Trainee solicitor programme
Are you looking for high quality training in a leading law firm working with diverse and interesting clients? Apply to join our training contract programme and get your career off to a flying start.
Our recruitment window is now closed.
Our recruitment window for training contracts commencing in September 2025 and September 2026 closed on 29 February 2024.
The assessment day for successful applicants will take place on Friday 17 May 2024.
The first step in your career is a vital one. It’s important to get broad experience, acquire a good understanding of the law and appreciate the commercial side of the business. Only then can you decide which area to specialise in.
At Cripps, you’ll carry out challenging and interesting work for a wide range of clients from blue chip household names and entrepreneurial businesses to high net worth private clients. Holiday Extras, Deliveroo, Harrow School, Formula One and Wates Group are just a few of our better known clients.
You’ll experience a wide range of different practice areas covering all aspects of commercial property, corporate and commercial law as well as private client matters. This will give you the diverse experience you need.
Support will be provided throughout your training contract, in a culture that encourages you to:
- care about your work, clients and those around you
- use your imagination and challenge the status quo
- enjoy yourself, developing personal interests in and out of work
- be ambitious in your desire to achieve successful outcomes for you, our clients and the wider community.
We don’t believe in hierarchies. You’ll be encouraged to express your opinions and be yourself. If you’re enthusiastic and tenacious, you’ll have endless opportunities to develop your career and make a difference from day one. This goes beyond training to be a lawyer. You will get involved in all aspects of Cripps life, where our brand purpose is to ‘be the difference’. This means participating in initiatives such as our wellbeing or EDI group, volunteering on a community or environmental project or carrying out some pro bono work – whatever piques your interest.
Our offices
You will be based at our offices in Tunbridge Wells (although we do have a few London seats). On the whole you will be office based, feedback from previous cohorts indicates that being physically present with their supervisor and team results in a more effective learning experience, however there is flexibility to work from home when needed.
A word from our managing partner, James Beatton
“We are one dedicated, integrated team, helping to solve problems and champion ambitions for our clients. As a people-first business, we are inclusive and collaborative. Everyone is encouraged to think creatively, challenge the norm, take informed risks, learn from our mistakes and let nothing inhibit our thinking.
We recruit the best talent, and all of our people embody our values of care, imagine, achieve and enjoy. When we interview applicants, we are looking for people who share in our passion to make a positive and lasting difference and take an interest in the wider world and our purpose.
As our managing partner, I greatly enjoy being involved in the recruitment and development of our trainees. Many of our partners started as trainees at Cripps, and it’s fulfilling to see them thriving in their careers.”
The recruitment process
Genuine interest
As a firm, our key areas of focus are commercial real estate, corporate and commercial law, and high net worth private clients. A keen interest in at least one of these areas is essential for successful applicants.Personality/aptitude
We are looking for people who start each day asking themselves how they can make a difference; who look for ways to help their team, clients, communities and the environment; high achievers who take personal responsibility and know it’s not just big gestures, but everyday actions that count. People who feel empowered to ask questions and take informed risks; who use their energy, empathy and problem-solving skills to make a positive impact on the lives and businesses of others. Many of our current partners began their careers as trainee solicitors with the firm and successful candidates may see their future with us not just in the short term but as part of a long term career development plan.- Complete our application form
- Complete the optional equal opportunities form
Stage 1 – application form (deadline 29 February 2024)
Our assessment process starts with a thorough review of all application forms received. We receive a lot of applications so here are some tips to help make your application stand out:- Make your application easy to read. Keep sentences short, make use of paragraphs and don’t repeat yourself.
- Keep it relevant. Do your research on Cripps. What are we looking for in our future trainees?
- Check your grammar and spelling. Attention to detail is a key skill for any lawyer. Proof read your application (or ask someone to do this for you) at least twice before hitting the send button.
Stage 2 – pre-selection exercises (successful candidates to be contacted during the week commencing 11 March 2024)
About 50 candidates will be selected on the basis of their application form to carry out our pre-selection exercises. These are:- psychometric test
- written exercise
- video task
Stage 3 (final stage) – assessment day – Friday 17 May
Approximately twenty candidates will be invited to attend our assessment day on the basis of their performance in our pre-selection exercises. Our assessment day will take place on Friday 17 May in our Tunbridge Wells offices. Please make a note of this date in your calendar as soon as you submit an application to Cripps; no other dates are available if you are unable to attend on this day. On the assessment day, you will deliver a presentation and complete a case study. You will also attend an interview with a partner and a business services manager. The format of the interview will be competency based along with discussions around your knowledge of the legal sector. During the course of the day, you will also get the chance to meet some of our trainees and newly qualified solicitors and ask them questions. The assessment day is certainly demanding, however, we do our best to make candidates feel comfortable and supported across the day. Feedback from previous assessment days suggest candidates really appreciate the chance to spend time with us and meet a wide cross section of our people.Talk to us about
Related services
Our training contract programme
FAQs
SQE
Cripps will pay 100% of your course costs if you study BPP’s SQE preparation courses (including the Essentials for Practice course). We will also pay the SRA candidate fee for one attempt at SQE1 and SQE2.PGDL
Where needed, we will pay 100% of the course costs of BPP’s Law Foundations Course (PGDL). We cannot fund the cost of a law conversion course delivered by any other training provider.LPC
We no longer fund the cost of the LPC. However, candidates who have already completed and passed the LPC are free to apply and successful candidates will follow the LPC pathway during their training contract.Training costs already paid
Unfortunately, Cripps are unable to reimburse any training costs already paid to BPP or any other training provider.Contact us
If you have a question or need advice, please let us know how we can help.