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Clarke Willmott Summer Vacation Scheme 2025

This summer, we are giving candidates the chance to experience what it’s like to be part of our firm by offering a weeklong paid placement.

Our Vacation Scheme is the perfect opportunity to get an insight into the day-to-day life of working at Clarke Willmott. You will have the opportunity to work with a team of specialists in a particular area of law, doing real work with expert supervision. You will also spend some time attending workshops to improve your legal skills and aid professional development and will have plenty of opportunities to meet others, ask questions and socialise.

You will be immersed in our positive work culture and feel empowered, valued and free to be yourself in a safe and supportive environment.

Content

Recruitment process

Your application

Key dates

How to apply

FAQ

Useful information

Application form

We want the experience to be enjoyable, informative and engaging for you. As part of the placement, you will be informally assessed by your allocated team and successful candidates will have the opportunity to join our excellent Vacation Scheme Mentorship Program. Our Mentorship Program is a fantastic way to continue to build on and develop your professional relationships and knowledge once the Vacation Scheme has ended.

Recruitment Process

Clarke Willmott is committed to applying its equal opportunities and diversity policies at all stages of recruitment and selection. The application form includes a personal details section and education section however these sections will be hidden from our selection team and not used as part of the selection process.

If you require reasonable adjustments to be made to complete the application form, please let us know by contacting vacation.scheme@clarkewillmott.com so that we can provide any support, aids or adaptions. For example, you can request for the application form to be in a different format.

Successful applicants will be informed that they have been shortlisted for interview via email from our Early Careers Team. This notification will include the office and team the individual has been shortlisted to. If your application has been shortlisted, you will be invited to a virtual interview (via Microsoft Teams). The interviews will take place throughout May 2025. All applicants will be informed of the outcome of their interview within two weeks.

Your application

Please note that this application form will need to be completed in one sitting. There is no save function so you will not be able to save the progress of your application and return to complete it at a later date. If needed, we recommended entering your answers into a separate document to enable you to complete the form in one go when you are ready.

Once you have submitted your application, please stay on the page and you will see an ‘application submitted’ notification. You will not receive an email confirmation.

At Clarke Willmott, everyone is welcome and we want everyone to be their authentic selves. The same is true for our future talent and we want to get to know the real you from your application form. An application form is the first opportunity you have to communicate as your authentic self. The legal industry is evolving rapidly with advancements in artificial intelligence, particularly in generative AI.

You may use AI to undertake research or to help you develop your answer structure but we want to see our future talent be able to demonstrate the core skill of reflecting on their skills and performance – a vital skill for a successful lawyer. Therefore, please ensure that the final answer submitted is your own, is reflective of your personal skills and experiences and is not simply a copy and paste from any technology solution.

Successful applications will be personal. You’ll demonstrate genuine effort and diversity of thought and most importantly, you will be able to demonstrate your passion for working at Clarke Willmott.

Key dates

Application opens: 28th February 2025

Application Deadline: 12am 5th April 2025

Interviews: Virtual interviews will take place throughout May 2025

Placement date: 7th – 11th July 2025

To apply

To apply, please complete the application form by 12am 5th April 2025. You’re also welcome to get in touch if you have any questions at vacation.scheme@clarkewillmott.com.

Apply now

If you require reasonable adjustments to be made during the recruitment process, please let us know in advance so that any support, aids or adaptations can be put in place to assist you in the selection process.

As a firm we are committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information. Our recruitment privacy notice details how information is collected, processed and how long it is retained for.

FAQ

Although very exciting, we appreciate applying for Vacation Schemes can be overwhelming. We have set out some frequently asked questions below to help you with your queries and considering our Vacation Scheme.

Can I choose which office I take part in?

Yes, there will be an option to select your office preference on your application form. You can also select a second preference if this is available to you. Please note the limited number of placements that are available in each office.

How many placements are available?

There are 16 placements available overall, divided as follows:

Office Number of Placements Practice Areas
Birmingham 2 Commercial & Private Client Litigation and Family (split placement)
Bristol 4 Commercial Property and Property Litigation (split placement)

Commercial and Private Client Litigation and Financial Litigation (split placement)

Private Client Litigation and Private Client (split placement)
Cardiff 2 Banking & Finance

Commercial Property and Construction (rotating placements)
Manchester 3 Commercial Services (split placement)

Commercial Property and Property Litigation (split placement)
Southampton 3 Corporate & Commercial; Commercial Property; Employment and Commercial and Private Client Litigation (rotating placement)
Taunton 4 Business Recovery Unit

Commercial and Private Client Litigation

Commercial Property and Private Property & Agriculture (Split placement)

Property Litigation

Am I eligible to apply for the Vacation Scheme

The Vacation Scheme is open to anyone with an interest in pursuing a career in law, provided you are 18 or over. You do not need to have completed a University Degree (or equivalent). There are no set minimum requirements as your application will be considered as a whole. You must have the right to work in the UK to be enrolled on the scheme.

Can I apply if I took part in a previous Clarke Willmott Vacation Scheme?

Unfortunately, you will not be eligible to take part in the 2025 scheme if you successfully participated in a previous scheme. The purpose of the scheme is to provide people with the opportunity to work in a law firm who may not otherwise have had the chance. We therefore want to make sure there is opportunity for all.

What format will the interview be in for the selection process?

The interview will take place virtually via Microsoft Teams and will be competency based. It will be with a member of Human Resources and the practice area you have selected.

If you require reasonable adjustments to be made during the interview process or are unable to attend a virtual interview, please let us know in advance so that any support, aids or adaptations can be put in place to assist you in the interview process.

Will I hear back when my application is submitted?

Please look out for a pop up message on your screen which will confirm receipt of your application (you will not get an email confirmation). Due to the volume of applications, we will not be able to respond to everyone. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks, your application has not been successful on this occasion.

Will I be offered a Training Contract or Paralegal role if I am successful on the Vacation Scheme?

No. We do not offer direct Training Contracts as a route to qualification.

As part of the placement, you will be informally assessed by your allocated team and successful candidates will have the opportunity to join our excellent Vacation Scheme Mentoring Programme. Our Mentoring Programme is a fantastic way to continue to build on and develop your professional relationships and knowledge once the Vacation Scheme has ended.

You can find out more about our Trainee and Paralegal Careers. If you would like to see our current vacancies please visit our Vacancies page.

Useful information

For any further information to help you with your application and your understanding of Clarke Willmott, please visit the links below:

Learn about our values and culture

Diversity, equality and inclusivity

How we work

Wellbeing and support

Life, Lemons and the Law Podcast

Trainee Solicitor & Paralegal Careers

Careers in Business Services

Careers for Qualified Lawyers

Our offices

View our LinkedIn page

View our Instagram page

Application form

Vacation Scheme 2025 Application Form
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ELIGIBILITY

Thank you for applying to the Clarke Willmott Vacation Scheme. At this time, we cannot accept applications from individuals who do not have the right to work in the UK.

Thank you for applying to the Clarke Willmott Vacation Scheme. At this time, we can only accept applications from individuals who are 18 or over.

Thank you for applying to the Clarke Willmott Vacation Scheme. As a firm, our main goal is to provide an opportunity for individuals who may not otherwise have had the chance to take part in the scheme. If you have already participated in the scheme, you are not eligible to apply.

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