Slaughter and May

Training Contracts at Slaughter and May

As one of the industry’s most prestigious players, Slaughter and May has the luxury of choosing only the very best from the hoards of applicants vying for a coveted trainee spot at the firm. This means that top grades, a variety of extracurricular activities, and a minimum of a high 2:1 from a leading uni are essential. Out of the 1,800 applicants Slaughter and May receives each year, about a quarter will make it to the interview stage. The firm has two annual intakes – March and September – and hires approximately 90 trainees across the course of the year. Around half of the graduate/trainee intake is made up of non-law grads who have converted to law by studying the GDL/CPE.

Slaughter & May London Office

The firm is consistently listed in The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers and solicitors tell us that the ‘high degree of responsibility’, ‘the big deals that get newspaper headlines’, as well as the fact that ‘trainees (by and large) are treated as equals’ help to make Slaughter and May a popular choice. Applicants are expected to be confident, articulate, and display ‘excellent attention to detail’, while ‘demonstrating a certain amount of analytical thinking and common sense’. Though ‘flawless’ academic credentials are a prerequisite, the firm looks beyond just Oxbridge candidates and ‘is actively recruiting from a wider range of universities’.

Successful applicants will sit four six-month seats, with the majority doing at least two in corporate and finance departments. And for those with a wanderlust, yes, there are opportunities for seats abroad; however, they are not as plentiful as at other firms and are therefore pretty competitive. Those that do manage to secure a foreign secondment may be posted to best friend firms in enviable European locations such as Paris or Milan, or perhaps as far afield as Tokyo or Sydney.

In contrast to many of its rivals, Slaughter and May’s hiring process is relatively simple and straightforward. Candidates are required to complete a brief online form and submit a covering letter and CV. If successful, applicants are simply invited for an interview with two partners; there's no HR preliminary, no assessment days, no role plays, and no psychometric testing. The interview itself is described by many as a relaxed, informal – though sometimes challenging – chat, where the partners try to get to know you. With interviews lasting between 45 and 60 minutes, expect to talk about anything and everything on your CV: from A-Levels and module choices, to hobbies and interests.

Current trainees say there are two parts to the interview: first, a discussion of your CV, reasons for choosing law, and your motivation behind applying to Slaughter and May specifically. Then candidates are often quizzed on controversial current issues or given a newspaper article to discuss. Issues discussed in actual interviews have ranged from linguistics to the role of the NHS in drug prices to Dante’s Inferno. What the partners really want to learn from the interview is that you can argue a point well whilst also displaying humour and common sense. One trainee adds that the firm wants candidates that can ‘think on your feet, speak confidently and think independently’.

Vacation Schemes

Slaughter and May runs work experience schemes at Easter and in the summer. Both law and non-law students can apply for these schemes, as long as you are in your penultimate year of study. Successful applicants can expect to be involved in some proper work, do a bit of research and participate in some workshops and training. Furthermore, the firm also holds two-day workshops over Christmas, open only to final year students and graduates from a non-law background.

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