Birketts LLP - True Picture

Birketts training contract review 2025

The Firm

As one trainee put it: “You can have it all at Birketts. You can become a great lawyer and have an actual work-life balance at the same time.” Take it from us, this isn’t the reality of life at every firm, but Birketts seems to have perfected the formula. Over the years, Birketts has established a reputation as a regional firm with a strong East Anglian identity, yet according to trainees, “it’s now grown beyond that.” The firm started life in Ipswich, and gradually added offices in Norwich, Cambridge and Chelmsford. Since 2020, Birketts has added offices in London, Sevenoaks and Bristol to the list. The current crop of trainees is relatively evenly split between Ipswich, Norwich, Cambridge and Chelmsford, with a couple based in London. East Anglia remains a hotspot for the firm’s rankings in Chambers UK, with top-tier offerings across corporate/M&A, employment, environment, litigation, planning, real estate, real estate litigation, restructuring/insolvency, social housing and agriculture in the region.  

“It’s expanding, but still maintains its culture. I don’t know how they’ve managed it, but it truly is ‘one Birketts.’” 

As we often find here at Chambers Student, the secrets to a firm’s success rarely fly under trainees’ radar. Those we spoke to were quick to highlight the fact that “it’s on the up and up, so I’m interested to see where it will be in five years’ time! It’s rare for a firm to grow so much while still offering so many different areas of law.” It’s true too that newbies have plenty of choice when it comes to seat options. Of course, growth doesn’t always mean change, at least not when it comes to culture: “It’s expanding, but still maintains its culture,” one trainee told us, “I don’t know how they’ve managed it, but it truly is ‘one Birketts.’” There’s no getting past it, the culture is part of the draw. Interviewees talked about a social, friendly, “be yourself” vibe. Part of this is down to the hiring process, and sources explained that “they’re picky about who they employ, but it’s a really personal, lovely process.” This often means first year trainees arrive with some prior experience under their belt, whether that’s paralegalling or something else entirely.  

The Seats

During mid-seat reviews, trainees speak with the early careers team to discuss seat allocation. Before this, however, “we’ll all start having conversations with partners, along the lines of: ‘I’m really interested in joining your team’ or ‘can you tell me about what the team does.’ We’ll also talk to other solicitors and fellow trainees to get a feel for different seats.” Second-years do get first dibs here, and seats are assigned based on preferences and business need. It’s also worth noting that different offices offer a different selection of seats, but trainees in smaller offices aren’t at a disadvantage. The firm highly encourages its trainees to do a seat in another office where possible, and this comes with a £400 monthly travel and rental allowance. “It’s not mandatory, but everyone I know who did it really enjoyed it,” a trainee explained, “the networking opportunities are great.” 

A seat with the employment team gives trainees an introduction to a range of litigious, advisory and corporate support work: “Everyone in the team does a mix of contentious and non-contentious work,” one trainee told us, “but we mostly work on the employer side of matters.” For example, the team has assisted the Cambridge Building Society and Echion Technologies with their employment queries, and advised OCS Security on the employment aspects of its acquisition of a group of companies. On litigation matters, trainees can attend hearings and tribunals, and will typically put bundles together, liaise with the other side and draft claims and settlement agreements. Sources spoke about good face time with clients as “they’re really good at getting us involved in calls. They introduce us to the clients, and they’ll sometimes email us trainees with quick questions.” These questions typically revolve around things like contracts, policies and handbooks. Trainees will sometimes produce research notes for other members of the team as well, which is “good from a learning perspective as you begin to familiarise yourself with something you might not know about.” Interviewees also explained that the team does a lot of training for clients, especially in light of the new employment rights bill. 

“They view trainees as permanent members of the team.” 

The agriculture team takes on trainees across offices and essentially covers any work that falls under the scope of the sector. To put it simply, “it’s a sector-focused mix of property and private client,” and includes succession planning, partnership agreements, agriculture finance, and buying and selling land. For instance, the team recently advised around 60 landowners in the negotiation of agreements relating to a multi-million-pound infrastructure project in Norfolk. Insiders found the natural capital and biodiversity net gain side of the work to be especially interesting, with one explaining how “there’s a partner who leads on that in Norwich. We act for landowners when developers want to use their land for biodiversity or carbon neutrality purposes.” Trainee responsibilities depend on the matter, but interviewees had experience drafting leases and agreements, making reports on title and working on Land Registry applications. We heard there’s plenty of client contact in this seat, whether that’s farm visits, in-person meetings or phone calls to discuss next steps. Sources were particularly grateful for the fact that “they view trainees as permanent members of the team. I was encouraged to get stuck into everything and was invited to plenty of events and seminars.” 

