Charles Russell Speechlys
5 Fleet Place,
London,
EC4M 7RD
Website www.charlesrussellspeechlys.com
Our ability to understand people makes us who we are. Our Firm is built on establishing trusted, personal relationships with our clients. Relationships that matter. We are an international law firm with a focus on private capital, at the intersection of personal, family and business.
We offer legal services across the private capital space and a broad range of integrated advisory, transactional and contentious services. The results are deep and trusted relationships that deliver meaningful value.
We are here to guide our clients through your most pressing challenges and rewarding opportunities. We do this by getting to the heart of their needs to bring them the best-fit solutions.
Our Firm is headquartered in London with offices across the UK, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Our country desks focus on key international markets where we do not have offices including the USA, Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Israel, India and China as well major European markets. Our international connections mean we can work with clients anywhere in the world. Whether a business operates in a single country or across borders, we’ll put a team together pulling from our sector and geographical expertise and our partnerships with the best law firms across the world covering 200 legal jurisdictions.
Training opportunities
There are some recent changes to the way Solicitors qualify and we have given a lot of thought as to how we can continue to support you throughout your training contract. Our preference is for candidates to undertake the Solicitors Qualifying Exam going forward, however our Training Contract will also support those who have already commenced or completed the LPC. Please note, we will only sponsor the SQE going forward.
Both pathways are designed to give you the best possible training with the firm and encourage you to develop the key legal and business skills to enable you to become a successful lawyer.
I have started or completed the LPC at point of offer
If you have already started or completed the Legal Practice Course (LPC) at point of offer, you will be able to qualify under the existing route:
• Completed law degree / Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) and started / completed LPC already.
• 2-year ‘Recognised Period of Training’, also referred to as a Training Contract. You will not need to sit the SQE exams or accrue ‘Qualifying Work Experience’ as outlined in the new route to qualification.
I have not started or completed the LPC
If you haven’t started or completed the LPC at point of offer, you’ll undertake the new SQE route:
• Post-Graduate Diploma in Law (PGDL) – for non-law students. See further details below.
• SQE LLM - Solicitor’s Qualifying Exam preparation courses and exams – you’ll do both SQE 1 and SQE 2 as well as our SQE Plus programme which will contribute towards a Masters in Legal Practice (LLM). See further details below.
• 2 years of ‘Qualifying Work Experience’ with the firm.
Non law students – Post-Graduate Diploma in Law (PGDip)
We have partnered with The University of Law to provide all of our post-graduate courses.
If you have not studied a law degree, we will sponsor you to complete your Post-Graduate Diploma in Law (PGDL). This will replace the previous version of the GDL course. This 9-month programme will cover all the foundation subjects covered in a law degree and will begin to prepare you for the SQE exams.
We appreciate that full time study isn’t feasible for everyone so we also offer a 20-month part time option which we would be happy to discuss on a case by case basis to accommodate your circumstances. Following that discussion, if you prefer to study part time, you’ll be able to choose the approach that works best for you from a range of weekend, evening and online options.
If you have already started or completed the old version of the GDL, we will accept this form of the course.
Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) Courses and Exams
Once you’ve completed your law degree or PGDL, we will then sponsor you to study for and undertake the SQE. You’ll undertake the SQE preparation course with The University of Law and sit exams as below:
• SQE 1 Preparation Course – September to January
• SQE 1 Preparation Course – September to January
• SQE 1 Exam – January
• SQE 2 Preparation Course – February to April
• SQE 2 Exam – April
• SQE Plus programme – May to July
Our programme with The University of Law includes the SQE Plus Programme – you’ll chose modules from our CRS Elective Modules list to study in more detail. This will prepare you well for practice at the firm by focusing on our areas of specialism, alongside developing practical legal skills. The SQE 1, SQE 2 and SQE Plus programme combines together so you’ll be studying for a Masters in Legal Practice (LLM).
As we recruit two years in advance, the Early Talent team will be here to support you before you start and throughout your training contract. We keep in regular contact and organise Early Talent events throughout the year for our current and future trainees which provides a great opportunity to network and get to know those you will be working with. By the time you join us, you’ll recognise a few familiar and friendly faces, and it will already feel like home!
