🏢 Our guide to unlocking new, diverse and often overlooked pathways into a career in law
Here’s what to expect this week…
Opportunities we’ve spotted, including legal work experience, paralegal roles and training contracts
Our weekly Q&A, answering your questions about careers in law
5 minutes with... Jasmine Gay from Spire Solicitors
And finally, a free resource you should know about
Let’s get into it 👇
Career opportunities spotted this week 👀
📍 Work experience, insight days and legal placement opportunities
📑 HGF Limited (Manchester)
If you’re interested in intellectual property, HGF are hosting a presentation evening on 14th July, providing a comprehensive intro to IP and a Q&A session. There are only 30 spots available in person, so email ASAP if you’re interested.
✍️ Gowling WLG Essay Writing Competition (Virtual)
Fancy writing your way into a paid internship? Gowling WLG's annual ESG Essay Competition is back for its fifth year, and this time they want to know how lawyers should help clients navigate an increasingly fragmented ESG landscape. Deadline: 18th September, so plenty of time for this one.
⚖️ Deka Chambers (London)
They’re offering unassessed, two day mini-pupillages, giving you a day of civil work and a day of criminal work to see how life at the Bar really works. Applicants must be 18 or over, and selection is based on your interest in Deka's practice areas, interest in a career at the Bar, and the clarity of your written application. Deadline: 20th July.
⚖️ Ten Old Square (London)
You can now apply for non-assessed mini-pupillages over 2 days in September/October, where you'll shadow a barrister, dip into their work, and possibly even sit in on court or a conference. Deadline: 15th July.
👪🏽 RWK Goodman (Virtual)
Kim, Head of International Children and Partner at RWK Goodman, is hosting an “Ask Me Anything” session about family law on 12th August at midday. A great opportunity to hear more about career pathways and the realities of the role. Places are limited.
🤝 STADA (Reading)
They are accepting applications from undergrads/recent graduates to join their in-house legal team as a Legal Intern. This role offers hands on exposure to the day to day operations of an in house legal team, supporting the business with legal administration, entry level legal work, basic legal research and project work under supervision. It is designed as a developmental role for candidates interested in an in-house legal career or gaining practical commercial legal experience. Apply ASAP.
💼 Trainee/Pupillage Roles
💼 Societe Generale (London)
The global investment bank is looking for a trainee to join their Commercial, Technology & Data Legal team, getting hands-on with commercial contracts, tech matters, and data protection work alongside experienced lawyers. No prior legal experience required. Apply ASAP.
🏢 Bates Wells (London)
The first UK law firm to become a B Corp recruits six trainees a year across seats including Charity and Social Enterprise (mandatory), Corporate & Commercial, Employment, Immigration, and more, and considers part-time training contracts too. A fantastic opportunity! Deadline: 17th July for their 2026 intake.
📌 Guildford Chambers (Various)
They’re seeking applications for a 12 month civil pupillage, commencing in October 2026. This is outside of the standard Pupillage Gateway timetable and they are operating an expedited recruitment process, so they encourage interested candidates to apply promptly. Deadline: 20th July.
📍 Paralegal/Entry Level Roles
Inclusie’s pick of the week
💻 Leigh Day (Manchester)
They’re hiring Client Care Executives to join their Medical Triage team.
We love this opportunity as they explicitly welcome applicants from a wide variety of backgrounds, including retail, hospitality and healthcare.
They note that many people in this role have built long-standing careers at Leigh Day, progressing into more senior roles or exploring career paths in legal and business management.
This could be a great foot in the door. Apply ASAP!
🐙 Octopus Legacy (Bristol)
Another fantastic opportunity to join a company more focused on your skillset than experience. Octopus Legacy is looking for a Legal Assistant for their growing probate team, supporting bereaved families through probate applications and estate administration. A great entry point for anyone drawn to probate work, plus great benefits including your birthday off, a share incentive scheme, a dog friendly office and more. Apply ASAP.🏛️ Leeds City Council (Leeds)
They’re recruiting a Legal Officer to join their General Property team on a 12-month fixed term, working primarily on Right to Buy disposals alongside wider property transactions and advice. A great fit for someone organised, personable, and keen to build hands-on public sector experience. Deadline: 7th July.
