At RPC, you can be you. In an environment that’s real. Strikingly real.

Ambitious in mindset. International by nature. Our vision is to be our clients' first choice law firm, leading them through opportunities and challenges. We support our people to lead and thrive and deliver outstanding service to our clients.

For us, success comes from building trusted relationships. Trusted relationships with our clients as much as our people. And it comes from thinking creatively to achieve the best commercial solutions. We thrive in an environment that’s collaborative and forward-thinking, where you’re free to express your personality. To be authentic. An environment that allows you to make the most of your strengths. This is our commitment to you.

Our lawyers are market leaders. Our clients are often household names. And together we achieve award-winning results. Results that have seen RPC regularly voted amongst the best for commercial advice across our sectors of specialism.

Our business is built on mutual respect and trust. That’s where you come in. From day one, you’ll collaborate with our partners; you'll have contact with clients; and you'll be given real responsibility. As a trainee, you could be assisting with large-scale global disputes, or offering business-critical commercial advice.

But you won't be left to fend for yourself, you’ll receive first-rate training. You'll be able to develop your skills and you'll be encouraged to use your creativity to solve complex problems. We're agile and flexible, and that's reflected in our approach to our trainees. You can choose to spend time in a wide variety of practice areas supporting a range of dynamic sectors. And not just in London, with training contracts, placements and secondments on offer in Bristol, Hong Kong and Singapore, too, we're truly international.

We also offer alternative routes into law. No matter what stage you are at in your life, our apprenticeship scheme will help build the foundations of your career with the training and support you’ll need to excel.

Our award-winning summer schemes are as much about you experiencing life with us, as us experiencing working with you. Over two weeks you'll get real exposure to real work in a real-life environment. Fully integrated into our teams, you'll get to know the people from the get-go. If you're just after a snapshot of life in our law firm, we also offer insight days where you can shadow, network, and experience our culture first hand. 

So, if you’re a creative thinker who wants a career in an international firm that values personality as much as professionalism, we want to hear from you.

Benefits

Along with a competitive annual salary, you’ll be offered a creative and comprehensive package of benefits.

We’re all unique. And that’s why RPC’s benefits package is too. We respect we’re all real people with passions, families and lives away from our desks. We encourage that. So, we offer you the chance to tailor your benefits, giving choice and flexibility to everyone who works here. 

Our benefits package covers almost everything, from wellness festivals and social events to extra annual leave, and family and wealth-related rewards.

London summer scheme – closing date 11 January 2027

Do you want to see for yourself what life in an ambitious international law firm is like?

Speed networking, meeting clients, socials, attending court and hands-on real case experience. We’ll show you the authentic RPC during our summer schemes. And be warned, it’s pretty striking. 

You’ll be welcomed into our London office and given an opportunity to spend time getting to know RPC. It’s also our chance to get to know you and your ambitions, and understand what you may be able to offer us. During these two weeks, you’ll be fully integrated into our teams, collaborating on projects and you’ll gain a fantastic insight into whether a career at RPC is right for you. 

Summer scheme participants will be paid a salary of £550 per week. 

Recruitment process

Recruitment for our London summer scheme begins with an online application form, followed by our new online early talent assessment, introduced in September 2025.

This assessment has been designed specifically for RPC, following in-depth analysis of the attributes needed to succeed as a trainee solicitor here. It explores your strengths, problem-solving ability, and motivations through a blend of behavioural, cognitive and motivational exercises — giving us a well-rounded picture of your potential. At the end, you will also receive a personalised feedback report to support your development.

There are preparation tips and further guidance available on the Prep Hub.

If you are shortlisted, you will then be invited to an in-person assessment day in January or February. This includes a variety of exercises designed to help us understand your strengths and potential. You will also meet some of our partners, associates and trainees, giving you a real insight into our unique culture.

We recruit the majority of our London trainees through our summer scheme, so we encourage applicants to take this route where possible. While we occasionally run direct assessment days, the summer scheme is usually the main route to a training contract. If you are successful, your training contract will start two years later.

Visit www.rpclegal.com/strikinglyreal to find out more.

As a trainee, we believe you’ll deliver your best if you’re free to be you. And that means being able to ask questions openly, being supported to develop your strengths, and having the right opportunities to grow. Our offices are non-hierarchical and open plan which means you'll be sitting alongside or close to our partners and associates. What's more, our dynamic working principles empower everyone at RPC to shape how they split their time working in and out of the office; balancing their own preferences, supporting each other and delivering exceptional client service. Whether you’re handling complex insurance claims, resolving large-scale global disputes, or providing commercial advice and transactional support, your opinions will be listened to and respected.

We believe personal growth comes from being challenged. You’ll be given real responsibility throughout your training, but you’ll never be left to fend for yourself. Our training is award-winning. You’ll have a supervising partner and associate to help you day to day, a mentor to show you the ropes, and a dedicated Trainee development team to support you.

We also believe you’ll grow if you’re free to explore. At least six months will be spent in four different practice areas, so you can discover where you fit in the best. You may also have an opportunity to be seconded to one of our clients as an in-house lawyer. This will give you the chance to learn their language and build an affinity with the people behind the work.  

In addition, as an RPC trainee you may get an opportunity to spend six months of your contract seconded to our Hong Kong, London or Singapore offices depending on where you’re based.

What do we look for in our trainees?

The recruitment process is important to us. We only recruit trainees who share our values to help grow our ambitious firm.

