VWV - True Picture

VWV training contract review 2026

The Firm

Whatever kind of law firm you’re looking at, there’s always a perception that comes with it – whether it’s punishing hours at US firms, or a better work/life balance at regional firms. And while it’s true that the hours are unlikely to be quite as demanding at firms outside of London, it can sometimes create the illusion that these firms are a little further down the pecking order. Not so at VWV, which has established itself as one of the go-to charities and education practices in the UK.

The firm boasts Chambers UK rankings in charities and higher education institutions nationwide, as well as a top-tier schools ranking. That’s on top of personal injury and corporate M&A rankings in the Southwest and Thames Valley respectively. Because VWV is a full-service firm for its sectors of choice, interviewees felt that it was perfect “if you’re not sure exactly where you want to practice.”

“…they have that small firm culture, but with lots of diversity…”

Trainees at VWV are split between the firm’s four offices in Bristol, London, Birmingham and Watford. The majority on our list were located in Bristol, then London, closely followed by Watford and finally, Birmingham. Regardless of the office, “everyone is just so nice, so lovely! I did the vac scheme last year and loads of the partners were making trainees cups of tea – so I think that speaks volumes about the culture here.” Trainees also told us that “they have that small firm culture, but with lots of diversity,” something that was seen as a priority in recruitment. In addition, a number of insiders felt “they really encourage paralegals through the TC application, but plenty also come through independently of that process.”

The Seats

The training contract at VWV is made up of four six-month seats. Trainees had mixed feedback when it came to the seat allocation process, as new starters don’t get to choose their first seat and beyond that “you’re only guaranteed one seat.” That said, trainees can list three preferences: “They don’t get your hopes up, but I think they do it well.” Seat options can vary by location too: “In certain offices, they only do certain seats like charities in Bristol or commercial in London or Watford, and there is a lot of competition in London.”

In an effort to assign trainees their preferred seats, it sometimes comes with the requirement that it is in an office outside of their registered base. But here, the firm covers travel expenses and it's a rare occurrence. What's more, the other side of that coin is that “if you want to do a seat somewhere else, it will be taken into consideration.” We also heard that some cross-office seats are more virtually based to minimise the need for travel. Regardless, the firm does pay any transport costs for newbies travelling to other offices, and it gives trainees a good opportunity to network with associates across the firm.

As one of the firm’s signature practices, VWV’s charities department advises over 1,000 charity clients, both in the UK and overseas. The client list is varied, with names like the Islamic Centre of England, the Birmingham Royal Ballet and the Royal College of Surgeons. In one recent matter, the firm advised the Engineering Council – the regulatory body for engineers in the UK – on its development of a ‘Second Schedule’ to its Charter in response to the Grenfell Tower disaster.

In the same way that the group underpins the ethical emphasis of the firm, it also represents a place to develop the core skills you need as a trainee: “The founding principles are corporate law, but it’s generally advisory work,” one told us, with clients approaching the firm with questions which trainees then research and formulate responses to. “We do a lot with the Charity Commission, a lot of client to regulator work,” one insider explained, “everything a charity does has to be around its core principles, so if a charity wants to amend articles or objects, they have to seek consent.” There’s also work in trustee disputes, where there is a significant amount of regulation around what they can and can’t do to get paid.

Somewhat reflective of the firm as a whole, the commercial property group at VWV has “a very strong sector-based approach,” with the clients generally fitting into either education, healthcare or ecclesiastical branches. “If there’s a crown jewel in the London office it’s this one,” one source praised, “the team is wonderful; it feels like everyone is geared towards training, from partner to paralegal, and it’s the type of area that lends itself well to a new trainee.”

Matter management is the name of the game here, “you’re dealing with a lot of different parties, so you need to be so organised and on top of the matter, to ensure that you can look at everything holistically.” We heard that trainees take “the first draft of everything, like leases, for example.” We heard that “whenever there is something interesting that comes in, they always try and give it to a trainee,” so “you get great exposure to work with some really big retail brands in places like Sloane Square and Oxford Street.” In one recent deal, the firm represented the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust in its acquisition of 365 acres of agricultural land to re-establish a saltmarsh at Awre on the banks of the River Severn.

A corporate seat will likely feature a number of educational clients, alongside councils like North Somerset and Dorset, pharmaceutical companies, banks and tech clients, “so there are a lot of different elements of focus,” one told us. The bread and butter of the group is M&A transactions, with one recent example seeing the firm act for Astra Neutronics, a European deep-tech start-up, on a series of investments in developing small nuclear multi-state fusion reactors. No idea what that really means? Suffice to say, it’s cutting-edge stuff.

“It’s known for having very busy periods,” one trainee told us, during which trainees help out with administrative tasks, set up signatures, attend to note taking, deal with completions, and do company house filings (which are trainee led). The deals are leanly staffed: “You’re mostly working under a partner, or it’s just you and an associate,” so insiders felt there was a good level of responsibility on offer.

“…you’re a team resource – the entire team can use you.”

