Shoosmiths

United Kingdom - Virtual insight events

Type: Open Day / Event

Location: United Kingdom

• Programme dates: A suite of virtual insight events will run in Autumn 2026; individual dates are not yet published.
• Duration: Programme or event specific
• Status: upcoming

Published application and programme dates

• Programme: A suite of virtual insight events will run in Autumn 2026; individual dates are not yet published.

• Who can apply: School pupils, university students, graduates and career changers interested in Shoosmiths.
• Application process: Register through the current official event listing.
• Progression: Better-informed application preparation.
• Disability support: Reasonable adjustments may be requested where the route involves Shoosmiths recruitment.

United Kingdom - Aspiring Professionals Programme work shadowing

Type: Work Experience

Location: United Kingdom: Birmingham, Leeds, London, Manchester

• Duration: Three days
• Status: unknown

• Who can apply: Aspiring Professionals Programme participants.
• Application process: Access is through the Social Mobility Foundation programme.
• Progression: Three-day office work shadowing.
• Disability support: Reasonable adjustments are available where the route involves Shoosmiths recruitment.

United Kingdom - School outreach and work experience

Type: Work Experience

Location: United Kingdom

• Duration: Placement specific
• Status: unknown

• Who can apply: Students from participating local schools.
• Application process: School or partner nomination.
• Progression: Careers insight and occasional office work experience.
• Disability support: Reasonable adjustments are available where the route involves Shoosmiths recruitment.

United Kingdom - Insight evenings

Type: Open Day / Event

Location: United Kingdom

• Duration: Programme or event specific
• Status: unknown

• Who can apply: Prospective applicants interested in Shoosmiths.
• Application process: Register through the current official event listing.
• Progression: Better-informed application preparation.
• Disability support: Reasonable adjustments may be requested where the route involves Shoosmiths recruitment.

United Kingdom - Roo’ve Been Served

Type: Scholarship / Bursary

Location: United Kingdom: Birmingham, London

• Duration: Two years
• Status: unknown

• Who can apply: Selected Aston Law School students.
• Application process: Selection is through the partnership.
• Progression: Monthly mentoring, paid London work experience, bursaries and a mock assessment centre.
• Disability support: Reasonable adjustments are available where the route involves Shoosmiths recruitment.

United Kingdom - Pathways to Law Leeds partnership

Type: Access Programme

Location: United Kingdom: Leeds

• Duration: Programme or event specific
• Status: unknown

• Who can apply: Students participating through the Leeds Pathways to Law programme.
• Application process: Participation is through the partner programme rather than a direct Shoosmiths application.
• Disability support: Reasonable adjustments may be requested where the route involves Shoosmiths recruitment.

United Kingdom - Mentoring through internal networks

Type: Mentoring

Location: United Kingdom

• Duration: Programme or event specific
• Status: unknown

• Who can apply: Discover applicants and participants receiving personalised support.
• Progression: Support towards Discover and Training Contract assessment.
• Disability support: Reasonable adjustments may be requested where the route involves Shoosmiths recruitment.

United Kingdom - Training Contract / Traineeship

Type: Traineeship

Location: United Kingdom: Edinburgh, Glasgow

• Closing date: 2026-03-31
• Application timing: Applications closed on 31 March 2026; the next exact window has not been published.
• Programme dates: Starts 11 September 2028.
• Duration: Twenty-four months
• Places: Part of approximately 20 annual Training Contract and traineeship vacancies
• Status: closed

Published application and programme dates

• Applications closed on 31 March 2026; the next exact window has not been published.
• Programme: Starts 11 September 2028.

