Solicitor Training Programme

We understand that the most critical element in the firm’s success story is the quality of our people.

The application process for our 2026 Training Programme is open. Please download the application form and return it to us by 5pm on Friday 10th October 2025.

Carson McDowell provides a structured Solicitor Training Programme designed to ensure the best start to your career in law.

Hear from solicitors who completed their solicitor training at Carson Mc Dowell

Throughout the programme, a trainee solicitor will complete a number of seats within the firm, rotating through a range of teams and departments, including: corporate; commercial; employment; real estate; litigation and media; banking and finance; healthcare; and planning and environmental law.

A timetable is structured to ensure that each trainee has an equal amount of “in-office” experience in each seat, taking account of the timetable of the Institute of Professional Legal Studies. We believe this gives each of our trainees the best start in their legal career.

With a greater number of legal specialists in a wider number of areas than any other law firm in Northern Ireland, we believe that a training contract with Carson McDowell offers each trainee an unparalleled opportunity to explore different areas of practice and to work out, through practical experience, exactly where their talents lie and what their future career paths should be.

• Better understand the role and responsibilities of a solicitor in a leading legal firm.
• Gain experience across a wide range of legal specialisms.
• Interact with lawyers at all levels (from newly-qualified solicitors to our managing partner and senior partner) to gain valuable insights into the practice of law from a variety of different perspectives.
• Discover where their future career interests lie through hands‑on experience in the relevant legal areas; and
• Develop and hone the skills they will need for their future career.

Our programme gives trainees the best start in their legal career.

Our Solicitor Training Programme is designed to ensure that we provide as much support as possible for trainees.

There is a system of mentoring and support at all stages through the training contract, ensuring that trainees have the opportunity to give and provide input and feedback within each seat of the firm. It also ensures that a tailored development programme can be put together for each trainee, setting development goals and targets and identifying particular areas (both in terms of skills and practice areas) on which the trainee would like to focus.

Our approach is friendly, we are always ready to answer questions, and we actively encourage you to ask them.

When we interview, we look for graduates who know our business and understand the work we do. Then we look for their excitement about doing it.

There are common traits among the people we hire: intelligence, focus, a commercial outlook and independence.

We also look for personalities that will fit our open culture, mix well with our clients, and engage fully with colleagues. We welcome applications from everyone who meets the minimum academic standards set.

• A conditional offer from the IPLS. This means you have not been placed on a waiting list.
• A 2:1 or above in a qualifying legal degree.
• Drive and enthusiasm.
• Ability to work in a team and independently.
• Friendly & positive attitude.

If you have a query about our services or just want to find out more, please get in touch today.

For all out our latest news, insights, and events

Murray House, Murray Street
Belfast, BT1 6DN

6 Northbrook Road, Ranelagh,
Dublin 6, D06 PH32