Paralegal to trainee solicitor scheme

Leading Sussex law firm, Mayo Wynne Baxter, provides a comprehensive and personal service to a broad spectrum of local, national and international clients across a range of business law and personal legal services. Our innovative approach to client service has helped us to win several awards. 

Our paralegals and trainee solicitors make an important contribution to the delivery of first class legal services to our clients. Our aim is to maintain our reputation as a first class training establishment and to make the training contract experience challenging and enjoyable.

Our approach to finding the legal advisers of the future is to recruit via our paralegal to trainee solicitor scheme.

An initial paralegal contract is offered to a successful applicant. The paralegal stage will be for a maximum of one year. In exceptional circumstances the awarding of a training contract may be considered after six months.

During the paralegal stage, successful candidates may spend the whole time in one department or office or in more than one department or office.

If a training contract is offered, this consists of at least three six month rotations across any of our legal departments. Rotations are determined by reference to the needs of the business and the experience of the individual and, where possible, their preferences.

The emphasis is on developing knowledge and expertise through hands-on experience in dealing with challenging work. 

Successful applicants will provide support to our partners and legal advisers in exceeding client expectations and are expected to participate in a variety of business initiatives and to build and foster relationships with clients and referrers.

Our paralegals and trainees are ambassadors of the business as well as positive role models for colleagues. There will also be an opportunity to organise and attend a variety of social functions throughout the year and to get involved with our charity initiatives.

Successful applicants need to be prepared to work in any legal discipline and at any of our offices.

Those accepted on to the scheme start in either March or September. Currently, we are looking for applicants who could start in September 2019, March 2020 or September 2020. The closing date for all current applications is 24 April 2019.

Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) – At the time of writing it is not expected that the first examination will take place any earlier than September 2021. The full impact on those chosen to participate in our paralegal to trainee solicitor scheme cannot be fully gauged at this moment but we will make appropriate adjustments once there is greater clarity about the timing of introduction of the SQE.

2019 and 2020 recruitment timescales and application process

We are opening applications for placements in three different starting windows: September 2019, March 2020 and September 2020. Please see the table below for estimated timescales the recruitment process.

Below are the provisional timescales for the shortlisting and interview process. These are subject to change but you will be kept informed should this be the case.

Application process

Please note it is essential that successful applicants to have completed the Legal Practice Course before starting employment on the paralegal to trainee solicitor scheme.

How to apply

Visit https://www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk/working-for-us/paralegal-to-trainee-scheme/.

Any queries regarding our paralegal to trainee solicitor scheme should be directed to [email protected] or please call Grace Young on 01273 223267.

We aim to respond to queries as soon as possible but we are anticipating a high degree of interest, so please bear with us if we take a few days to get back to you.