Training Contracts 2023

Each year, we recruit exceptional graduates from a range of disciplines to help us continue to provide a personal, innovative and high-quality service for our clients. The expertise of our partners and lawyers, combined with our collaborative approach and award-winning training and wellbeing programmes, makes the firm an exciting place at which to begin your legal career. Here is what you can expect when undertaking a training contract at Penningtons Manches Cooper.

The Role

Our small trainee intake means you are given real responsibility, often working on cases from start to finish as opposed to just one part of the issue. Trainees regularly interact with clients directly, allowing them to develop their client care skills whilst being supported by senior supervisors.

Variety

• You will receive a thorough grounding in the law, spending time in the various practice groups within the firm's main business divisions: business services, private individuals and real estate. We ensure trainees gain a range of experience during their training contracts, and aim to give you a balanced exposure to different areas of work and the skills needed to become a well-rounded lawyer.
• Within your seats, you could experience work from multi-national corporations, public companies, professional partnerships, banks and financial institutions as well as private individuals. Irrespective of the type of client, international cases with cross jurisdictional and multidisciplinary facets are commonplace.

Support

• Along with a seat supervisor in each division, you will be allocated a trainee buddy and mentor.
• Your mentor will be a partner or senior associate who will be someone you can go to for impartial advice and help during your training contract.
• Your buddy will be a trainee who is a year ahead of you, and will be able to answer those day-to-day questions that you may not want to ask someone more senior.
• The trainee appraisal process, which involves a mid-seat and end-of-seat review, will also ensure that you are given regular formal feedback and support with your development.

Training and career development

• As a new starter, you will complete an initial week-long induction. Quarterly training sessions tailored for trainees focus on skills ranging from drafting to developing your personal brand and building relationships professionally. Team know-how and training sessions are also run throughout the year, in addition to the Professional Skills Course you will need to complete.
• We hope that the trainee solicitors we recruit will continue to develop with us and go on to become the firm's future partners. A training contract with Penningtons Manches Cooper will offer you the opportunity to develop into a knowledgeable and confident lawyer whose career will thrive, helping us to maintain our standards of excellence and making an individual contribution that will drive us further as a firm.

What you can expect from us

• We recruit between 15 and 18 trainees a year and value each and every one of them as individuals. You will get to know everyone in your year and the year above, and meet up with them regularly at training sessions. We don't deny that at times you may be asked to work longer hours - nevertheless, our relaxed work-life culture enables trainees to continue with their hobbies, interests and social commitments.
• Each office has a sports and social committee made up of solicitors, trainees and support staff. The committees organise regular outings such as theatre trips, summer barbecues, drinks evenings and ten pin bowling. In addition, firm-wide social events, such as Feel Good Fridays, are arranged - giving partners and staff across the offices an opportunity to get together in an informal atmosphere.
• There is also a plethora of corporate social responsibility and pro bono initiatives that you can get involved with at the firm. Whether it be joining one of our Pennclusion groups, to drive the inclusivity agenda forward, being an environmental or mental health champion, or participating in one of our wellbeing initiatives like the walking challenge or financial wellbeing sessions, there is something for everyone that will enable them to give back and enrich their own lives outside of their legal work.