Legal trainee scheme: how to apply
Information regarding the application and assessment process for the legal trainee scheme
Introduction
To join us as a trainee solicitor or pupil barrister you will need to:
- Meet all the elements of our eligibility criteria
- Meet the required standard in 3 online application tests
- Meet the required standard in a video interview
- Meet the required standard and be amongst the highest scoring candidates at our assessment centre
Change for the Legal Trainee Recruitment Campaign
Pupil Barrister and Trainee Solicitor positions have previously been recruited through a single annual GLP legal trainee scheme recruitment campaign.
The Pupil Barrister recruitment campaign will align with the Bar Council’s timings of advertising Pupil Barrister positions on the Pupillage Gateway in November. The application window will open in January 2025.
The next Trainee Solicitor recruitment campaign will launch in Spring 2025.
Mailing List - Pupil Barrister Recruitment Campaign
The GLP legal trainee scheme (Pupil Barrister) recruitment campaign will open for applications in January 2025.
To be notified as soon as the campaign is open, you can add your contact details to the mailing list.
Eligibility
Applicants must meet the eligibility criteria below in order to be eligible to apply.
Our application form will ask you to demonstrate that you meet the stated eligibility criteria.
Nationality
Departments recruiting under the legal trainee scheme are part of the wider Civil Service and therefore the Civil Service nationality rules apply.
As this post is described as ‘non-reserved’, those listed below will be eligible to apply:
- UK nationals
- Nationals of Commonwealth countries
- Nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- EEA nationals with (or eligible for) status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- Relevant EEA or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- Relevant EEA or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
- Certain family members of the relevant EU & Turkish nationals
Guidance on the changes to the Civil Service nationality requirements can be found here.
Please note that it is possible to meet the above nationality requirements and still not be legally entitled to work in the UK. Newly arriving EEA nationals who enter the UK from 1 January 2021 and their family members, who are not eligible to apply to the EUSS, will be subject to the UK’s new points-based immigration system. As such, they will not be eligible to work in the Civil Service unless they are able to qualify under their own nationality (e.g. they are an Irish national).
It is the applicant’s responsibility to check whether they are legally entitled to work in the UK. When applying, applicants will be asked about their nationality at birth, whether they are subject to immigration control, whether there are any restrictions on your continued residence or employment in the UK etc. Detailed document checks will be made prior to employment.
We will not be able to provide sponsorship for a work permit for the Legal Trainee Scheme.
Academic criteria
The following information will be subject to change:
Trainee Solicitor Positions
The academic criteria for the LPC route and SQE route is below.
LPC Route
You will need:
- A minimum of a 2:2 honours in an undergraduate qualifying law degree (see below), or
- A minimum of a 2:2 honours undergraduate degree in a non-law subject (or overseas equivalent in any subject) and a minimum pass in a GDL/PGDL/CPE (law conversion course) that covers the foundational topics (see below), or
- Equivalent qualifications at level 6 (e.g. a CILEx Level 6 qualification) that covers the seven foundational legal topics. Note: if your qualification does not cover all of the seven foundational areas of legal knowledge, you will normally be required to study the remaining legal topics on a PGDL or equivalent
- To have successfully completed the LPC prior to the start of your training contract with the relevant department.
Under the SRA’s transitional arrangements the LPC route (rather than the SQE route) is open to:
- anyone who, before 1 September 2021, had completed, started, accepted an offer of a place or paid a non-refundable deposit for a law conversion course, LPC or a period of recognised training (also known as a training contract), as long as the relevant course started by 31 December 2021, or
- anyone who, by 21 September 2021, completed, started, accepted an offer of a place or paid a non-refundable deposit for a qualifying law degree or an exempting law degree
SQE Route
You will need:
- A minimum of a 2:2 honours in an undergraduate qualifying law degree (see below), or
- A minimum of a 2:2 honours undergraduate degree in a non-law subject (or overseas equivalent in any subject) and a minimum of a pass in a GDL/PGDL/CPE (law conversion course) that covers the foundational topics (see below), or
- Equivalent qualifications at level 6 (e.g. a CILEx Level 6 qualification) that covers the seven foundational legal topics. Note: if your qualification does not cover all of the seven foundational areas of legal knowledge, you will normally be required to study the remaining legal topics on a PGDL or equivalent
- To have passed SQE1 and SQE2 prior to the start of your Qualifying Work Experience (QWE) with the relevant department.
