Apply

Our application form is all online, both for the training programme and the vacation scheme. The form itself is simple and is designed to give you every opportunity to impress us.

We do not recruit on a rolling basis and review all applications after the deadline has closed.

If you have any questions with regards to your application or the application form please refer to our FAQ page or alternatively please contact the graduate recruitment team.

Assessment process 

First year insight scheme assessment

Applicants will be invited for a telephone interview before offers for a place on our insight scheme are made. In addition to outstanding academics, the qualities we look for in applicants to our insight day are the same as those we look for in our people. These include strong communication skills, attention to detail, research skills, drive, motivation, resilience and an interest in City law and Macfarlanes specifically.    

Vacation scheme assessment

Successful vacation scheme applicants will be invited to attend one of our assessment days. We hope to run our assessment days in-person in 2022 but will continue to review Covid-19 guidelines to see whether this will be possible. During the day you will be assessed for the vacation scheme, taking part in a group exercise and a written exercise, followed by an interview with a senior solicitor and one of our partners. 

Training programme assessment

We hope to run our 2022 training programme assessment days in-person but will continue to review Covid-19 guidelines to see whether this will be possible. The assessment day consists of three separate assessments; a written exercise, an in-tray interview and an application interview. The in-tray interviews will be with a partner and a senior solicitor and you will discuss a series of matters that you have had time to read and prepare notes on. The other interview will be with a partner and a member of HR - in this interview you will discuss your application and it will be the only part of the day that is not application blind. In the final session of the day you will have the opportunity to network with some of our trainees. 

Application blind and contextual recruitment

We want to recruit the best candidates regardless of their background or where they were educated. The majority of our assessment processes for both our vacation schemes and training programmes are scored application blind. We also use a contextual recruitment tool to understand each applicant's achievements in the context in which they have been gained. We understand that not every candidate's achievements look the same on paper and we are a firm that believes passionately in meritocracy and diversity.

Macfarlanes is unlike any other law firm - we expect you to use the assessments as a chance to build your understanding of us and what makes us different, just as we see it as a chance to gain an understanding of you.