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TLT Trainee Solicitor / Vacation Scheme 2029

Only some tracksTrainee Solicitor / Vacation Scheme (2029 Training Contract)

Only in part. TLT sponsors its trainee solicitor / vacation scheme for some tracks or offices, not all. The early careers FAQ says TLT accepts applications from graduates who may require visa sponsorship to work as a trainee solicitor. It adds that only some locations meet the minimum Skilled Worker threshold for new entrants, so whether sponsorship is possible depends on the office.

Sponsors grads?
Some tracks
Pay vs threshold
Borderline
Opportunity
training contract
Pay
Not published directly; firm points to its Legal Cheek profile for Year 1 trainee salary by location
2027 cycle
Vacation scheme and internal training contract applications open 28 September 2026 and close 20 December 2026; no direct training contract applications this year; Belfast training contract closed on 23 October 2026
Confidence
high

TLT Trainee Solicitor / Vacation Scheme: at a glance

TLT recruits trainee solicitors through its paid two-week summer vacation scheme, where students spend one week in each of two teams working on live cases, attending meetings and reviewing contracts, with assessments during the scheme including a group task. TLT says it expects to fill its 2029 Training Contract places through the Vacation Scheme and will not open direct Training Contract applications this year. Trainees in England and Wales complete four six-month seats during their qualifying work experience. Source

Duration
Two weeks (vacation scheme)“Join our top 50 UK law firm for two weeks during Summer.”Source
Start date
Summer in England and Scotland; September in Northern Ireland“is available in our England and Scotland offices during Summer, and Northern Ireland in September”Source
Who can apply
Penultimate and final year students, graduates, postgraduates and career changers (law students only in Scotland and Northern Ireland)“It is aimed at penultimate and final year students, graduates, post-graduates and career changers”Source
Locations
Bristol, Belfast, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Manchester“is available in our England and Scotland offices during Summer, and Northern Ireland in September”Source
Degree requirement
Minimum 120 UCAS points and a 2:1 degree“For our training contracts, we ask for a minimum of 120 UCAS points and a 2.1 degree.”Source

How TLT recruits

2029 training contracts filled via the 2027 vacation scheme (applications close 20 December 2026). 3 stages, from TLT's own careers pages, checked 2026-10-03. Test providers are named only where TLT names them.

  1. Application form

    Application form

    Online application form with a mitigating circumstances section, read with Rare contextual data.

    “However, we do have a space for mitigating circumstances on our application forms and we partner with Rare Contextual Recruitment System to help us to understand the context in which candidates achieved their grades.”
    Source

  2. Assessment centre (half day)

    Assessment centre

    Half-day assessment centre with a group exercise and an interview. The FAQ adds that assessment centres usually include a strengths-based interview, group task and in-tray exercise.

    “Successful applicants will be required to attend a half-day at an assessment centre, comprising a group exercise and interview.”
    Source

  3. Paid vacation scheme with assessments

    Other stage

    The two-week paid scheme is itself part of training contract selection, with assessments including a solution-based group task.

    “The paid vacation scheme is part of the assessment process for our SQE training contract and there will be assessments during the scheme, including a solution based group task.”
    Source

Every programme and stage at TLT

“For trainee roles, only some of our locations meet the minimum threshold required for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship if you are classed as a ‘new entrant’ and these thresholds are regularly reviewed by the Government.”
TLT, from its own careers pages
The catch: Whether sponsorship is actually available depends on which TLT office you are placed in and how the Home Office going rate for occupation code 2412 compares to that office's trainee salary at the time you apply, not on a firm-wide guarantee.
TLT early careersVerify on gov.ukSee the licence record

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What TLT publishes about this programme

Checked against TLT's own careers pages on 2026-10-24. Anything not published is worth asking the early careers team before you apply.

  • Visa sponsorship policy: published
  • Application dates: published
  • Programme description: published
  • Duration and start date: published
  • Who can apply: published
  • Pay: published
  • Locations: published
  • Degree requirement: published
  • Recruitment stages: published

More early careers programmes at TLT

Sources

Verdict last checked 2026-10-24. How we check programme verdicts

Common questions

Does TLT sponsor visas for its trainee solicitor / vacation scheme?

Only in part. TLT sponsors its trainee solicitor / vacation scheme for some tracks or offices, not all. The early careers FAQ says TLT accepts applications from graduates who may require visa sponsorship to work as a trainee solicitor. It adds that only some locations meet the minimum Skilled Worker threshold for new entrants, so whether sponsorship is possible depends on the office. Applicants who need a visa should check the going rate for occupation code 2412 for their chosen location.

What is the TLT trainee solicitor / vacation scheme?

TLT recruits trainee solicitors through its paid two-week summer vacation scheme, where students spend one week in each of two teams working on live cases, attending meetings and reviewing contracts, with assessments during the scheme including a group task. TLT says it expects to fill its 2029 Training Contract places through the Vacation Scheme and will not open direct Training Contract applications this year. Trainees in England and Wales complete four six-month seats during their qualifying work experience.

Does the pay clear the UK Skilled Worker salary threshold?

The pay for this scheme sits close to the threshold, so it can depend on the office, the occupation going rate, or the new-entrant discount.

What is the catch international students miss with TLT?

Whether sponsorship is actually available depends on which TLT office you are placed in and how the Home Office going rate for occupation code 2412 compares to that office's trainee salary at the time you apply, not on a firm-wide guarantee.

When do applications open for the TLT trainee solicitor / vacation scheme?

Vacation scheme and internal training contract applications open 28 September 2026 and close 20 December 2026; no direct training contract applications this year; Belfast training contract closed on 23 October 2026. Checked on 2026-10-24 against TLT's own site.

How long is the TLT trainee solicitor / vacation scheme?

Two weeks (vacation scheme), according to TLT's own careers information.

When does the TLT trainee solicitor / vacation scheme start?

Summer in England and Scotland; September in Northern Ireland, according to TLT's own careers information.

Who can apply for the TLT trainee solicitor / vacation scheme?

Penultimate and final year students, graduates, postgraduates and career changers (law students only in Scotland and Northern Ireland), according to TLT's own careers information.

Where is the TLT trainee solicitor / vacation scheme based?

Bristol, Belfast, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Manchester, according to TLT's own careers information.

What degree do you need for the TLT trainee solicitor / vacation scheme?

Minimum 120 UCAS points and a 2:1 degree, according to TLT's own careers information.

How should I confirm TLT's sponsorship before applying?

Read the specific vacancy on TLT'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

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Sponsorship data: Home Office register + job ad wording. Not immigration advice, verify on gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. How we check this data.