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University Vacation Schemes

At Express Solicitors, we offer several opportunities to those currently studying law at University, to gain valuable work experience. This is a genuine opportunity to gain insight into how a successful specialist personal injury law firm works, whilst acquiring excellent practical experience. We have two schemes that run over the Easter period and then in the summer break. The Easter placement is open to students in their final year of their LLB or those who are currently studying their GDL, LPC, LLM or SQE. The summer scheme is open to those in the second year of their LLB, in addition to those students mentioned above. Applicants who demonstrate a definitive interest in personal injury via their application will have an added advantage.

Please see below for our list of opportunities for 2027.

Vacation Scheme	Dates of Vacation Scheme	Application Opening Date	Application Closing Date
Easter Vacation Schemes	March 22 – March 25, 2027	November 26, 2026	January 29, 2027
	March 30 – April 2, 2027	November 26, 2026	January 29, 2027
Summer Vacation Schemes	June 28 – July 2, 2027	March 27, 2027	May 7, 2027
	July 5 – July 9, 2027	March 27, 2027	May 7, 2027
	July 12 – July 16, 2027	March 27, 2027	May 7, 2027
	July 19 – July 23, 2027	March 27, 2027	May 7, 2027

Each of our Vacation Schemes consists of a one-week voluntary work placement, working 9am to 5pm.

The placement will be office based, so it’s important that you can attend in person. It will include a series of tasks and development opportunities. Each work experience applicant will have the opportunity to conduct real case work with genuine clients and where possible, we will aim for you to attend a court hearing. You will also receive your own dedicated Trainee Mentor who will coach and support you through the Vacation Scheme.

Example timetable

How to make the most of your Vacation Scheme

Keep Calm

This may be the first-time you have ever been in a professional office and therefore it can be intimidating; please bear in mind that our placements are highly competitive to get on to and you have already made a good impression so don’t be nervous!

Think About Your Presentation

Dressing appropriately is important for any professional role. We have a smart casual dress code at our office and it is the responsibility of those in the office to ensure that they are dressed accordingly. Examples of inappropriate dress would be sweatshirts, T-shirts (including football/sports shirts), jeans, and trainers. You are expected to dress more formally if you are going to court or meeting clients, you will be able to see when this is required from looking at the timetable we will provide you.

Make Notes

The week can go by quickly and before you know it the experience is over, taking notes allows you to retain more of the information in the sessions and e-learning. You can refer back to this to refresh your memory or to discuss in interviews when asked about your work experience. Useful things to make a note of include pathways to qualifying, what a day in the life looks like for different departments and any new jargon you have learnt. Taking time at the end of the day to reflect on what you have learnt can be a great way to evaluate your understanding of the day's activities. You can use this opportunity to think about anything you didn’t understand and if you need further information you can then research yourself or ask the next day.

Ask Questions

Put some thought into questions that may help you, for example, by asking any specific questions about the SQE or LPC or about legal areas to specialise in such as road traffic accidents or clinical negligence. You will be given the opportunity to interact with Trainee Solicitors who can answer your questions from the perspective of someone who has secured a training contract. Think about what you want to get out of the experience, your areas of interest, the clients and personal injury as a specialism. You have expressed an interest in law to be on this experience and this is a rare opportunity to find out if you would like to proceed with the career by asking any questions that will help you clarify what it is actually like to work in the legal field at a Personal Injury firm. Ask questions as you go throughout the sessions to maximise your learning. Do not be afraid to ask questions as we expect this on work experience placements and want to support you with your learning and development.

Engage With The Sessions

This is an opportunity for you to get the most out of the experience and maximise your learning in an environment outside of the classroom. This is your chance to see if personal injury is really right for you; you can’t know that if you don’t engage. The more you take from the experience the more you will be able to give in-depth and well-informed answers in interviews in the future, when talking about preferences and motivations.

