Spring Forward programme

Eligibility
For first year law students (and second year law students on a four-year degree) from lower socio-economic and/or ethnic minority backgrounds. You must have the right to work in the UK.

Dates
Monday 5 April - Friday 9 April 2027

When to apply
Applications for our 2027 programme are open and will close on Wednesday 6 January 2027.

An inclusive and diverse workforce is critical to our firm’s success and we seek the brightest minds to join us. Our clients work with us because they know that they can access exceptional talent. Data from the Law Society shows that lawyers from ethnic minority or lower socio-economic backgrounds are underrepresented in law firms compared to the undergraduate population at UK universities. In our search for the best talent, we want to improve access to the profession for undergraduates from underrepresented backgrounds.

If you are a first-year law student from a lower socio-economic and/or ethnic minority background, our Spring Forward programme has been designed to give you an insight into life as a lawyer at Slaughter and May. This programme aims to develop your understanding of the work and culture of the firm and to provide information and experience for when you make decisions about applying for summer work experience schemes and training contracts in your penultimate year.

The programme includes:

• A one-week in-person work experience scheme in April. During the one-week scheme, your time will be split between working alongside an associate and taking part in training sessions and skills workshops to help you develop your understanding of our work and build your commercial awareness.
• Ongoing support including an ongoing 'buddy' relationship following the scheme to provide support with the summer scheme application/interview process in your penultimate year.

You will be asked to confirm if you are from a lower socio-economic and/or ethnic minority background on the application form.

Payment
We will pay you £550 which is intended to cover your expenses during the scheme. If you will be relocating to London for the scheme and require accommodation, we will assist you with the arrangements for this and cover the cost on top of the £550 payment. There is also a professional clothing grant available for those who require it.

What we look for
We aim to employ the brightest minds regardless of what or where they have studied – you will find graduates from 50+ universities at Slaughter and May. Our work is intellectually demanding so we are looking for the following minimum academic achievements:

• A-levels: AAB (not including EPQ) or equivalent
• Undergraduate degree (and postgraduate degree if applicable): Strong 2:1, ideally a minimum of 65% and above in the majority of your modules for each academic year completed. If you are currently in the first year of your undergraduate degree, we understand that you may not yet have any university grades to include in your application.

If you do not meet these requirements due to mitigating circumstances which materially impacted your results, please include details of this on your application. All applications are considered on their own merits.

We are also looking for candidates with:

• An interest in a career in commercial law, an understanding of what the firm does, and motivation and enthusiasm to find out more about working at Slaughter and May.
• Good communication skills (verbal and written).
• The ability to work successfully in teams.
• Resilience when dealing with the unexpected and the ability to remain focused under pressure.
• A range of interests outside of a career in law.

We value diversity and individuality very highly - different perspectives are crucial when it comes to providing innovative advice. We use the Rare Contextual Recruitment System across all our early careers recruitment activity. The system helps us identify high-potential candidates by putting applicants’ grades and achievements in the context of their social and educational background.

Slaughter and May is committed to ensuring that our recruitment processes are barrier-free and as inclusive as possible to everyone. This includes making adjustments for people who have a disability or long-term health condition. If you require any adjustments to be made to the application and interview process or to attend a work experience opportunity with us, please contact Bethan Yates, Early Careers Recruitment Adviser.

To ensure that no-one is prevented from participating in a work experience opportunity due to financial constraints, we can offer additional financial support to those who require it.