Training Contract 2027 (Birmingham)

Your training contract is the start of the journey to becoming an exceptional lawyer and trusted business advisor.

As a Fieldfisher future trainee, you will be joining a hardworking, friendly and professional network, working on some of the most exciting cases and learning from the top legal minds in a diverse range of sectors.

Beyond your Offer

We will keep in touch with you from the day you accept our offer to the day you join. We will continue to build our relationship with you, invest in your skill development and provide opportunities to grow your network.

Before you start your Training Contract, we will support you through the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) and Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PDGL) if required.

You'll also be assigned a buddy - a current trainee who will have been in your position not long ago. They're there to answer all your questions - so don't feel shy - they'll know exactly how you're feeling.

If that isn't enough, your dedicated Early Careers Team will be on hand to support you through your training contract journey.

Seat Allocation and Secondments

Throughout the two years of your Training Contract, we will work closely with you to ensure you have the support and training to reach your full potential - you won't find yourself next to the photocopier all day.

You will complete four seats each six-months in length, from a diverse range of departments from Real Estate to Personal Injury from Finance to Technology. We do not have any compulsory seats, but we do encourage trainees to experience the departments that make the firm who we are today.

Trainees are able to apply for a client or international secondment from the second seat. International secondments are enriching experiences that provide you with an awareness of cultural and regional differences, which is especially important as the majority of the work we do is cross-border and international.

We currently offer international secondments in three offices - Berlin, Silicon Valley and Vienna.

Supervision and Feedback

In every seat, you can look forward to working with a supervisor who will be a Senior Associate, Director or Partner with a huge amount of legal experience. It is their job to make sure you get the best experience in every seat, by providing you with a variety of client work and being on hand to offer all the support and guidance you need.

Regular feedback is vital to your growth and development. Regular meetings with your supervisor and the Early Careers Development Manager are built into each seat rotation, to ensure that you are staying on track and receiving the support that you need.

After you've completed your training contract, you'll have the technical skills, industry-recognised qualifications and the experience to become an exceptional lawyer.

Reward & Benefits

Our reward and benefits package is designed to provide you with everything you need on the lead up to and during your training contract.

Law School sponsorship

Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL): Although it is no longer a regulatory requirement, all trainees with a non-law degree will study towards the PGDL before commencing the SQE.

We will pay your course fees and provide a maintenance grant of £8,000.

Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE): from September 2021, everyone looking to pursue a career in Law will need to pass the Solicitor's Qualifying Examination (SQE) and all future Trainees will undertake the SQE path to qualification.

We are proud to be working with The University of Law and have designed a Fieldfisher specific SQE preparation programme, which includes an additional set of four modules, which will provide you with the knowledge and skills necessary to have a well-rounded training contract and a long lasting career with us.

We will pay your course fees and provide a maintenance grant of £8,000

Fieldfisher is Times Top 20 Law Firm, a highly commended firm in the European Financial Times Innovative Lawyers rankings and is repeatedly nominated for awards in areas including dispute resolution, M&A and IP. Many of our lawyers are recognised by legal directories as leading professionals in their areas of specialism and we are top two-ranked in a number of our key practice areas.

Our network spans over 1,800 people across 26 international offices in 12 countries.

We operate across our offices in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Beijing, Belfast (2), Berlin, Birmingham, Bologna, Brussels, Dublin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Guangzhou, Hamburg, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Manchester, Milan, Munich, Paris, Rome, Shanghai, Turin, Venice, Vienna and Silicon Valley.

Fieldfisher aims to ensure equality of opportunity and we are actively working towards improving the diversity of our staff. All applications will only be considered on merit and the applicant's suitability to meet the requirements of the role.

Testimonials

"Throughout my time at Fieldfisher from the vacation scheme, time as a paralegal and my training contract, the firm has lived up to its friendly, open, and collaborative culture. As a trainee, fee earners are genuinely interested in your development and pushing you to achieve your potential, not just in your training contract but in your career.

The firm's reputation across its practice areas provides an excellent environment to train where you are trusted to deal with interesting work. The opportunity to spend 6 months in Silicon Valley provided me with a unique experience in a practice area I enjoyed with regular client contact and business development opportunities (as well as some great road trips!)."

"I started my journey at Fieldfisher as a Paralegal in the Birmingham office in December 2018 and became a Trainee Solicitor in September 2019.

On my first day in the office as a Paralegal in the Employment team, I was welcomed and approached by all, including partners, solicitors, and secretarial staff, who were all keen to know more about me and my ambitions for the future. It was clear to me from that day forwards that not only had I joined an international law firm with market-leading practices, but also a network of people who would support, encourage and help me become the best solicitor that I can be.

The Birmingham office offers trainees seats in Real Estate, Dispute Resolution, Employment, and Corporate, with the option to apply for secondments. Our clients are mostly international and high-profile, making the work exciting, dynamic, and complex. Each team is committed to exposing their trainees to a wide variety of work, and always ensure trainees attend client calls and meetings which are invaluable learning experiences.

The office is situated on Blythe Valley Business Park, which is a ten minute commute from Birmingham International train station and Solihull Town Centre. The office is surrounded by greenery, making lunchtime walks, exercise, and picnics outside a regular occurrence. There are cafes situated on the park offering a variety of lunch options, and a Virgin Active gym which offers a number of exercise classes before and after work.

In my opinion, Fieldfisher is a leading law firm that offers a good work-life balance, challenging work, and the skills and resources to help trainees reach their full potential. I feel very lucky to represent the firm as a Trainee Solicitor"

"I was drawn to a career at Fieldfisher because of the quality of the training, the culture of the firm, and the strong emphasis on diversity.

I secured a vacation scheme through the Diversity Access Scheme, and after that, I accepted a training contract at the firm. As a trainee, the work can often be challenging. However, Fieldfisher has a great culture which means everyone is happy to help you when needed, your contributions are genuinely appreciated and you are valued not just as a professional, but as an individual too."

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