Osborne Clarke LLP - True Picture

Osborne Clarke training contract review 2025

The Firm

“What initially drew me to OC was the fact it had a reputation for being very innovative and forward-thinking,” led one interviewee.  Indeed, Osborne Clarke is a long way from its days as a single Bristol outlet, with 26 offices from London to Shanghai doting the firm’s roster (and growing). Some of the latest additions to the OC family were in Miami, but despite spreading its wings across the globe, the firm hasn’t forgotten to nurture its roots. For instance, last year OC moved its Bristol HQ moved to its new swanky, flagship ‘eco’-office featuring indoor gardens and a rooftop terrace. The new space is emblematic of the firm’s commitment to innovation – located in the Halo building, it is said to be one the most sustainable spaces in the UK. Not just that, it’s also kitted out with high-tech gadgets galore, as one trainee revealed “there is a spin studio with Netflix on the bikes, a yoga studio... just so much cool stuff.”

“There is a spin studio with Netflix on the bikes, a yoga studio…”

For many, the firm’s interest in sustainability that was cited by one source as a reason for applying to OC: “I was particularly interested in their renewable energy credentials. As they are working towards net zero, this made me excited to join the firm.” But alongside this, one thing that universally drew interviewees to Osborne Clarke was the friendliness and work life balance the firm offers. “For me, I liked the fact that the offices work together; there is no sense of a ‘main’ office or a satellite office,” beamed one source.

OC’s core sectors live up to its mantle of innovative spirit, including areas like life sciences, financial services and tech. But the firm actually has just shy of 60 departments in total which feature over in our sister guide, Chambers UK. Notably, it picks up top marks in banking & finance, employment, IT, IP, real estate and litigation in the South-West. Trainee intakes can vary, but around 35 newbies join the firm’s three UK offices each year.

The Seats

When it comes to seat allocation, we were told it is a “communicative” process. Before trainees start at the firm, they can submit a list of seat preferences, ranked from one to four. One source noted that “it is quite a good process on the whole; we do get the opportunity to have a say, and we really are treated well.” Between each seat, trainees can also chat with the graduate recruitment team: “You give them four options again and you discuss what you like in your current seat and what you want to do in the future.” In the event that someone isn’t happy with their seat choices, one source reassured us that “they will try and tailor the seat for you or ensure you get the one you want the next time.” Though throughout their TC, all OC’ers are required to undertake a disputes seat. 

The firm also offers client secondments: “They are popular and in various sectors from public sector to energy,” remarked one trainee. Uniquely, the firm also offers an internal secondment to ‘OC Solutions’, the firm’s legal services technology department. One trainee explained that “it is a differentiator for clients that we have that in the firm. So it's a good chance to experience what clients really want from a law firm and a great way to learn about the firm and the business.” In OCSolutions, we heard that “there is no law, it is technical in a different sense; we format fixes to platform problems and other stuff. It is really about putting yourself in the shoes of the client and thinking from their perspective.”

“There is a good amount of client contact, the team is good at getting you invited to all the calls and getting your face around.”

We spoke to plenty of trainees who had spent time in the real estate  department, which is one of OC’s bigger teams. Aside from tasks such as filling out forms for the land registry, trainees told us that “there is a good amount of client contact; the team is good at getting you invited to all the calls and getting your face around. You are free to take as much responsibility as you want, as everything is heavily checked.”  As such, some newbies were able to “engage with negotiations and manage your own matters.” In terms of the work, sources highlighted that “there is residential work, but also strategic land matters, such as acquiring and developing property.” Reflecting on their time in this seat, one newbie highlighted that it was a “great experience in developing client skills.” This seat also has the steadiest hours according to our interviewees, who reported getting into the office at around 9am and finishing around 6 or 7pm.

Disputes“is a very different seat” as “all email and letter correspondence need to be carefully monitored.” Newbies are given the opportunity to project manage and draft documents to the other side: “You get to be the first point of contact and drive the process, but there is someone to check in with and to give you advice.” One trainee told us they had around ten cases to manage in this seat, which meant “I got to draft correspondence to the court and the other side, update the client and run calls, on top of the classic research and proofreading.” This seat allowed interviewees to “think more about the processes and become more attuned to negotiations.” For instance, one source reflected: “I speak to friends doing disputes at other firms and their work seems quite repetitive. On reflection, I don’t think I ever did the same task twice! They have been really good at exposing me to different documents and commercial points.”

