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Introduction

The work of government lawyers and trainees is challenging, unique and often headline news.

The legal solutions we provide pervade almost every aspect of today鈥檚 society. It鈥檚 a terrific responsibility.

The legal trainee scheme (LTS) is the term that we use to describe the training available within a number of government departments.

The departments offering Trainee Solicitor positions through the 2025 LTS are:

• Government Legal Department (GLD)
• Government Legal Department (GLD) Commercial / DfT Legal Advisers
• HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)
• Competition & Markets Authority (CMA)

We are looking to recruit high quality legal trainees to play an active role in legal work that really makes a difference.

Annual GLP Legal Trainee Recruitment Campaigns

Pupil Barrister and Trainee Solicitor positions聽are recruited through separate聽annual GLP legal trainee scheme recruitment campaigns.聽

The next Pupil Barrister recruitment campaign will be advertised on the Pupillage Gateway in November 2025.

Apply

The next Trainee Solicitor recruitment campaign will launch at Midday on Monday 28 April 2025.

Places available and Location (Trainee Solicitor)

There are over 50 Trainee Solicitor positions being offered through the 2025 LTS. The positions are in GLD, GLD Commercial, HMRC, NCA and CMA.

The Trainee Solicitor positions will start in September 2026 and September 2027. The training contract/qualifying work experience (QWE) on offer is for a full 2 years (and we do not take into account previous training or QWE completed elsewhere).

Most of the places are based in London. However, GLD is offering Trainee Solicitor positions in Leeds, Manchester and Bristol. HMRC is offering positions based in Bristol and Manchester. Applicants can express location preferences on the application form.

For those interested in a career in Commercial Law, GLD offers the opportunity to complete your training within GLD Commercial 鈥� i.e. Commercial Law Group (CLG) or the Department for Transport (DfT) Legal Advisers 鈥� working across different commercial law teams.

Please see tables below for details of the Trainee Solicitor positions available.

2027 places available

Department	Year Start	Role	Location/Number of Places
Government Legal Department (GLD) - Generalist Scheme	2027	Trainee Solicitor	London (25), Manchester (1), Leeds (3), Bristol (1)
GLD Commercial - CLG	2027	Trainee Solicitor	London (3), Leeds (2), Bristol (2)
GLD Commercial - DfT Legal Advisers	2027	Trainee Solicitor	London (1), Manchester, Bristol or Leeds (1)
Competition & Markets Authority (CMA)	2027	Trainee Solicitor	London (2)
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)	2027	Trainee Solicitor	London, Bristol, Manchester (8) *
National Crime Agency (NCA)	2027	Trainee Solicitor	London (2)

*HMRC - London (up to 8), Bristol (up to 2), Manchester (up to 4)

2026 places available

For those qualifying through the SQE route, you will need to be ready to start your QWE in early September 2026. This means that, at the offer stage, you will need to have passed the SQE1 (or be on the way to doing so) through self-funding.

The SQE1 assessment will be in January 2026 and the SQE2 assessment in April 2026.

Due to on-boarding timelines in place for department鈥檚 SQE programmes, support will only be available for SQE2 (for those who have passed SQE1).

Department	Year Start	Role	Location/Number of Places
Government Legal Department (GLD) - Generalist Scheme	2026	Trainee Solicitor	London (2)
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)	2026	Trainee Solicitor	London, Bristol or Manchester (1)

Training Contract / Qualifying Work Experience (QWE) structure

If successful, you will be allocated to one of the recruiting departments (GLD, GLD Commercial - CLG and DfT Legal Advisers, HMRC, NCA, or CMA).

Your training will be the responsibility of that department. The nature of your training will vary according to the department you have been allocated to.

As part of your training you will be given a broad range of experience in government legal work.

If you have a particular interest in commercial law, you may wish to consider applying for the trainee positions available within GLD Commercial.

Departments only offer full 2-year training contracts or QWE and do not take into account previous training or QWE completed elsewhere.

What happens at the end of the 2 year training programme

Whilst this can never be guaranteed, after successful completion of the 2-year training programme, the recruiting departments hope to be able to offer a qualified lawyer position (this may be subject to a probation period in some departments).

The arrangements in place for newly qualified lawyers differ between departments and may be subject change. Please see details below.

