Graduate Solicitor Programme 2027

targetjobs UK; Golden Horseshoe; Hybrid; CAD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A national legal firm is seeking a motivated Trainee to join their team. This role offers the opportunity to work across various legal departments while providing high-quality legal services. The successful candidate will have a good academic record, strong communication skills, and a commitment to client confidentiality. Flexible working hours and comprehensive training are provided to develop your career in law.

Benefits

Annual bonus scheme

25 days holiday plus additional leave

Life Assurance

Employee Assistance Program

Cycle to work scheme

Qualifications

• Necessary academic and vocational qualifications required by the Law Society.
• Experience of working under LEXCEL or similar management standard is beneficial.
• Willingness to work for people of all kinds.

Responsibilities

• Support to your colleagues in fee‑earning work.
• Organise interviews with clients and assess legal problems.
• Prepare documentation and draft case papers.

Skills

Teamwork skills

Attention to detail

Effective communication

Integrity

Initiative

Education

2:1 degree or higher

Tools

Computerised case management systems

Job description

EMG Solicitors is an award-winning, Legal 500 law firm with offices across the North but acting nationally. We specialise in:

Specialisations

• Court of Protection Property & Affairs – Professional Deputyship
• Court of Protection Health & Welfare
• Mental Health & Social Care Funding
• Family & Matrimonial
• Family Mediation
• Dispute Resolution – Contentious Probate, Employment, Civil Disputes
• Residential Conveyancing
• Wills, Trusts & Probate
• Education Law

About The Role

As a B Corp organisation with a gold standard ‘Investors in People’ award, we value all our employees and invest in the development of legal talent. As a trainee with EMG Solicitors, you will be given the opportunity to train in four different seats each for a period of 6 months.

During this time, you will have client contact from the start, you will have a designated mentor within the firm, and we will ensure you have the appropriate technical training as well as the opportunity to attend some of the off‑job training we offer.

This role can be based in any of our offices in Durham, Gosforth, Penrith, Darlington, Manchester, or Reading and we will expect you to travel and work from other offices from time to time.

This is a full‑time role which is 35 hours per week, however, at EMG Solicitors we work flexibly. It’s not a 9‑to‑5 role, but we do expect the work to be done; when you do it can be largely up to yourself, your Team Leader, and the requirements of your clients.

A Brief Overview Of The Role

This role works within various departments. We will try to accommodate your preferred seats where we can but there is no guarantee of this. You will be regarded as a fee earner during this time and will be expected to provide high‑quality legal services to all our clients, under the supervision and training of a qualified solicitor.

What Will We Expect From You

• Support to your colleagues.
• Undertake your duties professionally and with the utmost skill and care.
• Work both on your own and as part of a team.
• Always put clients first and respect their confidentiality at all times.

Getting Paid for the Work You Do

• Undertake fee‑earning work including conducting cases under the supervision of a Team Leader/Solicitor.
• Organise interviews with clients, assess legal problems, and advise clients on costs ensuring excellence in technical advice, client service, and user‑friendly language.
• Arrange meetings, make appointments, and maintain an up‑to‑date diary for your Team Leader.
• Undertake any specific training as a requirement and manage your own self‑development.
• Prepare documentation, standard and non‑standard correspondence, and draft case papers. Also deal with billing, paying costs, and closing files.
• Administer files including daily filing, opening, closing, storage, and retrieval of client files in accordance with the Office manual.
• Accurately record time for billing purposes.
• Attend Court with counsel and take notes.

To Perform This Job, You Will Need

• Necessary academic and vocational qualifications required by the Law Society, including a good academic record, preferably obtaining a 2:1 degree or higher at university.
• Excellent teamwork skills, attention to detail, initiative, honesty, integrity, and a can‑do attitude.
• Experience of and willingness to work for people of all kinds, recognising equal opportunities before the law.
• Previous experience of working under LEXCEL or similar management standard alongside computerised case management systems would be beneficial.
• Effective communication skills face‑to‑face, on the telephone, and in writing, using appropriate language for different clients and situations.

A Little Bit About the Colleague We’re Looking For

At EMG we like our trainees to stand out from the crowd. We are looking for talented, highly motivated, resilient, and hardworking candidates with strong interpersonal and communication skills.

We want our trainees to have a continual desire for self‑development and a commitment to excellence.

Our trainees should engage in social events within the firm and be strong team players. Our success is based upon our team ethos, which we continue to nurture.

Our trainees live and breathe our values, demonstrating them in their everyday lives both in and outside of work.

Behaviours We Look For

• Cooperation – Work proactively with your team towards common goals.
• Courage – Ask questions and expect helpful answers.
• Excellence – Communicate effectively to manage clients and colleague expectations.
• Integrity – Demonstrate fairness, openness, and honesty; report mistakes without fear of reprisal.
• Kindness – Listen, encourage participation, and offer help when colleagues and clients need it.

When applying for the role, please upload a copy of your CV and a covering letter to demonstrate how you and your experience fulfil the criteria for the role in line with our values.

What We Offer

• Full complement of training to support you and develop you in being the best you can be in your role; this starts with a comprehensive induction.
• Firm‑wide annual bonus scheme, competitive salary, 4% pension employer contributions offered through Standard Life.
• 25 days holiday entitlement per year (FTE) with an additional three days off at Christmas, 5 extra days paid leave on your 5‑year anniversary (and every 5 years thereafter).
• Life Assurance providing your loved ones with a 3× salary death‑in‑service benefit.
• Employee Assistance Program – a free‑phone number you can call 24/7 for personal, legal, and financial issues.
• Free annual flu injection.
• EMG Rewards – Vivup app & Tastecard apps offering discounts across a large number of retailers.
• £50 gift card on your birthday and a late start or early finish.
• £50 gift card at Christmas plus Christmas closure (subject to variation).
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Salary sacrifice electric car scheme.
• Support for colleagues who are having babies through Dear Bump, providing welfare packs and support through pregnancy.
• Two passes for Beamish open‑air museum – you can book up to 10 people free of charge.
• Opportunities to join EMG working groups such as Green Team, Better Health at Work Team, Empowerment, Diversity and Inclusion Team, and our Community Team.
• Regular surveys to understand issues that matter to our team, including guest speakers on a wide range of topics.

Benefits

• Company pension.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Employee discount.
• Free flu jabs.
• Life insurance.
• Referral programme.
• Store discount.

Schedule

• Monday to Friday.

Seniority level

• Internship

Employment type

• Full‑time

Job function

• Legal

Industries

• Technology, Information and Internet

EMG Solicitors are an equal opportunities employer.

EMG Solicitors are an equal opportunities employer.