EMG Graduate Trainee Solicitor Scheme

Graduate Trainee Solicitor Scheme

Realise Your Potential

Who are we?

We are EMG Solicitors.

EMG Solicitors is an award winning, Legal 500 boutique law firm with offices across the North. We provide a range of legal advice to both private individuals and businesses across the region and nationally. We provide the legal support that our clients require in order to achieve anything from their basic needs to their wildest dreams and everything in between. We specialise in:

• Commercial Property

• Court of Protection – Property & Affairs

• Court of Protection – Health & Welfare

• Deputyships

• Employment Law

• Family Law

• Litigation & Disputes

• Residential Conveyancing

• Wills, Trusts & Probate services

Values and Your Training

Here at EMG we pride ourselves in the way we work with each other and in how we deliver exceptional client care, it’s what we refer to as ‘The EMG Way’. We want to develop our own people who know what it means to work here being guided by our EMG values and associated behaviours.

Your training is important to us and we want to ensure you are able to blossom and develop through a career which meets your own personal and professional desires.

We will ensure your trainee solicitor programme with EMG will be guided by our values:

Co-operation

Our open door policy will help you engage with your colleagues who will support you in your development

Courage

We will support you in taking on challenging work not just the ‘easy stuff’

Excellence

Your progression will be structured and provide variety to allow you to really shine

Integrity

Through regular reviews you will receive honest and constructive feedback on your progress

Kindness

We want to make your learning experience fun and enjoyable

What do we look for?

Here at EMG we like to do things a bit differently, which means we like our Trainee’s to stand out from the crowd.

We look for talented and motivated individuals who have gone above and beyond whilst completing their studies. We want to hear about the voluntary work you have done, what you like to get involved in and what you like to do in your spare time.

Hardworking individuals who relate to our values and have a hunger for selfdevelopment and a real commitment to excellence.

As a Trainee you will be expected to engage with the firms social events, networking events and become a real ambassador for EMG Solicitors.

Our success is based on our team ethos and this is the area we continue to nurture as the team grows.

What do we offer?

We will offer you a range of opportunities to expose you to dealing with real clients from day 1, we believe this is an important part of your growth and journey towards becoming a confident and competent Solicitor.

Working alongside our experienced legal professionals, you will receive all the support you feel you need. We work in a friendly and open environment so we encourage you to ask as many questions as you can and make the most of the learning opportunities we have available for you.

Aside developing your legal skills we offer a financial package and some of our amazing benefits below, to reward you for all your hard work and commitment.

25 holiday days

5 extra holiday days on your fifth year of service

Pension Scheme

3 non contractual days leave

£50 Gift Card

Late start/early finish on your Birthday

£50 Gift Card

Beamish Museum Passes

EMG Rewards

The Recruitment Process

6.

Offers Made to Successful Candidates

Applications for the Trainee Solicitor Scheme will open each year with the dates being advertised on the website and our social media sites.

After the closing date we will then review your CV and cover letter, so make sure to read through our application tips section to see what we look for.

Our assessment day is the main part of the recruitment process, for this you will come and spend the full day with us and your fellow candidates from a number of Universities. After the assessment day we take a couple weeks to meet with all the Directors and Senior Leaders involved, this is for us to collate everything we observed on the day.

Candidates who have been successful at the assessment center will be invited to a final interview.

An offer will be made to successful candidates, all candidates who have applied will receive feedback at each stage of the process.

Top Tips for your Application and Assessment Day

Application - CV

Make sure you spend some time on your application, check the spelling, make sure that everything is in order date wise. Tell us about your work experience – what skills have you gained from it? Include some of your extra curricular activities to tell us what you like to do in your spare time.

Application - Cover Letter

Your cover letter should have a traditional letter layout and be addressed correctly. It should tell us a bit about you, what you have/are studying and what drew you to apply for EMG Solicitors.