📊 Spire Solicitors (Norfolk)
They’re looking for a Conveyancing Assistant to join their Residential Conveyancing team in Dereham. You'll support fee earners through the full lifecycle of property transactions, from opening files and running searches to liaising with clients and lenders. You can find out more about Spire Solicitors and what its like to be in the Residential Conveyancing team in our long read this week 👇
🩺 Nursing and Midwifery Council (London)
The NMC, the UK's largest independent regulator of nursing and midwifery professionals, is hiring a Paralegal into their Case Preparation and Presentation team on a 12-month fixed term contract. It does require some previous experience but in our opinion, the salary reflects that. Deadline: 8th July.
⚖️ Point B Legal (London)
They are looking for a part-time Legal Admin Assistant to join the team focused on immigration law. The role is expected to become full-time in the longer term. More details are coming on the role next week, but applications can be sent early via Burcu’s email.
📂 Simper Law (Norwich)
Simper Law are hiring for a receptionist. As Victoria, Head of Contentious Probate, says “First face our clients see when they walk in, often on what is genuinely one of the worst days of their lives. That matters more than any of us talk about”. Message Victoria direct on LinkedIn or email her to chat about the role further and apply (ASAP).
⚖️ St John's Buildings (Manchester)
They are looking for a Junior Clerk to join their Crime and Regulatory clerking team, supporting barristers with diary management, court listings, and client bookings. A great entry point into a 5-step clerking career path with genuine long-term progression. No prior experience needed, just strong communication skills, attention to detail and a willingness to learn. Apply ASAP.🚗 Winn Solicitors (Newcastle)
Applications are open for a Legal Assistant to join their Vehicle Damage Post Litigation team, supporting fee earners with case administration, client and stakeholder queries and general case progression. A solid entry point into personal injury law. Apply ASAP.✈️ Marriott International (London)
Marriott is looking for a Paralegal to join its EMEA Law Department in London, supporting hotel operations and asset management in a varied role. Does require some previous experience, but it is great opportunity for those looking to move in-house with hybrid working. Apply ASAP.
Your questions answered ❓
Question: I completed my law degree in 2022, but since then have worked in an area unrelated to law. I've always wanted to return to the legal field, but as it's been several years since, my experiences during my degree feel very outdated, and I feel I am flying blind. Do you have any guidance for someone wanting to get into the legal field after a few years removed from it?
This week’s Q&A has kindly been answered by Conor Farrell. He is an ex-lawyer and founder of Farrell Legal Recruitment.
“Returning to Law After a Career Break
A four-year gap from the legal sector is not insurmountable, but it can present a challenge, particularly in what remains a very competitive entry-level market. The key thing to remember is that your time away from law has not been wasted.
Any experience gained in another role will have helped you develop transferable skills, whether that is communication, organisation, client management, commercial awareness or problem-solving.
I have worked with qualified solicitors who have taken time away from law and successfully returned, so a gap does not automatically prevent you from building a career in the profession.
Be Open Minded About Your Route Back In
When looking to re-enter the legal field, it is important to be open minded, proactive and flexible. It is unlikely that your first role back will be the perfect position, but getting your foot in the door is often the most important step.
Consider legal administration or support roles as a route back into the sector. These opportunities can help you rebuild your legal experience, understand how firms operate today and put you in a stronger position for future progression.
Look Beyond the Obvious Opportunities
A common mistake is focusing only on large firms in major cities. Smaller firms, high street practices and firms closer to home can offer excellent opportunities and are often more open to candidates who are looking to restart their legal career.
Be proactive with your approach. Do not rely solely on advertised roles on LinkedIn or job boards, as entry-level paralegal vacancies can attract hundreds of applications. Making speculative applications, reaching out to firms directly and building relationships can often uncover opportunities that are not publicly advertised.”
Thanks so much to Conor for answering this week’s question. It’s great to see we’re on the same page about this - sometimes the best opportunities aren’t the obvious ones and that’s exactly what Inclusie Club is here to celebrate. You can connect with Conor on LinkedIn here.
✍️ 5 minutes with… Jasmine Gay
Jasmine has kindly written this week’s day in the life piece. She’s a Residential Property Solicitor at Spire Solicitors LLP and also currently the President of the Norfolk & Norwich Junior Lawyers Division (NNJLD) 👇
I started working in the legal sector as a Paralegal in 2022, alongside studying the LPC/LLM. I completed the LPC/LLM online part-time to fit around my work. I very fortunately then secured a training contract at my current firm and qualified on 2nd January 2026.
