Wilson Solicitors

Overview

Wilson Solicitors is a long-established, values-driven UK legal practice founded in 1989 and rooted in Tottenham with a Central London office (Holborn) and a Manchester presence. The firm specialises in immigration, family and public law (including human rights) and maintains a substantial publicly-funded legal aid practice alongside private client work. Wilsons emphasises community engagement, pro‑bono work and strategic public law litigation (judicial review, detention and nationality challenges), and is regularly ranked in major legal directories for its three core practice areas. The firm operates as a limited liability partnership and positions itself as a stable career employer with an emphasis on training, apprenticeships and widening access to the profession.

• Headquarters: London, Waterhouse Square (Holborn)
• Founded: 1989
• Lawyers: 100+
• Partners: 17
• Offices: 3

Values & Culture

Practice Areas

• Family Law
• Immigration
• Public Law
• Human Rights
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation

Geographic Focus: UK‑focused practice with core offices in Tottenham (North London), Central London (Holborn/Waterhouse Square) and Manchester. The firm serves clients nationally (legal aid and privately funded clients), works with local charities and NGOs, and litigates in higher courts (High Court, Upper Tribunal, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court) on public interest and immigration issues.

Training Contract

Typical entry routes: caseworker (common entry), legal aid biller (alternative entry) and direct trainee appointment for LPC graduates. Caseworkers work under supervision and may be considered for Trainee Solicitor roles after six months; LPC/GDL candidates undertake a two‑year Period of Recognised Training (PRT) to qualify via the traditional route. The firm also operates funded Graduate Solicitor Apprenticeships (University of Law) lasting approximately 2.5 years and 6‑year Solicitor Apprenticeships for school leavers. Trainees typically work in one of the three core departments (Immigration, Family, Public Law) and specialise early. Supervision includes a named supervisor, low supervisor-to-team-member ratio, quarterly formal supervision meetings, sample file review and an annual formal

• Starting Salary: Caseworkers and trainees: £29,000 to £33,500
• NQ Salary: £37,500 on qualification (rising to £45,000 over subsequent pay reviews)

Seat Options

• Immigration
• Family Law
• Public Law

Sponsorship

The firm funds apprenticeship course and exam fees partly (Graduate Solicitor Apprenticeships and 6‑year Solicitor Apprenticeships via the University of Law), with the Department for Education funding a portion.

SQE Support

Graduate Solicitor Apprenticeships run in partnership with the University of Law. The firm states that apprenticeship course and exam fees are funded partly by Wilsons and partly by the Department for Education; Graduate Solicitor Apprenticeships provide a route to qualification under the SQE. No specific commercial SQE course provider or explicit reimbursement of SQE exam fees (outside the funded

Mentorship

Every lawyer/trainee has a named supervisor, documented Training & Development Plan reviewed quarterly, regular team meetings and sample file reviews; the firm emphasises low supervisor ratios and practical, documented supervision. There are formal appraisals and peer support structures.

Apply on the Wilson Solicitors website →

Programmes & Schemes

Notable Matters

What Wilson Solicitors Looks For

Key Competencies

• Commitment to social justice and legal aid
• Empathy and client‑centred advocacy
• Resilience and ability to work under pressure (urgent injunctions/detention work)
• Strong written and oral advocacy and legal research skills
• Teamwork and willingness to be supervised and to supervise others
• Interest in specialist practice (immigration, public law, family law)
• Languages and cultural competence

Evidence Signals

• Experience or interest in immigration, asylum or public law matters
• Previous community engagement, pro‑bono or charity work (work experience with under‑represented groups)
• Practical experience as a caseworker, paralegal, or biller in a legal aid setting
• Language skills relevant to client communities
• Demonstrable commitment to access to justice and public interest litigation

