Founded in 2011, the South London Legal Partnership (SLLP) is the in-house legal service for the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and the London Boroughs of Merton, Richmond upon Thames, Sutton and Wandsworth.

SLLP is committed to being a high performing in-house shared legal service which plays an essential part in the achievement of the priorities and objectives of our five local authorities for the benefit of their communities.

The partnership has 150-160 staff and a turnover of £14 million. Over 1 million people are represented by the constituent councils. Operating at scale has enabled it to recruit and retain excellent staff and to provide a consistently high standard of service to our five Boroughs.

We are offering three Trainee Solicitor roles for a 2-year fixed term training contract commencing in February 2026, in accordance with the requirements of the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Each Trainee Solicitor will have an opportunity to spend 6 months with 3 of our 4 specialist teams:

• Dispute Resolution & Compliance
• Property, Planning and Employment
• Procurement, Contracts and Information
• Social Care & Education

The final 6 months will be spent focussing on one of their preferred areas of law

Each trainee will have a dedicated training manager, with a ‘hands-on’ approach to casework in each subject area.

And of course, we will ensure that you are able to get a broad enough experience in all those aspects required by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. 

What we offer 

We are committed to promoting equality and respecting diversity and welcome applications from all sections of the community. 

We are a Disability Confident Employer – committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection process is inclusive and accessible. 

We offer excellent training opportunities, generous annual leave entitlement and the option of joining the local authority pension scheme.

For more information or any questions about this role please contact julie.Oldhamstead@merton.gov.uk 

SLLP’s Vision & Values include a commitment to improving services through the development of our staff in an inclusive and supportive environment. We aim to attract and retain a workforce which reflects the diverse communities we serve.  

If you think you have the skills/experience we are looking for and share the same values, then we want to hear from you.   Please find additional information on our website  South London Legal Partnership | 

Note: Applicants must have successfully completed the Legal Practice Course or will have done so by 31^st January 2026. Offers of a training contract will be conditional upon this requirement.

If shortlisted you will be invited to an assessment day on 27.06.25.