Lee & Thompson Funded Training Programme

No published policyFunded Training Programme

Unconfirmed. Lee & Thompson publishes no sponsorship policy for its funded training programme, so we cannot state a firm answer. No salary figure, degree requirement, or visa sponsorship statement for international candidates is published.

Sponsors grads?: Not published
Pay vs threshold: Not published
Opportunity: training contract
Pay: Not disclosed on the page checked
2027 cycle: No published date as of 1 October 2026
Confidence: medium

Lee & Thompson Funded Training Programme: at a glance

Lee & Thompson's funded training programme is run with The College of Legal Practice and combines work with study for the SQE exams. Trainees complete three 6-month seats in other departments in the second part, with seats in Film/TV, Music, Corporate, Commercial, Litigation and Employment. The firm typically aims to recruit trainees from its summer vacation scheme. Source

Duration: Three yearsSource

How Lee & Thompson recruits

2027 Vacation Scheme (applications open last week of January 2027). 3 stages, from Lee & Thompson's own careers pages, checked 2026-10-03. Test providers are named only where Lee & Thompson names them.

Vacation scheme application
Application form
Apply for the summer vacation scheme through the firm's website; 2027 applications open in the last week of January 2027.
“The 2027 Vacation Scheme dates will be published later this year, and applications will open in the last week of January 2027 via our website.”
Source
In-person assessment and interview
Assessment centre
Selection includes an in-person assessment and interview process.
“Our inclusive recruitment and selection process is designed to support all candidates to prepare for an in-person assessment and interview process and to feel supported to give their best.”
Source
Summer vacation scheme
Other stage
One-week summer vacation scheme of practical exercises, talks and networking; trainees are typically recruited from it.
“We typically aim to recruit trainee solicitors from the vacation scheme to join our funded 3-year training programme, run in collaboration with the College of Legal Practice.”
Source

Every programme and stage at Lee & Thompson

“We typically aim to recruit our trainee solicitors from our vacation scheme.”

Lee & Thompson, from its own careers pages

The catch: Direct applications for the training contract are not the primary route in; candidates are expected to come through the vacation scheme first, which has its own separate application process.

Lee & Thompson early careers Verify on gov.uk See the licence record

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What Lee & Thompson publishes about this programme

Checked against Lee & Thompson's own careers pages on 2026-10-01. Anything not published is worth asking the early careers team before you apply.

Visa sponsorship policy: not published
Application dates: not published
Programme description: published
Duration and start date: published
Who can apply: not published
Pay: published
Locations: not published
Degree requirement: not published
Recruitment stages: published

Sources

Verdict last checked 2026-09-23. Application dates last checked 2026-10-01. How we check programme verdicts

Common questions

Does Lee & Thompson sponsor visas for its funded training programme?

Unconfirmed. Lee & Thompson publishes no sponsorship policy for its funded training programme, so we cannot state a firm answer. The London media and entertainment firm runs a funded three year training programme combining work with SQE study through the College of Legal Practice; trainees work four days a week with one study day. Seats rotate across Film/TV, Music, Corporate, Commercial, Litigation and Employment. The firm typically recruits its trainee solicitors from its own vacation scheme rather than through direct applications. No salary figure, degree requirement, or visa sponsorship statement for international candidates is published.

What is the Lee & Thompson funded training programme?

Does the pay clear the UK Skilled Worker salary threshold?

The pay for this scheme is not published clearly enough to judge against the threshold.

What is the catch international students miss with Lee & Thompson?

Direct applications for the training contract are not the primary route in; candidates are expected to come through the vacation scheme first, which has its own separate application process.

When do applications open for the Lee & Thompson funded training programme?

No published date as of 1 October 2026. Checked on 2026-10-01 against Lee & Thompson's own site.

How long is the Lee & Thompson funded training programme?

Three years, according to Lee & Thompson's own careers information.

How should I confirm Lee & Thompson's sponsorship before applying?

Read the specific vacancy on Lee & Thompson's careers site, ask its early-careers team directly, and check the employer on the gov.uk Register of Licensed Sponsors. Policies and thresholds change, so treat this page as a starting point and confirm for the exact role and cycle.

Related guides

All visa and sponsorship guides

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