A UK law firm that began in Sheffield in 1912 and now has offices across the UK. It runs a five to six year solicitor apprenticeship with a guaranteed job at the end.
Irwin Mitchell is a UK law firm headquartered in Sheffield. It is best known for helping individuals and families: people injured in accidents or through medical mistakes claiming compensation, and people dealing with wills, family matters and looking after their money. It also advises businesses on matters such as disputes, company deals, property and employment. Wikipedia says it has more than 3,000 employees, including about 1,000 lawyers, while its LawCareers.Net profile gives staff figures that differ, so treat headcount as approximate.
It was founded in 1912 by Walter Irwin Mitchell, first as a criminal law firm. It became known for personal injury cases and grew by opening offices in Birmingham (1989), Leeds (1993), London (1995) and Newcastle (2003). In 2015 it joined with Thomas Eggar, which added more business and private client work. LawCareers.Net lists 16 UK offices: Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Chichester, Gatwick, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Reading, Sheffield and Southampton, with Sheffield (Riverside East) as head office. Other pages list offices differently, so check the firm's website for the current list. It is also part of First Law International, a network of more than 80 firms.
We did not find a formal mission statement. Its apprenticeship page says it wants people who make 'a positive difference to both society and the legal sector', and who are empathetic, communicate well and work as a team.
Its work for individuals covers personal injury, medical negligence, public law, Court of Protection (legal decisions for people who cannot make decisions for themselves) and private client work such as family law, wills, trusts and residential property. Its business side covers litigation, corporate, commercial, real estate and employment law. Trainees choose between two streams: Legal Services for Individuals, and the Business Services Group.
Early careers routes are broad (as at 2026). The training contract is two years with three to four seats; around 45 to 50 are offered each year across its offices, for 2028 and 2029 starts. Pay is £32,000 in year one and £34,000 in year two outside London, and £44,000 and £46,000 in London, and the firm pays for law conversion and solicitor exam fees. It no longer runs a vacation scheme; instead, people who pass the assessment centre attend a one-day insight day. Trainees get a two-week induction, a buddy and an early careers contact in each office, and the firm reports a retention rate of 92 percent (its own figure). The solicitor apprenticeship runs about five to six years, with one study day a week on a BPP course. Pay starts at £24,479, or £26,936 in London, with a guaranteed newly qualified position at the end. Entry asks for BBB at A-level, five GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 including English and maths, UK residence for at least three years, and no existing degree. For 2027 entry, applications open on 25 January 2027 and close on 18 February 2027.
Website: www.irwinmitchell.com
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