Training contract guidance

Training trainee solicitors: the SRA requirements (PDF 26 pages, 1MB)  

This document includes must-have information for training establishments and trainee solicitors, and should be your first port of call when checking the training contract requirements.

The training contract – full time (PDF 5 pages, 130K)

This contract is to be used where trainee solicitors have completed the LPC and are employed by the training establishment on a full-time basis.

The training contract – part time (PDF 5 pages, 126K)  

This contract is to be used for trainee solicitors who have completed the LPC and are employed on a part-time basis.

The "part-time study" training contract (PDF 5 pages, 143K)  

This contract is intended for use where trainee solicitors employed within a solicitor's office are completing – on a 'part-time study' basis – a law degree, the Common Professional Examination (CPE), the Legal Practice Course (LPC), or an exempting law degree.

Training trainee solicitors: Performance and development review – Sample appraisal form (PDF 6 pages, 74K)  

Although we do not prescribe the form of the appraisal documentation, this sample form can be used unaltered or adapted to suit individual requirements.

Training trainee solicitors: Guidelines on monitoring of training contracts (PDF 3 pages, 91K)

We monitor training establishments to ensure that they are providing adequate training. These guidelines include full details of the monitoring scheme and procedures.

Training trainee solicitors: Modular training contract guidelines (PDF 4 pages, 118K)

If a training establishment cannot provide trainees with experience in three separate areas of law, or experience in the range of contentious and non-contentious work required by the skills standards, it must arrange for the trainee to be seconded. Alternatively, the training establishment could consider offering a training contract jointly with another firm or organisation. These guidelines explain how this can be done.

Training trainee solicitors: Training contract record (PDF 2 pages, 60K)

Training principals must ensure that trainees maintain an adequate record of their training throughout the period of the training contract. We do not prescribe the format of the training contract record, but recommend that it include several elements, all of which can be seen in this sample form.