Think of This Opportunity as a Stepping Stone

The work experience is an opportunity for you to get a foot in the door with a firm that actively hires graduates. Being proactive and engaging with the content will be impressive for us as a prospective employer if you are to make an application in the future. The opportunity for work experience could be the beginning of a professional relationship with Express Solicitors. We love it when our Vacation Scheme students return to us when they are ready to start their legal career. Get ready for an incredible insight into personal injury and the legal profession. These tips are there to help you get the most from your upcoming legal work experience. Enjoy the experience and don’t forget we are there to help. We'll be right by your side, guiding you every step of the way throughout the entire week.

Here’s What Our Graduates Have to Say

“I have gained valuable practical experience and knowledge to enhance my future career prospects. I have also enjoyed observing and learning from unique professionals with a genuine passion for helping injured clients.”

“The scheme was a combination of interactive workshop activities and drafting activities which were similar to those a Trainee Solicitor would complete. I particularly enjoyed learning about the life of a claim and how one would decide whether a claim has reasonable prospects of success.”

“I developed my drafting skills through drafting witness statements, a quantum value report, and a letter of claim, which made the experience engaging and interactive. Overall, I have learnt so much from the scheme and gained invaluable experience.”

“The Vacation Scheme provides many learning opportunities with the opportunity to complete legal tasks and attend talks from both the Emerging Talent Team and Partners.“

“I would like to say a huge thank you to both the firm and specifically my supervisor for facilitating such an insightful and engaging week. I feel as though I have learnt a lot about the firm, which will ultimately lead to my application for the graduate scheme this September.”

“This week has been both inspiring and educational. I’ve learned a huge amount, had a great time, and I’m leaving with a clearer picture of the type of firm I’d love to be part of in the future. I would recommend this scheme to anyone with an interest in personal injury.”

“All mentors were so helpful. Whenever you had any issues, they were there to support us”.

“I got to dive into the deep end and witness what it was like in the life of a personal injury Solicitor. I was given current tasks and got to look at evidence, which was very interesting as it gave an overview of what to expect when working for the firm daily.”

From Vacation Scheme to Training Contract

Heather Murphy and Grace Kelly both took part in our Vacation Scheme and are now Trainee Solicitors at Express Solicitors. Hear how the scheme gave them hands-on experience, from drafting legal documents to shadowing solicitors, while also building confidence and key skills for their future careers.

Applying for our Vacation Schemes

Our Vacation Scheme recruitment process has 3 steps:

Step 1 – Application: Once applications are open, you will be able to apply via our vacancy page here.

Step 2 – Video Interview: if your application has been successful, you will be invited to complete a video interview. This will involve questions on your motivations and personal injury technical know-how.

Video interviews:

Allow us to assess a wider range and larger number of candidates on more than just the information provided on a CV & cover letter.
Video interviews are more flexible for candidates as while subject to a deadline, it can be completed in your own time, around any existing commitments.
Video interviews also ensure consistency in the interview process, making them a fair method of assessment.

Step 3 – Interview: those successful during the video interview stage will be invited to an interview with our Emerging Talent Team. This will be on a one-to-one basis, via teams and will be a combination of strength and skill-based questions.

On a successful offer of a place within our Vacation Scheme, we will confirm which week and next stages.

If you like some advice on either your CV or on interviews you can sign up to our Applications and Interviews Clinic.

If you want any more information, please contact emergingtalent@expresssolicitors.co.uk

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I do different dates?

You must be available for the full week on the dates provided as we cannot offer alternative dates from those given.

Do I get paid for the vacation scheme?

We do offer participants £250 for the week to cover travel and any amenity costs.

Can I work remotely during the vacation scheme?

The vacation scheme will require you to be in the office full time.

Using AI

As a business we have our own AI policy which can be viewed: here

Reasonable adjustments

We are an equal opportunities employer and make our workplace as accessible as possible. We will happily carry out any reasonable adjustments to facilitate an application where a disability is involved. We will not provide interview questions in advance, we believe that solicitors need to be able to think on their feet, whether speaking to a client, negotiating with the opposite side or during hearings.

Do you offer any work experience for 1st year students?

We do currently offer work experience to those in their first year of study. However, you are able to apply for our other early career opportunities like our EDI Employability Month and our Insight Events.

Early Careers at Express

Head back to our careers page to learn more about a graduate opportunities and life at Express.