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“It’s such an exciting time for us to support our clients grow, retain, and recruit junior talent from diverse backgrounds who will qualify via the SQE route”

Mary Bonsor, CEO and Co-Founder

Brand new

Flex Trainee - a new way to grow diverse talent

Flex Trainees sit across an office sofa, smiling at a camera before they commence their secondments
The SQE is a new route to solicitor qualification, and is designed to open the legal profession to a wider pool of talent. It represents a significant opportunity for businesses to support the next generation of lawyers, and enhance the social mobility and diversity of the profession.
Flex Legal has launched a new programme to help both businesses and students to make the most of this opportunity. We designed the programme from the ground-up to tackle practical difficulties faced by both general counsel and aspiring lawyers.

What are the key benefits to Flex Trainee?

A roundtable of Flex Trainees listen intently as they learn soft skills
Flex Trainee allows legal teams to confidently access the best and brightest diverse legal talent. Not only does it allow your team to invest meaningfully in the future of the legal profession, but it offers you a valuable junior resource that enables you to focus on more strategic work.
Flex Trainee also allows legal teams to avoid the administrative burden of training, mentoring, and supervising unqualified legal talent. All Flex Trainees are supported by Flex Legal mentors in regular 1:1s. We also meet monthly with the each Trainee's in-house supervisor to gather feedback and resolve any issues.
A cohort of 4 Flex Trainees stand before a building, smiling as they begin their solicitor qualification
We also offer the opportunity to hire newly-qualified lawyers at the end of the Flex Trainee programme - at no additional cost. This gives legal teams the chance to easily improve their workplace diversity, and grow and develop their business.

How does Flex Trainee work?

Before engagementDuring engagementAfter engagement
Flex works with leading charities such as STRIVE to identify the best diverse talent.Trainees are engaged for 1 year minimum. They work for 4.5 days a week, and study for the remaining half-day.After the first year, the trainee can be retained for a second year to complete their qualification within the in-house team.
Flex employs the trainees for 2 years so that they can be seconded to in-house legal teams.Trainees use our proprietary SQE tool to easily record QWE.Alternatively, Flex can replace the trainee with another carefully chosen student.
Flex runs a 6-week readiness programme for the trainees before they join the in-house team.Flex holds regular 1:1s with trainees to ensure success, review training and QWE.Regardless, there will be no additional cost to the in-house team.
Every month, Flex meets with an in- house supervisor to gather feedback and resolve any issues. Monthly QWE reports are also sent to the supervisor.After two years, the in- house team can offer either trainee a NQ role if they wish (trainees understand this is not guaranteed).
The trainee is also assigned a Flex mentor and has access to a professional coach; as well as Flex networking events.
Our Trainees

Our first cohort of Flex Trainees:

Parisha Dabasia profile picture
Parisha Dabasia
Flex Trainee

Parisha is currently working with Vodafone on her first Flex Trainee secondment. She's an LLB graduate from Leeds University, and has a lengthy history of working in both private practice and in-house.

Afroditi Griva profile picture
Afroditi Griva
Flex Trainee

Afroditi is currently seconded to Next Fifteen Communications Group as part of her Flex Trainee experience. She has a Law Degree from Newcastle University, has passed the LPC, and has extensive legal work experience.

Stephanie Rezai profile picture
Stephanie Rezai
Flex Trainee

Stephanie is currently seconded to ASOS.com as her first Flex Trainee placement. She has gained notable legal experience working with both London law firms, and multiple high-profile retail organisations.

Jennifer Talabi profile picture
Jennifer Talabi
Flex Trainee

Enitan Jennifer Talabi is a Flex Trainee currently seconded to Trussle, a mortgage broker. She has considerable legal experience, including in multiple government departments.

Ghazhal Noory profile picture
Ghazhal Noory
Flex Trainee

Ghazhal is currently on a Flex Trainee secondment with The Crown Estate. She is a University of Reading 1st Class LLB graduate, and boasts an impressive range of paralegal experience.

Jordan Yohannes profile picture
Jordan Yohannes
Flex Trainee

Jordan is a Flex Trainee currently seconded to Pheonix Group. She has a Law Degree from the University of Kent, a keen interest in FinTech, technology and innovation.

Want to apply to become a Flex Trainee?

As part of Flex Trainee, we've partnered with the legal social mobility charity, STRIVE, to identify aspiring lawyers from unique backgrounds who deserve the opportunity to pursue a legal career.

Are you from a socially mobile background with a passion for law? Think you'd be the perfect candidate for our next cohorts?

Then head to the link below to apply for Flex Trainee through STRIVE today!

Our Clients for the first & second cohorts