While at the firm, both routes will consist of 4 x 6-month seats, giving you the opportunity to experience a range of different practice areas and engage in high level work with both private and commercial clients. We provide a practical learning environment for Trainees where emphasis is given to early responsibility and supervised client contact.
We actively encourage our Trainees to go on either a client or international secondment. These opportunities help you build a wider skillset and see things from a client’s perspective, or enhance your international outlook by gaining exposure to work in a different jurisdiction. Secondments vary depending on business need, but our current client secondments include a private equity fund manager, a commercial bank, and an in-house commercial team for one of our large construction clients. Our international secondment opportunities include Private Client in our Swiss offices, or a mixture of practice areas in our Hong Kong, Dubai or Paris offices.
We also encourage you to get involved beyond the day to day work through our Responsible Business activities, whether that’s through our pro-bono practice, volunteering with our CRS Foundation, or getting involved in Diversity and Inclusion initiatives. You can find out more in our Responsible Business reports on our website.
Throughout the Training Contract there are regular catch ups and reviews between Trainees and supervisors to support your development and ensure you are continuing to receive a broad range of quality work.
Your legal training will also be supplemented by our CRS Business School which has specific development programmes for each stage of your career, including the Ignite programme which is designed for Trainees to build professional and commercial skills.
Furthermore, as part of our Sports and Social Committee offering, you could get involved with a range of additional activities from Football or Netball to Yoga or Tennis. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, it doesn’t matter – it’s about connecting with your colleagues and taking part.
Deciding which law firm is right for you is not always easy. Our Placement scheme will help you to feel fully informed and allow you to experience our culture for yourself.
Our Placement Scheme provides a chance to spend time at Charles Russell Speechlys and see exactly what we do on a daily basis.
You’ll spend either 1 or 2 weeks in our office depending on which Placement scheme you apply for. Each week is spent in a different practice area where you will carry out real fee earning work that could include attending client meetings and going to court.
Support is always close at hand, with a current trainee as mentor and an associate as sponsor for each placement. You’ll also meet a variety people, either at organised social events or as part of your day to day interactions, and this will give you a real insight into the culture of the firm.
During your time with us you’ll be automatically considered for a Training Contract and will take part in an assessment centre which will be reviewed along with your performance during the Placement Scheme.
All our placement schemes are paid at £461 per week in London, and £420 per week in Cheltenham and Guildford.
2025 Vacation Scheme dates will be as follows:
London:
• Spring 2025: 7th – 17th April 2025
• Summer 2025: 2 – 13 June 2025
Guildford:
• Spring 2025: 31st March – 4th April 2025
• Summer 2025: 7 – 11 July 2025 Cheltenham:
• Summer (1) 2025: 23 – 27 June 2025
• Summer (2) 2025: 30 June – 4 July 2025
Hong Kong:
• Summer 2025
Applications open: 1 October 2024
Applications close: 15 January 2025
Open days
We know it’s important to focus your applications towards law firms that fit with you rather than adopting a scattergun approach. It’s key to get as much information as possible and a feel for the firm before applying.
Come along to an Open Day to find out more about life at our firm. You’ll hear about what life is like as a trainee and from associates and partners across the firm about the breadth of work that we do. The Early Talent team will also be on hand to answer any questions you have about our Training Contract application process. Applications are open to first year university students onwards and can be made by submitting an application form through our application portal - https://charlesrussellspeechlys.app.candidats.io/roles
Reasonable travel expenses will be covered and lunch provided for in-person open days.
Please note, you can apply for Training Contract and Vacation Schemes separately after having submitted and attended an Open Day.
2024-5 Open Day dates will be as follows:
London in person: Wed 4th Dec 2024
Guildford in person: Thurs 5th Dec 2024
Cheltenham in person: Wed 11th Dec 2024
Virtual Open Day: Thurs 12th Dec 2024 (to cover all offices)
Virtual Open Day: Tues 7th Jan 2025 (to cover all offices)
London in person: Thurs 9th Jan 2025
Applications open: 16 September 2024
Applications Close: 20 November 2024