This website will offer limited functionality in this browser. We only support the recent versions of major browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.
Ready to make a splash in the legal sector? Dive in with our trainee solicitor programme, offering you award-winning experience in a fast-paced, collaborative and innovative environment.
We embed top quality work and high-profile clients from the start of your contract, along with first-class training and exciting social opportunities. Here, you can have it all – so why not take the leap?
Based in Bristol and Edinburgh, we recruit a wide variety of trainees. Our collaborative culture and inspiring colleagues will support you as you take the first steps of your legal career and gain quality experience across our broad spectrum of services.
We set ourselves apart from our competitors by offering a six-seat training programme, as opposed to the traditional four-seat rotation. Within each seat, you will be encouraged to work right across the department.
Your final seat will normally be spent in your qualification department, giving you four months to settle in before you leap into your career as a newly qualified solicitor.
of trainees offered a job at Burges Salmon in 2024
of partners trained at the firm
in a row (2022 to 2025) that we have won the RollOnFriday ‘Best Law Firm to work at’ award
vacation scheme places
We believe in nurturing our people and giving them the opportunity to develop their commercial awareness. That is why our secondment opportunities for trainee solicitors are so sought after.
As well as giving trainees and lawyers a three-dimensional view of the profession at large, secondments are an opportunity to learn more about our clients. Past secondments have included EDF, Government Legal Department and BP.
By joining our school of salmon, you’ll dive right in and work alongside our associates, senior associates and partners. We invest in recruiting and developing our people, and we aim to retain all our trainee solicitors on qualification.
By setting realistic recruitment targets based on future business needs, we only take on the number of trainee solicitors we will require in the future. This means that over the last five years, our average retention rate on qualification has been above the industry standard at 97%.
Your personal and professional development won’t end when you complete your training. We will support your progression at every stage of your career, with 36% of our partners having trained at the firm.
The Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) is the new route to qualification, with our 2024 intake being the first to qualify through the SQE route. We will support any future trainees who are due to join us in the Post Graduate Diploma in Law (PGDL) and the SQE Plus preparation course with the University of Law.
If your ambition is to join us in our Edinburgh office, you will need to complete a Scots law degree (LLB) and the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice (PEAT STAGE 1) followed by a two-year training contract.
We will support any future trainees who have not previously studied law in the PGDL and all future trainees in the SQE Plus course who are due to join us from 2026 onwards.
We also offer a generous £9,000 maintenance grant for each course.
Click through to find out more information about our trainee programme and the application process
Learn moreA vacation scheme at Burges Salmon provides you with the opportunity to experience life at the firm and see whether it’s right for you.
Learn more
