Graduate opportunities

Whether you’re exploring a future training contract, applying for a vacation scheme or attending one of our events, this page provides information about our graduate recruitment programme, how to apply and what to expect from a career at Forsters.

Training contracts

At Forsters, we welcome twelve trainees each year onto our two-year training contract. Our six-seat structure gives you exposure to a broad range of practice areas and helps you make an informed decision about where you would like to qualify.

In your final seat, you return to the department you will qualify into. This means you will have eight months’ trainee experience in that area overall, giving you a strong foundation as you move into qualification.

From day one, trainees are involved in real work. You will draft documents, carry out legal research and work with lawyers across the firm on client matters. As you progress through each seat, you will take on more responsibility, supported by supervisors, mentors and the wider team.

Most of our trainees join us through our vacation schemes. You can also meet us at open days, online events and careers fairs to learn more about the firm, our work and the application process.

How to join us

1. Open days and events

Our open days and events are designed to give you a realistic insight into life at Forsters. You will hear from lawyers, trainees and the Early Careers team, learn more about our practice areas and culture, and have the opportunity to ask questions about the application process.

See dates and deadlines
2. Vacation schemes

Our vacation schemes provide an opportunity to experience trainee life at Forsters and gain practical insight into our work and clients.

In 2027, we will offer three vacation schemes: one in spring and two in summer. Vacation scheme students are fully integrated into the firm and will take part in the type of work our trainees do.

Find out more
3. Training contracts

Each year, Forsters takes on between ten and twelve trainees.

Most of our trainees are recruited from our vacation schemes. We encourage you to apply for a vacation scheme so we can get to know you and you can learn more about us.

As a trainee, you will complete a two-year training contract made up of six seats. Each seat gives you experience of a different area of our legal practice and helps you build the skills, confidence and judgement needed to become a qualified solicitor.

Open days and events

Our open days and events give you the opportunity to learn more about Forsters, meet our people and understand what we look for in future trainees.

Open days and events

Open days:

Our open days introduce you to our practice areas, people and culture. You will hear from lawyers and trainees across the firm and receive practical advice on applications and training contracts.

13 October 2026 trainee open day, in person

  • Applications open: 3 September 2026
  • Applications close: 2 October 2026

30 November 2026 trainee open day, in person

  • Applications open: 5 October 2026
  • Applications close: 20 November 2026

Please note that we can support with travel expenses to attend our open days.

Apply now to secure your place
Q&A session with Early Careers:

Our Q&A sessions give you the opportunity to speak directly with the Early Careers team and ask questions about applications, assessment days and life at Forsters. These sessions are open to candidates from all backgrounds and are designed to help you understand the process before you apply.

26 November 2026 trainee application Q&A session with Early Careers, online

  • Applications open: 3 September 2026
  • Applications close: 20 November 2026
Apply now to secure your place
First year insight day:

Our first year insight day is for students who are still studying and not yet eligible to apply for vacation schemes or training contracts. It provides an introduction to life at Forsters and the work we do.

You will have the opportunity to speak with trainees about their experiences, hear from different departments and learn more about our diversity and inclusion initiatives and responsible business work.

4 May 2027 first year insight day, in person

  • Applications open: 3 September 2026
  • Applications close: 23 April 2027

Please note that we can support with travel expenses to attend our insight day.

Apply now to secure your place
Apply now to secure your place

The pathway to joining our open days and events:

  • 1

    Apply online

  • 2

    Early Careers team reviews your application

  • 3

    Offer to attend

Meet our team at these events:

  • 9 September 2026

    Legal Cheek Live in London. Click to sign up.

    Sign up here

  • TBC October 2026

    All About Law panel event

  • 17 November 2026

    Legal Cheek virtual law fair

Vacation schemes

Our vacation schemes provide an opportunity to experience trainee life at Forsters.

In 2027, we will offer three vacation schemes: one in spring and two in summer. As a vacation scheme student, you will work alongside our lawyers, take part in trainee-level work and learn more about the firm, our clients and our culture.

Each scheme will host around ten students, allowing for a focused and personal experience. During your week with us, you will be supervised by an associate and will take part in tasks that reflect the work of our trainees. You will also attend skills workshops and social events, giving you the chance to get to know our people and other students on the scheme.

Here are a few details to keep in mind:

  • Salary

    If you join us for the week, you will receive a gross salary of £547.

  • Training contract interviews

    During the vacation scheme, you will also have the opportunity to interview for a training contract. We will provide support and guidance to help you prepare.

  • Visa sponsorship

    International students can apply for a vacation scheme if their visa permits work during the scheme dates. We do not sponsor visas for vacation schemes. If your visa does not allow participation, you may apply directly for a training contract, where visa sponsorship may be available for eligible trainees.

