Birketts LLP

Overview

Birketts LLP is a UK Top 50 full-service law firm with a heritage spanning around 160 years and a strong regional foothold across the East of England and the South East. The firm has more than 700 lawyers and legal professionals (1,200+ colleagues overall) operating from seven UK offices and offers deep sector specialisms including agriculture & estates, real estate, charities, construction and corporate work. Birketts combines national reach with a regional focus (strong presence in East Anglia) and operates a client-facing training and learning platform (Shaping Excellence) together with diversified early-career routes such as vacation schemes, training contracts and a Graduate Solicitor Apprenticeship programme.

• Lawyers: 700+
• Partners: 159
• Trainees: 41
• Offices: 7
• Revenue: £120m (2024/2025)

Values & Culture

Practice Areas

• Agriculture & Rural
• Banking & Finance
• Charities & Not-for-Profit
• Construction & Engineering
• Corporate & M&A
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Employment
• Data Protection & Privacy
• Real Estate
• Private Client & Wealth
• Insolvency & Restructuring
• Financial Services & Regulation
• ESG & Sustainability
• Environment & Planning
• Healthcare & Life Sciences
• Hospitality & Leisure
• Housing & Social Housing
• Immigration
• Infrastructure & Projects
• Insurance & Reinsurance
• Intellectual Property
• Public Law
• Regulatory & Compliance
• Retail & Consumer
• Technology & Digital
• Transport & Logistics

Geographic Focus: Birketts operates across seven UK offices with particularly strong market recognition in East Anglia and the South East (Cambridge, Norwich, Ipswich, Chelmsford, Essex) while maintaining a City presence in London and a growing West of England capability from Bristol. The firm positions itself as a national full‑service firm with deep regional expertise and sector teams that serve corporate, public sector, charity and private‑client clients throughout the UK.

Training Contract

Birketts’ training contract is a two‑year programme comprising four seats across the firm (four principal divisions are named as core rotations). Trainees are supervised in each seat, work on live matters with partner and associate supervision, and participate in firm‑wide training and social events. The firm states its training gives exposure to clients and current work and includes dedicated supervision in each seat.

• Starting Salary: £37,000 (first year), £38,000 (second year)
• NQ Salary: £72,500
• Trainee Intake: 41
• Qualification Rate: 89% (latest trainee retention rate)
• Academic Requirements: Minimum entry: 120 UCAS points and a 2.1 degree (firm also considers non-law and mature graduates and provides a mitigating circumstances space on the application form).
• Application Deadline: 2026-08-28

Seat Options

• Corporate & M&A
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Private Client & Wealth
• Real Estate

Sponsorship

Provides full sponsorship of the SQE LLM (University of Law) including preparation courses and exams; funds SQE Law Essentials where applicable. PGDL/GDL grant: £4,400 (reported).

SQE Support

Full sponsorship of the SQE LLM through University of Law (includes preparation courses and the SQE exam fees; course can be taken at preferred campus). The firm also provides funding for SQE Law Essentials as an alternative to the GDL where applicable.

International Opportunities

Chances of secondment abroad: 0% (reported figure).

Client Secondments

Chances of client secondment: 0% (reported figure).

Mentorship

Trainees receive dedicated supervision in each seat from partners/associates, have access to trainee networks and social events, and are supported by the Early Careers team (named contacts such as the Early Careers Manager). The programme includes peer support and buddying with existing trainees and access to the firm’s learning & development resources.

Apply on the Birketts LLP website →

Programmes & Schemes

Notable Matters

What Birketts LLP Looks For

Key Competencies

• Commercial awareness
• Teamwork and peer support
• Strong communication skills
• Attention to detail
• Client focus and professionalism
• Resilience and adaptability
• Commitment to personal development and wellbeing
• Interest in sector specialisms (e.g., agriculture, charities, real estate) for specialist seats

Evidence Signals

• Completion of the Birketts vacation scheme or other direct Birketts engagement (events / insight days)
• Relevant sector experience (charity trustee experience for charities work; rural/land experience for agriculture and estates)
• Participation in social mobility or outreach programmes (SMILE)
• Demonstrable commercial or client‑facing experience (work placements, internships)
• Academic attainment aligned with entry requirements (120 UCAS points and 2:1 degree preferred)

