Paid Justice First Trainee Solicitor Fellowship
- Organization: The Legal Education Foundation (LEF)
- Type: Fellowship
- Location: United Kingdom
- Deadline: December 14, 2026
- Funding: Fully Funded
The Legal Education Foundation, a UK charity, runs the Justice First Fellowship to train the next generation of social justice lawyers. Fellows spend two years (two and a half in Northern Ireland) as salaried trainee solicitors at a law centre or charity, working on areas such as housing, debt, welfare benefits, employment, immigration and asylum, and qualify as solicitors at the end. LEF funds the host to employ you and pays for your mandatory legal training, and 14 trainee positions across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland start in April 2027. **What you get:** - A paid two-year training contract with a host organisation, which employs you directly; the 14 positions for 2027 list starting salaries from £25,664 to £38,133 - Your mandatory legal training paid for by LEF: SQE 2 preparation and exam or the Professional Skills Course in England and Wales, the TCPD training in Scotland, or the IPLS course at Queen's University Belfast in Northern Ireland - Free training in project management, career development and fundraising, plus monthly wellbeing sessions with Claiming Space - A cohort and alumni network, an annual summer residential, and free or discounted external training **What you'll do:** - Give legal advice and represent clients under supervision in social welfare law, working towards qualifying as a solicitor - Design and run your own social justice project with your host, such as a new advice service, research or a fundraising stream - Take part in LEF's mandatory training programme alongside other fellows **Key dates:** - Applications opened 12 October 2026 - Applications close 14 December 2026 - Interviews run 18 January to 5 February 2027; hosts aim to tell candidates the outcome by mid February - Final confirmation of selected fellows by 15 March 2027 - Fellowships start in April 2027 **More information:** - You choose up to two host organisations from the list on the application portal, where each host's full job description and starting salary is published - Shortlisting is anonymised: hosts do not see your name, school or equal opportunities data at first - Interviews usually include a presentation or written task; the host makes the hiring decision - You can opt into clearing to be considered for positions still open at other hosts
