Career

We are committed to attracting, developing and retaining the best people across our practice and business services groups. Our continued success relies on our ability to provide a supportive, inclusive and motivating environment where everyone has a role to play in supporting the delivery of outstanding service to our clients.

Training Contracts

When we recruit a Trainee, we’re looking for people who want to work in a highly challenging, yet rewarding and friendly environment. If you undertake a Training Contract it’s our aspiration that you will remain with the firm on qualification. We expect you to demonstrate strong intellectual ability, to take early responsibility, to meet a steep learning curve and to play an active part in any team to which you are allocated. We expect you to invest in your time as a Schwartz & Watkins Trainee Solicitor, the same commitment, energy and enthusiasm that we invest in you.

The Schwartz & Watkins LLP Approach to Learning

We offer our clients a team-based approach to their work. This means that the client knows the team of Solicitors handling their work and knows that the Schwartz & Watkins LLP team is familiar with their specific needs and requirements.

Whilst training with Schwartz & Watkins LLP, you will at all times be allocated to a team. You will be expected to play an active part as a team member, learning from all members of the team and becoming familiar with their different working methods, working on files, attending in-house lectures, assisting at client seminars and generally acting as a full and effective member of the team. You will change team each time you change seat, thus gaining exposure to as wide a range of experience as possible. Over the course of your training you will develop an understanding of how Schwartz & Watkins LLP blends experience, skill and commitment with effective management and staff development systems, which allow us to deliver an impressive level of service to our clients.

Seat Availability

We usually offer one or two Training Contracts per office, per year. Typically, a Trainee Solicitor will undertake four, six-month seats. Alternatively, we may offer five or six shorter seats, depending on location, seat availability and the interests of the individual trainee.

Educational Requirements

Schwartz & Watkins LLP welcomes applications for training contracts from suitably qualified candidates from any background. We also welcome applications from mature candidates. We would particularly like to hear from candidates who are already qualified in a medical discipline, Technician or who have experience of the healthcare or third sector.

The Working Environment

We recognise that all Lawyers, and Trainees in particular, need to have the opportunity to test their ever increasing skills and knowledge in live situations, knowing that they do so in a supportive and protective environment where there is an effective safety net in place.

That is why every Trainee sits with a Partner or Senior Solicitor who supervises work and monitors development for the duration of each seat. The Trainee learns practical skills, such as drafting, letter writing, taking statements, interviewing witnesses, preparing for court, meeting with clients, handling telephone enquiries, dictating and file administration, all under the guidance of highly experienced solicitors. The Trainee receives regular feedback as well as a formal performance review in the course of each seat.

Each office has a Trainee Partner who takes responsibility for trainees in that particular location. This Trainee Partner will meet regularly with the trainee and liaise with each seat supervisor ensuring that the trainee is exposed to the correct balance and volume of work but also that any problems encountered are dealt with effectively.