GLD 鈥� Post Qualification

GLD聽hopes to be able to offer a permanent qualified lawyer role, starting at Legal Officer level, at the end of the two-year training period.

GLD聽will continue to support newly qualified lawyers with a range of development programmes.

Typically you will be posted according to business priorities and vacancies at the time of being offered a permanent qualified lawyer role in聽GLD.

You will be regraded to a Grade 7 lawyer once you have gained 1 year of post-qualified experience (PQE).

GLD - 2+2 Scheme

The 2+2 Scheme (a voluntary scheme) was introduced to ensure that newly qualified GLD lawyers, i.e. lawyers with less than 1 year of PQE, gain a broader idea of what it means to be a government lawyer, providing diverse experience at an early stage of an individual鈥檚 legal career at GLD.

It鈥檚 important that Government lawyers see a range of work early on to ensure that their experience is as rounded as can be. This is good for lawyers鈥� development which helps their performance and progression, it鈥檚 good for GLD鈥檚 resilience and it鈥檚 good for clients because they get the very best service as a result.聽

Those who participate in the Scheme will be allocated to two 2-year postings over their first four years of working (as a qualified lawyer) in GLD. During which time they will undertake 2 years in a contentious post and 2 years in a non-contentious post (in either order).

Allocations will be made based on roles that are available at the time. Participants will be offered the opportunity to express a preference as to where they move. However, GLD is not able to guarantee that all preferences will be able to be met during this process.

Those who choose to opt-out of the 2+2 Scheme will also have an opportunity to give a preference for the business areas they are interested in. Again, GLD is not able to guarantee that all preferences will be able to be met during this process.

Note: Legal trainees recruited into the Commercial law trainee scheme will follow a specialist pathway and complete both 2+2 postings within a commercial law environment. The intention is, similarly, to ensure that Commercial lawyers gain relevant experience in non-contentious advisory roles and commercial litigation/contentious work.

HMRC - Post Qualification

滨苍听HMRC聽Legal Group you will typically be placed in a litigation or advisory team. The role you will be offered will depend on business needs at the time of your qualification.聽

After one year post qualification as a Legal Officer there will be the opportunity for progression to Grade 7.

You are expected to move on a regular basis in the early part of your career. If you qualified into a litigation team, the likelihood is that the next team will be advisory (and vice versa). The variety of work at聽HMRC聽means no two careers will be alike, allowing you to either become specialists in a particular area or spend time in a variety of different areas.

There are opportunities for training and development to enable lawyers to influence how they wish their career to progress in the future.

NCA - Post Qualification

In the NCA you will typically join one of the department鈥檚 legal teams i.e. Civil Litigation, Data and Operational Advisory, Disruptions Actions Litigation (i.e. immigration disruption, civil orders and sanctions), Employment and Commercial and Financial Disruptions Litigation.

Typically, you will be posted according to business priorities and vacancies, but there will be an opportunity to express a preference for the legal team you wish to qualify into. Should you accept a qualified lawyer position, the NCA expects you to remain within NCA Legal for a minimum of two years post qualification.

After one year post qualification as an NCA Grade 3 (Newly Qualified) you will, subject to satisfactory performance, progress to NCA Grade 2 (Lawyer). There are frequent opportunities to move between teams. Alternatively, you will typically have the opportunity to specialise in a particular field.

As a leading law enforcement agency, NCA Legal encompasses a wide variety of work and no two careers are the same. Whatever route you choose, there are opportunities for training and development to enable lawyers to influence their future careers.

As a lawyer with the NCA you will play a key part in enabling the Agency to succeed in its mission in protecting the public from serious and organised crime.

CMA - Post Qualification

Should you be offered a newly qualified lawyer position at the CMA - which is not guaranteed but subject only to meeting our newly qualified lawyer (NQ) criteria - you will be asked whether you prefer to join either an advisory team or litigation team.

You will also be eligible to apply for a Grade 7 post whenever you feel you are able to meet the criteria.

CMA works to promote competition for the benefit of consumers across all sectors of the UK economy. Through various tools and matrix working model, as a NQ, you will have the opportunity to work across a range of teams - from mergers and markets, regulatory appeals, to cartels and consumer law.

As a world-leading competition authority, the work at the CMA is varied, high-profile and underpinned by the highest professional standards.