Private client is, as the name suggests, pretty private, with the work split between specialist family, contentious probate, estates, tax, planning and trusts. The general consensus was that it’s “a very, very busy practice.” Each team works closely together, so a trainee’s work will likely involve plenty of crossover and those in other offices, even to the extent that it could involve attendance at three in one week! “In Bristol, we work closely with Birmingham,” one source explained, “so you’re a team resource – the entire team can use you.”

Trainees told us they worked on high profile trust work; drafting applications to the Court of Protection on health, welfare, or financial affairs, and drafting wills amongst others. Again “it is quite admin heavy,” but drafting does make up a good amount of the work, alongside meeting clients “at least three times a week,” taking attendance notes and ringing beneficiaries.

Employment at VWV has trainees acting mainly for respondents on contentious matters. “You’re involved in the tribunal process from start to finish,” one insider outlined, so “there’s a lot of drafting witness statements, writing tribunal forms, and research.” The group does a lot of work for the firm’s main sector client base, including higher education institutions like the University of Bath and De Montfort University, and private schools like Cheltenham Ladies College, often on unfair dismissal claims regarding issues of sexual, racial, religious, freedom of speech and whistleblowing. These clients often also have the firm on retainer, “so if there’s an employment question, you’ll do responses to those too.” We heard that those in Bristol could get involved with a legal advice clinic for pro bono as well.

Trainee Life

We heard the trainee experience at VWV can vary slightly by office, as “all the offices are very distinct, even though we do work across all of them.” The Bristol office “is definitely the hub,” one trainee told us, “and with lots of the senior partners and the main corporate and commercial teams here, it’s very busy.” Insiders were very positive about the office’s recent refurbishment including breakout pods overlooking the Bristol harbour and “lots of plants” to go along with VWV’s new rebrand.

We heard that the Watford office is particularly busy – “full all the time!” In fact, partially because “it was acquired, and a lot of people here worked for the previous firm – so everyone knows each other.” London on the other hand, though it does win a lot of high-profile work, “has a satellite feel, it’s quite quiet.” For trainees in London, “the feel is more corporate, to match the middle of Bank.” Something that’s less determined by office, and more by practice is the remote working expectations.

Generally, trainees don’t need to go into the office on Fridays, but while some departments like employment expect trainees in four days a week, others scale down to three once newbies have gotten their footing. Consistent across VWV’s locations though, and a big draw into the office for trainees were the snacks on offer, which none of our interviewees hesitated to bring up: “Everybody loves the snacks, down to the smallest things!” which include “fish bowls full of food,” breakfasts, and fridges stocked with drinks.

Trainees reported very reasonable hours at the firm, and our sources were very positive about the firm’s expectations of them. We found that our interviewees were typically working 8:30am to 6pm, which they felt was “reasonable for a trainee,” even if the salary  is a little lower than market: “I could earn more at a big city law firm, but I don’t want to be in that environment,” one trainee explained, “especially with the perks we have, the coffee, the snacks. We have big baskets you can help yourself to too!”

The social side was also a pull because although “there isn’t as much going on socially in Watford,” we heard that in Bristol and London “we have lunch and learns, sandwiches and curry, drinks flowing - VWV know how to put on a good party!” The trainees themselves even have their own budget for socials like bowling and quizzes, something that helps to ensure “there is a strong sense of community in the cohort, and amongst the secretaries and paralegals.”

“…with this new leadership it feels like that’s on the rise. He’s a very forward-thinking, cutting-edge guy.”

Newbies praised their relationships with more senior associates and partners too as “the environment doesn’t feel toxic, so you never feel nervous to ask a question.” In addition, each office works with an open-plan setup with hot desking, “so you could be sat next to a trainee one day, equity partner the next – you can sit and ask questions wherever you want.” This followed through trainees’ experiences with supervisors, who are always a senior associate or partner in your team. “It does vary,” one source did admit about the supervision, “but supervisors are there to ensure you’re getting a good variety of work with regular check-ins.”

Training is formally supplemented with ‘good practice’ sessions which are organised by the teams and which generally take the form of seminars and talks. A few sources did feel like “there could be a bit more,” but that “with this new leadership it feels like that’s on the rise. He’s a very forward-thinking, cutting-edge guy.” This echoed VWV’s ‘trainee pioneer programme’which is “essentially an AI innovation programme where we’re thinking of use cases in our sectors. We’re split into teams and present a business case to the head of the team, and we’ve launched an AI platform internally, so it’s a massive part of the firm.”

When it comes to qualification, “they’re formalising the process more now,” so at the beginning of June, they publish a list of NQ roles available, and then trainees apply through a formal interview and assessment. Prior to this “we have regular check-ins with the HR team, testing the waters to see if we know where we want to qualify.” In 2025, the firm retained 11 of 12 qualifiers.

How to land a training contract at VWV 

Training contract deadline (2026): 9/1/2026 (subject to change) 

Applications and assessments 

If you’re growing sick and tired of the old ‘CV and cover letter’ charade, there’s good news. VWV’s tailored online application form will ask all the questions the firm needs to know. But what is it exactly that they are looking to find out? Like a lot of firms, previous legal work (whether that’s volunteering for the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, a university legal clinic, or work as a paralegal or legal assistant) is helpful but not essential. In fact, according to early careers specialist Talent Lead Emma Colls, any office-based or customer service experience can also be advantageous: “We do however understand that finding legal work experience is difficult, so we also look for anything that illustrates an interest in a legal career.” Honourable mentions include participation in clubs and societies, or attending insight days and webinars. Having as much as you can in the locker is in your interest too, the firm has to sift through approximately 730 direct applications a year. 

