London Legal Podcast: Training Contracts Special

Opinion

March 23, 2026

Team

What is it really like to secure and complete a training contract at Hodge Jones & Allen?

Our latest episode of the London Legal Podcast features Partner Bahareh Amani, Training Principal at the firm, and trainee solicitor Emily Cope.

Bahareh explains how the firm’s training contract is structured, from seat rotations and mentoring to the level of responsibility trainees take on early in their careers. She also outlines what the firm looks for in applicants, the recruitment process, and key advice for those considering a career in law.

Emily shares her journey from aspiring lawyer to trainee solicitor, offering honest insights into the application process, the transition into practice, and what it’s really like working on meaningful, client-focused cases.

Together, they provide valuable guidance for anyone interested in training contracts, including how to stand out in applications, what skills matter most, and why resilience and motivation are key.

Applications for training contracts are open via the Hodge Jones & Allen careers website. You can listen to the Training Contract podcast special via Spotify and YouTube.

Read a transcript of the show below:

Bahareh Amani: Hello everyone and thank you for having us at Bloomsbury Institute. My name is Bahareh Amani. I’m a Partner at Hodge Jones & Allen, and I’m also the firm’s Training Principal. That means I oversee our trainee solicitors and help guide them through their training contracts and into qualification.

I’m really pleased to be joined today by one of our current trainee solicitors, Emily Cope, who actually joined us as an external candidate. So they’ve been through the application process themselves and can give you a really honest perspective about what it’s like to start a career with us.
Today we wanted to talk a bit about:

what our firm does
what it’s like to train as a solicitor with us
and hopefully encourage some of you listening to think about applying.

Host: Tell us a little bit more about the firm for listeners who aren’t familiar with what Hodge Jones & Allen do please.

Bahareh Amani: At Hodge Jones & Allen, we’re a London-based law firm with a strong reputation for representing individual clients rather than large corporations.

That means our work often involves people going through some of the most important or difficult moments in their lives.

Our lawyers work across areas such as:

criminal defence
medical negligence
personal injury
housing and community care
family law
civil liberties and human rights.

What really defines our firm is a strong commitment to access to justice. Many of our cases involve holding organisations, public bodies or institutions accountable.

That kind of work attracts lawyers who want to do something meaningful with their legal careers.

Host: Would you say then that a HJA lawyer is a very particular type of lawyer, whether in skill set required, or their view of the legal world, and the clients you take on? In that respect then, are you looking for certain personality traits in your trainees?

Bahareh Amani: We are looking for trainees that have a real passion for the work we undertake, are resilient and preserver and understand what is required to achieve outcomes for your clients.

HJA provides specialist advice in sensitive and highly life changing areas and so understanding the impact that you can make in a client’s life and being able to engage with your supervisor and team to undertake the best for the client.

Being able to build a relationship with clients, colleagues whether senior or peer and lead by example. You are the future, and so there will be many junior members of staff that will be looking up to you.

Host: What do you think makes a training contract at Hodge Jones & Allen unique compared to other firms?

Bahareh Amani: Let me explain a little bit about how the training contract works at our firm.

Our trainee programme lasts two years and includes four six-month seats in different departments. This allows trainees to experience a variety of areas of law before deciding what they might want to specialise in. In any one year we have two cohorts, which comprises of our first trainee and second trainee, they have close interactions through work and socially – both could be doing the same seat.

As Training Principal, I see our trainees as the next generation of lawyers, and I’m committed to giving them meaningful support and high quality training during this crucial foundation stage of their careers. I value candidates who have a genuine passion for the law, a willingness to take on a broad range of work, and the drive to strengthen their skills through varied experience.

One of the things trainees often highlight is the level of responsibility they get early on.

Rather than sitting on the sidelines, trainees are treated as part of the legal team. That means you may be:

helping prepare cases
attending court
working directly with clients
drafting documents
assisting partners on complex cases.

Another thing that’s slightly different about our firm is the close supervision trainees receive. You’ll often be sitting in the same office as a partner or senior lawyer, which means you’re learning every day through direct interaction.

Host: I’d love to bring Emily Cope into the conversation. You joined us as an external candidate. What attracted you to the firm compared to other law firms?

Emily Cope: Even at university, Hodge Jones & Allen consistently stood out to me as a firm that not only excels in its practice areas but also lives its values in a way few others do.

HJA’s long standing commitment to social justice, its willingness to take on complex and often challenging cases, and its reputation for standing up for individuals and communities resonated deeply with the reasons I wanted to become a lawyer in the first place.

