15 February 2023 Simmons & Simmons and TLT to join forces with Barclays in offering a joint Training Contract

Simmons & Simmons and TLT to join forces with Barclays in offering a joint Training Contract​

What do you need to know this week?

Legal Cheek broke the news last week that London-based law firm Simmons & Simmons and Bristol-based TLT have joined up with Barclays to offer successful applicants the chance to undergo a training contract split evenly between one of the two law firms and Barclay’s in-house division.

Dubbed the Barclays Joint Training Contract Scheme, successful applicants will apply to either Simmons & Simmons or TLT, which will serve as employer throughout the two-year TC. As The Lawyer reports, it is thought that trainees will sit the first six-month seat within one of the firm’s practice groups before moving to one of Barclays’ in-house divisions, with the same pattern repeated in year two.

Why is this important for your interviews?

Compared to the wider TC market, this opportunity is certainly unique. While a few firms offer trainees the chance to undertake a client secondment, none currently advertise the guaranteed option to do half of the recognised training period in-house.

Upon the completion of the TC, successful applicants will have a distinguished CV compared to the wider NQ market, as in-house practice differs dramatically from private practice.

One of the key advantages is that by working closely with a single “client” (i.e. Barclays), lawyers are more attuned to the business demands that underlie legal matters. Trainees are therefore likely to hone their business strategy acumen to a greater degree than private-practice trainees.

Importantly, even if you do not envision yourself joining in-house practice following qualification, obtaining in-house experience means you have a valuable insight into key drivers of private practice such as business development, given that much of the business law firms win comes from pitching to in-house panels headed by the client’s general counsel or other senior in-house lawyers.

Likewise, there are comparatively few in-house TC providers, but among those that exist, this opportunity is distinct because it ensures you spend half of your TC in the standard model the rest of the City employs.