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Hill Dickinson LLP

Up to 25 vacancies
40 trainees
200 partners
950 staff

We're a leading commercial law firm, supporting clients throughout the lifecycle of their business, across the UK, Europe and Asia.

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LawCareersNetLIVE Manchester 2023: trainee panel

At our LawCareersNetLIVE Manchester event on 24 November 2023, the panel of trainee solicitors provided insights into their experiences of the law firm application process, what being a trainee is really like and their advice for prospective candidates.

 
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Remember to cite LawCareers.Net on your application form if you apply to Hill Dickinson LLP.

More info

Applications will open on 1 October 2023, for training contracts commencing in January 2026 and January 2027. 

We offer training contracts tailored to each of our sectors – business services, health and marine – which you can apply for from the outset in your chosen location and pathway: insight scheme and training contract, or direct training contract. 

Whichever route you choose to follow, the recruitment process and application deadlines are the same. 

Our online application is the first stage, and if your application progresses you will be invited to complete an online interactive assessment and video interview.

Successful candidates are invited to join our insight scheme and/or assessment day, taking place in your chosen office in June 2024. The assessment day will involve a number of activities, including an in-person panel interview. 

More information on how to apply for our opportunities can be found in this video


Applications to

Emerging talent team

Method of application

Online Application Form

Method of assessment

  • Assessment centre
  • Panel interview
  • Partner interview
  • Presentation
  • Psychometric testing
  • Video interview
  • Written exercise

Established in 1810, originally specialising in maritime law, at Hill Dickinson we have been providing expert legal advice for centuries, and we're still going from strength to strength. 

We’re a leading commercial law firm with more than 950 people, including over 200 partners and legal directors, spanning offices in London, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Piraeus, Singapore, Monaco and Hong Kong.

We support clients throughout the lifecyle of their business, are a longstanding provider of legal services to the health sector and home to one of the legal world's largest and most respected maritime and shipping practices. 

As a full service law firm, we offer the full range of commercial legal services, from employment, property and construction, to corporate, commercial and dispute resolution. We have strength, experience and presence in a number of market sectors, including, marine, transportation and logistics, retail, public and private health (including life sciences), international trade, education, banking and financial services. For ease, we arrange all sectors under three broad business groups: marine, health and business services. 

Our clients include multinational companies, major corporations, the NHS, UK plcs, UK and foreign banks, financial institutions, public sector bodies, investors, educational establishments, institutions, private individuals and professional bodies.

To find out what it is like to work at Hill Dickinson, read the firm's Meet the Lawyer profile

We offer insight schemes across our UK offices to give you the opportunity to see what life is really like at Hill Dickinson. Our insight schemes will also give you the opportunity to be considered for a training contract, and learn more about the sector that you are interested in. 

During the scheme, you will hear first-hand experiences of our trainees, trainee committee and wider business, and how this contributes to our welcoming and approachable culture. 

We will also be hosting open days in our Liverpool, London and Manchester offices in November and December 2023. 

Our open day is a great opportunity to get to know the firm better and will be invaluable in helping you decide which training contract you would like to apply for. However, our open day is open to anyone at any stage of their education or career – whether you will be applying in the future or are just beginning to explore a career in law. 

The open day will include opportunities to attend sessions with our trainees, understand what a career in law really involves, and, if you decide we’re the firm for you, how to get the most out of your applications. 

Our training contracts offer tailored, focused routes, allowing you to train in the area of law that you want to progress in. You will do four six-month seats throughout your two-year training contract in your chosen sector – business services, health or marine. 

Our small intake ensures that each trainee has our full attention and means we have the resources to give you as much support as you need when beginning your career. You will be given immediate responsibilities and challenging tasks as you become a valued member of our team.

Throughout the two years you will be supported not only by your supervisor and peers, but a dedicated trainee committee of partners, legal directors and senior associates that represent our locations and business groups.

Alongside your technical, legal training you will also have the opportunity to attend a programme designed for our trainees to enhance your business skills and personal effectiveness, ensuring you have the foundations you need to continue to grow in your career.

Finally, being part of Hill Dickinson is about more than the work you do in each of your seats, and our trainees are actively involved in our corporate responsibility agenda, social committees and diversity and inclusion networking groups. By continually working with and listening to our people, we can make Hill Dickinson a supportive and inclusive workplace for everyone. 

We are pleased to be working with the University of Law to deliver a tailored SQE programme, ensuring that you get the best start to your legal career and are ready to deal with high levels of responsibility from the moment you start. 

The programme is focused on equipping our trainees with the skills they need to be successful lawyers of the future, with modules tailored to your sector, as well as on project management and innovation.

If you are successful in receiving a training contract offer from the firm and have yet to complete an LPC, you will now follow the SQE route via a graduate apprenticeship. 

For those who already have or are in the process of completing the LPC, we will continue to accept your application and you will follow the current route. Please note that you will not be required to take the SQE in addition to your LPC. If you are part way through your SQE studies, we can discuss how we can support you with this should you be successful in securing an offer.

At Hill Dickinson we understand that our power as a firm comes from empowering our people. And that by encouraging and enabling individuals to be themselves at work can we benefit from their rich and varied strengths.

We have developed a diversity framework, which covers six pillars, to help us break down any assumed barriers to recruitment, progression and retention, and offer equal opportunities to all: gender; multicultural; accessibility; health and wellbeing; LGBTQ+; social mobility; age.

This framework guides our activity and each pillar has its own networking group – colleagues meet regularly to ensure we’re acknowledging, celebrating and supporting all of our people.

In addition, we partner with a number of organisations to help guide our diversity and inclusion strategy.

Our ED&I policies are enforced throughout the firm and across all senior leadership roles with board-level commitment. We promote our values in all that we do and ensure that we are challenging unacceptable behaviors in order to shape a truly inclusive culture.

We have adopted the SQE route via a graduate apprenticeship for all future trainees, meaning we will cover the cost of your programme and exam fees and you will receive an apprentice salary while you study. 

  • Business services: banking
  • Commercial litigation
  • Commercial
  • TMT & IP
  • Construction
  • Corporate
  • Education & ecclesiastical
  • Employment
  • Family
  • Pensions
  • Private client
  • Real estate
  • Real estate finance
  • Real estate litigation
  • Restructuring health: commercial
  • Employment
  • Healthcare & public law
  • Litigation
  • Primary care
  • Real estate marine: cargo & logistics
  • Commodities
  • PI & regulatory
  • Shipping
  • Yachts
  • Corporate & Commercial
  • General Commercial
  • Niche

Practice Areas

Extra info

No. 1 St Paul's Square, Liverpool, L3 9SJ
Phone: 0151 600 8000
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.hilldickinson.com
Work placement: Yes
Start salary: £28,000 (North) £39,000 (London)
Fees paid for:
  • SQE
Turnover: £110,000,000 (2012)
Profit per partner: £312,000 (2012)
Training programme applications: 1,000 (2023)
Retention rate: 100% (2023)
Partner diversity:
  • 70.2% male (2023)
  • 29.8% female
Lawyer diversity:
  • 31.1% male (2023)
  • 68.9% female
  • Liverpool
  • Manchester
  • London
  • Leeds
  • Newcastle
  • Piraeus
  • Singapore
  • Monaco
  • Hong Kong
  • #10000BlackInterns
  • 10000 Able Interns
  • Action Tutoring
  • Aspiring Solicitors
  • Black Solicitors Network
  • Bright Network
  • Mindful Business Charter
  • Rare Recruitment
  • The Women in Law Pledge
  • Working Families