Vacation Schemes

Step into the world of Forsters with our vacation schemes.

In 2025, we're excited to offer three unique opportunities to experience life at our firm – one in the Spring and two in the Summer. As a vacation scheme student, you're not just a visitor; you're a potential future trainee. We'll treat you as such, immersing you in the real work that our trainees thrive on.

Each of our schemes hosts around 10 students, ensuring a personalised and focused experience. During your week with us, you'll be supervised by one of our associates, diving into tasks and responsibilities that mirror a trainee's role. Your time with us is more than just work; we’ll invest in you with skills workshops and include social activities for you to get to know us and each other better.

Here are a few exciting details to keep in mind:

• Salary: If you join us for the week, you’ll earn a £475 gross salary.
• Training Contract Interviews: During the vacation scheme, you'll also have the opportunity to interview for a training contract, with plenty of support to help you through the process.
• Visa sponsorship: If you’re an international student, we’d love to have you on our vacation scheme if your visa allows it (though we don’t provide sponsorship for the scheme). If your current visa doesn’t cover this, no worries! You’re welcome to apply directly for a training contract, as we do offer visa sponsorship for our trainees.
• Support: You’ll be paired with both a buddy and a supervisor who will be there to guide you, ensuring you have everything you need—whether it's managing your workload or looking after your wellbeing.

Our goal? To provide you with a genuine glimpse into your potential future as a trainee at Forsters. We're dedicated to offering an experience that's as insightful as it is memorable. Join us and take the first step towards shaping your career with Forsters.

Interested to take part? Take a look at our entry requirements and guidance for when to apply below:

Entry requirements

A level: We're looking for applicants who have a minimum ABB at A level. For those who have completed their education outside the U.K. and do not have A levels, there is space within the application form to add details of your equivalent qualifications and grades. We consider the merits of all applications individually; therefore, you are still welcome to apply if you have not achieved ABB as we take mitigating circumstances into account. The application form includes space to add these details.

Degree: Candidates should have gained or expect to gain a 2:1 or higher degree classification. We recruit from a broad range of degree backgrounds and welcome both graduate and undergraduate applications. Our trainees have attended a variety of universities and studied a variety of subjects.

When to apply

Vacation Schemes and Training Contract: Whether you're still studying or have already graduated, we’re excited to welcome your application! For current students, the earliest we can welcome an application from non-law students is in their final year and law students in their penultimate year. Students from all universities are welcome to apply. For graduates, we welcome applicants from all degree subjects and career changers, regardless of how long it’s been since you graduated. We typically bring our trainees on board through our vacation schemes and would love for you to apply to spend a week with us so we can get to know you better. However, if you're unable to participate in a vacation scheme, you’re also welcome to apply directly for the training contract. We kindly ask that you choose between these options, as we can only accept one application.

What we look for

We love meeting candidates who bring a variety of strengths and perspectives. While having the intellectual ability to solve complex problems is essential, we're also looking for a genuine interest in Forsters and what we do. We're proud of our reputation as a friendly, collaborative firm, so we value personable individuals with drive, ambition, and a strong work ethic.

During the application process, we’re excited to learn more about you—your personality, your passions, and what has inspired you to pursue a career in law. Rest assured; every application is personally reviewed by a member of our graduate recruitment panel, and we don’t use any automatic filtering systems.

Vacation Scheme Dates and Deadlines

• Spring Vacation Scheme: 7-11 April 2025 (1 week)
• Summer Vacation Scheme 1: 9-13 June 2025 (1 week)
• Summer Vacation Scheme 2: 16-20 June 2025 (1 week)

• Applications open: 05/09/2024
• Applications close: 06/01/2025

If you cannot spend the week with us for the vacation scheme, you can apply directly to the training contract.

The deadlines for both routes are the same.

All assessment days will take place in February and final interviews for direct applicants will take place in either April or June alongside the vacation schemes.

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