Key information
- Scheme dates: September 2028
- Salary
- First year salary: £56,000
- Second year salary: £61,000
- Qualification salary: £140,000
- Application open date – Monday 5 January 2026
- Application close date – Friday 26 June 2026
About the scheme
As the future of the firm, trainees soon find themselves handling important client work. That is a measure of the confidence we have in you from an early stage.
We pride ourselves on providing a learning experience that is genuinely distinctive. What defines that experience? Above all, it is an enduring commitment to the development of trainees, which is woven into every aspect of life at the firm.
It starts with selecting ambitious individuals
We look for a combination of character, drive and intellectual curiosity – these are the qualities that enable you to deliver more for our clients and fulfil your potential when it comes to your career.
Dealing directly with clients
We work with some of the world’s most high-profile organisations and business leaders. Through close partner support, you learn to deal directly with clients and to work on complex transactions.
Providing a breadth of learning
We handle a broad range of matters, from corporate, real estate and litigation to private client. In addition, our work has a substantial international dimension. This means wider exposure for you and greater insight into the issues facing our clients.
Giving the support you need to thrive
We give you all the support you would expect from a leading law firm, along with the benefit of regular reviews and close mentoring from partners.
Route to becoming a trainee
The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE)
The firm has partnered with BPP to design a bespoke programme that goes beyond helping you pass SQE assessments.
This year long course includes everything you need to ensure you are fully prepared to work in commercial practice. You complete modules that are bespoke to Macfarlanes. The programme combines classroom and digital learning to embed knowledge and uses business simulation exercises to help you apply your knowledge in realistic practice scenarios. Macfarlanes future trainees are required to pass all SQE exams (including the Macfarlanes Essential for Practice modules) on the first sitting.
All elements, including the bespoke Macfarlanes modules, are paid for by the firm. We also continue to provide additional financial assistance in the form of a £18,000 grant during this time.
During your SQE preparation course you also attend regular seminars from the firm, where you hear from partners, associates and trainees in our practice areas. These sessions help build your legal knowledge and inform your seat choices. You are also invited to social events at the firm so you can start building your network before you join us.
If you studied a non-law subject at undergraduate level, you have to complete the Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL) at BPP. This will be in the year between receiving your Training Programme offer and starting your studies for the SQE. For those candidates completing the PGDL, you need to achieve a commendation or above on the first sitting. As with the SQE preparation course, the firm covers your fees, and you receive a £13,000 grant.
For more information about our Training Programme or the financial assistance available, please contact our Early Careers team.
SQE timeline (for training programmes due to start in 2028)
Induction
Induction marks the start of your Training Programme. During this week you receive training from people across the firm to equip you with everything you need to know before starting your first seat.
Seat rotation
During your Training Programme, you spend four six-month periods, known as seats, in four areas. These seats combine hands-on work with formal lectures and seminars, mostly by partners and senior associates. Many trained at the firm so know exactly what you need to learn.
You have the opportunity to submit your seat preferences every six months, and we do our best to ensure you get to work in the seats that most interest you. In each seat a partner or senior associate supports and supervises you.
Feedback and mentoring
To help gauge your progress, you have mid-seat and end of seat reviews.
We allocate a Partner Principal to you throughout your Training Programme. We also divide trainees into small “constituency” groups. This gives you direct, regular access to your own Trainee Solicitor Committee Partner, who can discuss any issues you may have.
You have two reviews per seat. The mid-seat review takes place around three months into each seat, and you meet with both your Partner Principal and Trainee Solicitor Committee Partner to discuss how your seat is going so far and your development points. The end of seat review takes place in the final few weeks of your seat. All these steps are in place to ensure you feel supported throughout your Training Programme.
You may be surprised how quickly you feel part of the team, and how soon people at all levels know your name and value your contribution.
Assessment process
You can apply for our Training Programme either via the Vacation Scheme or the direct training programme route. You will then be sent a link to an initial online assessment, which you will have seven days to complete.
The assessment has been designed following consultations with individuals across the firm and is therefore tailored to Macfarlanes and the skills that we associate with success. You will work through a series of scenarios from various practice areas, designed to test your situational judgement and critical reasoning. It also offers a small insight into life as a trainee, helping you determine whether a legal career at Macfarlanes is right for you.
If successful, you will be invited to complete a second stage online assessment. The second assessment is a job simulation, where you will join a fictional project team working on a fictional event. You will respond to realistic situations similar to those faced by our trainees, giving you the opportunity to demonstrate your potential in a setting that closely reflects life at the firm.
We recommend that all candidates visit the Cappfinity preparation hub before completing the Macfarlanes online assessments.
We invite candidates with the strongest applications to attend an in-person Training Programme Assessment Day.
There are three assessments:
- a business case study;
- an application interview; and
- a written exercise.
If you require additional support or adjustments, please contact our Early Careers team.
If you have any questions about your application, please refer to the information below, visit our FAQ page or contact the Early Careers team.