Training Contracts

We have put together some helpful tips to guide you through the application process. Scroll down to read them.

No, we wait until our application window has closed before informing candidates if they have been successful or not.

Yes, there is always lots of competition for available places. We would encourage candidates to apply to us again if they are initially unsuccessful but still interested in joining us. These candidates should ensure they have addressed any feedback from their previous application/interview and not submit exactly the same application again.

No, it varies each year. Our vacation scheme and training contract application processes are separate. 30% of our 2026 and 62.5% of our 2027 trainee cohorts completed a vacation scheme at Farrer & Co.

Not for training contracts but we typically run three virtual assessment mornings each year in February as part of our separate process to select candidates for our vacation schemes. This involves a group task and a written exercise. See our vacation scheme page for more details.

Yes. We encourage anyone requiring adjustments for whatever reason to let the Graduate & Solicitor Recruitment team know so we can implement these for your assessments. All information disclosed will be managed confidentially.

Our virtual open days for 2025 have now taken place. We will be running the same sessions again in 2026, at the equivalent times in November and December. Further details and sign up links will be published closer to the time.

We also host open days as part of our partnerships with external associations, such as Young Professionals. Details for how to sign up can be found on their respective websites.

These open days offer candidates the opportunity to find out more about our firm and the recruitment process in more detail as well as having their questions answered by individuals across the firm.

Yes, we host our own open days in the autumn as well as open days as part of our partnerships with external associations, such as Aspiring Solicitors and All About Law, which are often open to first years. Details of how to sign up can be found on the respective websites. You can also try our on-demand work experience simulation to gain an insight into our clients and explore our opportunities.

We are regularly invited to host university virtual Q&A events and attend university panel sessions. For more details, please ask your university career advisor or law society.

We require all our future trainees to take the SQE route. You are still eligible to apply if you have already completed your GDL / LPC. For those who have already obtained the LPC, you will be required to complete the SQE 2. We will also continue to require our future trainees to carry out a two-year period of qualifying work experience with us. For more details about the SQE, read our Join Us magazine.

When it comes to recruitment, we realise that GenAI can help candidates with understanding questions and generating a structure to follow as a starting point when providing answers. However we strongly encourage candidates to avoid copying, pasting and then submitting all or large parts of their application from a GenAI tool. Instead, candidates should tailor and personalise their responses to avoid submitting a generic application which is unlikely to be successful.

Our Graduate & Solicitor Apprentice Team does not use Generative AI to review applications or conduct interviews at any stage of the recruitment process.

Yes, we do sponsor visas for those successful in our training contract. Please indicate if you require one on your application.

We’ve produced a guide for anyone starting their career and looking to understand more about the world of work.

All those interested in the training contract, including successful vacation scheme candidates, are still required to complete a training contract application form prior to the deadline if they have not already done so as part of the vacation scheme joint application process. If unsure, you should check your AllHires account or contact the Graduate and Solicitor Apprentice team.

We are looking for strong A-level grades (or equivalent) and a minimum requirement of a high 2:1 degree. Please use the section provided to give details of any mitigating circumstances you would like us to consider if the minimum requirement is not achieved.

We are interested in all your work experience, whether virtual or in person; paid or voluntary; legal or non-legal; UK-based or international.

Any attendance at, or participation in, legal open days or events should be addressed in the question relating to the steps you have taken to prepare for a career in law, rather than in this work history section.

We're looking for candidates to showcase their motivations to pursue a career in law. This might include details of life experiences that have led you towards a career in law (such as the environment where you grew up or lived; an inspirational friend or colleague; a book you read; a news article or blog/vlog; a YouTube video; a podcast). We want to see that you have done your research so we can be confident that being a solicitor is something you will enjoy and excel in. This is a great place to highlight your understanding of the role of a solicitor and why you've chosen this role as opposed to other legal careers, such as a barrister.

This is your chance to share the range of transferable skills you’ve gained from your formal education and additional qualifications which will be applicable to life as a solicitor. This might include studies within school; college; university; EPQ; or a relevant online course leading to a certificate. In terms of content, there isn't a requirement to have previously studied law but if you have, you might tell us which modules interested you and why. You can do the same with other courses studied if relevant.

This is also where you should pick some tasks from your work experience and give an in-depth explanation of what you did and the transferable skills gained.

You should ensure you highlight your understanding of how these skills are relevant to a career as a solicitor so we can determine your awareness of what's involved.

