Charles Russell Speechlys
Overview
Charles Russell Speechlys is a UK-based full-service law firm with a broad national and international presence and a particularly strong private client and regional practice footprint. Directory rankings show the firm holds numerous top-tier practice rankings across agriculture & estates, private client, dispute resolution and real estate, and it advises on a mix of private client, corporate and regional commercial matters. The firm operates multiple offices across the UK and overseas and positions itself as a firm combining high-quality technical work with strong peer support and investment in legal technology.
Values & Culture
Practice Areas
- Private Client & Wealth
- Agriculture & Rural
- Dispute Resolution & Litigation
- Real Estate
- Corporate & M&A
- Family Law
- Employment
- Immigration
- Insurance & Reinsurance
- Professional Negligence
- Commercial Contracts
- Fraud & Investigations
- Media & Entertainment
Geographic Focus: Strong UK regional coverage with multiple UK offices and a London practice; the firm also maintains overseas offices in multiple countries (11 countries in total) and acts for domestic and international private clients and corporates, with particular strength in regional markets and private client work.
Training Contract
They recruit two years in advance for their direct training contract and you must be eligible to start your training contract in September 2029, i.e. at least in your penultimate year of your law degree, or final year of your non-law degree, or have graduated.
- Starting Salary: £52,000
- NQ Salary: £93,000
- Trainee Intake: 25
- Academic Requirements: Minimum degree requirement: 2:1. Minimum A Level requirement: AAB.
- Application Deadline: 2027-01-15
Sponsorship
PGDL grant: £10,000; SQE grant: £10,000.
SQE Support
SQE grant: £10,000 (grant amount reported).
International Opportunities
Chances of secondment abroad: 18% (as reported in available data).
Programmes & Schemes
To be eligible, you'll need to be in your final year of school / 6th form / college and will have completed your A Levels (or equivalents) by Summer 2027, or have already completed your A Levels (or equivalent). Please note, we are unable to accept applications for anyone who has commenced their 2nd year of a university undergraduate course.
- Deadline: 15th January 2027
Our open days will be held in December 2026: 1 December 2026 - Guildford 3 December 2026 - Cheltenham 8 December 2026 - London 11 December 2026 - Virtual You'll need to be a university student or have graduated to apply. You’ll hear from Trainees, Associates and Partners about what it’s like to work here as well as the kind of work we do. Our Early Talent team will also run an applications masterclass and answer any question you have about our Training Contract application process.
- Salary: Reasonable travel expenses will be covered up to £100, and lunch provided for in-person open days.
- Deadline: 12 November 2026
Please remember that they recruit two years in advance, and you must be eligible to start your training contract in September 2029, i.e. at least in your penultimate year of your law degree, or final year of your non-law degree, or have graduated.
- Deadline: 15 January 2027
Our Hong Kong Placement Scheme will take place in June / July 2027 and we will look to recruit trainees for our 2028 and 2029 trainee intake. Please note, to be eligible, you’ll need to be on track to have completed the PCLL by the start of your Training Contact in 2028 or 2029. We’re looking for aspiring solicitors who are ideally trilingual (English, Mandarin and Cantonese), with strong reading and writing skills in English and Chinese. You will also need to have the Right to Work in Hong Kong to apply for the Placement Scheme.
- Places: Hong Kong
- Deadline: 4 January 2027
What Charles Russell Speechlys Looks For
Key Competencies
- Academic excellence (minimum 2:1 and AAB at A-level expected)
- Commercial awareness and interest in regional/private client matters
- Teamwork and strong peer collaboration
- Resilience and ability to manage target hours
Evidence Signals
- Relevant commercial or private-client work experience
- Demonstrable teamwork or peer-supported projects
- Academic attainment consistent with entry requirements (2:1, AAB)
- International or secondment interest (given overseas opportunities)
Benefits & Wellbeing
- Trainee salary Year 1: £52,000
- Trainee salary Year 2: £55,000
- Newly qualified salary: £93,000
- PGDL grant: £10,000
- SQE grant: £10,000
- Annual leave: 25 days
- Annual target hours: 1,500
- Average start time (reported): 09:02
- Average finish time (reported): 18:33
Awards & Recognition
- Legal 500: Total Ranked Practice Areas: 70; Tier 1 practice areas: 21 (across multiple UK regions and private client, commercial litigation, M&A and real estate specialisms).
- Chambers & Partners: Ranked Departments Count: 58 (profiled across multiple practice areas).
- Insider/trainee ratings: Training A*; Quality of work A*; Peer support A*; Partner approachability A*; Work–life balance A; Legal tech A; Perks A; Office A; Social life A*; Eco friendliness A*.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Innovation
Insider ratings give the firm an A for legal tech, indicating a strong internal focus on technology and systems.
Quick Application Angles
- Highlight demonstrable private-client or agriculture/estates experience or interest — the firm has multiple Tier 1 private client and agriculture/estates rankings.
- Reference the firm’s substantial trainee support and training reputation (A* training rating) and give examples of how you learn quickly and contribute in team settings.
- Mention interest in legal technology and efficiency — the firm scores highly for legal tech, so show you can work with systems or improve processes.
- If applying for funding or route queries, note awareness of the firm’s PGDL and SQE grants (both reported at £10,000) and ask specific questions about study leave and exam support in interviews.
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