Opportunities

Training Contract

Our training contracts are designed to help you reach your potential as quickly as possible through constant exposure to high calibre work. We take an open and transparent approach to progression with a structure that makes sure you get the best start to your legal career.

During your training contract, you will complete four seats of six months each.

In each of your four seats, you will share an office with your supervisor, which means you will always have someone to guide you in your day-to-day work. In each seat you will have a mid-seat and end-of-seat performance review to help you identify areas of strength as well as areas for development. You will also receive plenty of real-time feedback.

The seats you undertake will depend on your own personal preferences and development needs. We require our trainees to undertake one Corporate and one Finance seat with some trainees completing a secondment in our US offices.

Key Dates

Applications open

1 June 2024

Application deadline

31 July 2024

Recruiting for

2025/26

Training contract at a glance

Be part of a small trainee cohort With only 15 trainees a year, you’ll be part of a close-knit, welcoming and supportive group

Work on some of the most complex and sophisticated matters taking responsibility from the start

Share an office with a dedicated supervisor who will provide you with plenty of real-time feedback

Your supervisors, colleagues and partners will know you by name, and your hard work will not go unnoticed

Have the chance to experience different practice areas by completing 4x6 month seats, which you can submit preferences for

Be rewarded for your work £60,000 first year, £65,000 second year, £165,000 on qualification

Training, mentoring and support

The training, mentoring and support you receive as a trainee means you can progress and reach your goals sooner than most law firms. Here is what you can expect to help you develop:

A comprehensive induction
A dedicated supervisor, providing you with plenty of real-time feedback who you will share and office with
Mid-seat and end of seat performance review
Departmental training every time you move seats
Practice area specific training throughout your seat
A partner mentor, who will be there to advise and guide you throughout the full two years of your training contract
The option to have two additional mentors
1-2-1 coaching
Supported throughout your training contract by the Early Careers & Development team

Flexible working as a trainee

Here at Weil, we understand the way we work has changed. Currently, all lawyers and trainees work in the office a minimum of four days a week with Friday as a day when everyone can work from home, with some additional flexibility as needed.

We recognise the many benefits that come with people working regularly in-person. As a trainee associate you share an office with your supervisor and, by working in the office together, this helps you and your supervisor build a strong working relationship and provides the opportunity for you to learn by osmosis. Trainees are able to listen in on live calls, attend in-person client meetings, and receive face-to-face feedback. Working in the office allows Weil to provide high quality training, mentorship and provide opportunities to build relationships with colleagues.

If trainees would like to work from home on Fridays, we make sure you have the necessary IT equipment (monitor, keyboard, mouse and headset etc.), enabling you to perform at your best and work comfortably. We appreciate not everyone has the space to work from home and some people find it easier to focus in the office, so you are welcome to work from the office on Fridays as well if you prefer.

Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE)

We have partnered with the University of Law to deliver the PGDL and the SQE 1 and 2 preparation courses and exams, providing law and non-law graduates with excellent training and continuous development. We offer full sponsorship of the PGDL and SQE 1 and 2 in addition to an annual maintenance grant of £20,000 per year of study.

Keeping in touch with our future trainees

Being a future trainee at Weil is the start of your journey to becoming a qualified lawyer, so we want our future trainees to feel like part of the firm from the moment they accept a training contract. We invite our future trainees to attend social and networking events throughout the year, a few examples include; our summer and festive parties. We will send you a calendar of events with your training contract offer.

Application process

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/01

Who can apply and academic requirements

You can apply for a direct training contract if you are able to join the firm as a trainee in 2024/25.

We are looking to recruit candidates from all universities and degree disciplines. Our academic requirements are AAB at A-Level or equivalent and a 2:1 degree (obtained or predicted). We take into account mitigating circumstances and use Rare’s contextualised recruitment system enabling us to measure an individual’s performance against the average grades of their school. We review all application forms holistically, which means if you fall slightly short of our academic requirements but demonstrate great potential, you will still be considered.

/02

Online application form

Complete a short online application form answering two motivational and one commercial question. Applications are screened blindly, meaning the Early Careers team member reading your application form will not know the university you are attending or have graduated from, helping to remove unconscious bias. Applications open on 1 June 2024 and close on 31 July 2024. All applications are reviewed after the deadline.

/03

Pre-recorded video interview

The pre-recorded video interview is an opportunity to build on your application form and bring it to life. It offers us an insight into your achievements and motivations for a career in commercial law, especially at Weil.

During the video interview, you will answer two questions - one motivational and one commercial. You will have 15-seconds to prepare for each question and 90-seconds to answer. Before you answer the questions, you will have the opportunity to complete a practice question as many times as you would like to help you feel more at ease.

