Charles Russell Speechlys - True Picture

Charles Russell Speechlys training contract review 2026

The Firm

What’s the secret to establishing a strong private capital firm – one with links to family offices, private equity and of course those individual private clients? Perhaps the answer is more obvious than it seems: to serve individual clients, you must first build up your own individual people.

“I really liked that they had a big focus on their people,” one source enthused, “here we’re valued by what we can bring as individuals.” Training principal Hamish Perry echoes the sentiment and highlights that the firm is here “to make sure they can succeed both here and in their broader careers in the long-term.”

CRS is full-service, there’s no doubt about it, but the private client practice was the beacon that called to many of our interviewees: “the firm’s reputation in that space was the clear reason I was drawn here.” Indeed, the firm’s private wealth work is recognised by our colleagues over on Chambers High Net Worth as top tier across London, the South, Cheltenham and surrounds and Guildford and surrounds. CRS’ high value residential real estate teams are also recognised as national leaders (outside London), while its family offices & funds structuring teams are crème de la crème UK-wide.

Over in Chambers UK, the firm’s full-service nature is well and truly on display, with our colleagues awarding the firm almost 40 department accolades; most notable are the corporate/M&A, agriculture & rural affairs, employment, family/matrimonial, litigation, real estate litigation, restructuring/insolvency and private sector healthcare practices.

“I really liked that they had a big focus on their people.”

CRS has three bases in the UK, with London, Cheltenham and Guildford representing the firm on British soil. Outside of that, CRS has a further ten offices dotted across the globe, bringing in global work for trainees to enjoy. As Perry puts it, “we’ve been growing within the UK and internationally, having set up our Milan office in November last year and our Singapore office the year before that.”

And if that wasn’t enough, insiders rejoiced at the fact that amongst the private client work, they were still allowed a private life, too: “there’s a decent work/life balance of high-quality work but also getting to go home at a good time!”

The Seats

For seat allocation, CRS is taking a more modern approach by using the AI system OptiSeat to help organise trainees’ preferences. Once it generates its recommendations, HR does a final check to make sure everything is fair and logical.

“You put a little summary as to why you’re interested next to each preference,” one source revealed, “if you really want a seat, they’ll do everything they can to get you into it.” Trainees are encouraged to complete one contentious seat, and it’s likely that trainees will complete another in property.

Client secondments pop up regularly with three commercial seat options ongoing at any one time. International secondments are even more plentiful, including stints in Dubai, Geneva, Zurich and Hong Kong. In the past, only London-based trainees were typically eligible for those abroad spots, but one insider was thrilled to reported that “they’ve opened up the regional offices for those opportunities now which is great!”

We heard pro bono work is “trainee driven” but also “treated the same as billable hours which encourages participation.” The firm has a number of projects and initiatives for trainees to get involved with. It was also said that certain departments have more pro bono connections than others, with the employment and real estate disputes teams getting specific shoutouts.

“I can’t fault the quality of work or the calibre of clients…”

In the world of CRS, private client is king and it’s no wonder why when you consider “the real sense of world-class work here.” Formerly known as the tax, trusts & succession group, one source mused that “that sums up the nature of our work really.” With a focus on both UK and international matters, clients are varied. “You have Cotswolds old money clients who have these old estates, and then you have new money coming in,” one trainee reeled off, “it’s a real diverse list.”

The group covers wills, powers of attorney, complex advisory work and tax law (we heard Rachel Reeves’ recent tax rules upheaval certainly kept the department busy). “I can’t fault the quality of work or the calibre of clients,” one junior beamed, “the work you do is amazing and you get a lot of responsibility and client contact.” What kind of responsibility, we hear you ask? Well, trainees can expect to get stuck in to taking attendance notes, drafting, tax planning notes, trust deeds, advising trustees and liaising with clients. The latter was particularly well-liked by one of our interviewees who explained, “I really enjoyed it because you’re getting one on one time with these extremely interesting individuals.”

