- Deadlines:
Training contract to commence 2019: 31/05/2018 Summer work placement: 27/04/2018 Other deadlines
Overview
- Address: 16 St Cuthberts Street, Bedford,
MK40 3JG - Phone: 01234 270600
- Fax: 01234 210128
- Email: kjobbling@woodfines.co.uk
- Web: www.woodfines.co.uk
| Vacancies: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Trainees: | 6 |
| Partners: | 23 |
| Staff: | 152 |
| Work placement: | Yes |
| Number of work placements: | 6 |
| Minimum qualification: | 2.1 degree |
| Start salary: | Law Society recommended |
Remember to cite LawCareers.Net on your application form if you apply to Woodfines LLP.
Application details and method of selection
The selection is by a two-stage process:
Initial interview by two partners in order to discuss the application, meet with the candidate. Assessment of suitability, presentation and generally the opportunity to add to the written application in person, and then assuming that the candidate gets through this stage;
At stage two the candidate is asked to give a written legal opinion to a specific problem prior to attending the interview, at which feedback is given on it, and they are given time prior to, but on the day of the interview, to prepare a presentation lasting about 5-10 minutes which is then given to the two partners hosting the interview.
Final selection on the candidate is then made.
Partner interview
Presentation
Written exercise
Firm description and career prospects
Woodfines is a well established regional law firm with four offices across the central heartland of England. Geographically, it is ideally placed to access the world-renowned education and research centres of Cambridge and Oxford as well as being centrally located between London and Birmingham.
We have grown steadily in recent years and are now in the top 10% of UK firms in terms of revenue. We are also widely recognised for our expertise by various professional bodies and legal directories.
We are able to offer a full package of legal services across all the core commercial law disciplines. In addition, we are able to support employees of client organisations with their individual legal needs, whether that need be for a simple real estate transaction or for more complex family or personal legal matters. We aim to deliver our services in a refreshingly approachable style.
Woodfines has developed specialisms in the following sectors:
Road transport and logistics
Public procurement
Agriculture
Recruitment
Woodfines also has an international outlook and considerable experience of working with organisations of various sizes that either trade with the UK or have moved into the UK to launch an operating base.
Careers prospects are excellent. We aim to try and retain all trainees that qualify with us. Indeed this has been so successful that there are a significant number of partners who started off their legal career as trainees in the firm.
Sponsorship
This is currently under review and enquiry should be made to the firm via kjobbling@woodfines.co.uk.
Work placements
Whilst we offer six placements across the four offices each year and generally in the summer months, we do also entertain one-off applications at other times of the year for exceptional candidates.
Training contract programme
As in most training contracts our trainees undertake four seats in different areas of contensious and non-contensious work over the two years. However, there have been occasions where a trainee might undertake a 12-month period in the same seat depending on a variety of factors at the time. A trainee may expect to undertake a seat in at least two different offices over the term of the training.
During the course to the training contract, each trainee is allocated a mentor who will 'follow them' through the two years generally providing adivce and pastoral support. This is well received by trainees generally. There are monthly mentor meetings and regular appraisals in each seat through the training contract. Trainees wishes and views as to the seats they do are taken into account and considered along with the needs of the firm generally.
Trainees are treated as fee earners from day one. They are given targets and budgets to aspire to and are given significant client contact and hands on experience in each seat whilst being given an appropriate level of supervision.
Seat options
Commercial, commercial property, litigation, crime and regulatory, employment, private client.
Type of practice
General Practice, General Commercial, Corporate & Commercial
Work areas
Offices
Bedford, Cambridge, Milton Keynes, Sandy
