Yes. We run an in-person vacation scheme every summer, usually in June or July, with applications opening in the autumn. We generally take around 10-15 students, who are spread across approximately seven of our larger offices around the country.

The vacation scheme and training contract are separate processes. Completing the vacation scheme doesn’t guarantee a training contract, and applicants don’t need to have completed the scheme to secure one. However, it does offer valuable experience, gives us the opportunity to get to know candidates over the course of the week and helps participants learn more about Weightmans.

The week is divided into two parts. Each morning, students across our offices join online training sessions led by the early careers team and other professionals from the business. These sessions may include talks from different practice areas, skills training and a short presentation exercise.

In the afternoons, students join a team in their office and shadow colleagues. That’s where they’d learn more about the team’s work and may try tasks such as drafting a witness statement. Where possible, they may also attend a meeting, hearing or similar activity. This provides a useful mix of structured training and hands-on experience.

The main reason applicants don’t progress beyond the first stage is poor spelling, punctuation or grammar. We get a large number of applications, so even small errors can undermine an otherwise strong answer. Candidates should proofread carefully and ask someone else to review their application before submitting. Applicants can also save their progress and return to the form, so I recommend stepping away if you’re tired and reviewing it again with a clear head.

They’re very important. Weightmans has a diversity and inclusion manager who oversees a large steering group, with strands covering disability and neurodiversity, gender, race and ethnicity, and LGBTQ+. Each strand has its own lead, and the firm has set targets across areas including gender, ethnicity, disability and LGBTQ+ representation.

We also celebrate cultural events such as Black History Month and Asian Heritage Month. We recognise that people from different backgrounds bring different skills and perspectives, so inclusion is an important part of the firm’s culture.

We have a flexible hybrid working policy. Most people are expected to spend at least two days a week in the office and can work remotely for the remaining three, although anyone who prefers to attend the office more often can do so.

The firm also supports flexible and compressed working arrangements where appropriate. If someone wants to take 20 minutes off their lunch so they can pick up their children at 3:00pm, we’re happy for them to do that. Some people may take the Friday off and make up those hours by working for slightly longer over the other weekdays.

We offer maternity and paternity programmes, mental health support initiatives and two corporate social responsibility days each year, which employees can use for charitable work without using their annual leave.

We don’t encourage candidates to use AI in their applications. AI-generated content can sound robotic and impersonal and it becomes obvious when someone has used it, particularly when candidates reach the presentation stage. We want applicants to communicate authentically and show us their own personality and ideas.

Absolutely. We recognise that legal work experience can be difficult to secure, and candidates don’t need to have any before applying to us. When answering competency-based questions applicants can draw on a part-time job, volunteering, hobbies, sport, university activities or experiences from their home life. The important thing is that the example genuinely demonstrates the skill being assessed. You can still make a strong application without legal work experience.

There are four stages.

The first is an online written application, which usually includes a 500-word question which changes each year. We look for a well-structured, well-researched answer that responds directly to the question, meets the word count and is accurate in its spelling, punctuation and grammar. Candidates may also find it helpful to connect their answer to Weightmans’ vision and values where relevant.

The second stage is an online psychometric assessment made up of multiple-choice, scenario-based questions. It’s marked by an external provider. Candidates receive access to a practice test, and I strongly recommend completing it before the real assessment as these can be difficult to prepare for.

The third stage is an online interview with a member of the early careers team and a partner. Candidates answer competency-based questions and deliver a presentation on a topic provided one week before the interview. They should practise, time themselves and choose authentic examples, rather than trying to say what they think the interviewers want to hear. We want to know about you as a person as well as what you know.

The final stage is a half-day, in-person assessment centre, usually held in Leeds, London or Liverpool. It includes a group task that’s not usually law related: assessors focus on teamwork, communication and how candidates collaborate. It also includes a short written assessment that might involve, for example, summarising the key points from a witness statement and would typically last around 50 minutes to one hour. Successful candidates are then offered a training contract or apprenticeship.

Yes. We attend law fairs around the country in the autumn, particularly near our offices, and we also attend fairs in Scotland. They give students the chance to learn more about Weightmans and allow us to meet strong potential applicants.

We also run online open evenings for undergraduates in the autumn. Attendees can hear from the early careers team, ask questions and learn directly from current trainees about life at the firm.

Yes. Alongside the graduate route, Weightmans offers a six-year solicitor degree apprenticeship for students who’ve completed A levels or BTECs. Applicants apply during their second year of A levels using their predicted grades and, if successful, begin the following September.

The programme is fully funded and includes a law degree, SQE1 and SQE2 examinations and the associated preparation courses. Apprentices receive a salary and gain six years of practical experience, moving between different seats and experiencing a range of practice areas. You don’t necessarily get that practical experience while attending university.

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