Support SQE trainees, nurture talent in your team and demonstrate a commitment to social mobility
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Since 2021 we've been running Flex Trainee, an SQE training scheme dedicated to supporting social mobility. We accept aspiring solicitors from low socio-economic backgrounds and place them with forward-thinking clients to create opportunities for all.
Our Flex Trainee programme is simple to set up for clients. Trainees work in your team for a minimum of 12 months to build Qualifying Work Experience whilst completing the academic component of their qualification. We handle their employment, and after a year you can choose your next steps.
Join clients such as Vodafone, Diageo and Asos in benefiting from the success of the Flex Trainee scheme.
Why join up for Flex Trainee?
- Demonstrate your commitment to social mobility - Flex works with legal charities such as STRIVE and the Social Mobility Business Partnership to attract and identify the best socially mobile aspiring solicitors.
- Develop your own talent without the risks - you can decide if the opportunity is right for the trainee to continue their development with you at the end of the placement.
- Reduce the time and effort of trainee supervision - Flex Legal will handle employment matters and provide supervisors with digital QWE recording tools and peer-to-peer support.
- Empower your trainee to succeed - we'll support your trainee with monthly meetings, mentoring, an empowering peer community, and strong academic preparation with our partners at Barbri.
Three flexible ways to grow talent
Whether you want to nurture a socially mobile apprentice from the start, develop a trainee who has already begun their legal journey, or support one of your own junior team members to take the next step, there is a Flex Trainee route that fits. We will explain more about the different options when you contact us.
Flex Apprentice
Use your Apprenticeship Levy to support law graduates through SQE1 & 2.
Flex Trainee
Bring in a trainee who has already passed SQE1 or the LPC.
Flex Talent Development
Enroll your own aspiring trainee into the Flex Trainee support programme.
Take advantage of vetted trainees
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We receive hundreds of applications each year from talented and deserving socially mobile aspiring lawyers. A rigorous five-step vetting process, including assessments and interviews, ensures that only the best and most deserving are ready to be placed with our clients.
We work with you to understand your ideal candidate, based on your organisational needs and culture, and suggest a range of candidates. You can choose to interview from our shortlist, retaining control at every stage.
Do you have your own aspiring lawyer in your team you'd like to support through the SQE? No problem! We can offer a 'talent development' route. Enroll your aspiring solicitor to the Flex Trainee programme, and we'll support them to complete their SQE/QWE.
Preparing candidates for success
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All of our aspiring lawyers start their Trainee journey by taking part in our intensive Readiness Programme, equipping them with the network, practical skills, knowledge and acumen that they need to thrive.
The programme features expert input from highly experienced lawyers working in private practice and in-house, as well as professionals from a range of specific business areas.
The programme enables your trainee to hit the ground running, armed with practical insight into:
- How to succeed in a professional setting.
- Maintaining high professional standards, including managing stakeholders and meeting expectations.
- Core soft skills including confident communication, active listening, and effective presentation.
- Practical legal skills, such as drafting.
- Bespoke research tasks to equip them to understand their future organisation and its legal context.
Supporting supervisors
We don't only support candidates. We are dedicated to providing comprehensive support to you, helping your legal team strengthen its capabilities and develop a valuable pipeline of junior talent.
- Each client has their own Account Manager at Flex Legal who will meet with you each month to review progress.
- Flex Legal will handle all employment matters, SRA qualification requirements, education and exams, compliance, and on-going training.
- Flex Legal will provide access to Flex Legal's digital Qualifying Work Experience Journal.
Client testimonials
“Flex Trainee has provided us with something which we could not have pulled off ourselves: brilliant and aspiring individuals from under-represented backgrounds who have made an impact in our legal team. We really value the service Flex provides, and we’re glad that a new trainee is also joining our CoSec team this year (2025).”
Jeremy Mavor, Senior Counsel at National Grid
Client testimonials
“I feel incredibly proud of what we have achieved with this programme. Our new team members have outstanding potential and are a key part of our future talent pipeline. My thanks to Mary and the Flex team for their outstanding support in helping us to make this happen.”
Adrian Morris, Group General Counsel at Tesco
Client testimonials
“Evercore is delighted to be involved in the Flex Trainee scheme, and we have been very impressed by the standard of the Flex candidates, the comprehensive end-to-end trainee support provided by Flex, and the ease with which we have been able to onboard Linda as our trainee.”
Tim Wass, Head of Legal EMEA at Evercore
Client testimonials
“The Crown Estate is delighted to be involved with the Flex Trainee programme, which enables us to hire a very talented individual and help them to achieve their ambition of qualifying as a solicitor. What is particularly important to us is that, through STRIVE’s involvement, the programme is perfectly aligned with our commitment to broaden access to those who have potential but may otherwise lack opportunity.”
Nicholas Cheffings, Special Advisor to The Crown Estate
Client testimonials
“Trustpilot is delighted to be part of the second cohort of Flex Trainee - they are committed in helping talented paralegals qualify and it is a great way for us to keep and retain amazing candidates - we are very happy we can help our fantastic trainee, Lauren, qualify through the SQE. We particularly love the social mobility aspect to the scheme and are passionate about improving diversity within the legal sector.”
Graeme Barron, VP of Legal, Risk & Audit at Trustpilot
Client testimonials
“Flex Legal had already selected candidates and had the infrastructure set up for the SQE. It saved us a lot of time and effort, and we knew we were getting good trainees. Flex Trainee has been welcomed across the business. We included a few paragraphs in our annual report as we think it reflects our values, and shows how we consider broader stakeholders in our decisions.”
Mark Sanford, GC and Company Secretary at Next15 Communications
Client testimonials
“Flex have been great to work with throughout the Flex Trainee process. It was amazing to know that they’re taking care of any admin surrounding the SQE, and the whole team have always been incredibly friendly. It feels like a true partnership, and this programme aligns with our purpose and values perfectly.”
Sarah Gormley, Head of Legal Operational Excellence at The Phoenix Group
"It’s such an exciting time for Flex Trainee! We're keenly looking for organisations who share our vision.”
Mary Bonsor, Flex Legal Founder
Are you a potential candidate interested in the Flex Trainee scheme?
If you're an aspiring solicitor from a low socio-economic background then Flex Trainee for candidates will give you all the information you need.