Remember to cite LawCareers.Net on your application form if you apply to Shoosmiths.
More info
We accept applications for the following vacancies:
DISCOVER Placement 2024 – Edinburgh, Leeds, London, Manchester, Birmingham
Training contract September 2026 – Edinburgh and Glasgow, Leeds, London, Manchester, Birmingham.
For training contracts in Belfast, please see the firm's website for the most up to date application dates and deadlines.
Our insight evenings will now be held virtually and the dates can be found on our website.
You no longer need to submit a full application to attend an insight evening, simply register to attend the event via the link below. You'll still be asked to include some personal details and answer one question about your interest in a career in law at Shoosmiths.
Around a month before the event, we'll email you to confirm whether you've been selected to attend.
Shoosmiths insight evenings are open to applicants in any year of study at university, in any discipline, graduates and postgraduate students who are interested in a career as a solicitor.
Apply for our insight evenings!
Applications for training contracts to start in September 2026 should be made by 31 March 2024. Please apply online at www.shoosmiths.co.uk/graduates where you can also find details of the deadlines for each vacancy.
Want to meet Shoosmiths and find out what it’s like to work at a commercial law firm? Apply now to LawCareersNetLIVE.
How to apply
shoosmiths.grad.allhires.comFollow us on
Applications to
Miss Laura Hartigan
Method of application
Online Application FormMethod of assessment
- Assessment centre
- Partner interview
- Presentation
- Written exercise
Shoosmiths is a law firm clients choose for excellent service, incisive thinking and above all for our ability to focus on what matters.
There is no secret to our growth over recent years. Clients love working with Shoosmiths people because of the way we work and the results we consistently deliver for them.
Our client list speaks volumes for the quality of our lawyers and the experience they provide; from Mercedes-Benz, Octopus Ventures and Travelodge to property developers and some of the UK's largest banks, we work with a growing number of the FTSE 250 and some of the world's most exciting and ambitious growth businesses.
To find out what it is like to work at Shoosmiths read the firm's Meet the Lawyer profile.
Shoosmiths won Best Recruiter – National / Large Regional firm at the LawCareers.Net Training & Recruitment Awards 2019 and 2020.
A placement at Shoosmiths is an opportunity to try out some real trainee-level work for a week. It's direct and down-to-earth as we believe that the way for you to get real value from the placement is to see what really goes on and get involved. We want to challenge you, but not overwhelm you, and work is pitched at a level that you feel comfortable with and which takes account of which stage of your legal studies you have reached.
You'll get to spend time with our current trainees who are an invaluable source of information on what it's really like to work at Shoosmiths. They will usually be your host for the placement and will guide you through the work and anything else that you would like to find out about.
To find out what it's like to undertake a placement at Shoosmiths read the firm's Vac Scheme Insider report.
There's nothing like diving straight in and having a go and, while we would not ask you to do something that you were not comfortable in tackling, we expect you to relish the opportunity to get experience of real cases and deals from the start. In our opinion, it's the best way to learn. Your experience will be built around a practical workload, complemented by technical and business skills training. Over the two years, you would usually complete four six-month placements around the firm. From time to time we also offer the opportunity for trainees to be seconded to the in-house legal team of one of our clients, which provides an invaluable insight into the client's perspective.
Induction
Before all the real work starts we run a week-long induction for our new trainee solicitors where we give you the opportunity to learn about Shoosmiths away from the office and to build friendships that will last through your training contract and beyond. This week is a really enjoyable way to start your employment with us before heading off to your individual departments.
Away from the desk
As a trainee at Shoosmiths you will be encouraged to get involved in activities away from your desk, such as business development, networking with other young professionals and charity-related activities. We see these kinds of events as a great way for you to develop valuable skills for the future and we also encourage trainees to come up with their own ideas and to run with them.
If you receive a training contract offer for one of our English offices, and you are a law candidate you will need to complete either the LPC or SQE before your training contract (QWE) commences. For offers made in 2022, our preference is for you to complete the LPC.
If you receive a training contract offer for one of our English offices, and you are a non-law candidate who has not yet completed the GDL/LPC, you will need to complete the PGDL and the SQE before your training contract (QWE) commences.
If you would like to include the LLM element into your LPC or SQE, then we are supportive of this.
Further informaiton will be shared on the firm's website.
Shoosmiths will offer financial support towards your future postgraduate studies (PGDL, LPC or SQE (or equivalent). Full details are provided with your offer of a training contract.
- Corporate
- Insolvency
- Tax
- Finance litigation
- Banking
- Real estate
- Planning
- Construction
- Real estate litigation
- Commercial
- Commercial litigation
- Employment
- IP
- Regulatory
- Medical negligence
- Corporate & Commercial
- General Commercial
- General Practice
- Niche
Practice Areas
Extra info
Phone: 03700 863 075
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.shoosmiths.com
| Work placement: | Yes |
| Number of vacation schemes: | 23 |
| Minimum qualification: | Any degree |
| Start salary: | £42,000 |
| Fees paid for: |
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| Turnover: | £167,000,000 (2020) |
| Profit per partner: | £441,000 (2018) |
| Training programme applications: | 2,616 (2020) |
| Retention rate: | 78% (2021) |
| Partner diversity: |
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| Lawyer diversity: |
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| Has client secondments: | Yes |
| Client secondments: |
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- Edinburgh
- Glasgow
- Leeds
- Manchester
- Birmingham
- London
- Aspire Foundation
- Birmingham Legal Advice Centre
- Business in the Community
- Citizens Advice Bureau
- Communicare (Reading)
- LawWorks (the Solicitors Pro Bono Group)
- Legal Advice Centres
- London Legal Support Trust (LLST)
- University of Manchester Legal Advice Centre
- #10000BlackInterns
- Aspiring Solicitors
- Black Lawyers’ Directory
- Black Solicitors Network
- Bright Network
- GROW Mentoring
- Legal Apprenticeships
- Mindful Business Charter
- Pathways to Law
- PRIME
- Social Mobility Business Partnership
- Social Mobility Foundation