Benefits & Wellbeing

• Trainee salaries: Year 1 £37,000; Year 2 £38,000
• NQ salary: £72,500
• PGDL/GDL grant: £4,400
• 25/30 days’ annual holiday (full‑time equivalent) depending on role (in addition to public holidays); additional week awarded for each 10 years’ continuous service
• Annual target hours: 900 (reported metric)
• Access to BUPA private healthcare (option to include family members via contributions)
• HealthiFlex discounted health assessments
• Pension: 5% employer contribution matched (option to contribute via salary sacrifice)
• Life assurance at four times salary (subject to maximum benefit)
• Group Income Protection (reported at 66.67% of scheme earnings)
• In‑house Wellbeing Nurse and Occupational Health Nurse
• THRIVE wellbeing and development programme
• Active social committee, firm‑wide social events, sports teams
• Support for apprenticeships and trainee development
• Flexible delivery of Shaping Excellence training (remote and in‑person options)

Wellbeing

In‑house Wellbeing Nurse (confidential mental and physical health support), an Occupational Health Nurse for formal health support, and the THRIVE programme offering webinars, training and expert sessions focused on wellbeing and development.

Awards & Recognition

• UK Top 50 Full Service Law Firm (Top 50 listing)
• Certified B Corporation™ (Birketts LLP becomes Certified B Corporation™) — 2026
• Multiple Tier 1 practice rankings across Legal 500 (numerous practice areas listed at Tier 1 in East Anglia and the South East)

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Disclosed four‑pillar ESG and CSR strategy with KPIs and targets; Disability Confident Committed Employer; signatory to the Armed Forces Covenant; active social mobility outreach via SMILE; provides charity trustee training and bursaries to support trustee development.

• Different Minds (neurodiversity and mental health network)
• EMBRACE (cultural diversity and identity network)
• b‑Proud (LGBTQIA+ network)
• Parental Network
• Social Mobility Network
• SMILE (Social Mobility Insight into Law Experience)
• Charity trustee training and bursaries (sponsorship of The Confident Trustee bursaries)

Pro Bono

Free Charity Trustee Induction and Refresher Training (on‑demand bite‑sized webinar modules) made available to trustees; sponsor of six bursaries for The Confident Trustee initiative; regular charities training and pro‑bono style support for charity clients and sector organisations.

Innovation

Birketts invests in digital training and remote delivery platforms for its Shaping Excellence training offering (modular e‑learning, SCORM files and hosted platforms, interactive quizzes and advanced reporting). The firm adapted training content for remote delivery during the pandemic and offers xAPI‑compatible e‑learning with reporting capabilities. Insider/internal ratings give the firm a solid but not top grade for legal tech engagement, while innovation efforts are visible in its training and client learning platforms.

• Shaping Excellence e‑learning (xAPI compatible) and remote training delivery
• Shaping Excellence remote and modular training (virtual breakout sessions, SCORM/xAPI delivered content)
• GC Forum (corporate client forum)

Quick Application Angles

• Highlight sector fit with the firm’s regional strengths (e.g., agriculture & estates or charities) — reference the firm’s market leadership in East Anglia and recent agriculture hires/ALA Fellowships.
• Mention the firm’s training and development approach (Shaping Excellence) and the SQE LLM sponsorship — demonstrate eagerness to engage with their practical, client‑facing training model.
• If applying for charity or not‑for‑profit roles, reference Birketts’ free Charity Trustee Induction and Refresher Training and its sponsorship of The Confident Trustee bursaries to show alignment with their responsible‑business and charity focus.
• Where relevant, reference recent firm work (for example advising Martley Capital on a £60m Birmingham property acquisition) to show commercial awareness and interest in the firm’s transactional real estate practice.
• Emphasise collaborative, people‑focused attributes (teamwork, peer support and communication) — insider‑style ratings point to strong peer support and partner approachability, so concrete examples of effective teamworking resonate.