  • Support

    You will be paired with a buddy and a supervisor. They will help you settle in, manage your workload and make the most of your time with us.

What to expect

Our vacation schemes are designed to give you a clear, practical insight into what it is like to be a trainee at Forsters. You will work with our lawyers, meet people across the firm and gain a better understanding of the training contract.

Interested in taking part? Take a look at our entry requirements and guidance on when to apply below.

Vacation scheme dates and deadlines

  • Spring Vacation Scheme:

    12 – 16 April 2027 (1 week)

  • Summer Vacation Scheme 1:

    7 – 11 June 2027 (1 week)

  • Summer Vacation Scheme 2:

    14 – 18 June 2027 (1 week)

If you cannot spend a week with us on a vacation scheme, you can apply directly for a training contract. The deadlines for both routes are the same.

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

Discover the firm

Trainees are encouraged to get involved in the wider life of the firm. We offer a range of firm-wide activities, social events and clubs, including football, netball, running, rounders, yoga, choir and book club.

You will also have opportunities to attend team events and take part in activities outside your day-to-day work.

Forsters for good

At Forsters, we take happiness seriously!

You can get involved with our Diversity and Inclusion Committee, charity networks and responsible business initiatives. These groups host events and activities throughout the year.

The firm also runs a lunch club, which supports people in need at a local church on Thursdays.

 

Forsters for good

Training and seat rotation

How it works

As a trainee at Forsters, you will complete six four-month seats across a range of practice areas. This structure is designed to give you broad experience of the firm’s work and help you make an informed decision about where to qualify.

We encourage trainees to gain experience in both Tax, Trusts and Estates (TTE) and Commercial Real Estate (CRE), with a requirement to complete a seat in at least one of these core areas.

In line with SRA requirements, trainees must also complete a contentious seat, which may include Dispute Resolution, Real Estate Disputes, Family, Employment and Partnership, or Construction Disputes.

Your final seat is completed in the department where you will qualify, giving you eight months’ experience in that area before qualification.

At Forsters, we ensure that every trainee gains a well-rounded experience, which is why you’re guaranteed to spend time in either Commercial Real Estate (CRE) or Trusts, Tax and Estates (TTE), or both, as well as a contentious seat. This approach is designed to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of our key practice areas and how they interact with other parts of the firm.

We know that each trainee has unique preferences, and we take the time to understand your drivers and areas of interest. While we do our best to accommodate individual requests, our seat rotations are ultimately driven by our business needs. Although we cannot promise a seat in a specific team, we do guarantee exposure to a range of areas and will support you in making the most of the opportunities available across the firm.

We ask each trainee to have two reviews during each seat:

1. Mid seat review (at the 2-month mark): This is an informal chat between you and your supervisor. It’s a great chance to reflect on what you’ve achieved so far, identify areas where you’d like more experience, and get valuable feedback to help guide your progress in the second half of your seat.

2. End of seat review (at the 4-month mark): This is a more formal meeting between you, your supervisor, and sometimes a partner. You’ll need to complete a form beforehand, using the Trainee Career Development Framework to guide you.

Both reviews play an important role in the Newly Qualified (NQ) qualification process.

Application process

Entry requirements

A level

We look for applicants who have achieved a minimum of ABB at A level.

If you completed your education outside the UK and do not have A levels, you can include details of your equivalent qualifications and grades in the application form.

We consider all applications individually. If you have not achieved ABB, you are still welcome to apply, as we take mitigating circumstances into account. The application form includes space for you to provide 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 range of subjects.

Vacation schemes and training contract

The earliest we can accept an application for non-law students is in their final year, and law students in their penultimate and final year. Applicants from all universities are welcome. 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 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.

Open days and trainee application Q&A with early careers

We encourage you to apply for an open day before submitting a vacation scheme application to come to the office and hear more about the work we do. All our open days offer the same content and opportunities, so please apply to just one per cycle. The eligibility requirements are the same as those for our vacation schemes and training contract.

First year insight day

This special opportunity is designed for students who are still studying and not yet eligible to apply for vacation schemes and training contracts. For those studying law, you must be in your first year of a 3-year degree, or first/second year of a 4-year degree. For applicants studying a non-law degree, you must not be in the final year. If you do not meet the above criteria, you should instead apply for the open days.

We look for candidates with strong intellectual ability, sound judgement and a genuine interest in a career at Forsters.

We value individuals who are collaborative, personable and motivated, and who demonstrate an understanding of what distinguishes our firm and the work we do.

Every application is reviewed by a member of our Graduate Recruitment Panel. We do not use automated filtering systems as part of our application process.

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.

Supporting your development from day one

Supervisors

Each trainee is paired with a supervisor, who will be a senior associate or associate. Your supervisor will help allocate and manage your workload, support you through your reviews and guide your development throughout the seat.

