Graduate Recruitment

Starting your career at Forsters

Choosing a career in law and deciding which firm to train with is one of the most important decisions you will take. Law firms come in many different sizes, have very different practices and are found in very different places. You will want to find a firm which will be right for you and will give you that all important start to a stimulating and successful career. If you are looking for a firm that is different and one that values you as an individual, you should think about Forsters.

As the partner responsible for graduate recruitment I take a close personal interest in the recruitment and development of our trainee solicitors. The whole firm is committed to investing in high calibre trainees and providing them with a first class training programme. Our trainees are the future of the firm.

At Forsters we pride ourselves on being a distinctive firm. We are a new firm but one which has a strong sense of tradition. We are not a large firm but are still able to offer a wide range of high quality work and the same standard of training and experience found at the big City firms. We are regularly described in the legal directories (Chambers/The Legal 500) as a firm which “punches above its weight” with our quality being reflected by the number of our lawyers recommended and named as “leading individuals”.

At Forsters we also care about our community, both local and global. We have an ongoing association with local charity St Andrew's Club and the sustainability initiative we launched in 2007 has resulted in the firm achieving carbon neutral status.

We very much hope that the information in these pages will help to give you an idea about what training at Forsters would be like and about whether we might be the right place for you.

Emily Holdstock
Graduate Recruitment Partner

Key dates

Vacation Schemes

Please note that assessment days for the vacation schemes will take place in February 2025.

2025 Spring Vacation Scheme

Applications will open 5 September 2024 and close 6 January 2025.

Vacation Scheme 1: Monday 7 April - Friday 11 April

2025 Summer Vacation Schemes

Applications will open 5 September 2024 and close 6 January 2025.

Vacation Scheme 2: Monday 9 June – Friday 13 June

Vacation Scheme 3: Monday 16 June – Friday 20 June

2027 Training Contract

Please note that most of our trainees are recruited from our vacation schemes. We invite you to apply for a vacation scheme so we can get to know you more. However, if you are unable to spend a week with us, you are welcome to apply directly for the 2027 training contract.

The process is identical for both vacation scheme and training contract applications.

Applications will open 5 September 2024 and close 6 January 2025.

Open Days

We will be hosting the following events in person at 22 Baker Street.

Open day 1: 22 October 2024 (applications open 5 September – 15 October 2024)

Open day 2: 9 December 2024 (applications open 16 October – 2 December 2024)

First Year Insight day: 7 May 2025 (applications open 5 September – 28 May 2025)

Early Careers Q&A Session

We will be hosting the following event online.

Trainee Application online Q&A session: 12 November 2024 (applications open 5 September - 8 November 2024)

Please apply to all opportunities here

Fairs and Events

Come and chat with our Early Careers team and trainees at the following events:

11 September - University of Law Fair
8 October - Legal Cheek Virtual Law Fair
7 November - Legal Cheek Workshop and Networking Event
Date TBC - BPP Virtual Law Fair

About us

Forsters is not just another law firm; our ability to meet the exacting requirements of our clients is enhanced by our approach, size and location. We do not seek to offer everything to everyone, but to excel at what we do, as leaders in our chosen fields.