Thomson Snell & Passmore - True Picture

Thomson Snell & Passmore training contract review 2025

The Firm

The ability to weather social, economic and political storms has always been a good measure as to the stability a law firm can provide. But while many like to market their hardened durability, there’s no other firm that can lay claim to a legacy as enduring as Thomson Snell & Passmore. No literally, it is the oldest law firm still in operation – with an official Guinness World Record certification to boot. To put that into perspective, Thomson Snell & Passmore has seen everything from the English Civil War, the invention of the first light bulb, all the way to the first iPhone and Oasis breaking up and making up again.

“Whilst we’re the oldest law firm in the world… we’re also extremely progressive when it comes to legal tech, diversity, and inclusion.”

Now a firm can’t have made it this far without a fair bit of success to go with it, so it’s no surprise our sister guide Chambers UK gives top marks to Thomson Snell & Passmore for its family/matrimonial work in Kent on top of clinical negligence and personal injury in the South. The firm also picks up nods for its private wealth work in Chambers High Net Worth. With its main hub in the Garden of England, it was the quieter life combined with the proximity of the capital that proved a hit among our sources. Blending its rich history with a burgeoning modern practice, training principal Matthew Grogan explains: “Of course we have got a unique history – we are the oldest law firm in operation in the world; we should definitely emphasise that we are continually evolving and are extremely progressive, for example, when it comes to legal tech, diversity and inclusion.”

The Seats       

A month or two before starting, trainees are sent a form with all of the seats available for them to choose, and they can rank their top four. We got a bit of a mixed response from interviewees on how many of their choices they managed to get allocated, but sources assured us that the firm tries to give trainees as many as they can. In fact, those we spoke to seemed to have enjoyed a three-out-of-four hit-rate on average, and trainees get the comfort of knowing their full two-year schedule ahead of time. Though seats are given out based on preferences and business needs, trainees are required to undertake at least one property seat – real estate or residential conveyancing.

“At first the phone rings and you think oh god! But it’s nice – you get a lot of confidence from that.”

Known within the firm as estates, tax, and succession, the private client department “does exactly what it says on the tin." The team works with a lot of “amazing calibre” high net worth individuals, partially by right of the firm operating “in quite a wealthy part of the UK." Trainees noted this was a “great seat to be part of” and newbies here typically will have their time divided up into three clear sub-sections: two months in trust management, two in probate, and two in tax planning. Typical trainee tasks included drafting wills, engaging in inheritance tax calculations, reviewing trustees and their documents, filling out IHT400s, attending clients’ houses, and communicating with beneficiaries. Bits of the work were said to be “quite mathsy,” so a slight word of warning if numbers aren’t your thing. With lots of client meetings and involvement in new enquiries, trainees appreciated the opportunity to get involved with “really complex work.” Regarding new enquiries, one trainee explained: “people spontaneously calling up can be daunting – at first the phone rings and you think oh god! But it’s nice – you get a lot of confidence from that.”On top of this, sources reflected that it was a “lovely department with very welcoming people,” and while work was “varied and busy,” we were told that there weren’t any severe deadlines or time pressure. 

The real estate team is split into property finance lending, development, and commercial property, and trainees are assigned a specific sub-section of work. Across the board sources enjoyed getting to work with “absolutely top tier clients.” Trainees got put on a lot of lease work, negotiating terms, lending, and agricultural work. We did hear that trainees may experience a “little less client contact” in this team, simply “because of the nature of the work.” One source explained that “I’d say the consistency of the work is not as it was in other departments.” In fact, “there’s a rush before the summer and before Christmas, then there’s a bit of a lull,” they added. Though trainees are encouraged to take the initiative to show their keenness to be involved, so interviewees advised “there’s an element of having to be proactive” on this seat when going out looking for work in order to “get the most out of your training contract.”

