Cripps - True Picture

Cripps training contract review 2025

The Firm  

In the great big sea of law, applicants often find themselves with the difficult prospect of deciding whether to head for the city lights or settle somewhere with a little less hustle and bustle. If you’re stuck between the two, Cripps is a firm worth taking a closer look at. With offices in both the homely Tunbridge Wells and London, Cripps offers trainees the chance to dip into the benefits of both locations: “You get the regional vibe with Tunbridge,” one trainee explained, alongside “the city vibe and brilliant clients you find in London.” It’s the South where the lion’s share of Cripps’ Chambers UK ranked departments are to be found, including top-tier acknowledgements in real estate litigation, professional negligence, agriculture & rural affairs, and planning. That’s alongside strong rankings in banking & finance, corporate/M&A, IT, IP, litigation and real estate. The firm has growth on the horizon too, expanding its corporate and real estate practices, and recently merging with PDT Solicitors in Horsham.

“You’re expected to be a generalist – I didn’t want to be pigeon-holed into a practice.”

Of course, even with a merger on the books, Cripps still sits in the realm of smaller firms by head count. This was a key draw for those we spoke to, both for its impact on the culture of the firm and for its impact on the working environment: “You’re expected to be a generalist – I didn’t want to be pigeon-holed into a practice,” one source told us. Yet the consensus was that it was the culture that was the main draw: “Cripps stood out for the people more than the work. Everyone was singing praises about work-life balance; they put your family first and understand that there’s more to life than sitting at your desk!”

The Seats 

Before incoming trainees decide on their preferred seats, they are invited to a ‘Hello Day’, “where different people from every team spoke to us about the seats. They told us about current matters they were working on, and people were really honest about what the work would be like, which was really helpful.” Trainees select their top four seats and include an explanation as to why, before receiving a confirmation of which seats they would spend time in across the two years. “It’s great to know in theory what you’ll be doing over the next two years,” one trainee commented. Of course, preferences can’t always be met, and we heard that “swapping places is quite convoluted… sometimes you can get told you’re changing seats last minute, so it can be tricky to get exactly what you want.” That said, the current crop were quick to highlight that “they’re changing the system in response to our feedback.” All trainees are expected to do a property seat as one of their four six-month placements, and there are opportunities on offer for client secondments to firm clients such as EuroTunnel, M&G Investment and Domino’s.

We heard that some of the firm’s smaller teams, like employment, commercial and family, tend to be a little harder for trainees to get a place in. But part of that comes from the popularity of these seats too, with Cripps scooping a top-tier family ranking in Chambers UK in Kent. Cripps’ family department focuses on complex financial remedy cases and cohabitee disputes on national and international issues, children disputes, nuptial and cohabitation agreements, often for high net worth individuals in the UK and abroad. As a disputes seat, our interviewees felt it was understandable that everything is checked before being sent out, but they also felt the small team balanced oversight with responsibility well: “I never felt like I was drafting all the time,” one told us. Trainees in the department got a good amount of client contact, and in the past, trainees have had the opportunity to sit in on court hearings, arbitrations and mediations.

“You work on some really high-value stuff in London and the South East.”

All newcomers are expected to do a stint in property, which includes work for both residential and commercial clients. “You work on some really high-value stuff in London and the South East,” one trainee beamed. For example, the firm recently conducted due diligence on the acquisition and funding of a portfolio of UK urban logistics assets worth £230 million for Kennedy Wilson. Advisory work on property-related matters also sits in this department’s remit. Case and point, Cripps acts as the sole legal adviser for the joint owners of Centre:MK in Milton Keynes, dealing with the letting, asset management, construction and planning work of the site. Trainees spoke about the possibility for direct contact with the clients, but much of their time is spent drafting leases, licences and “various other property-related documents – and a lot of admin with the Land Registry.” Conveyancing of leasehold properties in London, property sales and replies to enquiries were also a key component of trainees’ experience. For those based in Tunbridge Wells: “You get the equivalent in Tunbridge,” one insider explained, “and Tunbridge has merged with the team in Horsham for more development work, like Section 106 agreements.”

