What is Secondment?

• Secondment is a temporary placement of a trainee or qualified lawyer at a client or another organisation, typically lasting three to six months.

• A client secondment normally counts as one of a trainee's seats on a training contract and gives hands-on exposure to how legal advice is used commercially.

• Secondments can be external (with a client), internal (to another part of the firm), or to a different jurisdiction or regulatory body.

• Key learning areas include commercial awareness, client relationship management, pragmatic drafting, and an appreciation of business drivers and budgets.

• Practical considerations include supervision structures, confidentiality and data protection, billing practices, and conflict-of-interest checks.

• Performance on secondment can influence training contract or NQ offers and may lead to permanent in-house roles.

• Secondments are highly valued on CVs and at interviews because they demonstrate client-facing experience and commercial judgement.

Secondments have long been a feature of elite and mid‑tier firms seeking to bridge the solicitor‑client divide. Historically they arose from firms wanting trainees to understand commercial realities and from clients wanting embedded legal support on complex transactions. In modern practice secondments support cross‑pollination of skills between law firms and in‑house teams, regulators or public bodies. They remain especially relevant as law firms emphasise commercial outcomes, fixed fees and close collaboration with clients. With routes to qualification diversifying under the SQE, secondments still offer unique practical experience that formal courses cannot replicate: seeing how internal stakeholders use legal advice, how business decisions are influenced, and the non‑legal priorities that shape outcomes. For aspiring solicitors they are a window into the real world of commercial lawyering and organisational constraints.

For an aspiring solicitor, a secondment is both a development opportunity and a stage for assessment. Strong performance - meeting deadlines, producing usable documents, asking commercially focused questions and handling client relationships professionally - will strengthen a training contract or NQ application. Trainees should use a secondment to learn client processes, billing practices and how in‑house teams balance legal risk with business objectives. Practical steps include clarifying objectives with supervisors, asking to attend commercial meetings, keeping concise written notes, and seeking feedback. Be mindful of confidentiality, conflicts and the need to adapt tone and speed for in‑house audiences. Resources to prepare and track secondments include YourLegalLadder (for seat trackers, mentor access and TC application tools), the Law Society guidance, and in‑firm secondment handbooks; use these to set goals and evidence learning in appraisals and CVs.

• Training Contract: The fixed period when trainees complete seats; a secondment normally counts as one seat.

• Seat: A rotation within a practice area or client placement during the training contract.

• In‑house Counsel: Lawyers employed by organisations; secondments show how in‑house teams operate and what they value.

• Secondment Agreement: A short contract covering duties, confidentiality and liability during the placement.

• Conflict of Interest: A legal and ethical issue that must be checked before and during secondments to avoid breaches.

• Secondment Guarantees Job Offers: A common belief is that impressing on secondment guarantees a permanent offer; while it helps, offers depend on budget, headcount and long‑term needs.

• Secondments Are Observational Only: They are usually substantive roles where you will draft, advise and attend meetings, not merely shadow.

• Confidentiality Is Relaxed: Trainees must maintain the same confidentiality and data‑protection standards as in the firm, and conflicts must be cleared.

• Secondments Are Only For Trainees: Qualified solicitors also undertake secondments for career development or to support a client relationship, so it is not limited to trainees.

• All Secondments Are 3-6 Months By Rule: That is typical, but durations vary by firm and client - some are shorter or extendable depending on need.