“…it’s a seat that will come in handy no matter where you qualify!” 

Trainees in commercial real estate found that “it’s a seat that will come in handy no matter where you qualify!” Case in point: the team works very closely with other departments in the firm, such as planning, corporate and banking & finance. The Birketts team works on both the landlord and tenant sides of transactions with all sorts of clients, such as owner-managed businesses, pension fund providers and developers. For example, the team has worked for the likes of Jesus College Oxford, Harlow Council and the London Borough of Lewisham, and recently advised Anglia Ruskin University on the property aspects its merger with Writtle University College. Insiders were pleased with the level of responsibility, as “some of the matters are on the smaller scale, so I would assist on completions and call the other side. They make an effort to invite you to client calls and events as well.” Typical tasks in this seat include legal research, property searches, summarising documents, drafting leases and licences and submitting Land Registry applications.  

The corporate team generally works on mergers, acquisitions and restructuring. For example, the team has advised Cornhill Bond Consulting on the £36.7 million sale of its share capital to a new Employee Ownership Trust. It has also represented a tech startup client in negotiations with venture capital firms in the UK, Germany, Turkey, Vietnam and California. Matters can vary in size, and trainee responsibility changes accordingly: “I was working on large-scale investments and smaller matters which I was running with the help of my supervisor,” one told us, “it gave me really good exposure – I was drafting documents, attending meetings and liaising with clients directly.” Trainees here do all the classic newbie tasks, such as drafting ancillary documents and due diligence. However, interviewees also found themselves busy doing research, working with colleagues in other offices and getting “lots of face time with clients. The fee earner I worked with always invited me to both in-person and online meetings.” 

Banking & finance is a separate seat and team, but sits within the wider corporate umbrella. The team works on both the lender and borrower sides of transactions, and clients include big names such as HSBC, Lloyds Bank and Santander. Trainees get involved with matters at different stages, so “we get to see all sides of the process,” one trainee explained, “some loans might be the first time a company is borrowing, while other matters could involve amending a preexisting loan so that they have more time to pay it back.” Conditions precedent checklists are a staple for trainees, and one of our interviewees explained how, “by the end of the seat, I was able to run the checklist on my own.” Newbies can get plenty of drafting experience as well, such as corporate authorities, board minutes and shareholder resolutions, which are ancillary documents to transactions. Trainees also work on red flag reports, which involves looking through security agreements to find any potential issues or terms that could be negotiated. While the technical subject matter here of course comes with a steep learning curve, insiders assured that “once you get into it and understand the terminology, it all makes sense. I’ve learned a lot, and the skills will be useful wherever I go next.”

Trainee Life

Trainees have plenty of opportunities to work with colleagues outside of their current seat thanks to the firm’s pro bono offering. Newbies saw pro bono as a great way to get to know other departments since “it bridges the gap. If you have an employment issue, for example, you’d go to a solicitor in that team.” Birketts has a number of relationships with pro bono organisations, and many trainees get involved with the Suffolk Law Centre and Norfolk Community Law Service. These are both clinics which connect trainees with clients: trainees receive a question, research an answer, run their advice by a qualified lawyer and then, once signed off, deliver that advice to the client. One trainee found it “so lovely to speak to and help them. They might be in a really difficult situation, so being able to give pointers is really satisfying.” There are also lots of CSR options, and everyone at the firm can dedicate a day a year to it. For example, many take part in the firm’s charitable events, such as a sleepout for the Benjamin Foundation, and the 26km Cumbrian Challenge for offices’ chosen charities. 

Our interviewees were especially grateful for the work-life balance at Birketts. The firm recently implemented a 35-hour working week and, for some, this shift to a standard 9-to-5 has meant that “I’m mostly out of the office by 5.15pm.” Of course, this will change depending on the seat; while some had worked until 7.30pm at the latest, others (especially in corporate) found that hours could be “very up and down, with both late nights and slower days.” Despite this variation, insiders felt that attitudes towards work-life balance remained consistent, as “people tell you off if you stay late! I’ve always been told to go home and pick things back up tomorrow.” Another interviewee added, “it was busy in my first seat, but the team was good at sheltering me from the rougher hours they were working.” As such, sources were generally happy with the salary, explaining that “it’s not a London salary, but the quality of training and work-life balance mean it’s worth the payoff.” 

“Different offices have different vibes, but you can still feel that classic Birketts culture underpinning it.” 