It was also noted that the group touches every department of the firm in some way, which led to “lots of collaboration across offices and supporting different departments of the firm. We’re the point of contact between everyone,” said an interviewee. Insiders also praised the fact that as the seat went on, their development deepened, citing, “I saw an increase in my confidence and competence, and I got more work as a result.”

Private wealth disputes is the contentious side of the private client coin and was deemed a “very different kettle of fish” by our insiders. With contested estates, trusts and the like on offer, sources noted that “rather than managing lots of matters, you do one or two really big disputes as they can often go on for years at a time.” As such, there’s a great deal for newbies to dive into, working “at every part of the life cycle of a deal,” including court documents galore, file management, writing witness statements, bundles, organising hearings, attending mediations, letters before action, drafting particulars of claim, as well as collaborating with colleagues in the other UK offices and across the globe.

With all the client contact available, it’s safe to say it’s a seat perfect for a trainee that loves a bit of drama, with one musing, “it’s really fascinating seeing all the family dynamics on display!” All in all, insiders concluded that “getting involved in the litigious side of things was really interesting, and the seat was great for its variety of work.”

Stints in in the real estate department were reflected upon fondly, as one source reminisced, “ah, the glory days of real estate,” before detailing “it’s very fast paced, and you end up balancing a lot.” The group covers such areas as regenerations, commercial leases, strategic land work, landlord and tenant work and licenses. The clients range from big name house builders to smaller property owners and everything in between.

In one recent matter, the firm even represented the local authority of the City of London in relation to British Land’s £225 million development of Norton Folgate in Shoreditch. On such matters, standard trainee tasks include conducting searches, drafting the contract for sale, planning permissions, going through land registry, looking at easements and client contact. Site trips were also common as one rookie revealed, “I got to walk around the field and see all the details myself with the naked eye!” This only added to our interviewees’ satisfaction with their responsibility levels in the group. “I was given a lot of rope to manage matters and run with them,” one junior was happy to report, “I got a lot of confidence, and it felt like NQ level work.”

“You get to manage smaller matters really early on and learn how to progress work for clients…”

The private property practice is astutely different depending on which office trainees call home. The Guildford base primarily works with country estates and houses, London is high net worth, and Cheltenham’s focus is land, estates, and farms. Regardless of your location, the firm tries to ensure you work on a matter from each area. “Plenty of people come to us for our property matters,” trainees explained.

With property purchases, shooting licenses, conveyancing and deals of advancement being regular tasks within the group, sources across the board were eager to praise the trust that was put in them. “You get to manage smaller matters really early on and learn how to progress work for clients,” one newbie revealed, “you learn how to keep a deal moving and be commercially aware and how to structure things.” Typical tasks involved client contact, title reviews, drafting of deeds and easement management. But that’s not all: “I got to do a farm walk as well which made me feel like Jeremy Clarkson!” one trainee beamed.

The firm’s corporate department exposes trainees to both the public and private sectors with such buckets of work including private equity, public market transactions, joint ventures, and M&A. Trainees get a taste for substantial matter management, drafting ancillary documents, and preparing filings while seeing a deal at all stages of its life cycle. A recent example of the group’s work includes the firm’s advisement of Sun Group, a large media conglomerate hailing from India, on its acquisition of The Hundred cricket team.

Trainee Life

Supervision was praised across the board, with one source going as far to say, “my supervisor is the best boss I’ve ever had!” Generally speaking, we heard supervisors allow trainees to get on with things and develop naturally, while also being there to support them when necessary. “My confidence has really grown with them,” explained one insider, “having them as a first point of contact has been vital and super important.” Weekly catchups seemed to be the norm, but “it can be dependent how much you would like, and it becomes a very mature relationship after your first seat,” sources explained.

On the training front, the firm runs a business school of sorts called Ignite which consists of around six sessions based in London covering soft skills such as managing your time and how to build relationships. Outside of that, each department tends to run their own training in each seat. “They invest in you from early doors, so there’s quite a lot of sessions out there,” said an interviewee.