What drew me in was the alignment between the firm’s ethos and my own motivations: a belief in fairness, a desire to help people at pivotal moments in their lives, and a commitment to using the law as a tool for positive change.

Host: What surprised you most when you actually started your training contract?

Emily Cope: One of the biggest surprises was realising that you’re not expected to know everything and that this is completely okay.

Coming from university, and given how competitive the legal industry can be, there’s often an unspoken pressure to have all the answers. But the reality at HJA is very different.

The firm embraces the true purpose of a training contract: to learn, to grow, and to develop confidence through experience The supportive culture at HJA means you’re surrounded by people who want you to succeed, and who understand that learning is a process.
Instead of thinking I should have all the answers, I lean in the work, have a willingness to learn and I’m super grateful for the experience and to learn from such experienced lawyers.

I’ve also been pleasantly surprised by the support within the trainee cohort. Both first and second years step up for one another whenever it’s needed, and together we’ve built a really lovely, supportive community.

Host: Emily, talk me through the typical day in the life of a trainee – let’s try to demystify that for those who wonder how the weeks and months would typically look like when starting off as a trainee solicitor?

Emily Cope: A trainee’s day usually starts with checking emails, planning tasks for the day, then shifts into drafting, research, and helping on matters as they unfold.

No two days look the same, but the constant is learning on the job and gradually taking on more responsibility.

Host: Have there been any moments so far where you felt ‘this is exactly why I wanted to become a lawyer’?

Emily Cope: I’ve always known I wanted to be a lawyer, but being surrounded by colleagues who share the same commitment to justice and who genuinely care about the people we represent has be a positive reminder that I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.

The journey has shaped both personally and professionally, with my family and friends noticing the positive change.

Bahareh Amani: That’s something we hear quite often — that trainees appreciate being trusted with real work early on. Rather than sitting on the sidelines, trainees are treated as part of the legal team. That means you may be:

helping prepare cases
attending court
working directly with clients
drafting documents
assisting partners on complex cases.

Host: I’d love to bring Emily Cope into the conversation. You joined us as an external candidate. What attracted you to the firm compared to other law firms?

Emily Cope: Even at university, Hodge Jones & Allen consistently stood out to me as a firm that not only excels in its practice areas but also lives its values in a way few others do.

Host: What surprised you most when you actually started your training contract?

Emily Cope: One of the biggest surprises was realising that you’re not expected to know everything and that this is completely okay.

Coming from university, and given how competitive the legal industry can be, there’s often an unspoken pressure to have all the answers. But the reality at HJA is very different.

Instead of thinking I should have all the answers, I lean in the work, have a willingness to learn and I’m super grateful for the experience and to learn from such experienced lawyers.

Emily Cope: A trainee’s day usually starts with checking emails, planning tasks for the day, then shifts into drafting, research, and helping on matters as they unfold.

No two days look the same, but the constant is learning on the job and gradually taking on more responsibility.

Host: Have there been any moments so far where you felt ‘this is exactly why I wanted to become a lawyer?

The moments that stand out most are those where we achieve a positive outcome for a client, seeing the impact our work has on someone’s life, and knowing that we stood up for them when they needed it most, is the clearest confirmation of why I chose this profession.
The journey has shaped both personally and professionally, with my family and friends noticing the positive change.

Bahareh Amani: That’s something we hear quite often — that trainees appreciate being trusted with real work early on.

Host: And just to add here, you’ve written a book on the process with advice for aspiring trainees – tell us what it’s called, where listeners can get hold of it, and what prompted you to write it?

Emily Cope: I grew up in a very small village in Staffordshire, and as the first in my family to pursue university, the training contract process felt incredibly daunting. I had no roadmap and no one to guide me, so I often felt like I was navigating it completely blind.

I started my legal career in high street firms, but I always knew I wanted to work on cases that had a wider impact on society. Moving from a rural village to London was a huge transition, but it was driven by a clear ambition to build the skills and experiences that would set me apart in the training contract process.

To do that, I took the opportunity to work in Strasbourg at the Council of Europe. This experience aligned perfectly with the reason I wanted to become a lawyer in the first place to contribute to meaningful, human focused work.

By the time I secured my training contract, I realised I had become a completely different person from the one who started university. Stronger, more resilient, and far more certain of my purpose. While in France, I wrote down every attribute, lesson, and mindset shift I developed along the way because I didn’t want to lose sight of the journey.

