You will often hear us say “Achieve more. Together”, and while many law firms talk about teamwork and collaboration, it’s not just a catchphrase for us, more the cornerstone of our culture and how we work.

Of course, you want to know that we have six offices across the UK with 1,000 staff and over 500 lawyers.   But, more importantly, you should know that we have been crowned Law Firm of the Year by both Legal Week and RollonFriday and we have been ranked in the UK’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” for the past 18 years.  We consistently win accolades for our vacation scheme and training contracts.

This is because, as a trainee at Mills & Reeve, we offer something a bit different. The quality of the work you will get involved with, the contact and relationships you will build with clients and the culture of the firm you work in. And 97% of us would recommend that you work here.

Everyone at Mills & Reeve brings a unique perspective and ideas to the team and we do everything we can to help each person to thrive. Diversity and inclusion is a key strand of our 2025 vision. Our aim is to ensure that everyone working for or with us feels valued and supported, not only for how they perform in the working environment but also for who they truly are. 

We have recently been recognised by Legal Week with an award for Standout Diversity in Innovation and a Lifetime Contributor to Innovation award.

We are a major UK law firm and our work spans a broad range of legal sectors and jurisdictions for a diverse range of clients: from the FTSE250 to fast-growth start-ups, from individuals to some of the world’s most established and prestigious organisations.

Our service is delivered through firm-wide core groups: corporate and commercial, employment, family, insurance disputes, private client, projects and construction, real estate and regulatory, public and commercial disputes.  Core sectors are automotive, charities and social enterprise, education, energy, food and agribusiness, government, health and care, insurance, life sciences, mid-market, private wealth, real estate investment, sport, technology.

Click here to find out more and apply!

A Mills & Reeve trainee receives more opportunities and experiences than at many firms.  We want you to really understand what it’s like to be a lawyer and the best way to do that is to give you responsibility. You’ll be working with national and international clients where you are given the freedom to learn in a supportive environment.

Trainees take on six 4-month seats to allow you to experience the breadth of the work we do and you will be supported by dedicated supervisors, a partner mentor, a trainee buddy and the graduate team throughout the two-year training programme.

A very high proportion of our trainees remain with us on qualification – 100% in 2021!

What we look for

We want people who are ready for early responsibility because that is what we will give you. You will be driven, have a positive attitude and an agile approach. You will enjoy untangling complicated issues and thrive on building relationships with clients and colleagues.

For the last few years, we have recruited all of our trainees via our summer vacation scheme. Therefore, we recommend you apply for a place on the scheme in the first instance, if possible. 

We are recruiting the following positions from our 2022 summer vacation scheme:

Training contracts to start in 2023 - 2 positions in Leeds 

Due to firm growth, we are looking to recruit our inaugural cohort of trainees in Leeds, to start in September 2023. We will require this trainee cohort to take the LPC route to qualification, and so will only be able to take forward applications from candidates who are final year law students, law graduates or non-law graduates with the GDL. 

Training contracts to start in 2024 - c.25 positions across Birmingham, Cambridge, Manchester and Norwich

For 2024, we will sponsor candidates to qualify via the SQE route and we will welcome applications from penultimate-year/final-year law students, final-year non-law students and graduates (any discipline).  We will sponsor non-law candidates to undertake the PGDL before the SQE courses. 

Click here to find out more and apply!

Our award-winning summer vacation scheme is the ideal introduction to Mills & Reeve and gives you a real taste of life as a lawyer.  During your time with us you will be placed in real-life situations, preparing draft documents, researching, attending court hearings and meeting clients.

You will work with a variety of lawyers around the business over the course of two weeks, changing teams every two to three days.  You will be paired with one of our current trainees who will answer your day-to-day questions and help you make the most of your experience.  Presentations and a selection of social events will allow you to appreciate our culture.

We offer two weeks' work experience at one of our offices in Birmingham, Cambridge, Leeds, Manchester and Norwich.

We want people who are ready for early responsibility because that is what we will give you. You will be driven, have a positive attitude and an agile approach. You will enjoy untangling complicated issues and thrive on building relationships with clients and colleagues.

For the last few years, we have recruited all of our trainees via our summer vacation scheme. Therefore, we recommend you apply for a place on the scheme in the first instance, if possible. 

We are recruiting the following positions from our 2022 summer vacation scheme:

Training contracts to start in 2023 - 2 positions in Leeds 

Due to firm growth, we are looking to recruit our inaugural cohort of trainees in Leeds, to start in September 2023. We will require this trainee cohort to take the LPC route to qualification, and so will only be able to take forward applications from candidates who are final year law students, law graduates or non-law graduates with the GDL. 

Training contracts to start in 2024 - c.25 positions across Birmingham, Cambridge, Manchester and Norwich 

For 2024, we will sponsor candidates to qualify via the SQE route and we will welcome applications from penultimate-year/final-year law students, final-year non-law students and graduates (any discipline).  We will sponsor non-law candidates to undertake the PGDL before the SQE courses.

Click here to find out more and apply!

Training Contract starting salary: £28,000 (regions) increasing to £30,000 in the second year

Vacation Scheme: £330 per week (regions)

Benefits: 

Sponsorship of all relevant course fees  

Maintenance grant 

Bonus scheme 

Life assurance 

Pension scheme with company contributions 

Season ticket loan 

Subsidised restaurants 

25 days' holiday (plus flex)

Employee assistance programme 

Childcare vouchers

Membership costs for junior lawyer groups

Click here to find out more!

Click here to find out more and apply!

All applications for summer vacation schemes and training contracts should be made online via our website at https://www.mills-reeve.com/careers/graduates. 

If you have a disability that prevents you from completing the application online, please email us at graduate.support@mills-reeve.com so that we can make alternative arrangements. 

Click here to apply!