Macfarlanes Winter and Spring Vacation Schemes 2027

Applications closed 30 October 2026. Pays £545 a week.

No published policyWinter and Spring Vacation Schemes

Unconfirmed. Macfarlanes publishes no sponsorship policy for its winter and spring vacation schemes, so we cannot state a firm answer. No visa sponsorship or right-to-work statement was found on the page.

Sponsors grads?: Not published
Pay vs threshold: Not published
Opportunity: vacation scheme
Pay: £525 per week
2027 cycle: Spring Vacation Scheme applications open 1 September 2026 and close 30 October 2026
Confidence: medium

Macfarlanes Winter and Spring Vacation Schemes: at a glance

Macfarlanes' Vacation Schemes give students a two-week insight into life as a Trainee Solicitor. Participants sit with two different practice groups under the supervision of an Associate, work on real matters, take part in a mock transaction negotiation, and attend workshops, networking and social events. The firm runs a Winter scheme and two Spring schemes. Source

Duration: Two weeks“Over two weeks, you’ll sit in two different practice areas, work on real matters”Source
Start date: Spring scheme one: 30 March to 9 April 2027; Spring scheme two: 12 to 23 April 2027Source
Who can apply: Penultimate-year and final-year undergraduates, graduates and postgraduate studentsSource
Starting pay: £545 per weekSource
Degree requirement: Any degree discipline; law is not required“we welcome applications from all degree disciplines and backgrounds”Source

How Macfarlanes recruits

2027 vacation schemes (spring scheme one 30 March to 9 April 2027). 5 stages, from Macfarlanes's own careers pages, checked 2026-10-03. Test providers are named only where Macfarlanes names them.

Stage 1: Application and first stage online assessment
Situational judgement test, Cappfinity
Application form, then a first online assessment (seven days) of practice-area scenarios testing situational judgement and critical reasoning. Cappfinity preparation hub recommended.
“You will work through a series of scenarios from different practice areas, designed to test your situational judgement and critical reasoning.”
Source
Stage 2: Second stage online assessment
Immersive assessment, Cappfinity
Immersive day-in-the-life job simulation as part of a fictional project team, seven days to complete.
“If successful, you will be invited to complete our second stage online assessment, which you will have seven days to complete.”
Source
Stage 3: Written exercise
Written exercise
In-person written exercise in London: analyse a commercial scenario and draft a reasoned response.
“We invite candidates with the strongest applications to complete a written exercise in person at our London office.”
Source
Stage 4: Interview
Case study
In-person, application-blind interview in London: a business case study discussion and a competency-based interview.
“We invite candidates with the strongest written responses to attend an interview in person at our London office.”
Source
Stage 5: Vacation Scheme offer
Offer
Outcome after interview, with feedback either way.
“Following your interview, we will review your performance and aim to let you know the outcome as soon as possible.”
Source

Every programme and stage at Macfarlanes

The catch: Applicants can only apply to either the Winter or the Spring scheme in a given cycle, not both.

Macfarlanes early careers Verify on gov.uk See the licence record

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What Macfarlanes publishes about this programme

Checked against Macfarlanes'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: published
Programme description: published
Duration and start date: published
Who can apply: published
Pay: published
Locations: not published
Degree requirement: published
Recruitment stages: published

More early careers programmes at Macfarlanes

Training Contracttraining contract, no published policy
First Year Insight Schemespring week, no published policy

Sources

https://www.macfarlanes.com/join-us/early-careers/vacation-schemes/

Verdict last checked 2026-09-18. Application dates last checked 2026-10-01. How we check programme verdicts

Common questions

Does Macfarlanes sponsor visas for its winter and spring vacation schemes?

Unconfirmed. Macfarlanes publishes no sponsorship policy for its winter and spring vacation schemes, so we cannot state a firm answer. Pay is £525 per week. The Spring Vacation Scheme runs as two separate one-week blocks, 30 March-9 April 2027 or 12-23 April 2027, with applications open 1 September to 30 October 2026. The Winter Vacation Scheme (30 November-11 December 2026) has already closed. Applicants may only apply to one of Winter or Spring in a cycle. No visa sponsorship or right-to-work statement was found on the page.

What is the Macfarlanes winter and spring vacation schemes?

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 Macfarlanes?

Applicants can only apply to either the Winter or the Spring scheme in a given cycle, not both.

When do applications open for the Macfarlanes winter and spring vacation schemes?

Spring Vacation Scheme applications open 1 September 2026 and close 30 October 2026. Checked on 2026-10-01 against Macfarlanes's own site.

How long is the Macfarlanes winter and spring vacation schemes?

Two weeks, according to Macfarlanes's own careers information.

When does the Macfarlanes winter and spring vacation schemes start?

Spring scheme one: 30 March to 9 April 2027; Spring scheme two: 12 to 23 April 2027, according to Macfarlanes's own careers information.

Who can apply for the Macfarlanes winter and spring vacation schemes?

Penultimate-year and final-year undergraduates, graduates and postgraduate students, according to Macfarlanes's own careers information.

What does the Macfarlanes winter and spring vacation schemes pay?

£545 per week, according to Macfarlanes's own careers information.

What degree do you need for the Macfarlanes winter and spring vacation schemes?

Any degree discipline; law is not required, according to Macfarlanes's own careers information.

How should I confirm Macfarlanes's sponsorship before applying?

Read the specific vacancy on Macfarlanes'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

Other law schemes

Before you apply

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