In-house Training Contracts | 2023-23 Ultimate Guide

In-House Training Contracts: 

You may have decided that working for a law firm isn’t for you. Or maybe you’ve been made aware of the benefits of in-house training contracts – working for a single legal department within a commercial organisation, rather than a law firm.  But what is an in-house training contract really like, and how do you go about getting one?

These questions and more will be answered in this article. However, keep in mind that the principles applying to in-house training contract applications are the same as with law firms. To succeed you may find it useful to see what 700+ law firm applicants wrote in their successful cover letters/applications.

What Is an In-House Training Contract?

An in-house training contract is, as the name suggests, a training contract with a commercial organisation, rather than a law firm. There are many large commercial organisations that have their own in-house legal teams, such as banks, retailers, and insurance companies.

In-house training contracts are becoming increasingly popular, with the number of applications for in-house training contracts increasing year on year. They are harder to come by but they offer a number of benefits over law firm training contracts. In-house training contracts are also often seen as being more attractive than law firm training contracts, as they are seen as offering a better work/life balance and more opportunities for career progression.

As an in-house trainee solicitor, you will be working in the legal department of a commercial organisation. You will be working on a variety of different legal matters, such as drafting contracts, advising on company law, and providing general legal advice to the company. You could be providing legal advice and support to the business on a variety of issues, including contract law, employment law, intellectual property law, and corporate governance.

It has to be noted though that while law firms usually recruit every year, in-house legal teams only recruit when there is a vacancy. This means that there are usually fewer in-house training contracts available each year even though a large demand exists.

There are a few skills that you will need to be successful in an in-house training contract. Firstly, you will need to be more commercially aware than your counterparts in law firms, as you will need to understand the business of your employer and how the law affects them. Secondly, you need to be adaptable, as the work in an in-house legal department can be varied. Finally, you will need to understand how your business works and how the law affects them, as you will be advising them on a variety of legal matters.

What Are the Differences Between an In-House and Law Firm Training Contract?

There are a number of differences between an in-house training contract and a law firm training contract. These include:

• Work/life balance – One of the main benefits of an in-house training contract is the work/life balance. As you will be working for a single employer, you will have more control over your work/life balance. This is in contrast to law firm training contracts, where you may be expected to work long hours and weekends.
• Career progression – Another benefit of an in-house training contract is the opportunity for career progression. In-house trainee solicitors are often able to progress into senior positions within the legal department, such as legal counsel or head of legal. This is in contrast to law firm training contracts, where you may be expected to move firms every few years to progress your career.
• Location – Another difference between an in-house training contract and a law firm training contract is the location. In-house training contracts are often based in London, as this is where most commercial organisations are based. Law firm training contracts, on the other hand, can be based in any city in the UK.
• Benefits – In-house training contracts also often offer a number of benefits, such as a pension, private healthcare, and a bonus. These are in addition to the salary and are often seen as being more attractive than law firm training contracts.

Overall, in-house training contracts offer a number of benefits over law firm training contracts. These include a better work/life balance, and more opportunities for career progression. In-house training contracts are also often seen as being more attractive than law firm training contracts, as they offer a number of benefits that are not always available with law firm training contracts. While there are some disadvantages to in-house training contracts, such as the lack of variety in work, and the fact that they are often based in large expensive cities like the capital, these are outweighed by the advantages.

What companies offer in-house training contracts?

There are a number of large commercial organisations that offer in-house training contracts. These include banks, retailers, and insurance companies. In-house training contracts are also offered by a number of professional services firms, such as accountants and consultants.

You should search for in-house training contracts on the websites of large commercial organisations, as well as on the websites of professional services firms. You can also search for in-house training contracts on job boards, such as Indeed and LinkedIn.

In this section of the article, we are going to analyse the profile of some of the companies that offer in-house training contracts.

1) PwC

PwC is a large professional services firm that offers in-house training contracts. To get a training contract with PwC, you will need to have joined the Legal Summer Vacation Scheme and complete it successfully. In fact, th two-week paid Legal Summer Vacation Scheme is the principal route towards securing a training contract with PwC. Whereas a typical commercial law firms in the City of London would approach clients’ matters by trying to find a legal solution, PwC differs in the sense that prioirty is the ability to  offer integrated solutions — in other words lawyers are being a part of the larger picture and not just limited to the provision of mere legal advice. To apply for the PwC Training Contract you can follow this link

