The PDT Training Programme
It's important your first step is the right one for you – start your legal career with PDT’s Training Programme.
Training at PDT
Our two core principles are to deliver clear, strong commercial advice and to nurture genuine and supportive relationships with our clients and staff.
We offer something different from your traditional law firm. Due to the size of the firm, we are large enough to give you the opportunity to work with national and international clients from a broad range of sectors, yet small enough to provide an environment where you get hands on experience, you can build relationships with clients and you can make a difference to the firm.
In return for your hard work, we offer you the opportunity to get broad, multi-discipline commercial experience with exposure to the commercial side of business.
We will welcome you into a refreshing non-competitive atmosphere where you can develop and nurture your understanding of the law, be yourself, work hard and be a valued part of a supportive, inclusive and collaborative team.
Our Training Programme will prepare you to be a confident, knowledgeable solicitor at qualification. A number of our Partners started their careers at PDT and it is our ultimate aim that at the end of your time on our Training Programme, you will continue to develop your career as an important part of the PDT team.
Our trainee solicitors are the future of our firm.
Key Deadlines
Training Programme Deadline
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2025 Intake: 28/07/23
Summer Placement Deadline:
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Summer 2023: Closed
Overview
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2 Year Training Programme
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Rotating across departments
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LPC or SQE route
We welcome applications from candidates for both the LPC and SQE route
LPC Route
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LPC Pass (Or expected pass date)
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2:1 degree in any subject
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At least three B grades at A-level (or equivalent)
SQE Route
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2:1 degree in any subject
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At least three B grades at A-level (or equivalent)
Further Information
PDT is divided into four core teams: Real Estate, Corporate and Commercial, Dispute Resolution and Employment. These teams include several niche sectors allowing trainees to gain a broad range of experience, covering both contentious and non-contentious work.
Our Training Programme is two years in duration and will normally begin in September. As a trainee within the firm, we expect you will undertake seats in our Company Commercial, Real Estate and Dispute Resolution teams. We believe in your ability to have control over your own career path and we have an open, flexible and two-way review and appraisal process. Personal and professional training opportunities are regularly available to support you to achieve your career aspirations. We make an effort to ensure every member of staff knows they are a valued member of the team and to provide a close support network.
You will be guided by expert solicitors, working across a number of areas of law. As our trainees work directly with clients from their first day at PDT, it is fundamental that good client management skills are developed. Our goal is to prepare our trainees throughout their Training Programme to be well-rounded solicitors on qualification.
Funding is available and can be discussed further.
PDT has a strong culture of empowerment and opportunity. We work hard to provide an environment where you can be yourself and flourish in your role. We value your ideas and encourage our trainees to engage in the many forums and groups which will enrich your working experience and help you develop personally and professionally.
We’re looking for ambitious people with a positive work ethic who are proud of who they are and what they do.
We are looking for:
a genuine passion, commitment and interest in law;
enthusiasm, initiative and drive to improve;
personal responsibility to help their team, clients and communities; and
energy, empathy and confidence.
We recruit both externally and from within our internal Paralegal pool. Paralegals are recruited into the business when new vacancies arise in both fee earning and administrative support roles. PDT offers progression and development to Paralegals, through the opportunity to apply for our Training Programme.
The recruitment process is designed to assess whether you have the potential to be an admirable solicitor at PDT. You’ll find lots of advice from our previous trainees here:
Applications for each year should be received by the July two years before. Candidates are required to complete an online application form and this should be accompanied by a CV and a personalised covering letter setting out why you would like to join PDT.
You will have completed the Legal Practice Course (or will commence the course for completion in 2023/24), have completed the SQE 1 exams or are looking to pursue the SQE route, be self-motivated, able to demonstrate initiative and be a creative and innovative problem solver. In addition, you should be able to demonstrate a high level of literacy and numeracy, be confident in using IT systems, have good interpersonal skills and possess an interest in commercial business generally.
We provide a smooth and fair interview process which allows us to see your strengths and fit with PDT as well as helping you understand our culture and meet key members of the team.
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Step 1: Submit an online application form and personalised covering letter explaining why you want to be a lawyer and why you have applied to PDT together with your CV.
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Step 2: If your application is successful, you will be invited to attend a face-to-face meeting at our office in Horsham with members of the PDT team. You will be asked to prepare a 5–10-minute presentation on a topic of your choice (legal or non-legal based).
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Step 3: When you attend our offices, prior to the interview commencing, you will be given a written exercise to complete.
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Step 4: If successful, you will be invited for a final interview with the Managing Partner and Training Partner.
If you have any questions regarding the application process or forms please contact rglazebrook@pdt.co.uk
If you are successful and accept our offer to participate on our Training Programme, we will stay in touch with you between you accepting our offer and your start date. This will help you to get to know other members of our team and feel comfortable with the team when you join.
We aim to provide you with a network of contacts at the firm before you begin and we will introduce you to a buddy, who can offer advice and answer any questions you might have. We’ll also put you in touch with the other trainees starting at the same time as you.
You also have opportunities to network and expand your skills by becoming part of a number of PDT forums such as our Future Leader’s Young Professionals group.
Before your contract starts, the current junior fee earners will organise a get-together meal and drinks which is a great opportunity to meet new people in a casual environment.
Our junior fee earners have also put together an induction pack, filled with useful information, tips and past experiences to help you when you first join.
You will be paid a competitive salary and we offer a comprehensive benefits package
Some FAQ's
Usually, we offer two places on our Training Programme each year, although we review this depending on the quality of the applications we receive and to make sure the roles we offer reflect our business needs.
No, we understand you could have other commitments that prevent you from doing a placement. Although, our Summer Placement programme offers an ideal opportunity for you to get to know the firm, meet the team and see if we are a great fit for you and vice versa.
We generally offer seats in each of our Property, Corporate and Dispute Resolution teams.
We are committed to providing you with the best training experience possible with a full, balanced introduction to the legal profession. We aim to retain as many of our trainees as possible to reflect the commitment from you and us on your legal journey. The availability of roles when you qualify will be discussed with you and will depend on the practice area which you are interested in and our business needs at the time of your qualification.