Meet our group HR Director & Training Principal
I started my career as a solicitor, training at Gateley, so I know first-hand what it is like to work through the trainee programme, the highs and the lows of learning new skills, working in a brand-new environment and facing new challenges every week. I found it to be a rewarding experience which equipped me to build my career as an employment solicitor, with the confidence and support to move into a new role within the operational management of the group.
Choosing which businesses to apply to is the first step. It may seem like a minefield with many saying similar things. How do you choose which one is right for you? We’ve highlighted a few of the things that trainees have told us are important about Gateley Legal.
What do we look for in our trainees?
We look for traits in our trainees that embrace the Gateley team spirit:
- Ambition
- Commerciality
- Vision
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Strong academics including an expected or obtained 2:1 undergraduate degree classification.
What’s it like to train at Gateley Legal?
- It all starts with a two-week induction where you meet the rest of your trainee cohort and begin to build a network of contacts across Gateley. We will help you get up to speed with life at Gateley and you will begin your legal skills training, enjoying several social events along the way!
- You will complete four six-month seats during your two-year training contract. From day one in your first seat, you will be given as much responsibility as possible and will play a crucial role in your team.
- You will have numerous opportunities to work directly with clients allowing you to build your client-care and communication skills.
- You will receive supervision and mentoring from highly experienced solicitors complemented by soft skills development, IT training and technical training from our learning & development team and professional support lawyers who will provide technical training.
- Our professional skills courses, run by BPP University, will also develop your technical and soft skills. Your progress and performance will be discussed regularly with you as well as more formally at your mid and end of seat reviews.
Thinking of a career in law?
Our ‘Introduction to M&A law’ programme is a great place to start.
In this programme, you will learn all about mergers and acquisitions and assist our team with a hypothetical transaction, applying critical thinking and commercial awareness to achieve the required outcome. After completing the task, you will be able to compare your work our team’s model solution.
Take a look at some of our trainee initiatives
We recruit our future trainees directly from our summer vacation placements. Over two weeks, you get the opportunity to meet different people at Gateley and to explore whether we are the right business to help you begin your legal career.
During the summer vacation placement, you will gain paid hands-on experience and to decide whether a career in law seems right for you. You will work with a mix of lawyers across several practice areas so you can explore different specialities, a glimpse of what your professional life could be like as a qualified solicitor. During the placement, you will be supported by a trainee buddy and by our graduate recruitment team.
It’s a fun two weeks with social events so that you can get to know our culture and what life is really like as a trainee within our business.
How do you apply for a summer vacation placement?
- Complete our online form once applications open.
- After we have received your application all applicants will be invited to complete an interactive assessment.
- All applications and interactive assessments will be reviewed after the closing date so don’t be concerned if you do not hear from us straightaway.
- If you are shortlisted, you will be invited to attend a virtual assessment centre which includes an opportunity to meet some of our trainees and emerging talent team.
- If you are successful at the assessment centre, you will be invited to join one of our summer vacation placements which usually take place in June and July.
- Training contract offers are made within two weeks of completion of the placement. If you are unsuccessful, we will let you know what you could have done differently or better, to support you with future applications at Gateley or elsewhere.
Hear from a former trainee
5 top tips on how to approach your vacation scheme
Georgia Horrocks shares some of the lessons that she learnt during her vacation scheme placement
Read moreMore on the application process
Who can apply?
You can apply for a summer vacation placement if:
- you are in your penultimate or final year of a law degree, or have graduated after completing a law degree
- you are in your final year of a non-law degree, or have graduated after completing a non-law degree.
When can you apply?
The online application form for summer vacation placements opens each year on 1 November. Our applications for 2023 summer vacation placements are now closed.
Where are summer vacation placement schemes held?
Our summer vacation placements take place in all our Gateley Legal offices where we offer training contracts: Birmingham, Guildford, Leeds, London, Manchester, Nottingham, Reading.
We advise candidates to apply for a summer vacation placement at the same Gateley Legal office in which they would like to start their training contract. The placement offers a snapshot of what your traineeship will be like in that location and provides an ideal opportunity for you to understand the office and the people.
Who can apply?
You can apply for a summer vacation placement if:
- you are in your penultimate or final year of a law degree, or have graduated after completing a law degree
- If you are in your final year of a non-law degree, or have graduated after completing a non-law degree
When can you apply?
The online application form for summer vacation placements opens each year on 1 November and closes the following February. Our next applications for 2021 summer vacation placements will open online on 1 November 2020 and will close on 1 February 2021.
Where are summer vacation placement schemes held?
Our summer vacation placements take place in all our Gateley Legal offices where we offer training contracts: Birmingham, Guildford, Leeds, Leicester, London, Manchester, Nottingham, Reading.
We advise candidates to apply for a summer vacation placement at the same Gateley Legal office in which they would like to start their training contract. The placement offers a snapshot of what your traineeship will be like in that location and provides an ideal opportunity for you to understand the office and the people.
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Answers to your key questions
How many training contracts do you offer each year?
Usually, we offer 28 training contracts across Gateley Legal, however this is reviewed each year to ensure it meets our business needs.
If i don’t obtain a 2:1 degree, will you withdraw my offer?
Academics are important and you should aim for the best school/ college and university grades as you can. However, we understand that individuals may have mitigating circumstances and there is a section on our application form where you can detail these.
We always look at applications and your summer vacation placement experience as a whole. If you have shown strengths in other areas and have demonstrated elements of our Gateley Team Spirit, we will consider all university degree grades.
What is the salary for a trainee?
Our trainee salaries are reviewed annually by undertaking extensive market research.
The September 2022 salary for first year trainees outside London is £28,000, increasing to £30,000 in the second year.
Trainees in our London office receive £36,000 in the first year and £38,500 in the second year. The salary for trainees in our
Reading and Guildford offices is £32,000 in the first year, increasing to £34,000 in the second year.
Do you specify where I should study?
We are now sponsoring our future trainees to complete the new Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE). If you have not already completed the LPC and have accepted a training contract offer from us, we will ask you to study the LLM in Legal Practice (SQE 1 and 2) at the University of Law. If you need to complete a conversion course and have accepted a training contract offer with us, we will sponsor you to complete the Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL) at the University of Law.
If you have any extenuating circumstances which may affect where you can study we would be happy to discuss this with you.
Do you provide financial assistance through law school?
When you accept your training contract, we will provide financial support for your law school studies.
What contact will I have with my cohort and Gateley legal during the two years between my training contract offer and starting at the company?
We want to help you get settled into life at Gateley as soon as possible so you will be invited to future trainee events before you join to help you get to know us more and to feel part of our Gateley team. You will also be assigned a current trainee buddy and be able to contact our emerging talent team whenever you need to.
Do I get to choose my seats?
Your training contract is made up of four six-month seats. We do our very best to ensure at least one of these is a seat of your choice, in line with SRA guidelines and business needs.
We require trainees to do seats in the following core legal areas
| Corporate One of: |
Real estate One of: |
Contentious One of: |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate Banking & Finance Restructuring advisory Tax Pensions |
Real Estate Residential development Construction |
Dispute resolution Employment Restructuring litigation Property litigation Regulatory Family |
Do you offer client secondments?
Yes, many of our trainees have spent very rewarding and insightful seats working on client secondments. Let us know during your second seat if you are interested in a secondment for your third or final seat.