Applications are welcome from:
- those who have passed both the SQE1 and SQE2 or are on the way to doing so (through self-funding)
- those who have passed SQE1 or are on the way to doing so (through self-funding) and who will complete SQE2 under departmental SQE provision
- those who have not yet completed SQE and who will complete SQE1 and SQE2 under departmental SQE provision.
Qualifying law degree / Foundational Topics
The qualifying law degree must be compliant with the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) subject benchmark statement for law and cover the following seven foundational topics of legal knowledge, which are:
- Criminal Law
- Equity and Trusts
- Law of the European Union
- Obligations 1 (Contract)
- Obligations 2 (Tort)
- Property/Land Law
- Public Law (Constitutional Law, Administrative Law and Human Rights Law)
Degree stage
We welcome applications from people who graduated some time ago as well as those newly graduating.
If you are currently studying for a qualifying law degree or undergraduate degree in a non-law subject you are eligible to apply from your penultimate year (if you are a law student) or from your final year (if you are a non-law student).
Overseas degrees
We accept applications from candidates with overseas degrees. You must supply evidence that your degree is equivalent to the minimum requirement of a 2:2 in an UK undergraduate degree.
The responsibility (including any costs) of providing appropriate documentation is on the individual. The UK National Information Centre provides information about the comparability of different international qualifications.
We would normally ask for evidence when candidates are completing the online application form and situational judgement test.
Security Clearance
Some departments require their trainees to have attained a higher level of security clearance, i.e. Security Check (SC), prior to starting their training. A prerequisite of this higher level of clearance is that you need to have lived in the UK for the last 5 years. Further information on clearance levels can be found on GOV.UK.
What we look for
Factors such as the school you attended, A levels and GCSEs results, your university and degree subject do not form part of our decision-making process.
In fact, the only time that we see any personal information about you is at the assessment centre stage and this is limited to your name.
This approach has delivered positive results. In the 2023 Legal Trainee Scheme, the 76 successful candidates came from 40 different universities.
The type of skills and behaviours we are looking for and how we test them are below.
Application stage
There are four parts to the application stage:
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An online application form and a situational judgement test
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A verbal reasoning test
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A critical reasoning test
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A video interview
Situational judgement test (SJT)
The SJT assesses your judgement in dealing with the types of situations you may encounter as a legal trainee. If you pass the eligibility criteria in the application form, you will then receive an email inviting you to complete the SJT.
You will be given 16 hypothetical situations and a list of possible reactions to each situation. You will be asked to indicate which reaction you think would be the most effective response and least effective response to the situation.
The SJT is conducted online. The test is not timed but should take between 25 to 30 minutes to complete.
A free practice test can be found on the AssessmentDay website.
If you obtain the pass mark for the SJT, we will invite you to complete the Verbal Reasoning Test.
Verbal reasoning test (VRT)
Our legal trainees need to be able to analyse and interpret complex information. The VRT provides you with the opportunity to demonstrate your ability in this important area.
The VRT is conducted online and is timed. You will be given 24 minutes to complete the test.
A free practice test can be found on the AssessmentDay website.
If you obtain the pass mark for the VRT, we will invite you to complete the Critical Reasoning Test.
Critical reasoning test (CRT)
The CRT assesses your ability to logically analyse assumptions, arguments, deductions, inferences and interpret information.
This test is conducted online and is timed. It should take between 30 to 40 minutes to complete the test.
A free practice test can be found on the Test Partnership website.