The firm’s recruitment drive is relatively spread out, with VWV accepting applications nationwide (though there is a particular focus on events local to the firm’s offices (Bristol, London, Watford and Birmingham). The firm invites around 65 of the best internal and external applicants to one of two three assessment days, comprised of a mixture of written exercises, a group activity, and a short interview, as well as an informal session with current trainees. 

Vacation scheme 

Candidates who are successful at the assessment centre stage are invited to attend the vacation scheme, along with an interview, which forms the final stage of the process. As a part of the training contract assessment, there’s no separate application process for a vac scheme at VWV, so external candidates interested in a training contract will need to complete one of the firm’s vac schemes – offered at each of the firm’s offices every June – first. Those invited to interview will face three people – including a partner, and a member of the early careers talent team (recruitment), and a recently qualified solicitor who trained at the firm – for an hour. 

The vac scheme at VWV involved sitting in a minimum of two departments, completing tasks that range from research to drafting and reviewing documents. The idea, Colls explains, is to provide vac schemers with exposure to the kinds of work typical for a first seat trainee: “We also hold events throughout the scheme, designed to let participants network and learn more about VWV, and how we work.” This includes sessions with partners, trainees, and the wider HR People and Culture and business services teams. 

Open days 

As one of the key ways to demonstrate an interest in a legal career, insight days offer a means by which to bolster your training contract application. VWV holds open evenings in December for anyone who is interested in a training contract at the firm. Dates, location and information on how to sign up is advertised on the VWV’s website, LinkedIn, and Twitter. 

Interview with training principal Laura Chesham

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

Laura Chesham: I’ve worked for VWV coming up seventeen years, starting off as a paralegal and training here, so the fact that I’ve worked here for so long I think demonstrates that it’s a good firm to work at!

Since Steven McGuigan has taken over as managing partner it’s felt a very different firm, particularly the emphasis on technology and innovation, and AI solutions.

Given the likely direction we’re going in with AI both generally but also as a legal profession, I think the fact that it’s supported by the managing partner and many other senior members of the firm is brilliant. There’s lots of investment into training, tech and systems side, and the people too.

CS: Are there any highlights from the last year you think it would be helpful for our readers to know about?

Chesham: Broadly speaking there have been no dramatic changes – it’s still a four by six-month training contract, subject to people having time to count (which is currently considered on a case by case basis).. We have trainees in each of our four offices, with a different offering in each of the offices that’s reflective of the teams based in each office.    As part of our March 2025 rotation, our commercial seat was split with legal tech for the first time – this is a trial, but we hope to be able to continue to offer it in future rotations, particularly given the importance of the tech agenda to the firm, but ensuring that the trainee is still exposed to commercial legal work.

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

Chesham: I’m probably biased because I trained here, but I think there is a general commitment from senior leaders to supporting trainees, and that being a key area of investment for the firm. We refreshed the early recruitment panel recently and had a huge amount of interest in people who wanted to get involved in that so that was really encouraging to see – it reflects the fact that the culture is very supportive and nurturing.  Trainee supervisors are also committed to supporting trainees through their early development as lawyers.

CS: What’s the current set up with remote working for trainees? Is there a set number of days where trainees are expected to come into the office?

Chesham: We have a firmwide approach where trainees can work from home, but it is dependent on the need of the team they are in. For example, for some teams (e.g. commercial property or litigation) and the nature of their work, they require trainees to be in the office for most of the week. Also, for first-seat trainees we require them to be in the office more..

As an exception, a trainee based in one of our offices is not based in the same office as their supervisor.  On the few occasions this has happened it has worked well and the trainee's experience has been positive! The ideal situation is that they always do a seat in the office where their training contract is based, but we always try to offer a seat they want to do, even if it’s in a different office.

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

Chesham: I think we’re looking for people who are committed, and by that I mean including committed to their own learning and development. People who are inquisitive, have a good work ethic and want to get to know people. When it comes to seat choice, trainees need to be open minded as well. Going into the training contract and being open minded to taking it all in and being flexible is a really good approach and attitude to have, so we look for that a lot in candidates. What people bring in individually from their different backgrounds is also very important.

CS: Does the firm have any set recruitment targets around diversity?

Chesham: Across all of our recruitment processes as a firm  we are committed to and actively promote diversity and inclusion. We have a D&I champion on the recruitment panel, she has been brilliant at ensuring that, as a group, we understand inclusivity (including having an awareness of the different needs candidates have).

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

Chesham: I would say be yourself, but be open to learning about new things and to meeting new people -  and be confident, because everyone has something to bring! Even if you don’t get through first time around you shouldn’t see that as a sign you shouldn’t continue with your journey to pursue a career as a solicitor.