CMA has offices across the UK - in Belfast, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, London, and Manchester. Through their commitment to flexible working, the CMA supports its staff to do their best work, wherever they are.

CMA is committed to maximising their employees鈥� potential by supporting them to develop the knowledge, professional and technical skills and experience required to advance their careers.

CMA offers a range of professional and skills training through the聽CMA聽Academy, as well as access to Civil Service wide learning and development opportunities.

Funding - Trainee Solicitors

Funding arrangements for the LPC and SQE differ by department.

Departments have specific arrangements with a provider (usually BPP University) for SQE preparation (prep) courses.

Applicants who have not yet started the SQE are required to complete the SQE1 and SQE2 prep courses under the relevant department鈥檚 SQE arrangements.

Applicants who have passed SQE1 (or are on the way to doing so) and who have not yet started or signed up to an SQE2 prep course, are required to complete an SQE2 prep course under the relevant department鈥檚 SQE arrangements.

Completion of SQE1 and SQE2 takes around 12 months (full-time) i.e. prep courses, assessments and results.

• Bursary: You may be eligible for a maintenance/grant. This will be around 拢5,400 (Regional/Online) or around 拢7,600 (London) for those completing the LPC (HMRC and NCA only) and for those completing the SQE1 and SQE2 prep courses under departmental provision. Note: for those completing an SQE2 prep course only under departmental provision, the maintenance grant will be pro-rated and will need to be discussed with the relevant department at the offer stage.

Note: Departments do not fund聽the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/Post Graduate Diploma in Law (PGDL)/CPE.

Below provides details of funding offered by recruiting departments.

Government Legal Department (GLD)

• LPC (2026 & 2027 start):聽GLD聽will accept applications from those following the聽LPC聽route but will not provide funding for the聽LPC

• SQE (2027 start): Provision of聽SQE聽preparation courses, payment of course fees and SQE聽assessment fees and a (cost of living) bursary.聽SQE1听补苍诲听SQE2聽prep courses will be delivered in partnership with BPP University, at various national locations or online. The bursary will depend on factors such as which聽SQE聽prep course you are enrolled on to by聽GLD

• SQE (2026 start): Provision of SQE2 prep course, payment of course fees and SQE2 assessment fee and a pro-rated (cost of living) bursary.

Competition & Markets Authority (CMA)

• LPC (2027 start): CMA聽will accept applications from those following the聽LPC聽route but will not provide funding for the聽LPC

• SQE (2027 start): Provision of聽SQE聽preparation courses, payment of course fees and SQE聽assessment fees and a (cost of living) bursary.聽SQE1听补苍诲听SQE2聽prep courses will be delivered in partnership with BPP University, at various national locations or online. The bursary will depend on factors such as which聽SQE聽prep course you are enrolled on to by聽CMA

National Crime Agency (NCA)

• LPC (2027 start): Where the LPC has not been started at the time the offer is made, or where the course has only just started (i.e. started in September 2025), funding is available to cover LPC course fees. A (cost of living) bursary is also available

• SQE (2027 start): Provision of聽SQE聽preparation courses, payment of course fees and SQE聽assessment fees and a (cost of living) bursary.聽SQE1听补苍诲听SQE2聽prep courses will be delivered in partnership with BPP University, at various national locations or online. The bursary will depend on factors such as which聽SQE聽prep course you are enrolled on to by聽NCA

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)

• LPC (2026 & 2027 start): Where the LPC has not been started at the time the offer is made, or where the course has only just started (i.e. started in September 2025), funding is available to cover LPC course fees. A (cost of living) bursary is also available

• SQE (2027 start): Provision of聽SQE聽preparation courses, payment of course fees and SQE聽assessment fees and a (cost of living) bursary.聽SQE1听补苍诲听SQE2聽prep courses will be delivered in partnership with BPP University, at various national locations or online. The bursary will depend on factors such as which聽SQE聽prep course you are enrolled on to by聽HMRC

• SQE (2026 start): Provision of SQE2 prep course, payment of course fees and SQE2 assessment fee and a pro-rated (cost of living) bursary.

Funding - Pupil Barristers

Departments will offer to pay your Bar Training Course fees where you have not yet started the course.

There is no preference which Bar School you attend.

Departments will not reimburse your fees if you have successfully completed or are part way through the Bar Training Course.