If you obtain the pass mark for the CRT, we will invite you to complete a Video Interview.
Video interview (ViV)
The video interview has been designed to assess candidates’ motivations for the trainee scheme, as well as some of the behaviours which are integral to the role.
During the interview, there will be a number of text-based questions, and a set amount of time to respond to each of those questions.
The interview will last for approximately 20 minutes, and full instructions on how to complete this will be given at the time.
A free practice test can be found on the AssessmentDay website.
If you obtain the pass mark in the video interview and are amongst the highest scoring candidates, we will invite you to attend an assessment centre.
Assessment stage
If you are invited to the half-day assessment centre, the Recruitment Team will email you asking you to book your preferred date, so you should book your place as soon as possible.
The assessment centres will only run on the dates published. No further dates will be made available. If you cannot make any of the assessment dates then, unfortunately, your application will be withdrawn from the recruitment process.
The assessment centres will be conducted online using Zoom and Tazio. If you are invited to the assessment centre you must have access to video with audio capability on your laptop, tablet etc. If you do not have access, then unfortunately, your application will be withdrawn from the recruitment process.
The Recruitment Team will provide you with our information pack about the assessment centre, which will help you to prepare for this stage of the process.
There will also be a conference call for those invited to the assessment centre. This will provide an opportunity to ask any questions on the assessment centre process and to hear from members of the Recruitment Team and representatives from the Government Legal Profession.
You will be given the opportunity to indicate your preferred department which will be considered (but not guaranteed) by the Final Selection Board.
At the assessment centre you will complete a written exercise and take part in a panel interview.
Written exercise
You will have 60 minutes to complete the written exercise.
The exercise is not a test of legal knowledge and is designed with non-law students in mind.
You will be given a practical, legally-based problem which you will be asked to analyse and then address a number of questions.
You will be asked to assume that you are writing to a senior colleague who has asked for your advice. We will provide you with the necessary information about the law to which you need to refer in order to provide your advice.
Interview
The interview typically lasts around 70 minutes. The panel will usually consist of two senior lawyers and an independent chairperson.
The panel will use different types of questioning during the interview, which may require a slightly different approach to answering.
At the beginning of the interview, the panel will spend up to 15 minutes questioning the candidate on their response to the written exercise. This will enable them to expand upon the key points which they have made.
There will be a ‘behaviour-based’ element to the interview because how a candidate would behave in certain situations is one of the best indicators of how they are likely to perform in the role.
The types of behaviours which will result in effective performance in the trainee role are set out in our person specification. These behaviours link to the Civil Service Success Profiles Framework.
The examples the candidate chooses can be from any setting such as work, education, voluntary sector or home life. Ideally they should use a different example for each question as a spread of responses will give the assessors the most comprehensive picture of them.
In their responses to the questions, candidates should try to include each of the following elements:
- Situation and/or task: briefly describe what the situation/task was
- Actions: what was it that they did?
- Result: describe the impact, outcomes or results of the actions they took
Alternatively, candidates may be asked how they would behave in a given situation. The panel members will set out a scenario for them to consider. For example, how they would respond to a heavy workload or manage a sensitive situation.
Strength-Based Questions
There will be some strength-based questions. Strength-based questions are designed to assess whether the candidate is a good fit for an organisation and role. This is based on what they enjoy doing and what they do well and often. By ensuring the role is the right fit for them, they are more likely to enjoy it and perform well.
A few generic examples of strength-based questions are:
- “What energises you?”
- “What are you good at?”
- “What would you say are your weaknesses?”
Motivation
Lastly, and unsurprisingly, the panel will focus on motivation for the role. The panel will be looking to understand the candidate’s reasons for applying to the legal trainee scheme. For example through their knowledge of what government lawyers do and their motivation for working within the public sector.
Candidates with a disability
We believe that all eligible people must have equality of opportunity for employment and advancement on the basis of their suitability for the work.
The Equality Act 2010 requires us to provide reasonable adjustments for disabled people.
