Training contract at Macfarlanes

At Macfarlanes, graduates are seen as more than just potential trainees. We are very conscious that we are recruiting potential partners for the firm and therefore our objective is always to find people who are capable of becoming lawyers of the highest quality.

Read the Legal Cheek Macfarlanes profile here.

Overview

We invest a great deal in the process: our partners attend law fairs and review applications and, on assessment days, it is our partners who will interview you. As a trainee you will be expected to contribute right from the start. You will be tested in challenging situations, working alongside some of the world's most successful and ambitious businesses and individuals. As one of the UK's leading independent law firms, our practice is truly international and you will regularly work with global businesses and foreign law firms. We are confident that our trainees are of the highest quality so when we ask them to undertake secondments we know they will make the best impression. Because of our size, relative to some of our competitors, you will often be closer to the front line. You will be surprised and pleased at how noticeable your contribution is. However, it is demanding. You need not only a high level of intellectual ability, but also the character and the drive to succeed. The hours can be long and the work is hard, but we will support you.

About the firm

First, we are known for the quality of our work; not just in dealing with the full range of corporate and commercial matters, but in advising our clients on their private affairs as well. Secondly, our size and partner-led approach enables us to give our clients a more personal and higher standard of commitment and care than is typical elsewhere. In addition, as we are independent, we can choose precisely the right lawyer or firm for our clients' needs in any jurisdiction in the world. In short, we have a formidable, and unique, combination of expertise and culture; and we rely on remarkable individuals to shape the firm for the future.

Application

We welcome applications from everyone who meets our minimum academic requirements irrespective of what or where you have studied. Our application form is all online, both for the training contract and the vacation scheme. The form itself is simple and is designed to give you every opportunity to impress us. Applications for our 2018/19 training contracts close on 31 July 2016.