Unfortunately, departments are unable to provide funding for the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/Post Graduate Diploma in Law (PGDL)/听CPE聽(law conversion course).

Salaries

Salaries differ according to department and location and are subject to review and change.

Below provides details of current legal trainee salaries in each of the recruiting departments.

Government Legal Department (GLD)

For legal trainees (at all locations), the current salary details are below.

• Current 1st year legal trainee salary: 拢33,281

• Current 2nd year legal trainee salary: 拢38,029

Competition & Markets Authority (CMA)

• Current 1st year legal trainee salary (London): 拢33,281

• Current 2nd year legal trainee salary (London): 拢38,029

National Crime Agency (NCA)

• Current 1st year legal trainee salary (London): 拢34,537

• Current 2nd year legal trainee salary (London): 拢43,415

Note: NCA also pays London weighting which amounts to around an additional 拢4,040.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)

• Current 1st year legal trainee salary (London): 拢41,289
• Current 1st year legal trainee salary (National): ): 拢36,320
• Current 2nd year legal trainee salary (London): 拢41,823
• Current 2nd year legal trainee salary (National):聽拢36,790聽聽聽聽聽聽聽

Note: the above figures will increase in line with annual pay awards within HMRC.

Pupillage structure

The next pupil barrister recruitment campaign will launch in 2026.

If your application is successful you will be allocated to one of the recruiting departments i.e. GLD and HMRC.

Your training will be the responsibility of that department. The nature of your training will vary according to the department you have been allocated to.

The training period offered by departments will last 2 years (and will not take into account previous training completed elsewhere).

During the pupillage period (the first 12 months) your time will be split between your department and a set of external barristers鈥� Chambers. The remainder of the training period will be completed within your department.

The describes the knowledge, skills and attributes that you will need to develop and apply during the pupillage period (i.e. the first 12 months of the 2-year training programme) in order to qualify as a barrister.

If you meet the required standard at the end of the 12-month pupillage period, you will apply for your full practising certificate and become a qualified barrister. You will, however, remain a legal trainee for a further 12 months, during which time you will experience a wider breadth of the department鈥檚 legal work.

Barristers working within government departments may be given the opportunity to conduct cases in tribunals or courts. However the extent of that opportunity will vary between departments and teams.

Government departments tend to use the services of external counsel for much of their court work. This means that legal trainees get the opportunity to work with and learn from experienced panel counsel who are leading experts in their respective fields.

Court-based advocacy opportunities are extremely limited. Candidates wishing to focus principally on a court-based advocacy career should bear this in mind.

Retention

Departments aim to offer all those recruited as legal trainees, who meet the required standard, a permanent qualified lawyer post on successful completion of the training period. However, this can never be guaranteed.

Temporary Administrative Roles

Departments such as GLD, HMRC, NCA and CMA advertise their administrative opportunities on the

After the LTS recruitment campaign has finished, it may be possible to offer successful candidates and/or those on the reserve list a short-term administrative role within a department but this cannot be guaranteed.

Diversity Summer Scheme

The Diversity Summer Scheme normally takes place over one week.聽

The scheme is for undergraduates or graduates from diverse backgrounds which are currently under-represented across the legal profession.聽

The Diversity Summer Scheme has previously worked in partnership with the following organisations:聽

• Aspiring Solicitors聽聽
• Black Lawyers Circle聽聽
• Law Society Diversity Access Scheme聽聽
• Social Mobility Foundation聽
• The Sutton Trust Foundation聽
• Society of Asian Lawyers聽

If this scheme is something you might be interested in, you will need to consider joining one of these organisations as places are allocated through them. To do so, please visit their website or social media platform.聽聽

Each organisation will also have their own application process (which we are not involved in).聽

Participants will get an insight into the work of government lawyers through talks and workshops. Also, there will be a few tours arranged, for example, of the Supreme Court and Parliament.聽

Outside of the Diversity Summer Scheme, there are no other vacation placement schemes or work experience opportunities available.聽

However, it is important to understand that the Diversity Summer Scheme is not used to assess suitability for the Legal Trainee Scheme.

The application processes for the Diversity Summer Scheme and Legal Trainee Scheme are separate. If you obtain a summer placement and wish to apply for the LTS, you will need to apply through our legal trainee scheme application process.