Trainee Solicitor - England & Wales 2025

Job Introduction

At DACB we know how important it is to give you a customised experience throughout your training with us. Our SQE graduate trainee solicitor programme provides a tailored learning experience developed in line with the O-Shaped Lawyer principles.

During the two-year programme, DACB trainees will work in four six-month placements across our practice areas. In these placements you will develop core business skills aligned to the O Shaped Lawyer principals, and learn more about how DACB and our clients operate and make strategic decisions via our data literacy and leadership insights modules. You'll have access to an extensive range of technical, professional and personal development resources, including face-to-face workshops, blended, e-learning and on-the-job training. Many of our trainees also undertake secondments to clients as part of their development.

Our trainees tell us that they enjoy the firm's collaborative working environment which reflects our cultural principles – supportive, creative, determined, and clear. There are also many opportunities to network with other trainees and other colleagues across our network, and to be part of wider firm projects and initiatives.

While academic qualifications are important, this is not the whole story. We are looking for people with the energy and the drive to succeed, as well as commercial acumen and leadership potential.  You will champion a Growth Mindset approach and thrive working in an inclusive environment where all perspectives are valued. 

Role Responsibility

During your two-year graduate programme, you will rotate around four different business areas, spending six months in each area. For example, trainees are currently located in the following areas:

• Clinical Risk
• Corporate and Commercial
• Corporate Finance
• Commercial Litigation
• Employment
• Healthcare Regulatory
• Professional Indemnity
• Professional Negligence
• Property Casualty
• Real Estate

During each placement you will be supported by a supervisor who is responsible for your day-to-day development.  You will have regular reviews with your supervisor to set objectives, discuss your progress and review learning.

Completing the SQE

We welcome applications from prospective trainees who have already completed the LPC or SQE.

For those candidates who have not yet completed one of these qualifications you will be required to complete a fully funded SQE preparation course with BPP and pass both SQE1 and SQE2 before commencing the two-year graduate programme.

The Ideal Candidate

How to Apply

To apply for our graduate trainee solicitor programme, you will need to have / or be predicted a minimum of a 2:1 degree classification (law or non-law). 

The graduate programme will commence in September 2025 and candidates looking to apply will need to be in a position to start the programme at that time. For non-law graduates this means you will need to have completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Law (PGDL) prior to commencing the DACB funded SQE preparation course in September 2024.

Please complete all sections of the application form as thoroughly and accurately as is possible. Internal applicants please use your DAC Beachcroft e-mail address to create your application profile. Once you have completed your online application form, and have met the minimum criteria, you will be invited to complete a short video interview.

Shortlisted candidates will then be invited to attend an assessment centre at the DACB location you have applied for. Assessment days will take place after Easter 2023 with invites issued by late March.

Please contact the DACB Early Talent team – earlytalent@dacbeachcroft.com – at any stage throughout the application process with any questions.

Where will I be based?

Currently our SQE graduate training programme is available in our London, Bristol, Leeds and Manchester offices. When you apply you will be asked to select the location you are applying for. If you are open to relocating for your training programme please select this option.

About the Company

We are a leading international legal business with over 2,500 colleagues and a diverse range of capabilities. We have 11 offices in the UK as well as offices in Dublin, Madrid, Paris, Singapore, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Miami. We also have associations/alliances with firms in Malaysia, Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Central America, the USA, Australia and Germany.

We are a broad-based commercial firm with a strong heritage in insurance, health and real estate. This is complemented by a fast-growing Business Advisory capability. We represent a wide range of clients, ranging from household names to government departments and NHS bodies. We act for all of the UK’s top-ten insurers, we are market leaders in the provision of strategic, commercial and regulatory advice to providers and commissioners in the health sector, and in real estate we advise all of the UK’s top-12 housebuilders.

We have an impressive legal pedigree, with 142 Chambers UK 2021 practice area and individual lawyer rankings. In Legal 500 UK 2021, the firm received a top tier ranking for 37 of its practice areas, and 58 DACB lawyers were singled out in the ‘Leading Individual' rankings.

Our successes have been recognised by the legal industry and the markets in which we operate. These accolades include two top prizes in the ‘Excellence in Business Development’ and ‘Excellence in Technology & Innovation’ categories of the 2020 Law Society Excellence Awards – the highest accolade for law firms in England & Wales. Our health sector team won the ‘Crisis Management Team of the Year’ award at the 2020 British Legal Awards for its support to the NHS at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and our Cyber & Data Risk team received the ‘Business Development Innovation Award’ at the 2020 Legal Innovation Awards, as well as ‘Cyber Law Firm of the Year’ at the prestigious Insurance Insider Cyber Rankings Awards, for its market-leading suite of digital tools to help our clients prepare for and respond to cyber and data risk crises.

Our vision is to be leading business advisers, recognised for our insight and our outstanding commitment to clients, and for being the place where talented people want to work. For further details on our work and our culture, please visit www.dacbeachcroft.com.

Application Details

At DAC Beachcroft, we don’t just accept your differences we celebrate them.  From bespoke solutions for our clients, to treating you like an individual.  Our strength comes from your diverse ideas and bringing the whole you to work. So if you’re good at what you do, come as you are.  We welcome direct applications and are happy to talk flexible working.

We also want you to be at your very best.  Please feel free to let us know of any changes we can make at any point in the recruitment process that will help support your application.  If this opportunity sounds of interest to you, please make an application and submit your CV.  Your application will be dealt with in the strictest of confidence.

Note for Recruitment Agencies – the DAC Beachcroft recruitment team is responsible for managing all current vacancies through direct hiring and referrals wherever possible.  We do work with recruitment agencies and where we require external support we will formally release those vacancies to the agencies on our Preferred Supplier List deemed best placed to assist us.  Speculative CVs sent by any agency to any DAC Beachcroft employee without a specific request by the recruitment team will not be accepted and with no introduction fee applicable.  Our recruitment team can be contacted at recruitment@dacbeachcroft.com

DAC Beachcroft