“On reflection, I don’t think I ever did the same task twice!”

Another big seat at the firm is commercial. The work in this team is “a real mix” and can vary from “sale and purchase agreements to due diligence on various transactions such as data audits, IP licensing and things like that.” One trainee who had completed the seat told us “I was able to do a lot of decent quality work, and I enjoyed what I was given. I would mark up a contract and it would be reviewed, and I would get good feedback on how we had done it. Over time, there were fewer changes to make, which was nice to see.” Another trainee told us: “It is a very big team, and an interesting mix of advisory and transactional, which means we get exposure to both.” You can expect to be working “across a variety of sectors and industries and meeting lots of clients” from large social media platforms to life sciences companies. Some interesting work includes “assisting with greenwashing claims and giving advice on data protection.”

OC’s corporate seat is “fast-paced”, so newbies can expect to jump right in to drafting documents and doing board minutes from the get-go. Work in this group involves a fair bit of cross-sector work, particularly with private equity clients. In fact, sources told us this was “a good seat for managing client expectations” and getting your drafting up to speed. Trainees are also able to have a lot of interaction with the senior lawyers too: “They are very good at explaining matters to us.” OC also offers seats with a more niche focus, one of those being construction and energy. “I enjoyed the construction side of things, where you are given responsibility to push matters forward and progress them,” said one trainee. We also heard there is a “really good training programme in the department with different sessions being run; there are chances to present throughout the seat and to learn about grid regulations.”

Trainee Life

OC is known for its culture, and according to our happy interviewees, it certainly didn’t disappoint. One told usthat “the culture here is all of the things you hear about - everyone is approachable, no one takes themselves too seriously, everyone is friendly and actually wants to help.” Another went on to say, “it is not hierarchical, the office is open plan and operates under a hot desk situation. I was sitting next to the managing partner the other day, so you can be sitting next to anyone. You can pop up to any partner and ask a question.” An example of this in action: one trainee told us that before approaching a senior partner to ask a question, “I was terrified!” before adding “but he ended up being the loveliest man, he was so soft-spoken and down to earth. It was actually crazy how nice he was; he was so appreciative of the work I did.”

In fact, trainees unanimously described the culture as friendly and welcoming, though for many it was in the socials where OC really shines. Every summer all three UK offices (as well as some OC internationals) get together for “a festival kind of party” to celebrate. There is also an elaborate line-up of Christmas parties, from a trainee event to a firm-wide one; “by the end of December you’ve attended about 14 Christmas parties; you're team one, the trainee one, the firm-wide one, etc,” said one trainee. Outside of Christmas and summer, there are also monthly socials across teams as well as a trainee drinks once a week and ad hoc pub trips after work.

Sources also spoke of the diversity and inclusion groups in which to take part: “We have senior champions at partner level who are in the different diversity networks, and we all work together to promote diversity. It has a good senior buy-in and diversity on the whole is very good. It’s also a good way to meet people across the firm.” There are events “for different religions events and celebrations as well.” Trainees also told us that head of DEI at the firm, Kate Millar, “has done a lot to promote LGBT inclusion and we have won an award for that.”

OC also counts 100 hours of DEI work and pro bono work out of a newbies 1350 billable hours. Pro bono is “something that is encouraged at all levels of the firm. The fact it is included in your billable hours means there is even more encouragement to take part.” When partaking in pro-bono “there is a page to sign up and there are constantly new ones getting added where partners are looking for assistance.” If you choose to work in the London office, there is the opportunity to volunteer at the South Westminster Legal Advice Centre every Tuesday: “People come in for a 30-minute slot and we advise them on a range of issues.”

On the topic of hours, insiders noted that this tended to be team dependent. For instance, we heard real estate and finance could be longer hours. Overall, though, sources pointed to an average 9am start and average finish of around 6-7pm when there isn’t a particularly pressing matter going on. Even if there was a need for some late nights, one told us: “I’ve done under ten in the two years here.” Another source clarified: “It’s never been horrendous.” In terms of the reward for their hard work, trainees across all offices gave pay  a big thumbs up: “I do feel well compensated for what I do.”

