The posting
Role: Flex Legal Trainee, Spring 2027 cohort
Start date: March 2027
Applications close: midday on Monday 2nd November
What is the Flex Early Careers Trainee Programme?
The Flex Early Careers Programme creates fixed-term employment opportunities for aspiring solicitors or company secretaries from under-represented socio-economic backgrounds.
An employment opportunity in in-house legal teams
Flex works with leading UK legal teams to provide employees with practical experience across a wide range of work. Previous secondments have included international banks and other financial services businesses, leading manufacturers and retailers, technology and telecommunications companies, and charities. Flex Legal employs Flex Legal Trainees on fixed-term employment contracts and seconds them to in-house legal teams to gain practical experience. Secondments typically last one or two years but may be shorter. An employee may work with one host organisation throughout or undertake multiple secondments.
Your responsibilities and experience will depend on the host client and the work available within its legal team. During the assessment process, we will discuss your preferred industries and areas of law to inform our matching process. We cannot guarantee a secondment that matches every preference. Some clients offer team rotations, which may allow employees to move between teams during their secondment but this is not guaranteed.
Successful Flex Legal Trainees are proactive and open to a broad range of opportunities. Your responsibilities may evolve during a secondment as the client’s needs change. Building professional relationships and seeking appropriate responsibilities can help you develop your experience. To maximise your prospects of receiving an employment offer, you should consider a broad range of opportunities. Declining opportunities may reduce the likelihood of securing a role during that recruitment cycle.
Employees who pass the SQE assessments and complete the required QWE may apply to the Solicitors Regulation Authority for admission as a solicitor. The timing will depend on when each individual completes the applicable requirements.
Any extension or continuation of fixed-term employment depends on satisfactory performance, client demand and the terms of the employment contract.
Support and benefits available to Flex Legal Trainee
As a Flex Legal Trainee, you will be given the opportunity to undertake practical work within in-house legal teams. We work with clients across a range of industries. Flex Legal remains your employer and principal point of contact throughout your secondment and will support you in performing your role and managing your secondment. As a Flex Legal Trainee, you will receive:
- A first-year salary of £32,000 in London or £28,000 elsewhere. If your employment continues into a second year, the salary will be £35,000 in London or £31,000 elsewhere.
- Eligible employees may receive SQE preparation courses through BARBRI and examination funding. The support available will depend on your existing qualifications, secondment length and continued satisfactory performance in your role. Where SQE study forms part of the support available to you, you will normally work 4.5 days each week during the relevant study period but this is subject to client business needs.
- A three-week week Readiness Programme before you start your secondment to help you contribute effectively from the outset.
- An in-house supervisor who will meet with Flex each month to review your performance, experience and development.
- Regular coaching, professional development and industry networking opportunities to support your performance and career development.
- Access to the Flex Legal QWE Journal, our proprietary tool for recording eligible work as QWE.
- Allocated SQE study time during relevant study periods, where this forms part of the support available to you.
- A range of benefits, including a cycle-to-work scheme, nursery benefits and private healthcare with Bupa after successful completion of probation.
Trainee in Waiting process
Joining the Trainee in Waiting pool confirms that you have passed the Flex Legal recruitment process and may be considered for suitable client vacancies. It does not constitute an offer of employment or guarantee a secondment. We may share opportunities that align with your experience and preferences. You may decline opportunities presented to you, although doing so may reduce the likelihood of securing a role during that recruitment cycle. Flex Legal may make a formal offer of fixed-term employment after a client selects you for a secondment and you accept the proposed opportunity.
Applications for the Flex Legal Trainee Spring 27 cohort closes at 9am on Monday 1st November 2026.
We assess applications on a rolling basis and recommend applying early. Assessment centre capacity is limited, and invitations are issued to suitable candidates as they progress through the process. Applying early may give you a wider choice of available assessment dates.
We will endeavour to respond to every applicant, although there may be delays. For some candidates, progression will depend on confirming suitable client vacancies in their preferred location. If this affects your application, we may place your application on hold and update you when further information is available.
Please review our application process before applying
What Flex assesses during the recruitment process
Our recruitment process considers more than legal knowledge. We want to understand your career aspirations, reasons for applying to Flex Legal and interest in working within an in-house legal team. We also assess your commercial awareness and motivation for gaining legal work experience in-house. Our competency framework draws on the O-Shaped Lawyer attributes associated with effective in-house lawyers.
We are a Disability Confident employer and make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process. Please let us know in your application form or email [email protected] if you require an adjustment.
Eligibility
The Flex Legal Trainee Programme provides an accessible route to fixed-term employment and in-house legal experience for candidates at different stages of the SQE or Legal Practice Course (LPC). The work arrangements and SQE support available will depend on your existing qualifications. Please review the eligibility criteria below before applying.
SQE & LPC Eligibility
- Not yet started SQE1 or the LPC: You may apply if you meet the other eligibility criteria set out below.
- SQE1 or LPC: You are welcome to apply if you have passed, are currently studying for, or are awaiting results for the SQE1 or LPC.
- SQE2: You are welcome to apply if you have passed, are currently studying for, or are awaiting results for the SQE2.
Important note for candidates currently studying or awaiting results: We cannot put candidates forward for client secondments until their results are confirmed. Therefore, your eligibility for a specific recruitment cycle depends on when your results are expected (you will be asked for this date during your application). If your expected results date makes you ineligible for the Spring 27 recruitment cycle, we will let you know and may invite you to apply in the next eligible cycle.
Other Eligibility
- Social mobility: You must meet our social mobility criteria, which are based on the Social Mobility Commission framework. During the application process, we will ask about your socio-economic circumstances while growing up.
- Academic requirements: You must have completed a UK Qualifying Law Degree from a course listed on the SRA website and achieved a grade of 2.1 or above. If mitigating circumstances prevented you from meeting this grade requirement, please provide details in your application. We will also accept applications from candidates who have completed the GDL or comparable conversion course.
- SQE examination status: You must meet the requirements set out above.
- Right to work: Successful candidates must demonstrate their right to work in the UK. We cannot currently provide visa sponsorship.
