First trainee to start in September 2021
National law firm Shoosmiths has launched a training contract programme in Belfast.
This is the first time Shoosmiths, which offers training contracts in nine city centres including London, Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds, has expanded its trainee solicitor scheme to Northern Ireland.
Legal Cheek can reveal Shoosmiths is recruiting one trainee to join in September 2021, with the successful applicant set to qualify as a solicitor in Northern Ireland in 2023. Shoosmiths then plans to recruit two trainees to start in 2022.
For this initial recruitment round, and with the inaugural trainee’s start date a few months away, Shoosmiths said in a statement it is only accepting applications from graduates who have already completed the Institute of Professional Legal Studies entrance exam.
In terms of remuneration, they’ll start on a salary of £18,000, rising to £30,000 upon qualification. The newly qualified (NQ) salary is competitive for the region; TLT operates in Belfast and pays NQs £28,500, according to Legal Cheek‘s Firms Most List.
Since its opening, Shoosmiths’ Belfast office has established teams across real estate, corporate, litigation, banking and commercial law. Launching a training programme in the Northern Irish capital “is a key driver for the firm’s continuing expansion and success”, according to the statement.
Gillian Crotty, a partner in the firm’s Belfast office, said:
“Shoosmiths has an enviable track record of trainees being offered and accepting NQ positions with the firm. This initial step is just the start of opening doors to a career in law for ambitious and talented individuals. We hope to expand the scheme and increase the number of trainees in the coming years.”
In 2019, Allen & Overy launched a training contract programme in Belfast. It’s open to grads working in the magic circle firm’s Legal Services Centre in Belfast, and the first cohort started their TCs last month. Baker McKenzie, meanwhile, launched a trainee solicitor scheme in Belfast in 2017.
Shoosmiths last expanded its training contract programme in 2019 when it opened up training spots in its London office.