Accutrainee launched in 2012 with a unique model which pioneered qualifying work experience (QWE) and the SQE route. We employ paralegals and trainee solicitors and place them on secondments lasting between six to 24 months with a wide range of law firms and in-house legal departments.

Our trainees gain exposure to diverse, high-quality work through bespoke secondments, benefiting from a training model designed around their individual development. With a strong focus on mentoring and support, we ensure they acquire the skills and competencies needed to become well-rounded lawyers.

Beyond their placements, trainees are part of a united cohort, connecting and building relationships through Accutrainee’s training and networking events.

All of our trainees to date have secured roles upon qualification, with several receiving multiple NQ opportunities.

We welcome applications throughout the year, with no deadlines, from candidates at every stage of their academic studies. If successful following our selection process, there is no two-year waiting list unlike many traditional law firms, and your training contract/QWE can begin as early as one week after completing the assessment centre.

Building on the success of Accutrainee, we also introduced Accuflex, our flexible legal resourcing offering for paralegal, newly qualified, and qualified solicitor opportunities. Through Accuflex, we work with a variety of law firms and in-house legal teams to offer a broad range of opportunities, from short-term placements supporting specific projects through to fixed-term contracts lasting three, six or 12 months, as well as permanent positions.

We do not currently offer vacation schemes or work placement programmes, but we do offer paralegal roles. Please apply via our website for a paralegal position. 

Accutrainee offers a wide range of secondment opportunities and this makes your qualifying work experience completely varied. You could be with an in-house team for two years, a law firm for one year followed by one year with an in-house team, six months in-house followed by 18 months at a law firm or vice versa, you get the picture. What we will ensure is that you are satisfying all regulatory requirements and that all practice skills standards are being met. This is all discussed with you beforehand and throughout your qualifying work experience.

Seat durations and rotations will be down to a variety of factors including your preferences, client demand and ensuring regulatory requirements are met. Typically seats or secondments will be six months or longer. What's most important is what you're actually doing on the secondment, what you're learning, how you're developing and that you're getting the breadth of training you need. We focus on delivering trainees to clients when there is a genuine business need meaning you spend less time twiddling your thumbs and more time gaining valuable experience.

The Accutrainee team will guide you through the whole training period offering mentoring and advice every step of the way.

Ironically, in the past 14+ years since Accutrainee’s launch, the model we introduced to the legal profession mirrors the SQE’s qualifying work experience (QWE). QWE offers trainees more flexibility than the previous route to qualifying in terms of gaining their two years’ experience at different firms; however, this flexibility has already been implemented at Accutrainee and is what we have been offering candidates since we launched, paired with our expertise in training, nurturing and mentoring trainees.

Therefore, it’s safe to say there can be no other organisation more familiar and experienced in helping candidates through the SQE route and in particular, QWE than Accutrainee. For us, it’s business as usual.

Our focus is on helping future lawyers gain quality QWE through our secondments and develop into outstanding solicitors. 

But perhaps what’s most exciting is having recognised the inevitable confusion the SQE will create, we have been working hard to develop a dedicated platform which will act as a one stop shop for all aspiring solicitors guiding them through their qualification journey, answering their questions, helping them record, monitor and assess their QWE and even helping them to secure opportunities to complete their QWE. Anyone who wants to find out more about Pathways, our exciting platform should head to our website. 

Our focus is quality, diversity and inclusion. We strive to eliminate barriers and create new opportunities for our candidates. We have a strong track record with around half our trainee cohort coming from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Our goal is to capture hidden talent, all those great candidates who otherwise may slip through the net! There is one word that sums up what we are looking for: potential. We look at every single application, in full, full stop. We will delve into you as an individual and your own specific unique journey.

As a result, our standard application forms have no specific requirements in terms of previous work experience or academic achievements as we firmly believe you are so much more than what’s on paper.

We also created a scholarship programme to address inequalities and create greater access and inclusion for the legal sector. The scholarship programme is open to any candidates from less advantaged backgrounds and under-represented groups within our profession. Successful candidates would get the opportunity to complete their QWE through the Accutrainee model, whilst also benefiting from financial support towards the costs of the SQE. 

For SQE/QWE trainees: We offer discounts for SQE prep courses. 

If you are an Accutrainee Scholar, then we would also contribute towards the costs of SQE assessments and prep courses.

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