Although proven academic ability is important (we require a 2.1 degree or above, not necessarily in law) we value personality, diversity, flexibility, commitment, energy, collaboration and commerciality just as highly.

Recruitment process

Recruitment for our London and Bristol training contracts begins with an online application form, followed by our new online early talent assessment.

This assessment has been designed specifically for RPC, following in-depth analysis of the attributes needed to succeed as a trainee solicitor here. It explores your strengths, problem-solving ability, and motivations through a blend of behavioural, cognitive and motivational exercises – giving us a well-rounded picture of your potential. At the end, you will also receive a personalised feedback report to support your development.

There are preparation tips and further guidance available on the Prep Hub.

If you are shortlisted, you will then be invited to an in-person assessment day in April (Bristol) and August (London). This includes a variety of exercises designed to help us understand your strengths and potential. You will also meet some of our Partners, Associates and Trainees, giving you a real insight into our unique culture. If you are successful following the assessment day, your training contract will start two years later.

So, if you’re a creative thinker who wants a career that values personality as much as professionalism, we want to hear from you.

Please apply online by 21 June 2027 for our London training contract. 

Please apply online by 15 March 2027 for our Bristol training contract. 

Visit www.rpclegal.com/strikinglyreal to find out more.

Future RPC trainees must complete the Postgraduate Diploma in Law (only if you are a non-law graduate) and the Masters in Legal Practice at The University of Law. Bursaries are available for course fees, the SQE examinations as well as maintenance grants up to £12,000. Both SQE 1 and 2 will be completed before you start your training contract.  We are still accepting applications from candidates who have successfully completed the LPC (which currently means that you may be exempt from completing SQE 1).

Please speak to a member of the early talent team [email protected] if you have any questions.

Our UK solicitor apprenticeship programme is aimed at school-leavers, though non-law graduates can also apply. The University of Law requires a minimum of three 'C' grades at A level or equivalent in order to enrol onto the study course.

Our next intake will commence in September 2026 and be based in London. Applications will open on Tuesday 1 September 2026 and close on Monday 25 January 2027. 

Over the course of the six-year programme, you’ll draw upon your own ambitious and enthusiastic personality to develop your skills, learn new ones, and grow your legal knowledge.

By combining a wide mix of on-the-job and off-the-job training, you’ll gain a level 7 qualification and be a fully qualified solicitor following the six-year apprenticeship.

You’ll spend 20% of your time on off-the-job learning which equates to one day each week to study. Working with our chosen provider The University of Law (ULaw), we will incorporate any bespoke aspects of learning that we feel appropriate to your training and future success at RPC. 

Every day will be different. One day you may be working on legal administrative tasks in paralegal teams, such as minute taking and producing data reports. Another day you may be carrying out research for business support teams. 

The firm will also provide a welcome bonus of £2,000 to solicitor apprentices a few months before you join the firm to assist with accommodation and workwear expenses.

Please apply online by 25 January 2027.

A diverse workforce best supports a diverse client base and an inclusive working environment, where everyone feels like they belong, is one where everyone thrives. We know this because we live it every day.

Great minds do not all think alike. Whether client-facing or behind the scenes we solve problems and to do this creatively we need diverse, collaborative thinkers, drawing on difference. Difference in experiences, backgrounds and perspectives. 

Our culture ensures all of our people feel that they belong, are respected and valued for the differences they bring. Our highly supportive approach is designed so everyone thrives.

Employee communities 

We have eight DEIB communities Belief, Disability (ENABLE), Ethnicity, Families, Gender, LGBTQ+ (RAIN), Mental Health, Social Mobility.

The work of these communities is extensive and is instrumental in supporting the work of our Responsible Business team. Some of the activities coordinated by the communities include: celebrations of religious festivals, 'bring your child to work' days, community school mentoring programmes and activities to mark LGBTQ+ History and Pride months, as well as Mental Health Awareness Week and key dates in the ethnicity calendar from Lunar New Year to Black History Month.

Our communities also act as insightful consultative bodies, helping us to support an enact new policies and procedures such as enhanced family leave, the creation of our gender balance plan and race and ethnicity diversity plan. They also support our participation in wider initiatives such as the 10,000 Black Interns programme.

At RPC we also enjoy a reciprocal mentoring programme across all offices internationally to increase conversation around the business. The programme comprises training and regular meetings where pairs can discuss shared topics of interest relating to DEIB and allyship. 

As part of our ongoing commitment to DEIB all of our RPC people must complete our mandatory Respect at Work training. This programme enhances awareness, knowledge and skills related to respectful behaviour, equality law, diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. 

Postgraduate Diploma in Law (only if you are a non-law graduate). Funding: fees and SQE paid, plus up to £12,000 maintenance.

Masters in Legal Practice at The University of Law. Funding: fees and SQE paid, plus up to £12,000, London (£10,000 outside of London) maintenance.

• Insurance & reinsurance
• Financial services
• Professional practices
• Consumer brands & retail
• Technology, media & entertainment
• Commercial
• Competition
• Corporate
• Data & Cyber
• Disputes
• Employment
• Engagement & equality
• Real estate & construction
• Regulatory

• Corporate & Commercial
• General Commercial

• London
• Bristol
• Hong Kong
• Singapore

• Bristol
• London

• #10000BlackInterns
• Aspiring Solicitors
• Bright Network
• City Parents
• Connectr
• Disability Confident Leader
• Legal Apprenticeships
• Mindful Business Charter
• Rare Recruitment
• Social Mobility Foundation
• Stonewall
• The Women in Law Pledge
• WCAN: the Black Women's Network