providing a working life and environment you’ll not only enjoy but a place where you’ll love coming to work every day. We’ll challenge you to meet your potential and support you to achieve it and then celebrate and reward your success.
In 2024, our commitment to the development and satisfaction of our employees was confirmed with the Top Employers Institute certification for the 17th year. The independent research highlighted our dedication to a better world of work through excellent HR policies and people practices.
We are truly committed to fostering a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion where everyone in the firm is respected and recognised on merit for the work that they do.
In our offices, we have unique and open spaces accompanied by agile working for great work-life harmony. With a focus on learning and development of our people, we are proud to have consistently high trainee solicitor retention rates.
As much as we work hard, we like to play hard too! Having work/life harmony is something we value for all our people. Our social calendar is always full, from theatre visits and quizzes to office parties. Each of our offices has an active social committee who are always looking for new members to get involved. We will encourage our graduates to keep in touch as a national cohort with training and annual events.
We pride ourselves in our CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) work and support a number of deserving charities, both nationally and local to our offices, including Clatterbridge Cancer Charity, Francis House, Simon on the Streets and many more. As part of our commitment, all staff receive two days of paid CSR leave each year, and each office has a local committee who are always looking for new members, and this may be something you would like to be a part of once you join us.
Salary and benefits
For year one as a trainee solicitor, you would receive a salary of £27,000 (£34,000 London), which will increase after 12 months to £29,000 (£36,000 London). As a Weightmans employee, you will also be entitled to our excellent staff benefits including:
- 28 days' holiday
- Healthcare cover
- Pension plan
- Travel loan scheme
- Employee care scheme
- Discounted gym membership
- Dental care scheme
How to apply
Please note that applications have now closed and we are unable to accept any further applications. Applications will reopen in Autumn 2025.
To be notified when applications reopen, please fill in the expression of interest form below.
Stage 1 — Written application
At this stage, we will look at your academic grades and your answer to an open question. This question is designed to check your understanding of how a law firm, and Weightmans, works. We will also assess structure, depth, punctuation and grammar. The quality of your answer will determine if you progress to the next stage, we therefore suggest you spend some time on this and proofread before submitting. We will review all written submissions individually, in a blind marking process.
Please note, our applications have now closed and we are unable to accept any further applications. Applications will reopen in Autumn 2025.
Stage 2 — HIPO-I interactive online assessment
If you are successful at the written application stage, you will then be invited to complete an online assessment called the HIPO-I. This assessment has been designed to test verbal and numerical reasoning, along with some situational judgement questions, to assess if our values align.
Stage 3 — Virtual Interview
If you are successful at the HIPO-I assessment, you will be invited to attend a virtual interview with a member of HR and a Partner or Principal Associate from the Firm. The interview will be conducted via Zoom and will include a presentation. Virtual interviews will take place the week commencing Monday 24 March 2025. Please note, there will be no other dates available.
Stage 4 — Assessment centre
Our application process consists of 4 stages:
Claims Only Route
We are committed to attracting and building our talent to continue our delivery of excellence to our Insurance, Healthcare and Public Sector clients .
Therefore we are delighted to introduce a Claims specific training contract which will give you the opportunity to undertake various seats within our Claims Division to understand the breadth and depth of claims work and the many and varied clients that we work with . This experience will then give you the opportunity to qualify into Claims by working in our Healthcare, Casualty and Large Loss departments.
We will provide you with very focused partner led training : not just on the work but on client interaction and management and a good understanding of the market(s) in which you will operate. You will spend longer in seats to get a richer experience and benefit from the valuable Partner input and a focused programme designed to launch your career.
You will emerge from the training contract as a marketable , proficient and confident litigator with good broad skills and competencies to flourish.
Applications welcomed for all of our office locations.
We welcome you to contact us if you have any queries regarding this process.
Application tips
Watch our video below where Marc Prats from our early careers team provides some hints and tips for those looking to apply for one of our early careers programmes.
Read transcript
Welcome to Weightmans. We're a national law firm with over 1400 people and nine offices across the UK.
My name is Marc, and I work in the Early Careers department at Weightmans. We're one of the first law firms of our size in the UK to offer a new ground-breaking pathway into law.
Our apprenticeship Academy launched in 2020.
Now you can become a solicitor, gain a qualifying law degree, earn a good salary and work in one of the top UK law firms.
Our unique application process doesn't just give us the chance to review your application fairly, but it also gives you insights about the firm. There two areas where we are going to apply scoring in your application: your academics and an open question at the end of the form. Let's look at some top tips.
Do your research on the company and the role. How do you fit the brief?
We run open evenings every autumn, so come along and find out more about us.
Take your time with the responses and start early. Don't leave it until the last minute.
The application is open for at least two months, so we would advise you to consider your answers and take your time. Don't worry, the application can be saved, so you can continue it at a later date.
Don't be afraid to ask for help. Ask someone you know to read through your application and give you feedback.
The most common reasons for loss of points are punctuation, spelling, and grammar. So make sure to double check your application.
The HiPo-i has been designed for Early Career's recruitment to identify potential in our candidates.
You are usually given around a week to complete the assessment, so make sure to find a quiet space to complete it. If you pass the online assessment stage, it's time to come and talk to us at an interview. We will ensure that you are ready for the day. A member of the Early Careers team will call you to that you're prepared.
At your interview, you will meet with two people: a member of HR and the lawyer from the firm so that we can get to know you better.
We're a friendly team and want the best for you, so we'll try our best to make you feel at ease.
Once past the interview stage, you will receive an invite to our assessment day. The assessment day is held at a Weightmans office. It includes group activities and other tasks designed to see how you respond to practical challenges, for you to show us your personality, and your problem solving skills.
It is also a good chance for you to decide if Weightmans is a good fit for you.
If you're a successful applicant, the support does not stop there.
During our week long induction in Liverpool, you will learn more about the role and you'll get to meet other apprentices.
We really look forward to meeting you all at Weightmans and we want to wish you the best of luck during your application process.
If you would like more information, please contact us at earlycareers@weightmans.com.
We welcome you to contact us if you have any queries regarding this process.
Summer vacation scheme
Details regarding our 2025 summer vacation scheme will be published in the autumn.
Do you have any further queries?
Please contact our early careers team on +44 (0)345 073 9900 or earlycareers@weightmans.com. Please also follow us on Instagram @weightmansearlycareers.