• Who can apply: Scots-law students, accelerated LLB students, graduates and eligible career changers applying to Edinburgh or Glasgow.
• Eligibility: academics: CCC at A level or equivalent and a degree in any subject or equivalent contextual recruitment: RealRating contextual recruitment degree disciplines: All disciplines accepted mitigating circumstances: May be declared in the application work eligibility: Must be eligible to work in the UK; Skilled Worker sponsorship may be available to successful applicants
• Academic requirements: CCC at A level or equivalent and a degree in any subject or equivalent.
• Application process: Online application scored holistically Online strengths-based assessment In-person assessment centre CV-blind assessment-centre decision Offer Online application form with personal, academic, work-experience and competency sections Online strengths-based assessment In-person assessment centre Offer
• Assessments: Assessment centres took place on 17 June 2026 (Edinburgh), 23 June (London), 25 June (Birmingham), 1 July (Manchester) and 3 July (Leeds).
• Progression: Solicitor qualification in Scotland, subject to completion and regulatory requirements.
• Funding: Funding support is provided towards required Scottish postgraduate studies; the exact amount is not published. accelerated llb or diploma: Funding support confirmed; exact provider and amount not published
• Right to work: Applicants must be eligible to work in the UK. Skilled Worker sponsorship may be available to successful applicants. skilled worker sponsorship: true
• Disability support: Reasonable adjustments and Disability Confident interview commitment apply.

United Kingdom - Training Contract

Type: Training Contract

Location: United Kingdom: Birmingham, Leeds, London, Manchester

• Closing date: 2026-03-31
• Application timing: Applications closed on 31 March 2026; the next exact window has not been published.
• Programme dates: Starts 11 September 2028.
• Duration: Two years
• Places: Around 20 Training Contract vacancies across England and Scotland
• Status: closed

Published application and programme dates

• Applications closed on 31 March 2026; the next exact window has not been published.
• Programme: Starts 11 September 2028.

• Who can apply: Law and non-law students, graduates and career changers applying to Birmingham, Leeds, London or Manchester.
• Eligibility: academics: CCC at A level or equivalent and a degree in any subject or equivalent contextual recruitment: RealRating contextual recruitment degree disciplines: All disciplines accepted mitigating circumstances: May be declared in the application work eligibility: Must be eligible to work in the UK; Skilled Worker sponsorship may be available to successful applicants
• Academic requirements: CCC at A level or equivalent and a degree in any subject or equivalent. A 2:1 is not an absolute requirement.
• Application process: Online application scored holistically Online strengths-based assessment In-person assessment centre CV-blind assessment-centre decision Offer Online application form with personal, academic, work-experience and competency sections Online strengths-based assessment In-person assessment centre Offer
• Assessments: Assessment centres took place on 17 June 2026 (Edinburgh), 23 June (London), 25 June (Birmingham), 1 July (Manchester) and 3 July (Leeds).
• Progression: Solicitor qualification in England and Wales, subject to completion and regulatory requirements.
• Funding: Shoosmiths funds required PGDL and LLM SQE tuition and exam fees and provides financial sponsorship towards living costs. living cost support: Financial sponsorship provided; amount not published llm sqe: Tuition and exam fees funded pgdl: Tuition and exam fees funded for eligible non-law future trainees
• Right to work: International students may apply if eligible to work in the UK. Shoosmiths states it has a licence to sponsor successful applicants for a Skilled Worker visa. skilled worker sponsorship: true
• Disability support: Reasonable adjustments are available. Shoosmiths commits to interviewing disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria.

United Kingdom - Discover Work Experience & Mentoring Programme

Type: Vacation Scheme

Location: United Kingdom: Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds, London, Manchester

• Programme dates: April 2027; deadline window winter 2026, exact date TBC
• Duration: One week
• Places: Not published
• Status: upcoming