Those notes eventually became a toolkit, something I hope will help others

It’s called How to Secure a Training Contract by Emily Cope, available on Amazon.

Host: Bahareh, tell us how the application process works at HJA in relation to applying for a training contract.

Bahareh Amani: For anyone listening who might be interested in applying, let me briefly explain how the process works.

We welcome applications from both law graduates and non-law graduates, and we’re really interested in candidates who show:

intellectual curiosity
commitment to the law
resilience
and an interest in the type of work we do.

We also operate a blind recruitment process, which means that certain identifying information is removed from applications to make the process as fair as possible.

The recruitment process usually involves:

submitting an application form
a first-stage interview
a second-stage interview with senior members of the firm.

After that second stage interview, we typically interview candidates in late summer for the following year’s intake. If you apply 2026 for a start in September of following year, for example 2027.

If you are successful in securing a training contract to start in September 2027, you will start at our firm on 1st September with an induction with myself as trainee principal and HR, which will follow with allocation of seats, supervisor and team introduction, followed by internal inductions and training as well as a luncheon with senior management team.

Host: What about some top tips for aspiring solicitors who are looking to apply to HJA this year to secure a training contract?

Bahareh Amani: Yes, before we finish I thought it would be useful to talk about tips for students who want to apply for training contracts.

Tip 1 – Understand the firm

One of the most important things is to research the firm properly. Think about:

the type of work the firm does
the clients it represents
the values it stands for.

Tip 2 – Show motivation

We look for people who can explain why they want to work in our type of practice.

For example, if you’re applying to a firm known for human rights or claimant work, it’s useful to show genuine interest in those areas.

Tip 3 – Get experience

You don’t need extensive legal experience, but it helps to demonstrate skills such as:

communication
problem-solving
working with people.

Tip 4 – Know your application inside out and research your interviewers.

Host: Emily, what was the application process like from your perspective?

Emily Cope: I found the application process both refreshing and reassuring. The blind recruitment approach immediately signalled that HJA genuinely values fairness and equal opportunity, principles that are embedded in the firm’s identity.

The staged structure made the journey clear and manageable, and the remote option ensured accessibility.

What stood out most, though, was the tone of the interviews. The conversations were engaging, centred on topical and meaningful issues, and I felt encouraged to share my perspective openly.

Although application processes can often feel daunting, HJA’s approach made me feel at ease. It was evident that the firm wanted to get to know me

I think as long as you prepare and you are honest in the interview; the process can be something you can learn from and enjoy.

Host: Emily, if you could give students one piece of advice when applying for training contracts, what would it be?

Emily Cope: Let your personality shine through in your application. Plenty of candidates will have the degree and relevant requirements. The real differentiator is you. Use your application to show who you are, what motivates you, and what genuinely sets you apart.

Host: Bahareh what would like to say to university students who are thinking of applying for a training contract with Hodge Jones & Allen?

Bahareh Amani: To anyone listening today — if you’re interested in a career in law and want to work somewhere where you can make a real difference to clients, we’d absolutely encourage you to consider applying to Hodge Jones & Allen.

We’re always looking for talented people from diverse backgrounds who are motivated and curious about the law. Our average rates of retention where our trainee solicitors go one to secure a newly qualified position is more than 2/3 of our trainees. 57% of our Management Board are female, and 76% of partners are female

And hopefully today’s conversation has given you a bit of insight into what training at the firm is like.

Thank you again for having us — and we hope to see some applications coming through soon.

Host: We’ve had a few advance questions come in from students for you. Here’s the first one: Do I need lots of specific legal work experience?

Bahareh Amani: No. What we look for is potential. Experience can help, but what matters more is demonstrating skills and interest in the law.

Host: Okay. Can non-law students apply?

Bahareh Amani: Yes. Many successful solicitors started in other degrees and then completed the conversion course.

Host: Final question from our audience: What makes a good trainee?

Bahareh Amani: Curiosity, organisation, and the ability to communicate well with both colleagues and clients.

Host: Thanks so much to Bahareh Amani and Emily Cope for joining us on this episode of the London Legal Podcast, as only heard on The Letter of the Law through Bloomsbury Radio and Bloomsbury Institute London. We hope you’ll join us next time.

The London Legal Podcast, hosted by Hodge Jones and Allen, is a legal podcast that looks at a wide range of legal issues that many of us will face at some point in their lives. Listen to our leading lawyers and their guests discussing a wide range of topics, from making a will, to avoiding property disputes, running an ethical business, and much much more. Episodes can be found on Spotify and YouTube.