GA Solicitors

Overview

GA Solicitors is a full-service regional law firm centred on Plymouth with a broad practice offering across personal and commercial law. The firm highlights strong local roots in the South West and positions itself as a firm that trains and develops its own lawyers into fee-earners and future partners. GA combines consumer-facing work (conveyancing, wills & probate, family, personal injury) with commercial services (commercial property, corporate & commercial, energy) and frequently acts for local charities and organisations. The firm is visible in local press and firm news for client work and sector awards, particularly in conveyancing.

• Headquarters: Plymouth

Values & Culture

Practice Areas

• Real Estate
• Private Client & Wealth
• Family Law
• Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Energy & Natural Resources
• Corporate & M&A
• Employment
• Charities & Not-for-Profit
• Commercial Contracts

Geographic Focus: Regional focus on South West England (Plymouth and the wider Devon, Dorset and Cornwall area); serves local individuals, SMEs, public and third-sector organisations.

Training Contract

Two-year training contract, comprising four seats across contentious and non-contentious teams. Trainees typically spend approximately six months in each seat, though the firm takes a flexible approach and some trainees have had shorter seats to experience more areas. The firm prefers the final seat to be in the team the trainee proposes to qualify into. Each seat is supervised by a senior specialist lawyer and trainees meet with the training principal every three months to review progress and plan seats.

• Academic Requirements: Applicants must have obtained a 2:1 LLB (Hons) degree or a 2:1 (Hons) non-law degree together with a passed Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL/PGDL). Applicants must be currently studying for a full or part-time LPC or SQE (either SQE 1 & 2 preparation or the LLM in Legal Practice 1 & 2), or will be starting the LPC or an SQE course in the September before commencing the training contract. Strong work-­
• Application Deadline: 31 October 2026

Seat Options

• Real Estate
• Private Client & Wealth
• Family Law
• Real Estate
• Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Energy & Natural Resources
• Corporate & M&A
• Employment

Mentorship

Supervision by a senior specialist lawyer in each seat; quarterly meetings with the training principal, Lucy Foster, to review training and plan seats. Trainees also have opportunities to work with multiple lawyers within a team to broaden experience.

Apply on the GA Solicitors website →

Notable Matters

What GA Solicitors Looks For

Key Competencies

• Initiative
• Adaptability
• Client-facing skills / willingness to take client contact
• Strong work ethic
• Organisational skills
• Commercial awareness (implied by commercial seat options and SME client base)

Evidence Signals

• Qualifying work experience or period of recognised training while studying LPC/SQE
• Demonstrable client contact or client-facing experience
• Relevant academic record (2:1 LLB or 2:1 non-law + GDL/PGDL)
• Interest or experience in conveyancing, private client work or local community/charity engagement

Benefits & Wellbeing

Awards & Recognition

• Lexcel accreditation: 'Lexcel awards top marks for teamwork at GA Solicitors' (Lexcel recognition reported on the firm's site)
• GA Solicitors Named Southern Conveyancing Team of the Year (Conveyancing Awards 2026) — reported by the firm
• Multiple regional awards and accolades referenced in firm news (Awards Hat-Trick; Regional Law Firm Secures Three Accolades in as Many Weeks)

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

• Charity of the Year
• Our work in the community
• Support for Young Enterprise Awards (Young entrepreneurs)
• Armed Forces support (Armed Forces page)

Pro Bono

Firm news and community pages record advisory work for charities and local community organisations; the firm promotes community engagement through designated charity activity and sponsorships.

Innovation

The firm has invested in digital capabilities for its conveyancing operation to improve client service and operational efficiency. GA also operates a named energy practice ('GA Energy'), demonstrating sector-focused service development.

• Digital investment in the conveyancing team
• GA Energy (energy-focused practice group)

Quick Application Angles

• Emphasise your commitment to client contact and give concrete examples of times you proactively managed client relationships or communications — GA explicitly expects trainees to have as much client contact as possible.
• Reference local and regional experience or ties to the South West (Plymouth/Devon/Cornwall) and any community or charity involvement (e.g. Young Enterprise or charity advisory work), as GA is regionally focused and visible in local community projects.
• If applying for conveyancing or private client seats, mention familiarity with digital conveyancing tools or interest in process improvement — the firm has recently invested in digital conveyancing capability and positions the team as award-winning.
• Make clear you meet their academic criteria (2:1 LLB or 2:1 non-law + GDL/PGDL) and state your LPC or SQE study plans (start date or current study), because the firm requires trainees to be studying for or committed to LPC/SQE before starting.