Fletchers Academy 2025
Location- Manchester, Liverpool or Southport
At Fletchers, we are passionate about giving everyone the opportunity to grow their skills to achieve their full potential. We launched the Fletchers Academy in 2022 and after 3 successful years we are delighted to be running the Academy again for a 4th year.
What is the Fletchers Academy?
We understand the challenges facing those who strive for a career in law. Obtaining a placement for work experience in a law firm can be difficult, let alone gaining a full time position. At Fletchers were always looking for talented and enthusiastic people to join us, no matter their socio-economic background and regardless of whether they have studied law at University or not. Weve designed a specific Academy programme that provides relevant practical training and support to candidates who show us they have the desire and aptitude for a career in the law.
What does it cover?
As specialists in Personal Injury, Clinical Negligence, Court of Protection and Costs, we will provide a comprehensive introduction to our work, covering:
A week long induction designed to give a great foundation to working at Fletchers our systems, processes, our people and our culture
The essentials of working as a lawyer at Fletchers, such as using our case management system and our own best practice methods
Client care and other professional skills
An introduction to Civil Litigation and practical content about Clinical Negligence, Personal Injury, Court of Protection and Costs
An opportunity to work full time in a team of experienced lawyers, gaining invaluable experience
How will it work?
The 12 month long programme will begin in October 2025. Successful applicants will attend an in-person induction during the first week, when they will be supplied with a company laptop and receive training on the systems and processes that we use. This is followed by 5 weeks of practical training sessions, which will include an opportunity to shadow our legal teams. There will be 1:1 support throughout the process too.
After the initial 5 weeks of practical classroom based learning, each candidate will be allocated to one of our legal teams, where they will fulfil paralegal roles, supporting their teams whilst building up invaluable knowledge and experience.
Where will it take place?
The initial training element of the Academy will be delivered through a mixture of in-person, remote and e-learning sessions. There will be group discussion every day, to help participants develop their understanding of the topics and learn together at the same pace in a supportive environment.
After 5 weeks, and once the initial sessions have ended there will be a requirement for you to work in a hybrid way, meaning there will be a balance of the time that you will need to spend physically in our office space and working remotely from home.
What happens during the training period?
There will be assessments throughout the training programme to make sure that participants have understood all the key concepts, together with a discussion to make sure that they are still committed to a career in law. Much of the 12 month Academy programme will be spent working in a legal team, which presents a fantastic opportunity to work in a vibrant environment, learning and developing new skills.
After successful completion of the 12 month Academy programme, participants will generally remain within their allocated Legal team but will also have the opportunity to begin their route towards a potential professional qualification (see below), subject to a positive reference from their Team Leader. During the period of training there will be specific mentoring and supervision provided, to ensure everyone is supported. All participants will be required to achieve any key performance indicators (KPIs) once placed in a legal team, mainly to ensure that they are productive in terms of their work and able to make a material and demonstrable contribution to their team.
What happens after joining a team?
Once participants have successfully completed the Academy programme and have shown the expected levels of aptitude and performance, they will be eligible to apply for any of the suitable training contract opportunities that are available. This will also depend on academic qualifications. The routes to qualification that we support at Fletchers are:
Solicitor Apprenticeship- Graduate Solicitor Apprenticeship
- Period of Recognised Training (PoRT)
- CILEX Paralegal and CILEx Lawyer Apprenticeships
- Costs Lawyer
Is it paid, and is it a temporary contract?
Academy trainees will be paid a gross basic annual salary of £22,932 (based on full time working). Also, Academy trainees will become employees of Fletchers on a permanent contract from the beginning of the Academy.
What do we expect from Academy Trainees, and who is it for?
The Academy is for candidates who are not already employees of Fletchers Solicitors Ltd, and who have the desire, ambition and enthusiasm to become a lawyer. Because a fundamental aim of the Academy is to develop aspiring lawyers to achieve their career goals, there are some minimum entry requirements to join.
We welcome applications from:-
Post graduate students (preferably in law, although we do consider degrees in other subjects)
Candidates who have not been to university but have successfully completed 3 A-levels or are expecting pass grades in 2025
Candidates with 5 GCSEs of which 2 must be in maths and English at Grade 4 (C) or above
The Academy is also ideal for anyone who may be considering a career change, subject to having the necessary entry qualifications.
The Academy is generally not suitable for anyone who already has significant experience in our areas of business, although we are happy to discuss each application on its merits.
In addition, desire, commitment, enthusiasm and a willingness to learn in a team environment are essential requirements for Academy applicants to have.