“I work pretty hard, but there’s also been a lot of investment in me…”

The Cheltenham office got rave reviews from interviewees: “it’s such a beautiful building at the top of the town,” said one. Based in a townhouse with a penthouse on the rooftop, sources relished the fact they could “live in the lovely countryside with an easy commute into work, it’s great here!” Not to be outdone, London has just been through a refurbishment which went down a treat: “it’s lovely now. Coffee has just been made free in our canteen as well, and honestly, what a perk!”

Not to be outdone, the Guildford branch was also treated to a bit of sprucing up. Across the offices, trainees are expected in three days a week, but that wasn’t a problem for our interviewees who stated, “we tend to come in more anyway, I just like coming in all the time.” 6.30pm seemed to be the average finish time amongst our insiders, which also factored into their satisfaction with their salary. “I work pretty hard, but there’s also been a lot of investment in me,” explained one junior, “the quality of work and the life balance makes it worth it.”

That work-life balance is integral to the firm’s culture where we heard “everyone is really hot on that and keen to respect it across the board.” This generated what trainees describe as a very supportive, friendly and approachable atmosphere. “There’s a wonderful lack of formality when it comes to internal communications and spirit,” revealed one junior, “it’s a focused environment but there’s that human element as well.”

The firm puts on a plethora of events, both office, team and firm specific including sports days, cricket clubs, summer parties and Christmas shindigs. The most notable hangout though, was Charlie’s Arms: a café by day, and the “social hub of the whole London office” by night. Once a month, the firm hosts events at Charlie’s where the whole firm is welcome to attend. Newbies were also pleased to report that the push for inclusivity was “more than just lip service,” citing wellbeing ambassadors and talks around menopause, mental health, and more.

Qualification was deemed broadly transparent with a couple discrepancies amongst teams. Once the job list is revealed, trainees put together an internal CV and covering letter that essentially gives an overview of the seats they’ve completed. Then there’s an interview.  Some teams may ask for two rounds of interviews while others ask for a case study, but this is subject to change each year.

Regardless of the outcome, juniors felt like the firm was there for them, noting “there’s a lot of support around the process, especially if you don’t get a role or want to move.” Hopefully that won’t be necessary though, and it’s certainly not what our interviewees wanted: “there’s longevity that CRS can offer you. I think a lot of people really struggle to leave.” In 2025, the firm did not disclose its number of qualifiers.

How to get a Charles Russell Speechlys training contract

• APPLY HERE
• Placement scheme deadline:  15 January 2026 at midday GMT (opens 01 October 2025)
• Training contract deadline (2026): 15 January 2026 at midday GMT (opens 01 October 2025)
• Open day deadline:  12 November 2025 at midday GMT (opens 15 September 2025)

Recruitment scope 

Each year, the firm recruits around 25 trainees across its offices in London, Guildford, Cheltenham and Hong Kong. About half its future trainees are picked up from the placement scheme and half from the direct training contract route. There is no preferred route, and the firm encourages you to “please apply for what suits you best rather than what you think we want! We also encourage candidates to come to either an in person or virtual open day to get to know us.” 

The application process 

All candidates – whether they're applying for the placement scheme or directly for a training contract – complete the same application form. When reviewing the forms, the firm are looking for “talented individuals who are aligned with our values of being Authentic, Collaborative, Committed and Forward Looking, along with a client centric approach and commitment to driving high standards. It’s also key to have a focus on your own personal development and champion an inclusive culture,” says Senior Early Talent Manager, Joanna Stevens. “At the heart of your application, we need to see a genuine interest in our practice area specialisms and key sectors as this is the work you will be completing day-to-day for two years during your Training Contract (and beyond when you qualify with us!). I would really encourage you to look at our “Expert Insights” page on the firm’s website to read our lawyers thoughts and technical analysis on recent legal changes.”

