Graduate training programmes

Related links

• Early careers
• Solicitors Qualifying Exam
• Legal apprenticeships
• Hong Kong trainees
• Singapore trainees
• Careers at Kennedys

Kennedys trainees gain hands-on experience in a supportive and inclusive environment and are able to participate in ongoing professional development to set them up for success. You’ll be given the opportunity to attend in-house and external seminars, whilst having access to a large array of online skills and technical learning.

Training Contract

During your training contract, you’ll complete four six-month seats in different teams across our practice areas of insurance and reinsurance, liability defence, healthcare and commercial.

Kennedys have partnered with BPP University to prepare our future trainees for the SQE. Before starting a training contract, we ask our future trainees to undertake the LLM SQE1&2 course at BPP, before sitting the SQE exams and we will fund your course fees and provide a maintenance grant during the study period. Non-law graduates will be required to complete a law conversion course before undertaking the LLM SQE1&2 course.

Locations 

We offer training contracts in the following offices:

• Birmingham
• Bristol
• Cambridge
• Leeds
• London
• Manchester
• Sheffield

Kennedys also have opportunities for Bermudian law graduates looking to embark on their career by undertaking a training contract in London.

How to apply

Applications to our 2026 training contracts are now open, you can apply here.

SQE Training Programme (Graduate Solicitor Apprenticeship)

The 30 month training programme will involve working alongside our experienced lawyers in one of our legal teams, whilst studying with BPP one day per week. In addition to a dedicated supervisor at Kennedys, you will have a tutor and skills coach at BPP, to ensure that you have all the support you need at work and with your studies.

Our SQE training programmes allow you to start working and earning at Kennedys immediately after university, gaining qualifying legal work experience before sitting the SQE1 and SQE2 exams to qualify as a lawyer.  Graduates looking to start the SQE training programme must have completed a law degree or a non-law degree and a law conversion course, prior to starting with Kennedys. Kennedys will fully fund your training during the programme.

Locations

We offer the SQE training programme in various teams in the following offices:

• Birmingham
• Bristol
• London
• Manchester
• Taunton

How to apply

Applications to our 2025 SQE training programmes are now open, you can apply here.

Scotland traineeship

Our two-year traineeship is based across our Edinburgh and Glasgow offices. The traineeship offers early responsibility, real-world experience and professional development in a supportive and collaborative environment. You will gain experience across multiple areas of law, including insurance and reinsurance and liability defence and will work alongside experienced legal professionals to support you as you start your legal career and work towards PEAT2.

Before starting your traineeship, you must have completed a law undergraduate degree and completed the diploma in legal practice. Kennedys will fund your course fees for the diploma in legal practice and provide a maintenance grant during the study period. 

More information about the diploma in legal practice can be found here.