The firm's other property seat – residential property & conveyancing – was said to be “demanding and fast-paced.” The team deals with general property purchases, sales, and equity release mortgage work. As one trainee noted: “I’d be helping with things like reports on titles, assisting on enquiries, and pre-sale purchases all the way through to completion.” Given it was a “very busy department with an abundance of very skilled workers,” trainees enthused at the level of responsibility afforded to them amongst daily tasks like SDLT reclaims, reporting to clients, checking for property defects, and liaising with clients over contracts. “I was given hands-on experience” recalled one trainee, as well as “legal drafting experience and speaking with clients and real estate agents directly.” In fact, one source shared that “I got to run an entire sale file under the supervision of a partner.”

It's fair to say that the clinical negligence & personal injury seat was well thought about amongst our sources. “I absolutely loved it!” exclaimed one. Explaining exactly why, one trainee made clear: “It was so busy and there were so many opportunities to get out and about in London with barristers’ conferences and things like inquests.” Again, trainees felt that they got “lots of responsibility without feeling that everything’s your fault if something goes wrong,” as supervision was said to be excellent and client contact “second to none.” In fact, many trainees often found themselves speaking to clients and attending weekly meetings, amidst lots of drafting, speaking with medical experts over prognoses, and assessing the strength of potential claims. Some dealt with new enquiries too, and trainees were encouraged to pick up calls and listen to incidents. “You honestly hear the wildest things!” revealed one source. Indeed, the team has recently worked on cases relating to sodium-induced brain damage and heart attacks brought on by caffeine consumption. With some bits of work being confidential due to their more personal and sensitive nature, trainees spoke of finding the balance between being personable and professional: “It’s important to be empathetic without getting too personally involved. You’re there to help of course, but you’re a legal professional, not their friend - and not everyone is good at that.”

Trainee Life

“Someone said to me, do you really need to be here? Go home! Don’t start making a habit out of it now!”

A work-life balance was what many sources wanted, and that is exactly what they got, as hours typically consisted of 9.15am to 5.30pm. One newbie recalled a time they were still in the office at about quarter to seven: “Someone said to me, do you really need to be here? Go home! Don’t start making a habit out of it now!” While some manic days do of course exist, trainees noted that they’re very much encouraged to speak up if at capacity: “There is no obligation to stay and work long hours.” Given this, sources were pretty happy with their pay packet. Some did feel slightly underwhelmed, taking into account cost of living expenses and competitor salaries, others took a more ‘swings and roundabouts’ approach as “we are a regional firm, and we’re not expected to work the long London hours.”

The firm's Tunbridge Wells home is in a “convenient location right next to the train station.” Sources also appreciated the open-plan and hot-desking office set up, which “promotes an openness between yourself and colleagues regardless of position.” Many trainees found themselves sitting in the midst of paralegals, supervisors, and partners. In fact, the office was purpose-built for the firm with the brightness and different colour of each floor creating a “lovely ambience.” It also meant that “there are no closed doors” when it came to asking questions, as one source jokingly quipped: “there literally are no doors!” But as one insider surmised “it’s got quite a luxurious feel” and “it wouldn’t be out of place in the middle of London!”

There is also a diversity, equity & inclusion panel who have organised a number of workshops relating to things like financial well-being, mental health, and stress. We heard trainees had access to plenty of perks like an external acupressure masseuse who visits the office every other week, yogalates classes, an LGBTQ+ group, an art club, a book club, and “free ice cream last week!” Trainees are also entitled to six free counselling sessions which can be arranged through the firm’s very own confidential helpline.

“Even when I interviewed, I definitely felt the friendliness and warmth of the firm, leading me to realise just how important that was.”

Sometimes, the firm culture can be felt immediately when entering the room. As one trainee recalled, “even when I interviewed, I definitely felt the friendliness and warmth of the firm, leading me to realise just how important that was” when it came to choosing a firm. “Everyone is genuinely lovely and approachable” added another, they explained that there is “no atmosphere of – oh, I mustn’t disturb this person!” “It sounds a bit cliché, but we are like a family!” quipped one trainee, before concluding that “you really do feel like you’re one big team even though we’re split into different teams.” One source refuted the claim that some firms don’t have a hierarchy – “obviously there’s a hierarchy – that’s how a firm works!” But rather “because of the open plan office, you don’t find partners closed off and unapproachable.”

