Trainee Solicitor - Assessment Centre

Your Future At Higgs

Job title

Trainee Solicitor

Career Stage 

Level 1

Our Departments

Our trainees complete four seats each lasting for six months.

We offer our trainees the opportunity to work across a range of departments and teams including:

•    Business Services – tax, succession planning, insolvency, corporate and commercial
•    Dispute Resolution – commercial and property litigation
•    Employment
•    Family
•    Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence
•    Private Client – wealth, trusts and estates, charities and Court of Protection
•    Real Estate – commercial and residential

Our Purpose

To forge long-term relationships that have a positive impact on our people, our clients, our business partners, and our community.

Our Commitment to Our People

We do not think there is a magic formula to the Higgs culture. The key is to listen to and respect our people. If we take care of our people and our people take care of our clients, then everything we want as a firm will take care of itself. We are friendly and open to new ideas.

Our Core Values

Higgs core values are “CLEAR” – Care, Legacy, Excellence, Authenticity, Relationships

Role Purpose

Higgs is different from your average law firm. We successfully combine traditional values with an innovative approach to legal problems which has helped to attract an impressive client base whilst also staying true to our local community.

Our people and our clients are attracted by our ability to offer a full range of services. We are proud to provide a supportive and friendly working environment within which both colleagues and clients can thrive.

Our trainees form the lifeblood of the firm and benefit from hands-on experience and responsibility from the very beginning. Join us on our journey.

Key Responsibilities

During the training period, our trainees will develop and apply the practice skills they will use as qualified solicitors.

The key elements of each skill and the type of experience that will help trainees to develop those skills are specified in the Practice Skills Standards.

You will develop your skills through a mixture of the following activities:

•    Advocacy and oral presentation
•    Dispute resolution
•    Case and transaction management
•    Communication skills
•    Establishing and maintaining professional relationships
•    Drafting
•    Interviewing and advising
•    Conducting legal research
•    Negotiation
•    Managing workloads

Person Specification

The criteria below will be assessed via application (A), interview (I), test (T) or all (A/I/T).

Essential Criteria 

•    Acts with integrity and discretion, recognising the importance of confidentiality when managing personal, client, or firm information (A/I/T)

•    Ability to accurately record, organise, and maintain client and matter information using appropriate systems, ensuring information is accessible, secure, and supports the team efficiency (A/I/T)

•    Communicates with clarity, sharing ideas appropriately, listening actively, and contributing to discussions that support effective decision-making and continuous improvement. (A/I/T)

•    Experience in taking ownership of tasks with responsible time management, attention to detail and professional responsibility. (A/I/T)

•    Brings a positive attitude and proactive approach to your role, helping to foster a respectful and inclusive workplace. (A/I/T)

Desirable Criteria 

•    Able to demonstrate awareness of our purpose and how the role contributes to wider goals. (I)

•    May have experience working in a professional or client facing environment. (A)

Technical Know How

•    Proficient in using Microsoft 365 applications to organise tasks, manage time effectively and support collaborative working (essential). (A/I/T)

Other Information

•    The firm will meet the cost of the SQE and PGDL, if required.

What We Offer You 

We offer more than just a job. Our benefits reflect our commitment to your development, wellbeing and work-life balance. Click here to discover more.

Higgs offers hybrid working wherever possible. Our Higgs’ Best FIT (flexible, inclusive, together) principles are designed to ensure that people can complete their best work from the most appropriate location. If you are looking to work flexibly then let us know and we will do what we can to accommodate your request.

We also encourage a ‘dress for your diary’ approach which means dressing in a manner appropriate for your schedule or the specific appointments you have on any given day.

Equal Opportunities

Higgs LLP is proud to be a signatory of The Law Society’s Diversity, Inclusion Charter and a Disability Confident Committed Employer. These commitments reflect our dedication to building a workplace that is inclusive, accessible, and welcoming to all. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities.

As part of our Disability Confident commitment, we offer a guaranteed interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role and choose to opt into the Disability Confident Interview Scheme.

We are also committed to ensuring that all applicants can fully participate in the recruitment process. If you require any reasonable adjustments, please let us know by contacting us at recruitment@higgsllp.co.uk 

We recognise that inclusion is an ongoing journey, and we regularly review and publish our diversity data, which can be accessed here.

People Driven. Legal Excellence.