Trainees were happy with the range of training they got on the TC. We heard that there is “an influx of trainingsessions to make sure you are in the mojo of everything” and “lots of different ones about SRA requirements that are recorded for us to rewatch. There is a whole bank of training videos for us to dip into when we need.” In terms of departmental training, the consensus was that “you have a catch-up with your supervisor each week without fail.” The ‘catch-ups’ are described as “a moment to check in with them on the highs and lows, what you’ve been doing and what your capacity is like. It’s casual but you can speak confidentially. It’s a nice ritual.” There is also a trainee-specific training session once or twice a year, where all trainees from Bristol, Reading and London gather in the Bristol HQ.

When it comes to qualification, sources told us that OC “has been very transparent and supportive, which is indicative of the culture more generally.” In the final year of their TC, the firm holds “large cohort days across the three branches for skills development and to explain the NQ process to trainees.” One interviewee who attended said: “It was really helpful; they told us the home truths about the interview process, how they pick people, and how financing decisions are made. They made it clear that they are keen to keep on as many people as possible and if there are too many applicants for a certain team, they will work to put us on one that we would be happy in. There is plenty of dialogue and discussion around it.” Once the list of available seats is released, second-year trainees have one week to fill out their preferences, but there are discussions around what seats will be available well in advance. “Retention rates have been good,” with the trainees we spoke to stating they would like to stay on: “I don’t know anyone that wants to leave,” says one trainee, “we are all very happy.” OC did not disclose its retention rates.

How to get an Osborne Clarke training contract 

• Vacation scheme deadline: 15 January 2025
• Training contract deadline: 15 January 2025

Trainee profile    

Landing a training contract at OC is competitive business: the graduate recruitment team tells us that the firm only interviews around 10-12% of the 1,500-plus candidates who apply each year. Trainees come from a mix of universities, and “the candidates who are invited to an assessment centre give really strong, well-researched answers and demonstrate a genuine interest in the firm.” As part of the firm's commitment to social inclusion, it uses Rare Recruitment throughout the entire process. The firm is particularly welcoming to those with second careers: previous trainee intakes have included those with backgrounds in fields as varied as teaching, telecoms and the armed forces. Being driven is their unifying factor. According to graduate recruitment, “throughout the recruitment process candidates need to show that they are intellectually curious, can maintain a flexible approach and build relationships with people across all levels.” As our trainee sources added: “You also need to be willing to get stuck into everything.”    

Applications and assessments    

The firm now recruits almost only through its vac scheme (the direct route is for those who are unable to complete a vac scheme for practical reasons). Applications for spots begin with an online form and verbal reasoning test. Strong written communication skills and attention to detail are essential to pass these.    

Those who impress on paper are invited to participate in further assessments which assess a range of different skills. “Our assessment centres are an opportunity for candidates to show that they are developing the key skills that will make them an excellent lawyer, and have an interest in the work that the firm does. We can tell those candidates who have a real interest in the firm as their answers are tailored to our areas of expertise and they understand what we’re doing in the market.”  The firm then makes its vac scheme offers.    

Those who want to take their chances at applying directly for training contract complete the same online form as vac scheme applicants. If they pass the initial screening, they go on to participate in an assessment centre like the one detailed above, followed by a partner interview.    

Vacation scheme    

OC's Bristol, London and Reading offices each run two, two-week summer vacation schemes which run concurrently. Bristol and London each host around 20 students at a time, while Reading hosts five. Vac schemers split their time between two different departments and are assigned a trainee buddy each. Past attendees told us they'd got to grips with hands-on tasks and “actually assumed the role of a trainee solicitor.” The scheme tends to go easy on the social side, an approach our trainee sources appreciated at the time. “It’s nice to be wined and dined, but that’s not what it’s actually like as a trainee. Also, too many evening events can wear you out.”  

According to trainees, “the vac schemers who impress the most are the ones who make an effort to speak to people and ask as many questions as they want.” In the final week of their placement, vac schemers interview for a training contract with two partners.