Assessment Day

We’re a friendly bunch here at EMG, so for your assessment day the best advice we can give you is to be yourself and enjoy it. It’s important for us to spend the whole day with you so we can get to know you properly and you get the chance to get to know us by interacting with Directors and Senior Leaders and asking as many questions as you like. However we do have some top tips;

Plan your journey in plenty of time to avoid being late or getting lost.

Don’t dwell on mistakes you think you made in tasks, just focus on the next task.

Ask questions if you don’t understand what you are meant to be doing for the tasks.

Don’t worry about other candidates performance, concentrate on demonstrating your strengths.

Life at EMG Solicitors

‘ The reason why I chose to initially apply to EMG was due to the culture and reputation they hold. Although it is a law firm and has to abide by strict standards ensuring the high levels of service provided are upheld, it was clear to me that EMG has more to offer. I was particularly amazed by the annual WonderLAN Ball that is held to support Headway.

Rather than the current application process my journey is slightly different as I applied as a litigation paralegal. My first 6 months was spent in lockdown due to Covid which enabled me to utilise my skills across the departments, subsequently I was offered an interview for a trainee position before an offer was made. Again my training contract was slightly different as my seats were not split equally, I carried out 9 months in commercial property due to the high demand of work, followed by 4 months with the family department and then finally 5 months with the private client department. For the choice in seats EMG are extremely accommodating as they were able to facilitate which areas I wanted to practice in.

The main reason why I stayed with EMG after completing my training contract is because of its amazing culture and reputation. Not only does EMG focus on our clients and the services provided to them, but also its employees and their growth. For instance, there is the ‘Young Networkers Group’ which promotes and supports those who are just starting out in their legal career.’

Yasmin Ali Solicitor

We are here to help, support and nurture you through your training contract and beyond.

‘When applying for a training contract, it was important that I shared the values of the firm, and it was somewhere that I could see myself working for years to come. EMG Solicitors provided this, not only having core values but using these in a way to guide them in everything that they do, both internally and externally. The firm provides a high-quality service to clients, whilst ensuring that a supportive, transparent, and enjoyable environment is maintained inside of the firm, creating both a great place to work and grow my career.

I started at the firm in March 2022 as a Paralegal within the Court of Protection (Health and Welfare) department before commencement of my Training Contract in September 2023, with my first seat being in Litigation. The firm has been supportive since I started, providing responsibility and opportunities wherever possible. This has led to me being able to achieve career highs, such as attending a case in the Royal Courts of Justice, and personal goals, such as being a member of the internal Diversity and Inclusion working group.’

Josh Horne Trainee Solicitor

‘From the moment I discovered EMG Solicitors, it stood out to me as a law firm which prioritises both excellent client service and the wellbeing of every member of staff. EMG Solicitors has an excellent reputation for providing top notch legal services across the North of England – and this is down to a kind and energetic team with an abundance of skill and experience.

Over the course of my training contract thus far, I have been reminded time and time again that EMG Solicitors is a fantastic firm to train with. Staff are extremely well supported both professionally & pastorally, and this makes it an ideal environment for Trainee Solicitors to break out of their comfort zones and achieve their goals. Accomplishments and growth are consistently recognised and celebrated, and because of this, I have always felt like a valued member of the EMG family and never just a cog in a machine.

I am now in my third seat of my training contract working on the Family team. Before this, I completed seats with the Litigation and Disputes team and the Court of Protection (Property & Affairs) team. It has been invaluable experience getting to carry out such varied work across the different departments, and I am confident that my training over the course of these two years will set me up for success on qualification.’

Fionnuala Cottrell Trainee Solicitor

Are you a future EMG trainee?

If you are interested in a career with EMG and would like more information about our Trainee Solicitor Scheme, please visit our website and keep up to date with our latest news and vacancies!

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Offices across the North. Durham. Darlington. Newcastle. Penrith. Manchester.

T. 0330 024 0245 E. enquiry@emgsolicitors.com W. www.emgsolicitors.com