How much work experience is necessary? “We appreciate it can be challenging to gain in-person work experiences, but there are lots of ways you can achieve this through joining virtual insight sessions or completing modular online programmes. These can be used to showcase why law is the right career for you and give examples of the tasks you’ve enjoyed. Non-legal experiences are just as important to highlight the transferable skills you've learned and how they're useful – customer-service skills, for instance, help with developing client relationships.” 

Following the application form, candidates will be shortlisted to complete a video interview. “Here we want to see more of your individual personality and why you’re keen to join us. We also want to understand your broader commercial acumen and international outlook as this is a big focus for us as an international firm,” explains Joanna. The challenge of a video interview is to keep to time constraints so consider the 2-3 clear points you want to make and follow the PEEL/STAR method!

For those that have applied for a placement scheme, successful candidates will then join a specific department at the firm for between 1-2 weeks and gain exposure to real legal work. During the scheme candidates are required to take part in the assessment centre that ascertains their suitability for a training contract. For those that have applied directly for a training contract, an invitation to attend an assessment centre is offered upon successful completion of the video interview. 

All candidates experience the same assessment centre, which is made up of a mix of group and individual tasks. The assessment centre includes a face-to-face interview and other exercises which are designed to assess potential and identified performance criteria. 

People come to CRS from a variety of backgrounds and degree disciplines, with a range of views that combine to give Charles Russell Speechlys its distinctive perspective on the law – the assessment centre is designed for candidates to showcase themselves and also to get to know the firm in return. Joanna explains, “our aim is for candidates to come out the other side having enjoyed the day and feeling that they have showcased their best self.  Hopefully you’ll have got a real sense of our people and culture, alongside the high quality work we do. We want to get the best out of you and are never there to catch you out.”

Joanna also highlights: “We are able to make adjustments for those who require it so we encourage you to get in touch with our Early Talent team if you think this might apply. It’s important to us that you have the right arrangements to perform at your best. So, if you aren’t sure, it’s always best to ask and we are happy to help. There is also space to note adjustments in your application form if you’d like, and these are redacted before your form is viewed by any fee earners.”

The placement scheme 

Placement schemes take place in all UK offices across April, June and July and in Hong Kong over the summer. Those who make it through to the scheme spend time in either one or two practice areas depending on your scheme. Candidates can list preferences on a form and the Early Talent Team will do its best to accommodate their choices. According to Joanna Stevens, Senior Early Talent Manager, the scheme is like “a very mini-training contract. We try and give candidates as much exposure as possible: they'll attend client meetings and do real fee-earning work, like research on a case or checking through a document.” Candidates have a supervisor, though “they might not be the only person giving them work. They also have a trainee buddy for the whole period.” There are also social events to get a real insight into the firm’s people and culture.

At the end of the scheme all candidates receive detailed feedback on how they have performed both during scheme and on the assessment centre. “It’s a two-way process,” says Joanna; “we also like to receive feedback from the students so we can continually work to improve our schemes.” 

Placement Schemes 2026:.

Spring (scheme dates and application deadline):

• London Placement Scheme: 7 - 17 April 2026
• Guildford Placement Scheme: 23 - 27 March 2026

Summer (scheme dates and application deadline):

• London Placement Scheme: 1 - 12 June 2026
• Cheltenham Placement Scheme 1: 22 June - 26 June 2026
• Cheltenham Placement Scheme 2: 29 June - 3 July 2026
• Guildford Placement Scheme: 6 - 10 July 2026

For all placement schemes:

• Applications Open: 1 October 2025
• Deadline: 15 January 2026 – midday UK time

https://www.charlesrussellspeechlys.com/en/careers/early-talent/uk-graduate-opportunities/placement-schemes/

Direct Training Contract for 2028

The firm offers direct training contracts in London, Guildford and Cheltenham.