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Virtual interview and in-tray exercise

You will attend a 45-minute interview with an associate and Early Careers team. To help remove unconscious bias from our recruitment process, we have introduced blind interviewing, which means the interviewers will not see a copy of your application form. If you make it to the interview stage, we know that you have demonstrated great potential so far, therefore the interview is a chance for us to understand your motivations, experience and interests in more detail, as well as getting to know you. You will also have the opportunity to learn more about the firm and our culture. In addition, you will complete an in-tray exercise and have the chance to meet one of our trainees for a 15-minute Q&A.

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What can you expect from the in-tray exercise

In the in-tray exercise, you will imagine that you are working as a trainee at an international law firm. Your supervisor and other people working at the firm will ask you to help with several typical trainee tasks. You will then have to decide how to respond to the different requests. You will be assessed on how you work under pressure, prioritise your workload and manage your time. Your written communication and attention to detail skills will also be tested. You will have 1 hour 15 minutes to complete the exercise.

CLICK HERE for top tips on how to prepare for an in-tray exercise.

/06

In person partner interview

The interview will focus on your interest in a career in commercial law. The partners will want to know what you think makes us different and why you are attracted to our opportunities and core practice areas. They will also want to see if you have the transferable skills to be a successful trainee.

Supporting you to succeed
Ahead of your partner interview and to help you perform at your best we will run a partner interview top tips session and provide you with 1-2-1 feedback on your first interview to help you prepare.

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Training contract offer

If we think you are a great match for our firm and have the potential to become an exceptional lawyer, we will offer you a training contract.

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Support and adjustments during the recruitment process

The Early Careers team is here to support you throughout the training contract recruitment process. A few examples of the support we can provide include, but are not limited to: providing the application form in a different format, conducting your pre-recorded video interview over Zoom or the telephone, attending an interview in person instead of virtually, adding extra time to the in-tray exercise and giving you the time to customise the way you view the virtual in-tray exercise with the accessibility toolbar, watch a video here.

To have a confidential chat with a member of the Early Careers team before applying, please contact us at early.careers@weil.com or on 0207 903 1000.

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Support and adjustments if offered a training contract

We will work with you to make adjustments as appropriate and on a case-by-case basis following discussions with professional health advisers and medical experts, including any recommendations from specialists a trainee may have. Before starting your training contract, we will send you a confidential health assessment questionnaire. The information you provide is sent directly to our outsourced Occupational Health team, who will review the information submitted. Depending on the information provided, they will then make contact with you to discuss any adjustments that may be required. With your consent, this information is shared with the Early Careers & Development Manager so that they can advise the practice areas you will be sitting in of the adjustments needed.

Once you commence work with us, the Early Careers & Development Manager will keep in touch with you regularly to ensure that you are continuously supported.

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Frequently asked questions

How many trainees do you recruit each year? How many trainees do you have now?

We recruit up to 15 trainees a year and altogether we currently have 26 trainees.

What is the starting salary for trainees?

£60,000 first year, £65,000 second year and £165,000 on qualification, plus trainees are eligible for an annual discretionary bonus.

What is your trainee retention rate for 2023?

We have retained 100% of our trainees in 2023.

What practice areas offer trainee seats? Can I choose which seats I do?

Trainees can undertake a seat in the following practice areas: Antitrust, Banking & Finance, Funds, Funds Regulatory, Disputes & Investigations, Private Equity and M&A, Private Equity Infrastructure, Private Equity Infrastructure Finance, Restructuring, Structured Finance and Tax.

Yes, you are able to submit three preferences ahead of every seat rotation. We will consider these preferences alongside business need and training requirements when deciding the allocations.

Can I apply directly for a training contract? When will applications open? Are applications reviewed on a rolling basis?

We feel that the best way for you to decide if Weil is right for you is to complete a vacation scheme at the firm and we hope to recruit the majority of our future trainees in this way. However, if we are not able to fill our 2024/25 training contract positions with vacation scheme participants, we will open applications for direct training contracts on 1 June 2023. All applications will be reviewed after the deadline.

Am I eligible to apply for a 2025/26 direct training contract?

You can apply for a direct training contract if you are able to join the firm as a trainee in 2025/26.

Do you accept CV applications?

No, we do not accept CV applications. If you are unable to complete the online application form, please contact the Early Careers team at early.careers@weil.com or on 0207 903 1000 to discuss, in confidence, your individual circumstances.

I’ve missed the deadline to apply for a training contract – can I still apply?

Unfortunately, we are unable to accept applications received after the deadline.

What do I do if I am unsuccessful during the application process? Can I reapply next year?

If you are unsuccessful during the application process, we encourage you to wait a year before reapplying and spend some time improving your application.

Is it possible to receive feedback if my online application is unsuccessful?

We appreciate your eagerness to receive feedback, however, we receive a high number of applications each year. In fairness to all candidates, we are unable to provide individual feedback at the application stage.