This is defined by the Act as those who have a physical or mental impairment. For example a substantial and long-term adverse effect on that person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
We will not make assumptions about whether a disabled person requires any adjustments or about what those adjustments should be.
We will discuss and agree with the individual in question the reasonable adjustments required.
If you are a disabled person, as defined by the Equality Act 2010, and you wish to request any reasonable adjustments for any stage of the recruitment process, you must notify the Recruitment Team in the application form. This must be submitted by the stated deadline. For example, additional time for the timed online tests and any adjustments at the assessment centre.
If you require a reasonable adjustment to complete your application form and/or situational judgement test you will need to contact the Recruitment Team as soon as possible.
If you would find it helpful to discuss your requirements, please contact the Recruitment Team.
Any information given in support of your request will be treated in confidence and withheld from those involved in selection based decisions.
Monitoring
We will record and monitor the reasonable adjustments that have been requested and made. This will help us identify whether there are any wider steps that we can take to support those applying to us with a disability.
Disability Confident scheme
Departments recruiting under the legal trainee scheme have signed up to the Disability Confident scheme.
If you consider yourself to have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010, you can apply under the terms of the scheme.
We will invite you to attend the assessment centre if you:
- Meet all aspects of the eligibility criteria
- Meet the standard in each of the 3 online tests and video interview
Complaints procedure
The legal trainee scheme is underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of fair and open competition. This is outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.
We aim to provide the best possible service to applicants for to the legal trainee scheme. If you are not satisfied with any aspect of the service you have received during the process, please contact the Recruitment Team.
If you do not feel that your application has been treated in accordance with the Commission’s Recruitment Principles and wish to make a complaint, please contact Caroline Anerville, Government Legal Department, 102 Petty France, London SW1H 9GL.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you may then wish to contact the Civil Service Commission. Please submit any complaint in writing.
Civil Service Code
As civil servants, legal trainees will be appointed on merit on the basis of fair and open competition.
Legal trainees will be expected to carry out their role with dedication and a commitment to the Civil Service and its core values: integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality:
- ‘integrity’ is putting the obligations of public service above your own personal interests
- ‘honesty’ is being truthful and open
- ‘objectivity’ is basing your advice and decisions on rigorous analysis of the evidence
- ‘impartiality’ is acting solely according to the merits of the case and serving equally well governments of different political persuasions
The core values are set out in the Civil Service Code.
Overseas qualified lawyers
The legal trainee scheme is for those who have not yet qualified as a lawyer. If you are qualified to practise law in another jurisdiction, you may be able to re-qualify to practise in England and Wales through an alternative route. We recommend that you contact the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and the Bar Standards Board (BSB) for further information.
Professional bodies’ requirements
If you are successful in obtaining a trainee solicitor or pupil barrister position, please ensure that you understand the requirements placed on you by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) or the Bar Standards Board (BSB)
For example, trainee solicitors (looking to qualify through the LPC route or SQE route) will need to meet the SRA’s character and suitability requirements.
Updates to this page
Last updated 24 April 2024 + show all updates
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Launch of the 2024 Trainee Solicitor recruitment campaign
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Launch of the 2023 GLP legal trainee scheme recruitment campaign
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Updated application link
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Launch of the 2022 legal trainee scheme recruitment campaign
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Launch of the 2021 Legal Trainee Scheme
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Launch of the 2020 Legal Trainee Scheme
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launch of the 2019 legal trainee scheme
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Launch of the 2018 Legal Trainee Scheme
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GLS Legal Trainee Scheme is open for those interested in a training contract or pupillage in government departments such as GLD, HMRC and NCA.
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GLS Legal Trainee Scheme open
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Announcement of the 2016 GLS Legal Trainee Scheme.
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Link to application form removed following deadline
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Updated for launch of application process
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Updated ahead of 2015 recruitment campaign
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Updated to reflect programme for 2015 recruitment campaign
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First published.