2) Sky

Sky is a large media and entertainment company that offers in-house training contracts. This is a recent development, with Sky commencing its training scheme in 2021. Applications for this year’s in-house training contract are now open but keep in mind Sky recruits trainees consistently. If successful in the application process, trainees will rotate through up to four different seats across Sky Legal, developing as a result a broad range of legal skills and experiences. Trainees need to have a 2:1 degree to be eligible to apply for a training contract with Sky. You will also need to have completed the Legal Practice Course. If interested, you can find more information in this link

3) British Telecom (BT)

BT is another example of a large company that offers in-house training contracts. The company frequently offers new training contract positions.  Trainees there are involved in a wide variety of work, such as large commercial contracts, and regulatory advice. As part of the interview with British Telecom you may be required to present a topic assigned to you before the assessment. This means you need to stay commercially aware and up to date with the news as well as consider which are the topics that may be relevant for BT. As with all assessment day presentations, timing is important as well as how confidently you present and the content.

4) BBC

BBC is the world’s oldest and largest broadcaster. The company has offered in-house training contracts for students who want to pursue a career working for one of the most recognisable names in the media industry. As a BBC Trainee. you will more likely perform the following tasks:

• Perform legal research and assist in the provision of advice on a variety of legal and commercial topics to internal stakeholders
• Assist in drafting and negotiation for a wide range of deals
• Provide corporate legal support
• Generate, revise and develop precedents, training and other documentation.
• Investigate and advise infringement claims and trademark, copyright, patent and confidential issues.
• Advising on all things IP
• Drafting contract and Court documentation

5) Deloitte

Deloitte is one of the world’s largest professional services firms. The company offers in-house training contracts for students who want to pursue a career in this area. Deloitte’s programme allows you to qualify as a solicitor under the SQE route. In fact, it offers two separate paths to the provision of legal advice. As a student or recent graduate you can either apply to Deloitte’s “traditional training contract” or to the “legal entity management scheme”.

The former is what you would expect from a law firm and in our opinion if you seek a traditional training contract we suggest you also look at the 140+ law firms for which we offer verified past successful applications from those who managed to land a training contract.

Training with Deloitte will see you rotating between corporate/commercial, employment, pensions, disputes, tax litigation and advisory or legal managed solutions.

Deloitte’s Legal Entity Management team on the other hand provides a variety of services related to the governance and management of legal entities. As a trainee, you will support the firm’s clients on a number of strategic, company secretarial, governance and legal entity restructuring projects. Trainees in this program will obtain a professional Company Secretary qualification with the Governance Institute. Moreover, the department aims to help clients operate and comply with the relevant rules across a wide range of industries including but not limited to technology, financial services, real estate, retail and utilities. This “compliance” exposure is unique to Deloitte’s Legal Entity Management scheme and not available for its traditional training contract.

6) KPMG

KPMG is another large professional services firm that offers in-house training contracts. The company recruits trainees on a regular basis. You will also qualify as a solicitor under the SQE route.

7) EY

EY is, as you may have guessed, yet another large professional service firm that offered in-house training contracts.The company usually recruits trainees on a regular basis.

8) Man Group

Man Group is the world’s largest publicly traded hedge fund and is headquartered in London. The company does not offer a training contract via their website and this option is not widely advertised. However, from conversations with people working at the firm, we were told the option eexists. It requires negotiation with HR and people from the legal team so if you are interested in this option, we suggest you contact Man Group directly to enquire about this possbility.

The list here is not exhaustive by any means but should give you an idea of the kind of company that offers in-house training contracts. You should always check the website of the company you are interested in for more up-to-date information.

Conclusion

Summing up,  an in-house training contract can be a great way to get started in your legal career. There are many benefits to doing your training in-house, including the opportunity to learn about the business from the inside, and to build strong relationships with colleagues. However, there are also some challenges that you should be aware of, such as the possibility of being assigned less interesting work, or of feeling isolated from the rest of the profession. If you’re considering an in-house training contract, make sure you do your research and speak to as many people as possible to find out if it’s right for you. On our side we will ask you to consider the following questions:

• How do you prefer to work and what are your work/life/salary priorities?
• Do you want to immerse yourself in a specific industry and become a subject matter expert from the outset?
• Do you want to work for one client (i.e. your in-house employer) or multiple?
• What are your priorities when training – both personally and professionally
• Do you want to be surrounded only by lawyers or a mixture of professionals?

Charles is a writer, practising lawyer and personal trainer who loves learning and developing himself. He graduated from Middlesex University, London with eight first-class grades in the second and third years of his law degree, and received a postgraduate offer from Cambridge University. He loves strength training, boxing and encouraging people to succeed in their pursuits (legal ones)
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