Training Contract - 2026 - HK Law

Application deadline 31 July 2025

2026 Training Contract – Trainee Solicitor – SQE or LPC route

As a leading local law firm, HK Law offer a wide variety of career opportunities for skilled professionals, as well as openings for those who are seeking to embark upon a career in Law. As such, we recognise the importance and responsibility of contributing to the next generation of Solicitors by providing excellent training and support – and in return, our Trainees provide a very valuable resource to our Firm.

We look for individuals who not only possess strong skills and a positive attitude, but those whose ideals align with our Values. We believe this enables us to offer a fantastic client experience, and a great place to work.

We take pride in offering excellent training and guidance. You will have the opportunity to work within a variety of departments across the firm (usually in 6-month blocks), gaining exposure to both contentious and non-contentious areas of law, and will receive the relevant and necessary support through coaching and mentoring, as well as both in-house and external training.

You will enjoy learning from and working alongside some highly skilled and experienced lawyers who are well regarded in their field of expertise. And, once you have completed your training, you will be able to apply to stay with the firm. We have a great track record of retaining many of our trainees who have gone on to enjoy long and fruitful careers with us.

Candidate Eligibility

• You must have completed a degree (in any field) or be able to verify predicted results
• We look for individuals who have effective communication skills, a pleasant disposition, and an excellent work ethic, as well as strong academic skills and relevant qualifications.
• Ties to the region are advantageous but not a pre-requisite.
• You will need to be a driver with a clean licence and regular access to a car (due to a number of our offices not being easily accessible via public transport)
• We prefer to see applicants who have demonstrated a commitment to their chosen profession through relevant work experience and/or special projects.
• Candidates must be prepared to undertake a wide range of tasks and go the extra mile in preparation and recognition of the fact that this is a profession that is going to require an incredibly high degree of dedication, tenacity, flexibility and hard work.

What we Offer:

In return for your hard work and commitment, you will enjoy excellent training and a great benefits package, including a competitive salary, up to 33.5 days holiday, Pension Contributions, Life Assurance, an Employee Health Cash Plan, Free eye test and flu jabs, social events and more. You can also join an informal social group at HK Law who organise regular meetups and gatherings outside of work.

You’ll be working in a friendly environment where you will be recognised and valued for your individual contribution. HK Law is an extremely well-regarded Firm that has produced some excellent Solicitors, and you will get an opportunity to work alongside these individuals throughout the training. We provide the chance to experience multiple disciplines, all with the ongoing support in your professional skills development that is crucial to your success.

We have a unique and transparent career pathway through to Partnership to those promising lawyers who are results driven and able to demonstrate the appropriate skills and competencies.

Routes/ Length of Contract

We can offer several lengths of contract, to meet the 24 months qualifying Work experience criteria, depending on what stage you are at in your studies. For those needing to study towards SQE 1/ SQE 2, we allow for one day per week to study.  Please note that Training Contracts are normally only offered on a full-time basis.

• 24 month contract – If you have passed your LPC or SQE 1 and 2 by start date
• 27 month contract – If you have passed SQE 1 but wish to study for SQE 2
• 30 month contract – If you seek to study towards SQE 1 and SQE 2 (must have undergraduate degree)
• The cost of the SQE 1 and SQE 2 exams are funded by the firm.
• The firm do not fund SQE 1 & SQE 2 Preparation courses but are able to provide a loan to support you with the upfront cost for this.

The Process:

• Once you have sent your CV and Covering email, your application will be assessed by our HR Manager, and Training Principal.
• If your application is shortlisted, we will contact you and ask you to complete our full application process, including a few initial questions, a Personality Profile, a Declaration form and a Case Study.
• This application process is designed to give you not only an opportunity to sell yourself, but also a flavour of what working for us might be like, and also provides us an opportunity to see your work first hand.
• If you are successful at this stage, then we will invite you to a face-to-face interview between the dates given above. This will be held with 2 Partners of the Firm as well as the HR Manager and will usually comprise of a competency-based interview and a 10-minute presentation held at one of our offices.
• We aim to provide feedback to our candidates as soon as possible after interview, but we ensure the outcome is provided to you within 21 days. If we are offering you the role, we will then confirm the details of the offer including start date, first seat details, and anything we need from you beforehand. If you are unsuccessful, we will provide you with as much detailed and constructive feedback as possible, to best enable you to prepare for future interviews.

Dates for Your Diary:

• Application deadline for 2026 intake: 31 July 2025
• Interview Period for 2026 Intake: During September 2025  (exact dates to be confirmed to shortlisted candidates)
• Outcome from interview provided by: 21 October 2025
• Start Dates for 2026 Intake: April 2026 and October 2026 entries