Benefits & Wellbeing

• Caseworker/trainee salary range: £29,000 - £33,500
• NQ starting salary: £37,500 (rising to £45,000 over subsequent pay reviews)
• Annual pay review each July
• Discretionary performance bonuses
• Employer pension contribution: 3%
• London Living Wage employer
• Annual leave: solicitors 30 days; caseworkers 20 days (rising by one day per year to 25); plus 2 discretionary Christmas days
• Paid maternity (full pay for 20 weeks after 12 months' service) and statutory maternity thereafter; paternity pay 3 weeks after 6 months' service; shared parental leave and adoption leave parity
• Up to 5 days dependency leave
• Discretionary unpaid sabbatical (usually 3 months) after 2 years' service
• Up to 10 days paid study leave for certain law‑related graduate courses (plus discretionary further unpaid study leave)
• Secretarial and administrative support; dedicated billing team headed by a Costs Lawyer
• Use of Tikit case management and integrated accounts system
• Dictation software (Diktaman) available
• Wellbeing support: wellbeing partner, psychologist‑facilitated monthly peer support groups and one‑to‑one sessions
• Active social programme (sports groups, book club, quiz nights, summer ball), fundraising and community engagement

Wellbeing

The firm has a wellbeing partner, offers monthly peer support groups facilitated by a psychologist, access to one‑to‑one psychological support where needed, and parent/pregnancy/menopause policies. The firm runs wellbeing activities and promotes work–life balance.

Awards & Recognition

• Chambers & Partners rankings (multiple teams and individuals, 2023 and later listings; Immigration Band 1, Human Rights & Asylum Band 1, Family ranked)
• Legal 500 rankings (multiple departments and individuals, 2023 and later listings)
• The Times Best Law Firms (Best 250 law firms, 2023)
• Law Society Excellence Awards: Access to Justice Award (2021); individual recognitions including Lifetime Achievement Award for Michael Hanley
• Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year (multiple nominations and wins over the years; firm shortlisted for Legal Aid Firm of the Year 2024)
• LawWorks Pro Bono Awards (Highly Commended, 2022)
• The Lawyer Awards (Highly Commended, 2022)
• Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards (Management, Legal & Professional Services Award, 2022)

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The firm states a commitment to developing a workforce representative of society, treating employees and applicants equally regardless of protected characteristics, and actively promoting equality and diversity across recruitment, training and service delivery. Anita Vasisht is named as responsible for policy operation and the firm reports regular monitoring and annual review of the policy.

• Equality & Diversity Policy (formal policy with named lead Anita Vasisht)
• Ethnic Minority Committee
• LGBTI network
• Anti‑racism training for all staff
• Targeted work experience partnerships with local state schools, Inspire!, Queen Mary University 93% Club and Micro Rainbow International
• Pro‑bono partnerships with Rainbow Migration and other LGBTQ+ advice schemes
• 10,000 Black Interns paid internship

Pro Bono

Strong pro‑bono culture focused on immigration, refugees and LGBTQ+ advice; partnerships include Rainbow Migration and coordinated pro‑bono assistance to Afghan refugees. The firm has been Highly Commended in national pro‑bono awards for collaborative projects supporting refugees and LGBTQ+ migrants.

Innovation

The firm uses established practice management and dictation systems (Tikit, Diktaman) to support solicitors and secretarial teams. Training and technical support are provided by an in‑house IT team; trainees are exposed to case management and integrated accounting systems as part of administrative and file work. No large-scale bespoke legal‑tech platforms or named innovation hub programmes are published on the firm pages.

• Use of Tikit (Advanced) case management and integrated accounts system
• Diktaman dictation software

Quick Application Angles

• Emphasise a clear commitment to legal aid and community work — cite involvement with local schools, 10,000 Black Interns, Inspire! or Micro Rainbow partnerships to show alignment with the firm's widening‑access aims.
• If applying for immigration or public law roles, reference the firm’s recent judicial review and 'good character' litigation (or Rwanda/removals work) to demonstrate relevant technical interest and commercial/legal awareness.
• Highlight hands‑on casework experience (caseworker, paralegal or billing experience) and concrete examples of supervised file responsibility — Wilsons prioritises candidates who have progressed through caseworker routes.
• Show language skills and community engagement (work with refugees, NGOs or local authorities) — the firm values cultural competence and multi‑lingual abilities for client-facing roles.
• For apprentice or trainee applications, mention familiarity with apprenticeship study/work balance and readiness for the four‑day work / one‑day study model the firm uses with the University of Law.