“We are incredibly proud of the Flex Trainee scheme! This page covers everything you need to know about our scheme and its application process.”
Ellie Murray-McNieve, Head of Talent
WHEN TO APPLY
Applications for Flex Trainee's Spring Cohort 2025 are now closed.
Why Flex Trainee
An industry-leading way to break into the industry
The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) route was designed to open the legal profession up to a much wider and more diverse range of people. It represents a significant opportunity for historically under-represented aspiring solicitors to complete Qualifying Work Experience within in-house legal teams.
Our Flex Trainee programme was designed to help aspiring solicitors make the most of this opportunity. We hire socially-mobile legal professionals, put them through an intensive 'Readiness Programme', and place them with our fantastic clients for on-the-job Qualifying Work Experience. On top of that, we fund prep courses for their qualifying exams through our partners at Barbri, and for the exams themselves.
It's a challenging, but incredible opportunity!
:format(webp)/f/91079/5712x4284/b2d3ebb5ab/img_0363.jpg)
Benefits
What Flex Trainees receive:
- A salary of £30,000 in London or £25,000 elsewhere.
- Access to SQE1 and SQE2 preparation courses (additional courses subject to T&Cs) and your first sitting of each SQE exam.
- A bespoke Readiness Programme before you start, to allow you to hit the ground running.
- An in-house supervisor, who meets with Flex every month to review your progress.
- Regular 1:1s with both a mentor and a legal expert from Flex.
- Exclusive access to industry networking events.
- Access to our SQE Journal, to help you easily track your Qualifying Work Experience progress.
- Other benefits including private health care, a cycle-to-work scheme, and nursery benefits.
Where you fit in
The three "routes" into Flex Trainee
Following the enormously positive reception to Flex Trainee, we recently split the scheme out into three distinct routes. Each route functions a little differently, and your route will depend on where you are in your legal journey.
| Flex Apprentice | Flex Trainee | Flex Talent Development | |
| Who is this route for? | Anyone who meets our social mobility criteria, has a legal degree, but does not have the SQE1 or LPC (Masters students are eligible). | Anyone who meets our social mobility criteria, has completed the SQE1 or LPC. | Anyone who already works as a socially mobile paralegal within an in-house team, who will sponsor your entry to the programme. |
| Who will employ you? | Flex Legal will be your direct employer, and second you to partner organisations for training. | Flex Legal will be your direct employer, and second you to partner organisations for training. | Your current organisation. |
| What are the work / study requirements? | You will work 4 days and study 1 day per week (or equivalent). | You will work full time in your first year. You will work full time and study in your second year. | You will work full time, with 0.5 days per week study time during the prep course period. |
| What are the academic / reporting requirements? | You will be completing a Level 7 Solicitor Apprenticeship. Apprenticeship portfolio completion check-in sessions with Flex Legal, Damar, and your trainee supervisor. Training sessions with Damar for the SQE1 in year 1 and the SQE2 in year 2. | You will record work experience through the SQE Journal, and complete the SQE2 during year 2. | You will record your work experience through the SQE Journal, complete the SQE1 in year 1 (optional), and complete the SQE2 in year 2. |
Entry requirements
Who we're looking for
:format(webp)/f/91079/1800x1200/608036ae30/flex-trainees-all-cohorts-on-the-staircase-2023-1800-x-1200-px.png "Flex Trainee staircase all cohorts on staircase")
We are incredibly keen to help as many aspiring solicitors to gain QWE as possible, but we do still have minimum entry criteria. As mentioned above, the qualifications needed for each route differ slightly. Here's more of an explanation:
- Flex Apprentice: you will need a 2:1 UK law degree and English & Maths GCSE or equivalent to apply, providing you satisfy the other criteria. Those with valuable legal experience in house or in a legal setting will stand out.
- For Flex Trainee: you will need to have competed the SQE1 already, or have completed the LPC and are willing to switch to the SQE, providing that you satisfy the other criteria.
- For Flex Talent Development: you will already need to work in an in-house legal team, who are willing to sponsor your access to the full Flex Trainee support package.
- All routes: you must have the right to work in the UK. Unfortunately, Flex is unable to sponsor work visas at this time.
- All applicants: you will need to satisfy our social mobility criteria. Flex Trainee has always sought to increase the diversity of the UK's solicitor body. As part of your application, you will fill out an extensive questionnaire that will help us determine your diversity and social mobility circumstances. All of the questions are based on guidance provided by the UK's social mobility commission. To qualify for the scheme, you will need to meet at least two criteria that class you as a 'socially mobile' individual.
:format(webp)/f/91079/800x2100/4b228695f7/flex-trainee-application-process-v12-800-x-2100-px.png "Flex Trainee and Flex Apprentice Application Process")
Difficulty Level
How challenging is the Flex Trainee scheme?
:format(webp)/f/91079/3000x2250/e30b9d520d/hol-1.png "Flex Trainees")
It's well-known that qualifying as a solicitor is demanding.
Whether you go down the Flex Trainee or Flex Apprentice route, there will be periods when you are expected to juggle work commitments with fairly intense study (Flex Trainees work full-time in year one and balance work with SQE2 in year two; Flex Apprentices will undertake SQE1 in year one and SQE2 in year two).
During your secondment, you will be gaining QWE with our clients and we expect you to bring your best effort to that experience. The SQE exams are widely regarded as challenging, and will really put your legal abilities to the test. We expect you to keep up with your studies while fulfilling your obligations to your host client - your success on the Flex Trainee scheme will require you to deliver on both the professional and academic aspects of the scheme.
This being said, we want you to succeed! Both Flex Legal and our clients will provide you with regular, on-going support along the way. Alongside supervision at your place of work, Flex Legal will provide you with a dedicated mentor, continuous support, and access to the UK’s best SQE preparation courses. If you are ready to take on the challenge, we'd love to hear from you.
Please note: Progression from Year One to Year Two of the Programme is subject to performance and client demand.