“It’s hard when you start on these big matters when all you have is book knowledge…”

Cripps’ corporate department gives trainees the chance to experience the range of advisory work, and buy and sell-side transactions. “It’s private equity, banking and corporate/M&A,” one insider outlined, but for trainees “it’s 90% corporate transactional work.” Again, “you’re in direct contact with the clients so it’s not all filtered through a partner or associate,” but “there is usually a partner, senior associate and trainee supporting a deal, so you learn a lot by listening to what’s happening in client meetings.” We heard that it’s “big transactions mainly” with clients such as Soho Capital and Harrow International Schools. Cripps has also recently assisted the modular construction company Modulous with its series A fundraising round including £8.6 million in new investment and the conversion of £6.3 million of existing debt into company shares. Trainees were quick to highlight that nothing you’ll come across at university quite prepares you for the complexity of these deals: “It’s hard when you start on these big matters when all you have is book knowledge,” and a few trainees did note a bit of a gap in mid-level associates: “I do feel supported,” they emphasised, “but you also have to fend for yourself!”

Another of Cripps’ contentious seats, commercial disputes, has recently “doubled in size” due to the recent merger with PDT Solicitors, ensuring that there’s plenty of work to go round for clients such as Singapore Airlines and Investec. Thankfully, we heard the firm has a separate team to help with document formatting, so trainees can often avoid the more “menial tasks,” instead being brought in to draft court forms and legal documents, and to help with bundling. In addition to this, trainees get exposure to court trials and hearings, as well as managing matters themselves with things like running the firm’s internal debt recovery processes.

Trainee Life 

When it came to the firm’s culture, one newbie told us: “I can’t stress enough how great the people are here – people shouldn’t overlook that just for salary and awards.” We heard that from the outset, Cripps makes an effort to place relationships at the centre, with interviewees reporting that “before we even joined we had a social with the other incoming trainees and the trainees that were already there.” We got the impression that the London and Tunbridge Wells offices were slightly different with the former being a bit more “old school.” Insiders did comment that “there are always going to be a few people who are less approachable,” but across the offices, at least “in the main, everyone is friendly.” People were particularly positive about Cripps’ “amazing” paternity and maternity policies and their general attitude towards your personal life: “If something happens they do care about it, you don’t just put your head down.”

“I can’t stress enough how great the people are here – people shouldn’t overlook that just for salary and awards.”

Part of this emphasis on culture is the provision of an organised social calendar: “There’s so much that goes on!” Trainees take part in the classic summer and Christmas parties, but beyond this there are sports teams for netball, football and a running club. Those we spoke to also pointed to bingo and an extra budget for trainees to socialise throughout the year as well. What’s always worth a mention when it comes to life at Cripps are the beehives on the roof of the Tunbridge Wells office, where “you can do beekeeping on a Monday morning before work, it’s hilarious!” There is no pressure for trainees to partake, of course! The firm’s charity initiatives also contribute to the social fabric, particularly with their ‘Be the Difference’ volunteer days: “We have charity partners you can volunteer with,” one insider explained, “or you can pick your own – you can do whatever, literally.” Past examples include volunteering to help people without access to computers, and tutoring at local schools. Pro bono wasn’t high on the agenda for trainees, but we did hear that insiders could get involved with the Carers First pro bono scheme: “We are trained up to partner with carers to help with applications for carers allowance, so you get that exposure to real people.”

With such a vibrant extracurricular scene, it is worth noting that the hours are generally reasonable enough for trainees to get involved beyond their expected workload. For most practices, trainees tended to work between 8.30am and 6pm, and even busier days only saw an extra hour or so later in the day. That said, we heard corporate bucked the trend a little bit: “In corporate there is no consistency with the timings,” one insider cautioned, “so you can’t predict what time you’ll be expected to work. Sometimes your life can fall to the wayside.” Aside from cancelling a few weekend plans, for the most part trainees felt the hours weren’t too bad and “partners do apologise if you need to stay later.” The firm’s work from home policy, though it starts with the expectation trainees are in four days a week, gradually levels off to being fairly flexible: “You just communicate with your supervisor,” which we heard helps with the hours.

