The Slaughter and May Commercial Academy is a graduate academy for those looking to launch careers within the legal sector’s Marketing and Communications, Business Development, Legal Operations, Research and Insight or Knowledge and Learning functions.

It is an opportunity to work within one of the world’s most highly regarded law firms and alongside some of the sector’s most well-respected professionals. The aim is to help you decide which avenue you would like to focus on wherever your career takes you next, as well as to give you invaluable experience and connections that will help you to be successful in whatever route you decide to take.

This is a two-year graduate academy designed to give a thorough understanding of the breadth of career opportunities available within some of the key functions that support our lawyers, and to gain experience in different disciplines. Training will be provided throughout the academy to support your development into a well-rounded professional with a broad business skillset. You will work with our talented teams in each function, learning how each specialism works and, more importantly, how they all fit together, developing technical skills, strategic understanding and people skills along the way.

It is important to point out that this is not an opportunity for those seeking to become lawyers. The firm offers a separate process for the recruitment of its legal teams, and this academy is not an alternative route to those processes. Those applying to this academy should be excited by the opportunity to work alongside our lawyers and the other professionals that make up approximately 50% of the employees within a successful, modern law firm.

The Academy

The Commercial Academy consists of four six-month rotations across four out of five different seats. These seats include: Marketing and Communications, Business Development, Research and Insight, Legal Operations and Knowledge and Learning.

Each seat is designed to develop a complementary set of skills and capabilities, delivered by a range of internal teams. Your responsibilities in each seat will depend on your skills, interests, and team priorities at the time. The aim is to give you a thorough understanding of each area and help you assess whether it aligns with your long-term career goals. We will consider your preferences when assigning seats, but to ensure a broad experience, participants will rotate every six months, aligning with business needs. You will complete four of the five seats, and seat selection may not always be optional.

We will offer a wide range of training opportunities. These will be tailored to meet your individual needs and to reflect the tasks that you are involved in, but will include:

  • Bespoke induction 
  • Practical skills programme
  • Technical training
  • Networking
  • Peer-to-peer collaboration
  • Commercial and market awareness

We will provide further details of the academy to candidates as they progress through the application process. 

The seats