They will help ensure you gain experience across a variety of legal work and provide day-to-day supervision, feedback and support.

Mentors

Each trainee is also paired with a mentor. Your mentor provides informal guidance and support throughout your training contract, helping you build confidence, develop your judgement and navigate your early career at the firm.

Buddies

Before joining, you will have opportunities to meet current trainees and future colleagues. You will also be paired with a buddy, usually a second-year trainee, who can answer questions and help you settle into the firm.

Your buddy will be a point of contact during your first year and can provide practical guidance based on their own experience.

Financial support and benefits

Funding

We sponsor our future trainees through the PGDL and/or SQE. We will pay your course fees and provide a maintenance grant of £9,000 for the PGDL and £12,000 for the SQE for each year of study.

If you have already completed these studies before receiving a training contract offer from us, we do not sponsor the fees retrospectively.

Salary

We offer trainee salaries that reflect our commitment to attracting and supporting talented future lawyers.

As of September 2025:

  • First-year trainees receive £47,000
  • Second-year trainees receive £50,000
  • Newly qualified solicitors receive £88,000

We review our salaries annually on 1 September.

Benefits

Our benefits package is designed to support trainees professionally and personally. It includes:

  • 27 days’ holiday
  • Life insurance
  • Permanent health insurance
  • Private healthcare
  • Contributory pension
  • Season ticket loan
  • Subsidised gym membership
  • Cycle to work scheme
  • Employee assistance programme
  • Staff discounts platform

We also offer a Wellbeing Fund, which gives employees flexibility around personal benefits. For some people, this may support activities such as National Trust membership. For others, it may contribute towards nutritional food delivery services or other wellbeing-related benefits.

Learn more about our benefits

Key dates: open days and events

  • 3 September to 2 October 2026

    Applications open for October Open Day, in person, 13 October 2026

  • 3 September to 20 November 2026

    Applications open for November Early Careers Q&A session, online, 26 November 2026

  • 5 October to 20 November 2026

    Applications open for November Open Day, in person, 30 November 2026

  • 3 September 2026 to 23 April 2027

    Applications open for First Year Insight Day, in person, 4 May 2027

Key dates: vacation schemes and training contracts

  • 3 September 2026 to 4 January 2027

    Applications open for 2027 Vacation Schemes and 2029 Training Contract

  • February 2027

    Assessment days

  • 12 to 16 April 2027

    Spring Vacation Scheme

  • 7 to 11 June 2027

    Summer Vacation Scheme 1

  • 14 to 18 June 2027

    Summer Vacation Scheme 2

Our recruitment process

We seek candidates who not only meet our criteria but also bring a unique spark to Forsters.

After completing the online application form and self-recorded video interview, shortlisted candidates will be invited to an assessment day. Candidates who are successful at assessment day will receive either a vacation scheme offer or, if applying directly for a training contract, an invitation to a final interview.

Both routes include a final interview stage. The recruitment process is designed to help us understand your skills, motivation and potential, while giving you the opportunity to learn more about Forsters and the work we do.

  • 1

    Online application form

  • 2

    Application form deadline

  • 3

    Application form reviewed

  • 4

    Video interview, self-recorded and submitted

  • 5

    Video interview reviewed

  • 6

    Assessment day in February

  • 7

    Vacation scheme offer

  • 8

    Final interview during the vacation scheme

  • 9

    Training contract offer

The application process is identical for both vacation scheme and training contract applications. 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.

 

How to apply

All applications for vacation schemes, training contracts, open days, insight days and events should be made online by clicking the button below.

We do not accept paper applications or CVs.

Apply now

Frequently asked questions

We hope our FAQs answer your questions. If you would like to speak to us, please contact the Early Careers team at [email protected].  

Applications

Do you prefer candidates to come from a law or non-law degree background?

We welcome applicants from all degree backgrounds, whether or not they studied law.

Our trainees come from a range of universities and have studied a variety of subjects, so you are welcome to apply regardless of your degree background.

Most of our trainees are recruited through our vacation schemes. If you are able to take part in a vacation scheme, we encourage you to apply through that route.

If you are unable to attend a vacation scheme, you may apply directly for a training contract.

We recruit our training contract intakes two years in advance. For example, if you apply between September 2026 and January 2027, you will be applying for the September 2029 intake. This allows you plenty of time to complete your degree, PGDL, and SQE qualifications.

We usually fill all our trainee spaces each recruitment cycle, so earlier intakes are generally not available. However, if a trainee’s circumstances change, there may be an opportunity to start earlier, which we consider on a case-by-case basis.

Yes! If you’re not successful in applying for the 2027 vacation scheme, you are more than welcome to reapply for the 2028 scheme.

Open days and events

Do you hold open days?

Yes. We host open days and events at various points throughout the year. Any upcoming events will be advertised here.