The general consensus was that given the work/life balance and the hours that they worked, trainees weren’t “massively bothered” about remuneration. However, some interviewees - particularly those who had done a stint in corporate - did note that “the hours have crept up in the last few years.” Nevertheless, “any late working you can take in lieu,” so salary didn’t seem to weigh too heavily on their minds.

As trainees approach qualification, we heard it’s “a very, very quick turnaround!” meaning “you know pretty quickly if they’re going to take you on.” All trainees interview before the firm makes a final decision, but on occasions where more than one candidate goes for a single role, the firm hosts an assessment day so trainees can make their case for the position to the firm. Everyone we spoke to felt confident about their prospects for qualification, and several were positive about their long-term prospects at Cripps: “They support you to move to the next level very quickly. Because you trained here, they are more likely to move you to senior positions.”

How to get a Cripps training contract

· Training contract deadline (for September 202 2026 and 2027): 12th January 2025

· Paralegal apprenticeship deadline: 23rd December 2024

Candidates who are interested in the firm's programmes are advised to check Cripps' website where application deadlines and full details of the application process will be published in September.

Training contract applications

The first step to securing a training contract at Cripps is to apply for their vacation scheme. Cripps receives around 300 applications for the ten training contracts it offers each year. Candidates submit an application via the firm’s website and 50 candidates are invited to complete a second stage after which around 20 candidates are invited to an Assessment Day.

The Assessment Day format is currently being reviewed but will include psychometric testing, case study exercise and a competency based interview. Around 12 candidates will the be shortlisted to attend the vacation scheme.

The trainee cohort joining the firm in September 2024 will be the first cohort to follow the SQE programme which has been put together in conjunction with BPP University. 100% of course costs will be covered provided that the candidate attends the BPP programme offered. Full details on the website.

Vacation Scheme

Cripps runs two 1-week vacation schemes in the spring and summer. To be eligible to apply you must at least be in the penultimate year of a law degree or the final year of a non-law degree.

Participants can choose seats in two practice areas and will complete a group challenge. “We would like those on our scheme to experience working with people at different levels,” senior people and talent manager Sarah Miles says, “so they will have exposure to partners, associates and trainees during the programme.” On the social front, standard activities like firm-led lunches and drinks take place Students may be invited back for a training contract interview.

Ideal candidates

Cripps welcomes candidates from all backgrounds: “At Cripps we take pride in who we are and celebrate our differences” says Fiona Chamberlain, Emerging Talent Manager. Ideal candidates will have a genuine interest in Cripps and our key areas of focus: commercial real estate, corporate and commercial law, and high net worth private clients. The firm is also looking for candidates who align with the firm’s purpose and values and want to ‘be the difference’ for their clients and colleagues.

Candidates are also expected to have strong verbal and communication skills along with commercial awareness and practical problem solving skills. Cripps no longer have any academic requirements apart from a first time pass in the LPC or SQE: “Your grades will just form part of a picture along with your other achievements and experience” adds Chamberlain. Candidates are also advised to prepare well for the Assessment Centre: “Research the firm thoroughly, be clear about why you are applying to Cripps and practise your interview technique” Chamberlain tells us.

Legal Apprenticeships

Cripps also runs a successful legal apprenticeship programme which has been offering candidates an alternative route into a legal career since 2018. Recruitment is via an Assessment Day and successful candidates join a two year paralegal apprenticeship programme which begins in September each year. This is delivered in conjunction with BPP University and following completion of the programme, apprentices will be awarded the BPP Paralegal Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship as well as a Level 4 Certificate of Higher Education (Law and Legal Practice). Paralegal Apprentices can then progress on to the firm’s solicitor apprenticeship programme to qualify as a solicitor without going to university full time. It is a four year programme in addition to the two years spent as a paralegal apprentice and apprentices complete the SQE as part of the programme.