Applications for 2025 Training Contracts are open. Applications for the 2026 intake will open from July 2025.
The Process
Once applications have been reviewed, suitable candidates will be shortlisted for an initial telephone conversation, followed by an invitation to attend a formal interview with our Trainee Committee.
Who Should Apply
We are convinced that work experience is crucial for all undergraduates seeking to become solicitors. As a result of the high demand for placements, our policy is to offer placements only to students at University level.
We cannot therefore accept an application from you if you are a school student interested in law. If and when you become a University student, we would of course welcome an application from you.
What we are looking for
Whilst it cannot be guaranteed, it is our aim to offer permanent positions upon qualification. It is for this reason that we limit the number of Trainees we take on.
We welcome applications from individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and varying interests however there are some essential characteristics we look for:
- Excellent Academic Performance
- Commercial Awareness
- Strong Interpersonal Skills
- Excellent Verbal & Written Communication Skills
- Drive and Enthusiasm
Work Experience Programme
Our work experience placements last for one week and cover 5 different disciplines and aim to give you a realistic insight into the life of a trainee at Spire.
We guarantee you hands on and relevant experience from our friendly and supportive staff. You will be drafting, researching, making telephone calls and where possible, attending Client meetings and Court hearings. You will also have access to our current trainees who are more than willing to share their own experiences and answer any questions you may have.
Your Training Programme
To ensure our Trainees gain a broad experience during their two-year contract, you will complete 4 seats, lasting 6 months each, covering a range of different disciplines throughout our branch offices. Each seat will be supervised by a Partner of the Firm who will provide you with regular feedback.
On commencement of your Contract, you will receive a detailed induction into the Firm which will include, financial, compliance and IT systems. You will have on-going access to the Firm’s training programme which include in-house Webinars and external seminars.
You will be working for business and private individuals and will receive exposure to Clients early on in your training programme. When and where appropriate, you will be running your own caseload, fully preparing you for life as a qualified Solicitor.
Our Trainee Experiences
My training at Spire began with 6 months in our family law department split between our matrimonial and childcare teams. Court experience of advocacy is a quick teacher and I soon felt like I was playing a valuable role supporting and advocating for clients who would otherwise be without representation. One of the highlights of training with a firm like Spire is the exposure to real work and real clients early on. Practicing as a solicitor is not a job anyone can learn from a book and I have developed a wide array of soft, client-care skills simply from being involved in clients’ lives from day one.
Unlike most Norwich-based firms, Spire have several branch offices which you will have a chance of trying out during your Training Contract. I have worked from Wymondham, Dereham and Attleborough during the last 18 months and benefitted hugely from the experience of working with different colleagues and clients around the county.
Over the 2 years I will have worked in 4 diverse areas and had a chance to fully experience commercial, personal, transactional and contentious law. This has stretched me and it is not an easy job but there is a moment in each seat where everything seems to click and that moment is worth the effort.
Anyone interested in getting stuck into files and not sitting and watching from the side lines should apply for work experience or a training contract with Spire. (Josh Dunstone, former Trainee Solicitor)
I started my training contract with Spire Solicitors LLP in January 2017, and so far have completed seats in Family, Private Client, Commercial Property and Corporate & Commercial. I love being part of a forward thinking firm, which has such a variety of work and who really invest in their trainees. Each seat has presented new and exciting challenges and as a trainee you are exposed to a high level of responsibility and client contact that you need to develop as a solicitor.
Spire is an excellent place to work; everyone is very approachable, friendly and happy to help. Throughout my training contract I have been well supported by experienced lawyers who have made me feel like a valued member of the team and there are many opportunities to be involved in networking, marketing events and the development of the firm. (Emma Willison, Former Trainee Solicitor)
I started working for Spire in 2012 (when it was Overburys) as a paralegal in the very busy family department assisting a partner of the firm in Child Care law and Domestic Violence. He had (and still continues to have) a large case load and I quite literally hit the ground running. From an early stage I had client contact, responsibility and had to think on my feet daily. The early responsibility was supported by not only the department but the firm as a whole. The trainees (who had completed their seat in this area) were also supportive and happy to pass on their wisdom.
I quickly craved for a training contract and I was impressed at their retention rate as well as the programme in place for the trainees. Even more exciting was the news that we were merging and expanding to become Spire Solicitors LLP. I wanted a training contract even more. I was offered a training contract and the firm were happy to speak to me about what areas I was interested in and which of our 7 offices I would be interested to work in.
With each change of department became new challenges and the opportunity to work with experienced solicitors and staff who were more than happy to impart their wisdom. The level of responsibility remained and I covered areas such as Social Housing, Litigation, Wills, Probate, Trusts, and Residential and Commercial Conveyancing on top of the Child care and Domestic Violence experience I had already obtained. I was attending court, meeting with clients and drafting documents together with the opportunity to research and learn more about the areas through training within Norfolk and the UK.
Although there are numerous advantages about training with Spire Solicitors LLP (including the opportunity to be involved with the social committee) I think that one of the benefits is the opportunity to train in a large range of areas of law with experienced solicitors in the picturesque scenery of Norfolk. (Rebecca Johnstone, former Trainee Solicitor)