I joined the NNJLD Committee in September 2023 as I enjoy networking and love planning events.
This is a voluntary role and the purpose of the Committee is to organise both educational and social events for junior lawyers (up to 5 years PQE). I have made so many friends from being part of this Committee and would recommend anyone to reach out to their local JLD.
So, what does a Residential Property Solicitor do?
09:00am – Log on
The first task of the day is always emails. I review my inbox and prioritise what needs to be actioned now, and what can wait until later. An example of urgent/priority emails are those relating to property completions, exchange of contracts, or generally anything that may have been delaying a matter, so I can get it moving forward. I then monitor my inbox at regular intervals throughout the day whilst completing my tasks.
09:30am – To Do List
This is quite personal to me, but after I have reviewed my inbox I write a handwritten list of all the tasks I have to do so I can tick them off. These are not necessarily tasks for me to complete that same day (I wish!) but it is a way for me to keep track of all my outstanding tasks so I can ensure that nothing is missed and I am prioritising the right matters. I have been doing this for over 4 years now and (touch wood) it has not failed me yet!
I also do this to keep track of my responsibilities for the NNJLD, whether it’s planning the agenda for the next meeting, contacting venues for events or managing ticket sales.
09:45am – Contract Approval
When I receive a draft contract pack on a property purchase, I must approve the Contract and raise any relevant enquiries about the property. This involves investigating the title documents, property information forms (completed by the seller), any search results, surveys and other relevant documents for that particular property. It is my job to investigate and identify any issues for my client and ask the right questions of the seller in order to prepare my property report.
10:45am – Drafting
One of my favourite tasks is drafting bespoke deeds. Examples include transfers of part, deeds of easement and deeds of release. I thoroughly enjoy getting my head down at this time of the morning and drafting an original document. I take the client’s instructions, carry out research and prepare the draft document for approval before rewarding myself with lunch.
12:45pm – Lunch
It can be easy to forget this when you are busy – but it’s so important to have a break! Sometimes I use this time to host an NNJLD meeting, meet a friend, or just go for a walk by myself.
1:45pm – Call with a Prospective Client
I personally like to take on the more unusual and complex matters. This means that I quite often need to speak to prospective clients on the phone myself to ensure that I accurately scope the retainer and quote them properly.
2:15pm – Client Meeting
Working in residential property, you don’t tend to meet the majority of your clients. Due to the fast-paced, transactional nature of the work, there isn’t always a need to – and you simply wouldn’t have time to get the job done if you met every single client. So, if you are not keen on frequent client meetings, it could be the area for you! I, however, love meeting clients, so I like to arrange meetings where possible – whether it’s to discuss next steps, sign documents or go through a property report together.
3:15pm – Compliance Matters
I like to use the latter part of my day to carry out the more routine (but still very important) tasks such as source of funds checks and file risk assessments. Residential Property work is very strictly regulated, and anti-money laundering checks are crucial, so this can take up lots of my time.
5:00pm – Home (or an Event!)
Working at a firm with a healthy work/life balance is very important to me. So, I tend to go home on time – unless I am attending or hosting an event. As part of the NNJLD, we organise most of our events so attendees can arrive straight from work and make the most of their 5-9 after their 9-5. Some examples of events we have hosted are: a ‘Questions on Qualification’ panel event, a charity ‘Wine & Wellbeing’ fundraiser, and a ‘General Finance Advice’ lunch for our members.
Thank you Jasmine for a brilliant behind-the-scenes look into her life as a Residential Property Solicitor. You can follow her on LinkedIn here.
And finally, a free resource you should know about ✍️
Legal Cheek's Virtual Law Fair takes place on Wednesday 2nd September, 2-5pm and registration is open now.
You'll get to chat directly with lawyers, grad recruiters, and trainees, as well as accessing six careers and commercial awareness workshops, covering everything from acing interviews to practice area insights.
It's free and open to all, including students based overseas who intend to qualify in the UK. You can register for free here
That’s all for now. See you next week!
Emma
The careers advice shared in this newsletter is intended as general guidance and should not be treated as formal legal or recruitment advice. I do my best to keep all opportunities and deadlines accurate and up-to-date at the time of writing, but always double-check the employer’s website before applying.