Flex Trainee: Autumn Cohort

The Solicitors Qualification Examination (SQE) route is designed to open the legal profession to a wider pool of talent. At Flex Legal, our mission is to help historically under‑represented aspiring solicitors make the most of the SQE and QWE opportunity. Our aim is to place our trainees in high‑calibre legal teams where they can gain valuable Qualifying Work Experience (QWE), while offering the opportunity to access SQE1 and SQE2 preparation courses and exams.

Flex works with innovative and exciting legal teams to make sure trainees are exposed to a wide range of work. Our trainees are placed in renowned companies, including international banks and other financial services organisations, leading manufacturers and retailers, technology and telecoms companies, as well as charities. Trainees are employed by Flex Legal on a fixed‑term contract and seconded to an in‑house legal team, typically for a minimum period of 12 months or for up to 24 months, to gain QWE.

Our SQE route supports trainees with QWE by offering secondments to our in‑house clients. While the goal is for trainees to gain two years of QWE, the specific placement length and experience are subject to client demand and the trainee’s prior qualifications.

Placement lengths may change subject to factors such as performance and client demand. Access to SQE1 and SQE2 preparation courses and exams are subject to placement length, prior qualifications, and conditions being met.

Flex Legal operates two annual cohorts:

• Spring:
  Includes a Readiness Programme in March, with client secondments beginning in April.

• Autumn:
  Includes a Readiness Programme in October, with client secondments beginning in November.

For our Autumn 2026 cohort, the Readiness Programme runs from 12th–30th October, with client secondments starting on 2nd November 2026.

Wherever you go during the programme, your 'home-base' will always be Flex Legal, who will ensure that you're well taken care of. As a Flex Trainee you will receive:

• A salary of £32,000 in London or £28,000 elsewhere.

• A Qualifying Work Experience secondment with a top in‑house legal team (past clients include: ASOS, Trustpilot, Natwest, The Crown Estate, and Mondelez).

• Access to SQE1 and SQE2 preparation courses (additional courses subject to T&Cs) and your first sitting of each SQE exam, subject to conditions being met.

• A bespoke Readiness Programme before you start to allow you to hit the ground running.

• An in‑house supervisor who meets with Flex every month to review your progress.

• Regular 1:1 support and coaching from the Flex Team.

• Introductions to mentors across the legal industry.

• Exclusive access to industry networking events.

• Access to our SQE Journal to help you easily track your Qualifying Work Experience progress.

• Other benefits include private health care, a cycle‑to‑work scheme and nursery benefits.

Please ensure you understand our application process by reviewing the following link: (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).-trainee

While many of our clients are London‑based, we operate across major cities throughout England. Our client locations vary by cycle, so we will discuss your location preferences and relocation flexibility during the application process. If we don’t currently have an opening in your preferred area, we can discuss rolling your application forward to a future cycle.

Entering the Trainee in Waiting pool confirms that you have successfully passed our Flex Legal screening and are now eligible to be matched with our clients in the hope of securing a secondment. It is important to note that this is not yet an offer of employment. Our team will begin sending you client opportunities…