Battens would not be able to deliver an exceptional service to clients without our talented and hard working staff. We recognise the hugely important role they play in the ongoing success and development of our business.

Battens has a 300-year history, but it is a forward-thinking firm.

Our workplace is:

stimulating

inclusive

collaborative

empowering

Staff are truly valued at Battens which means they stay with us long-term and build their futures here.

Why do they stay?

the right work life balance

flexible and hybrid working, whether it is from home or from one of our seven offices in South Somerset, Dorset, and Bath.

excellent training

an excellent benefits package

we actively support staff wellbeing, including through mental health training

we promote a sense of team spirit and social responsibility through the Battens Charitable Trust. Our staff are regularly involved in fundraising for the Trust which has donated large sums to local charities since 1985.

Our staff appreciate the fact that they live and work in vibrant communities, with great schools surrounded by some of the South West’s most beautiful countryside and coastline.

One team

There are 150 of us working at Battens, from solicitors to paralegals, legal executives to apprentices. Some of our apprentices have gone on to take leading roles in marketing, finance and as fee earners.

Many of the directors of the Battens management board started their legal training with the company.

We love to see our colleagues thrive and excel at what they do. But above all we are one team with an ambitious mindset.

Battens is a growing business with plans for expansion. We encourage staff to develop new business ideas, to network and to cultivate their ambition. We innovate, empower and nurture talent to ensure our staff reach their full potential.

Our trainees scheme operates on a rotation basis to ensure they receive a wide range of practical, in-depth experience and skills in both contentious and non-contentious work. This provides an excellent foundation and helps our trainees to decide on the area of practice they ultimately wish to follow.

Our training programme is over a 24-month period, although we may be able to reduce this to 18 months based on suitable experience trainees have gained prior to starting their training contract. We may also be able to offer part-time extended training for those who are unable to work with us full-time.

Training opportunities in departments include:

Agriculture

Commercial property

Residential property

Company commercial

Media and entertainment, IP

Employment

Dispute resolution

Property dispute resolution

Family

Private client

We try to assign departments according to each trainee’s preference, although this is not always possible. We will always try to make sure that they gain as much useful and relevant experience.

We give our trainees as much responsibility as they and their supervisor think they can manage, enabling them to gain expertise in each field and to become an integral part of the team. This also equips them with the knowledge they need to decide which area of the law suits them best.

Trainees find themselves drafting court orders, contracts, leases, witness statements, TV commissioning agreements and film distribution licences, attending client meetings and representing clients in court. The level of responsibility increases throughout the programme and is carefully overseen.

Reviews and appraisals are held regularly, and, at the end of each placement.

In addition to receiving on-the-job training, there is a host of SRA-chosen skills which trainees are expected to acquire. These include:

Communication skills

Dispute resolution

Drafting

Interviewing and advising

Legal research

Negotiation

Advocacy and oral presentation

Case and transaction management

Client care

Practice support

In addition, trainees learn a range of soft skills such as teamwork, networking and business development, time management and managing workload.

During the training course, you will also have to complete the Professional Skills Course.

As part of your training you will be expected to take part in various projects such as presentations to local schools, attending networking events, taking part in fundraising events and business development.

At Battens, our trainees could be based in any of our offices and will usually be assigned positions in our Head Office in Yeovil, as well as our other offices in Bath, Sherborne, Dorchester, Castle Cary, Bridport and Wareham. It’s therefore important that you are able to travel to each of our locations. 

• General Practice
• Legal Aid
• Corporate & Commercial

• Dorchester
• Sherborne
• Weymouth
• Yeovil
• Bath
• Wareham
• Castle Cary