We attend a variety of careers events and fairs each year. We don’t target specific universities, as we want to be inclusive to all applicants. While our schedule may vary, we typically attend fairs with the University of Law and Legal Cheek.

Sponsorship

Do you offer visa sponsorship?

We can offer visa sponsorship for training contracts, but not for vacation schemes.

Due to government requirements, we can only consider visa sponsorship for training contracts. Visa sponsorship is subject to eligibility and compliance with UK Home Office requirements.

If you require sponsorship, please indicate this clearly in your application so we can assess your eligibility as part of the recruitment process.

If you are applying for a vacation scheme, please ensure that you have the right to work in the UK during the scheme dates and that your visa does not limit your working hours.

PGDL and SQE

Which courses do trainees complete?

If you studied a non-law degree, you will complete the PGDL and SQE before starting your training contract.

If you studied law, you will complete the SQE before starting your training contract.

We sponsor future trainees through the PGDL and SQE and provide a maintenance grant of £9,000 for the PGDL and £12,000 for the SQE for each year of study.

If you have already completed the LPC, you will not need to take the SQE, due to transitional provisions in place until 2032.

We will support you with the relevant course applications and registrations before you begin your training.

Forsters is proud to partner exclusively with The University of Law, offering a bespoke SQE LLM programme (SQE1, SQE2 and SQE Plus) crafted specifically for our future trainees. Choose the University of Law location that suits you best; we’re flexible because it’s about your convenience and comfort as you prepare to join us.

If you’ve already completed your studies before securing a training contract with us, don’t worry if it was at a different institution – we recognise that everyone’s journey is unique.

We’re proud to sponsor our future trainees for both the PGDL and SQE, and we’ll support you with a maintenance grant of £9,000 (PGDL) and £12,000 (SQE) per year of study. If you’ve already completed these studies before receiving a training contract offer with us, we don’t sponsor the fees retrospectively.

Future Trainees

How do you stay in touch with future trainees?

We keep in touch with future trainees before they join the firm in several ways, including:

  • A future trainee welcome evening at our office, with current trainees and the Graduate Recruitment team
  • Newsletters from our Learning and Development and Knowledge teams, covering firm news and legal updates
  • Details of virtual D&I events
  • A subscription to the Financial Times to support commercial awareness

Diversity and inclusion (D&I) within recruitment

How should I raise any extra support requirements I may have?

We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process.

If you require support or adjustments during the application or assessment process, you can include this information in your application form or contact the Early Careers team at [email protected].

We will consider each request individually and aim to make reasonable adjustments to support a fair recruitment process.

Yes, we can support with travel expenses for those attending open days and assessment days. We are happy to reimburse for within mainland UK (train/bus/driving). If likely to exceed £150 please let us know in advance.

At Forsters, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our early careers strategy. Our team collaborates closely with the firm’s D&I committee and support networks to continually enhance our processes. Here are a few ways we’re making a difference:

Blind first-round interviews: On assessment days, our interviewers don’t see your application form before meeting you, ensuring a fair and unbiased process.

Contextual recruitment tool: We use REALRating’s contextual tool within our online application to consider your achievements in the context of your personal background.

Halo Code membership: We’re members of the Halo Code, supporting a future free from hair discrimination. We encourage you to attend our events and assessments feeling comfortable and confident in your natural hair. Learn more here.

Disability Confident Certification: We’re certified under the Disability Confident scheme, and we’re committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process. Learn more here. In line with Disability Confident requirements, our minimum criteria for an invitation for interview (assessment day stage) would be steps 1-4 below:

1. Submit your online application
2. The early careers team review your application for eligibility and quality of response
3. If invited to progress, record and submit a video interview
4. Our Graduate Recruitment Panel review the video interview

We’re excited to meet talented candidates from all backgrounds and look forward to welcoming you to Forsters!

Paralegals

Can Forsters paralegals apply for the training contract?

Yes. Forsters paralegals are welcome to apply for our early careers opportunities.

Paralegals complete the same application process as external candidates. We request that paralegals have passed their probation by the application deadline.

Forsters paralegals are welcome to apply for the training contract for a maximum of 3 recruitment cycles.

We will advertise any paralegal vacancies we have on our website and social media channels such as LinkedIn. Applications will go via our recruitment team in HR.

Meet our past trainees

Meet our present trainees

Podcasts

We have brought together a selection of Graduate Recruitment podcasts to help you learn more about life at Forsters, what it is like to train with us and how to approach the application process.

Graduate Recruitment: Meet the teams

More Than Law Podcast host, Miri Stickland, is joined by guests from across the firm to discuss their departments, the work they do and what a typical day can involve.

Graduate Recruitment: Mythbusters

Emily Holdstock and Miri Stickland are joined by guests to discuss common myths and frequently asked questions about training contracts and the application process.