Trainees felt that they had really “struck gold” with the culture, explaining how “everyone’s been so lovely and willing to help, regardless of what team they’re in. I haven’t met anyone here who hasn’t been a ‘Birketts personality.’” In particular, interviewees really got along with their fellow trainees, and emphasised how “we’re not competitive at all. We’ve had the seats released for the next rotation and there have been no sharp elbows with people trying to get the seat they want. They pick people like that here, people who are a bit more relaxed and care about their career without being mean and competitive.” We heard a similar vibe extends across seniority levels, and even across offices. Those who had visited other locations explained how “different offices have different vibes, but you can still feel that classic Birketts culture underpinning it. Each feels familiar, but also like a breath of fresh air.” 

Each office also has its own social scene, with the exception of the annual firmwide summer party: “That was at a hotel in Ipswich this year, and was basically like a festival. We got free transport, drinks and food – it was really good fun.” Otherwise, there’s a monthly get together in Norwich, to welcome new joiners and share updates on the office. “I feel proud to be part of such a precious ecosystem,” said one Norwich trainee, while others agreed that it’s definitely one of the more social offices! Chelmsford also got a shoutout for its social activities, including a yearly summer barbecue which vac schemers and future trainees are invited to. However, we heard that the cafeteria is the place to be in Chelmsford, given that it’s got its very own chef “called Tony who’s amazing. He sends a menu around every day!” 

There have also been events around DEI, including a recent pot luck lunch where people brought in different foods from different countries to raise money for charity. This was hosted by the firm’s DEI network, EMBRACE, and there are also specific networks for various groups, such as Different Minds (neurodiversity), B-Proud (LGBTQ+) and parental and social mobility networks. Though sources mentioned that the firm could still improve on the ethnicity front – as is often the case across the legal profession – our interviewees were especially pleased with the representation of women at Birketts: “41% of partners are female, which has increased by 30% since 2020,” one explained, “We also have a few programs, such as Clearing the Pathway, where female associates can identify, discuss and overcome any obstacles in progressing their careers.”  

Outside of this, newbies can find support from their supervisors, who they’ll likely see very often given that trainees are expected in five days a week. Most of our interviewees regularly sit with their supervisors, and explained that “it’s a good system. If we come in, they do as well.” Overall, sources were keen to share their positive experiences with supervisors, with many gushing about how supportive and open they’ve been: “Mine made it clear that we can speak outside of our scheduled catch-ups. Our relationship is a bit less formal and I think that works better.” However, trainees generally found that they had plenty of support from the rest of the team, so much so that “it doesn’t feel like I have just one supervisor. I get work from everyone in the team, and my supervisor checks in to see how I’m finding things.” For more formal progress markers, Birketts offers a range of training, both within teams and more broadly. The training contract starts with a bunch of systems training, before practice groups take the reins on knowledge updates, technical training and practical upskilling. 

Qualification is an “open process” according to trainees, and the main requirement is “asking partners if you think there’s a possibility you could qualify with their team.” Once the NQ jobs list is released in May, qualifiers express their interest, and this is followed by an interview process if more than one trainee is interested in a role. Trainees were relieved that it’s “not a case of a CV and cover letter – I think that would be more daunting! They know you, you’re not a stranger, and they don’t want to waste anyone’s time.” Post qualification, sources were optimistic about the long-term avenues for progression: “When you qualify, they put you on an introduction to law course, and there is a Three Pillars Programme for newly promoted (and laterally hired) associates. Both set out how to progress, and there are clear timeframes to reaching associate, then senior associate, then partner or legal director.”

How to get a Birketts training contract 

"The majority of Birketts trainees have been recruited following successful completion of our summer vacation scheme," says Amy Barden, Early Careers Manager. The firm describes this as a great opportunity to see the day-to-day activities of the firm, and start building relationships as well as gaining legal experience. The 2024 scheme saw successful candidates complete three mini-seats, participate in a mock trial or negotiation exercise, in addition to a Q&A session and other social activities. 

As the firm receives over 500 vacation scheme applications per year, it is crucial that applicants can demonstrate the qualities that it looks for. The firm suggests applicants detail any work experience that they have and think about the skills and qualities they have that are transferable and relevant to being a trainee solicitor, for example customer service, reliability, time management, creativity, working alone and/or as part of a team. The firm has the same application for internal and external candidates to ensure fairness and they have also introduced an online assessment to help identify future potential.

Interviews

Those who are invited to interview will deliver a ten-minute presentation on a non-law subject of their choice, followed by an interview to discuss the candidate’s application further, and explore their commercial awareness in addition to approach and attitude. The firm recruits individuals that it thinks will not only be able to provide expert legal advice, but also offer great levels of service to its clients, and be friendly and approachable. 

In 2024, the firm expanded its vacation scheme to its London and Sevenoaks offices, and the 2025 scheme will see the addition of the new Bristol office.