Stephenson Harwood is a law firm of over 1100 people worldwide, including more than 180 partners. Our people are committed to achieving the goals of our clients - listed and private companies, institutions and individuals. We assemble teams of bright thinkers to match our clients' needs and give the right advice from the right person at the right time. Dedicating the highest calibre of legal talent to overcome the most complex issues, we deliver pragmatic, expert advice that is set squarely in the real world. Our headquarters are in London, with eight offices across Asia, Europe and the Middle East. In addition we have forged close ties with other high quality law firms. This diverse mix of expertise and culture results in a combination of deep local insight and the capability to provide a seamless international service.

Here at Stephenson Harwood, we take on just 20 trainees per year. Join us and not only will you be a valued member of our diverse, global team, you'll have a real opportunity to make your mark on the future of our firm. There's a lot to look forward to as a trainee at Stephenson Harwood: top quality global work across a range of sectors, an environment that balances cutting edge work with a respectful, friendly culture, and the chance to prove yourself on an international secondment. We work in small teams, so every person is critical – that's why we'll expect you to work to the best of your ability every day.

Our training is not only structured and practical but highly personalised, so you'll have everything you need to develop along a career path that's absolutely right for you. Following a week's intensive induction and a comprehensive post induction programme you'll complete four seats – each six months long – across different practice areas. We ask for your preferred choices so we can accommodate them wherever possible.

Whatever the practice, you can expect extensive exposure to our clients and stimulating, cutting edge projects. You could find yourself working on anything from a high-profile £multi-million financial litigation case to a ground breaking M&A deal. You could even spend time on secondment at a client's office, absorbing a totally different business culture first-hand. We also encourage our trainees to apply to gain experience overseas in our Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul or Dubai offices.

Placement schemes

Our winter, spring and summer placement schemes will give you a real taste of life at the firm. We’ll make sure you’re involved in quality work and will try to help you experience any areas of law you’re particularly interested in. Typically you’ll spend one or two weeks in our offices, sitting with qualified lawyers and tackling some case work. You’ll also benefit from an organised programme of interactive sessions, talks and social events.

On your first day, we’ll assign you a buddy – a current trainee who’ll help you settle in, answer your questions and give you an honest overview of what it’s like to work for us.

A placement gives you a great opportunity to talk informally to existing trainees, lawyers, partners and support teams to find out just why the law and Stephenson Harwood are such attractive career options. What’s more, we’ll pay you £390 a week.

Open days

Come along to an open day in November, December, January or March and get a good feel for what a career at a mid-sized international law firm is really like. You’ll meet partners, associates and trainees as well as the graduate recruitment team. We’ll outline what to expect as a trainee and explain the type of work we do. You’ll also take away helpful information about our training contract plus answers to all your questions and the confidence to make the right career decisions. 

Find out more at https://www.shlegal-futuretalent.com/

Our solicitor apprenticeship offers a great opportunity to kick start your career in the legal profession. We'll provide you with exciting opportunities to work on deals with international clients and you will also study towards a Level 7 Solicitor Apprenticeship Standard. For the academic side of the scheme you will gain lots of useful knowledge relating to the structure of the law which you will be able to use in your everyday work. BPP Law School will teach the course through a combination of online and face-to-face learning and you will have one day a week to dictate entirely to your studies. You will spend the rest of the week working in a practice group as a vital member of the team. We will provide you with lots of support with a dedicated supervisor and buddy/mentor and lots of opportunities for training and development.

Expect a competitive salary from day one, a flexible package of benefits that you can tailor to your specific needs, and much more.

We want you to feel valued so we’ll offer you a trainee solicitor salary of £46,000 in year one and £51,000 in year two. Our current NQ salary is £90,000. We offer a range of flexible benefits including: childcare vouchers, cycle to work scheme, dental health insurance, eyecare vouchers, gym membership subsidy, health screening, private GP services, season ticket loans, subsidised staff café and more.

Firstly we look for a quick intellect. As well as at least a 2:1 in any subject area plus 320 UCAS points or equivalent, you'll need strong analytical skills, sound judgment, imagination and meticulous attention to detail. Also vital are the communication skills to be persuasive and build rapport, plenty of drive and determination, plus a keen interest in business.

Find out more and apply at Applying: Stephenson Harwood Graduates (shlegal-futuretalent.com)