Published application and programme dates

• Programme: April 2027; deadline window winter 2026, exact date TBC

• Who can apply: Aspiring solicitors from at least one published under-represented group.
• Eligibility: positive action: Must identify with at least one published under-represented group study stage: Penultimate-year law; final-year law or non-law; GDL, LPC or SQE student; graduate or career changer training contract: Must not already hold a training contract work eligibility: Must be eligible to work in the UK
• Academic requirements: The Training Contract minimum criteria apply: CCC at A level or equivalent and a degree in any discipline or equivalent.
• Application process: Online application Online strengths-based assessment Placement offer One-week placement Training Contract assessment-centre invitation where successful Combined Discover and Training Contract online application Online strengths-based assessment One-week placement Placement assessment Training Contract assessment centre if successful
• Assessments: Application competency questions Online strengths-based assessment Assessment throughout the placement
• Progression: Successful participants are invited to the in-person Training Contract assessment centre without a separate Training Contract application.
• Funding: 2026 published rate: £555 in London or £505 regionally, plus a £100 allowance for every participant. allowance gbp: 100 payment london gbp: 555 payment regions gbp: 505
• Right to work: Applicants must be eligible to work in the UK.
• Disability support: Disabled, neurodivergent and long-term-health-condition applicants are expressly included among the eligible under-represented groups. Adjustments are available.

United Kingdom - Solicitor Apprenticeship

Type: Apprenticeship

Location: United Kingdom: Birmingham, London

• Application timing: Applications reopen in Autumn 2026; the exact opening and deadline have not been published.
• Programme dates: The next apprenticeship intake starts in September 2027; exact day not published.
• Duration: Six years
• Places: Birmingham and London opportunities; number of places not published
• Status: upcoming

Published application and programme dates

• Applications reopen in Autumn 2026; the exact opening and deadline have not been published.
• Programme: The next apprenticeship intake starts in September 2027; exact day not published.

• Who can apply: Applicants aged 16 or over, living in England, not in full-time education and without a university degree.
• Eligibility: age: 16+ degree: Must not already hold a university degree education: Not in full-time education residence: Living in England staff: Open to eligible new and existing staff
• Academic requirements: Current exact school-grade criteria are not stated on the checked official page; applications are assessed holistically.
• Application process: Online application Online strengths-based assessment In-person assessment centre Offer
• Progression: Solicitor qualification in England and Wales, subject to completion and regulatory requirements.
• Funding: Current published rates effective from 1 April 2026. London: £27,000, £29,000, £31,000, £36,000, £45,000 and £47,000. Regions: £24,000, £26,800, £27,500, £28,500, £35,000 and £37,000. Future rates may change before the September 2027 intake. salary london years: 27000 29000 31000 36000 45000 47000 salary regions years: 24000 26800 27500 28500 35000 37000 tuition: Apprenticeship tuition is employer funded
• Right to work: Applicants must satisfy apprenticeship residence, funding and employment eligibility. No separate apprenticeship sponsorship promise is published.
• Disability support: The same reasonable-adjustment and Disability Confident commitments apply; apprenticeship candidates use the same assessment-centre format where applicable.

United Kingdom - GROW Mentoring

Type: Mentoring

Location: United Kingdom

• Duration: Programme specific
• Status: unknown

• Who can apply: Students supported through GROW Mentoring.
• Application process: Use the current GROW route where available.
• Progression: One-to-one mentoring and an in-person insight afternoon.
• Disability support: Reasonable adjustments are available where the route involves Shoosmiths recruitment.

United Kingdom - Aston University Pathways to Law partnership

Type: Access Programme

Location: United Kingdom: Birmingham

• Duration: Multi-stage programme
• Status: unknown

• Who can apply: Participating Aston Pathways students.
• Application process: Access through the Aston pathway.
• Progression: Office experience, presentations, mentoring and ongoing support.
• Disability support: Reasonable adjustments are available where the route involves Shoosmiths recruitment.

United Kingdom - Additional work placements through external organisations

Type: Work Experience

Location: United Kingdom

• Duration: Programme specific
• Status: unknown

• Who can apply: Participants selected through social-mobility, diversity and inclusion partners.
• Application process: Apply through the relevant partner route.
• Progression: Additional work-placement access.
• Disability support: Reasonable adjustments are available where the route involves Shoosmiths recruitment.

United Kingdom - Our Future programme support

Type: Work Experience

Location: United Kingdom: Birmingham, Glasgow

• Duration: Programme or event specific
• Status: unknown

• Who can apply: Young people selected through the EY Foundation programme.
• Application process: Apply through the current EY Foundation programme route when available.
• Disability support: Reasonable adjustments may be requested where the route involves Shoosmiths recruitment.