We want to find out as much as possible about you, beyond your study and work commitments, to determine how you manage your time effectively and how you think these activities will be helpful to a career in law. What are your hobbies and interests? Do you hold any positions of responsibility? What books, articles, podcasts have helped to bolster your knowledge of the legal sector? Have you attended any legal open days or events or work simulations? These can be current or historic activities and virtual or in person.

We're really interested in finding out which of these particularly resonated with you and why these have assisted your preparation for a legal career.

You should use this section to give us examples of what made you apply to Farrer & Co and what stands out for you when you compare us to other law firms.

Before answering this question, take your time to research our firm. We recommend you take advantage of the huge selection of articles, blog posts, podcasts and videos available on our website and social media platforms.

We are committed to fostering diversity and inclusion in relation to our members, clients and the community. We ask for this information on our application form so we can monitor the profile of all the people who apply to work for us to ensure we are recruiting from a broad pool of talent – as we aim to reflect the wider community to which we provide services.

All personal data supplied on this form will be treated anonymously and will not affect the outcome of your application.

We will use these assessments to assist us in selecting our 8 trainee solicitors.

If your application is successful, you will be required to complete a virtual proofreading task using our online testing portal.

You will need access to a computer or a laptop with a stable internet connection to complete this task. We recommend reading all the online instructions carefully and completing the practice questions provided within the system before starting the test.

You will receive an extract of text containing multiple spelling, formatting, and grammatical errors, such as in the example highlighted below. Your task is to correctly identify the highlighted errors within the allocated time.

"Ok everyone, tanks for coming at such sort notice. Right, let's get down to business. On the agenda today, is the discussion about how the recent tax legislatoin changes will affect our line of business[? If we go through all the areas in order,, we will gain a good understating of potential changes to propose to the commitee. Finally, we will then assess and adress any of there underlying concerns!"

Please contact our team if you require any adjustments to enable you to participate in our recruitment process.

If you pass our proofreading task, we will invite you to participate in a virtual first interview and written exercise.  

Please contact our team if you require any adjustments to enable you to participate in our recruitment process.

1. Written meeting note task – 30 minutes

After you have been greeted by the interviewers, you will be asked to complete this exercise which is based on a task our trainees are expected to carry out in the role.

You will be provided with a transcript of a fictitious meeting and will then need to convert this into a follow up email to a client.

In your email, you will be expected to include details such as an accurate overview of advice discussed in the meeting and correctly identified action points.

You will also be assessed on how well written your email is (ie no typos, articulate, succinct).

2. First interview – 60 minutes

You will then participate in an interview with one fee-earning partner and one senior associate/counsel. The names of these interviewers will be provided to you in advance. We recommend you look at their biographies on our website prior to the interview and come prepared to ask them questions in the time set aside at the end.

This interview is an opportunity for us to find out more about you and your ability to think on your feet and sustain a cogent argument.

In the interview, you will be assessed based on your ability to respond to questions relating to the below themes:

• Why you're interested in law and working at Farrer & Co (including an awareness of our values and factors affecting our clients).
• Commercial awareness (including associated opportunities and risks).
• Teamwork.

Following first interview (or participating in one of our vacation schemes), shortlisted candidates will then attend a second interview.

In addition to our standardised interview questions, candidates will also be asked to complete a research task and orally present their findings to the interviewers.

Please contact our team if you require any adjustments to enable you to participate in our recruitment process.

1. Research task – 35 minutes

After you have been greeted by a member of our Graduate & Solicitor Apprenticeship team, you will be provided with a short scenario to read and research.

You will be provided with a laptop and all research materials required to complete the task (some relevant, some not). You will be allowed 25 minutes to carry out your research and then will be asked to orally present your findings to the interviewers and respond to their questions in the final 10 minutes.

While no prior legal knowledge will be required to complete this task, we will be looking for candidates to correctly identify an answer to the scenario, based on their research conducted as part of this assessment, and orally communicate how they reached these findings to interviewers in an articulate, succinct, practical way.

2. Second interview – 60 minutes

You will then participate in an interview with two fee-earning partners/senior counsel. The names of these interviewers will be provided to you in advance. We recommend you look at their biographies on our website prior to the interview and come prepared to ask them questions in the time set aside at the end.

This interview is an opportunity for us to find out more about you and your ability to think on your feet and sustain a cogent argument.

In the interview, you will be assessed based on your ability to respond to questions relating to the below themes:

• Why you're interested in being a solicitor and working at Farrer & Co (including an awareness of our business and factors affecting our clients).
• Working with others, reflecting on performance and resilience.
• Awareness of recent legal cases and current affairs (including associated opportunities and risks).