• Applications Open: 1 October 2025
• Deadline: 15 January 2026 – midday UK time

https://www.charlesrussellspeechlys.com/en/careers/early-talent/uk-graduate-opportunities/training-contracts/

Open Days 2025-6

The firm offers Open Days in London, Guildford and Cheltenham that any University student or Graduate can apply to. CRS also offers a non-office specific virtual Open Day.

• Dates: London (02 December 2025 and 06 January 2026), Cheltenham (Thursday 04 2025), Guildford (Tuesday 09 2025), Virtual (09 January 2026)
• Applications Open: 15 September 2025
• Deadline: 12 November 2025 – Midday UK time.

Interview with Charles Russell Speechlys training principal, Hamish Perry

The Firm

Chambers Student: How would you describe the firm? How would you describe its position in the market?

Hamish Perry: We are an international law firm working at the intersection of family, personal and business. Our firm is growing quickly, and we are continuing to ensure that we are well-equipped to advise clients with interests in the world’s key centers of wealth. We’re a very strong private capital firm, by which I mean not just private client work and acting for high-net-worth individuals, but also acting for a much broader range of clients – they could be family offices, private equity investors , large corporate clients and more. We’ve been growing within the UK and internationally, having set up our Milan office in November last year and our Singapore office the year before that. Private capital work touches on a good number of us within the Firm, and is overlayed over a lot of what we do. That doesn’t mean we’re doing private capital work all the time, but it touches on the vast majority of teams, if not all of them.

CS: Are there any highlights from the last year you think would be helpful for our readers to know about? E.g., changes to the training contract, office moves, etc.

HP: A lot of our highlights have been building on the good work to date, such as expanding our program of international secondments to our international offices as well as the usual client secondments. As a trainee you get a very broad experience by nature of the number of seats available in all main practice areas. We’ve also got pro bono initiatives and secondments to get involved with; including a pro bono secondment to Greece (ELIL) to help provide legal assistance to refugees. our award-winning Russell Up initiative has now been going for just over a year - each seat a trainee does, they get together with our Advanced Client Solutions and Knowledge teams and talk about what new technology solution or process would make things more efficient and could include helping to code a new product for the team. Many of those projects are then implemented. It’s a good thing for trainees to get involved with.

The Training Contract

CS: How would you describe the training environment/culture that you have aimed to create at the firm?

HP: We have a friendly, welcoming and supportive culture. We’ve had feedback to that effect; the trainees receive training on both the law and legal practice as well as soft skills to make sure they can succeed both here and in their broader careers in the long-term. We want our trainees to feel supported and become the best future lawyers they can be.

Applications & Recruitment

CS: What sort of person thrives at the firm? How can a candidate really impress at interview?

HP: Someone that’s enthusiastic. We offer such a broad seat selection during our training contract that we are looking for trainees who want to explore different practice areas and be willing to get stuck in.

Being personable is another key trait. Under appropriate supervision, our trainees will get a reasonable amount of client contact, so we are looking for applicants that are happy to pick up the phone to the client (and colleagues) and build lasting relationships.

In terms of applications, we look for applicants who really understand who we are as a firm and want to be part of that.  Applicants who have clearly taken a scatter gun approach and applied to many firms without any real focus are unlikely to be successful.

CS: And finally, do you have any advice for those thinking about pursuing a career in law? Either at your firm or more generally?

HP: My advice for most lawyers starting out in their careers would be to avoid focusing too narrowly too early on. I have a long list friends and family who have worked in other firms where they engaged almost entirely with seats that were just different types of banking or corporate and not seeing all the different types of law out there. It’s a long career and by experiencing a wide variety of legal practice areas early on, you equip yourself to make better decisions later and have confidence that you know you’re signing up for the one that’s right for you. It’s also helpful to have done seats in other legal practice areas as these can often be complimentary to the area you end up qualifying in (as a corporate lawyer, for example, it is useful to know about IP, Employment, Tax etc.). It can also be extremely valuable from a collaboration point of view – if you understand the practice areas of your colleagues, it only makes it easier to identify areas of overlap, collaborate and engage in high-value, complex and cross-practice work.