NQ Salary
~£120,000
TC Salary
~£50,000 / £55,000 (year 1 / year 2)
Annual Intake
c.95 per year (UK-wide; second-largest UK intake)
Seats
4 seats
This profile is compiled from publicly available sources and may not reflect the latest changes. Always check CMS's official careers page for current deadlines, application processes, and programme details.
CMS is one of the largest law firms in Europe and a top-5 global firm by lawyer headcount, known for an exceptionally strong real estate, energy and technology practice. The UK firm's breadth of practice areas and extensive European network give trainees unmatched cross-border exposure within a single firm.
Culture & Values
Generated by Folio · folioapp.co.uk · 30 July 2026
Folio is independent and not affiliated with any firm listed. Salary and deadline information is approximate. Always verify with the firm's official graduate recruitment page.
CMS is the second-largest training contract provider in the UK, recruiting around 95 trainees a year, and the London office alone offers around 20 departments to sit in, with trainees ranking their top seven choices each rotation. The firm's structure, a network of national firms working as one, makes cross-border collaboration routine. Recent retention has been mixed by round, 78% in a recent autumn cohort, so the scale cuts both ways: enormous choice, with real competition at qualification.
Insight Programme
Opens October · Closes February
Work Experience
Opens annually
Training Contract
Rolling process · Apply early in the academic year
Solicitor Apprenticeships
Opens annually
Graduate Solicitor Apprenticeships
Opens annually
Business Services Apprenticeships
Opens annually
BD & Marketing Graduate Programme
Opens annually
Assessment processes change annually. Always check the firm's website for current details.
Deals and announcements in the firm's own words. Naming a recent matter is the fastest way to show you have paid attention.
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Practice questions built around CMS's actual assessment stages, with “Why this firm?” evidence traced to verified facts.
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Method
“Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (Pearson/TalentLens) after application form review. Then video interview. Then assessment day. Stage: after initial application sift.”
Tests
For Year 12 students (England/Wales) or Year 13 (Northern Ireland) at state-funded, non-fee-paying schools whose parents and grandparents did not attend university, plus at least one further criterion (free school meals eligibility, attendance at a school where 20%+ pupils are FSM eligible, care experience, refugee/asylum seeker status, or POLAR4 quintile 1 area). Approximately 10 scholarships awarded per cycle. Provides up to £3,000 per year through the degree, a trainee buddy, paid first-year work experience (£450), and a fast-track to assessment days.
Applications for 2026 open later in 2025/2026 — register interest at cmsemergingtalent.com
For Year 12/S5 students at state-funded schools meeting social mobility criteria (free school meals eligibility, school with 20%+ FSM pupils, care experience, or POLAR4 quintile 1 area). 2-year developmental programme: one-week paid work experience (£350 + travel), mentor allocation, UCAS skills sessions, application workshops, and commercial awareness webinars. ~60 students per year across London, Bristol, Sheffield, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. Springboard to future Insight Programme or Solicitor Apprenticeship applications.
Applications open annually — check cmsemergingtalent.com
Independent Resource
Folio is an independent student project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to CMS. All information is compiled from publicly available sources and may not reflect the most current data. Salary and deadline figures are approximate, based on prior recruitment cycles. Last verified: 2026-07-21. Always check the firm's official graduate recruitment page for confirmed details.