Regarding social life, trainees reported on “lots of firm-wide events that allow you to meet different people at the firm,” this is because there is a “real culture of building relationships outside the office.” There were plenty of activities for trainees to choose from as well, some examples we heard of were a cricket day for the Children’s Respite Trust, sponsored walks, a skydive, Christmas and summer parties, and the firm-sponsored Live at the Pantiles – an historic jazz evening at the Georgian colonnade in Tunbridge Wells.

Supervision tended to fluctuate depending on team, but our sources made sure to note that they very much felt supported. Trainees are assured a mid-seat and end-of-seat review and some supervisors will put regular check-ins in the diary while others will provide more ad hoc feedback. On an informal level, each trainee will be paired up with a buddy from the cohort above “based off the seats you will do.” There was plenty of onboard training when newbies arrived at the firm, going through things like IT, time recording, outlook, and cybersecurity. Department-specific training is the norm for thereafter and our sources did note the firm-wide skills training provided on themes like proofreading, building a brand, and networking, on top of training on the use of AI and advanced technology, frequent webinars, talks, and know-how sessions. HR-led qualification seemed a rather formal affair, with trainees discovering the list of available NQ jobs a few months in advance. A standard interview will then follow before tackling a case study specific to your chosen department. All in all, sources we spoke to felt it was a transparent process, and in 2024, the firm retained five of eight qualifiers.

How to get a Thomson Snell & Passmore training contract

The training contract application form/Assessment and interviews:

Thomson Snell & Passmore offer eight training contracts a year. All candidates will need to complete and submit an application form that can be found on the website. Around 25 candidates are invited to participate in a competency based interview involving a HR representative and the Training Principal. Candidates will be shortlisted to participate in a second stage in-person assessment which includes an office tour, with opportunities to meet trainees and lawyers across the practice areas; a presentation that demonstrates communication skills and commercial acumen and psychometric assessments. 

Thomson Snell & Passmore actively encourages equality of opportunity and promotes respect for diversity and inclusivity with employees and clients. The firm places a high level of value on getting to know candidates so it is really important that you include all relevant extra-curricular information.

The vacation scheme:

Thomson Snell & Passmore run three work placements a year; Easter (one week) for Undergraduate students; Summer (two weeks) for Undergraduate students and Summer (one week) for A-Level students. There are 12 places in total. These placements receive around 250 applications a year.

The placements consist of spending time with Trainee Solicitors gaining important insights and information about the role of a Trainee Solicitor and the training contract at Thomson Snell & Passmore. Students also spend time in a number of practice areas to learn about different areas of practice. The Undergraduate summer placement includes a group project which culminates in a mock trial or mediation.

Applicants are required to complete and submit an application form within the application timescale, to be considered for a placement. These can be found on the firm’s website.

Thomson Snell & Passmore do not recruit future trainees directly off the back of its work placements, but many work placement students do go on to secure a training contract with the firm. Thomson Snell & Passmore actively encourage all students to apply.

Open days and other opportunities:

Thomson Snell & Passmore will be running an online Insight event early in 2025. Please see the website for details.

Trainees and Trainee Supervisors from Thomson Snell & Passmore will be attending the following events.

University of Law, National Law fair, 11 September 2024.

University of Reading, 30 October 2024.

University of Kent, 7 November 2024.

University of Southampton, 13 November 2024.

University of Exeter, 20 November 2024.

Diversity, inclusion and wellbeing

Thomson Snell & Passmore tells us that the firm actively encourages equality of opportunity and promotes respect for diversity and inclusivity in its relationships with employees, clients and others.

With a diverse wellness programme  too, the firm seeks to provide a safe and healthy working environment for all through with a variety of resources and support available to enable individuals to manage their wellbeing through workshops, events, guidance and a range of benefits. 

The firm is also a signatory to the Law Society’s Diversity and Inclusion Charter -  a public commitment by legal service providers to develop and implement best practice in equality, diversity and inclusion. Thomson Snell & Passmore is also a member of LeGal BesT, a LGBTQ+ network for law firms.