*/
What's it like being a legal trainee at the Crown Prosecution Service? Amy describes what drew her to the role, the skills required and a typical day in the life
I noticed on LinkedIn that the Crown Prosecution Service was recruiting for legal trainees. At the time, I didn't really know much about the organisation – but the more I looked into it and the further along the application process I got, the more excited I became. There are some obvious benefits of being an employee – a guaranteed job at the end of training and job security really appealed to me. I can also train as a solicitor and still have a court-based advocacy career at the end of it.
The trainee scheme is structured in a way that offers great flexibility, to ensure that you're equipped with the skills and knowledge to become a really good crown prosecutor. You receive excellent in-house training to support this and your ongoing career development. But the highlight for me is that there isn't a definitive day in the life of a legal trainee. Every day is different and this makes the training exciting and interesting. One day I may be observing in the Magistrates’ Court and the next I might be in the Crown Court. I also spend some time reviewing charging decisions, drafting court applications and doing legal research.
One of the important things I’ve found as a trainee is the great support from all the staff that I meet, from my supervisor and line manager to prosecutors and administrators. Despite being really busy, they all go out of their way to answer any questions or point me in the right direction. Another huge benefit is that there are so many other trainees based all around England and Wales who started at roughly the same time as I did. We have a group chat that's very supportive, and it's nice to meet some of these people face to face.
Before I joined the Crown Prosecution Service, I hadn't realised that there are lots of different career paths available, and I could take whichever one I felt suited me and fitted in with my career plan. I feel really privileged to have this opportunity in front of me. I'm not sure which path to go down yet, but I'm certainly looking forward to the journey. If you have an interest in criminal law, advocacy and justice, and are thinking about applying for the legal trainee scheme, my advice would be just to go for it. You won't regret it. It's a fantastic opportunity and I wish you lots of luck.
Amy is a Crown Prosecution Service legal trainee.
You can find out more about the national legal trainee schemes currently recruiting below. If you are a Welsh speaker, we have a recommended bilingual route. Applications close on 6 February 2025.
National Legal Trainee Scheme - Barrister - January 2025 (October 2026 start)
National Legal Trainee Scheme - Solicitor - January 2025 (October 2026 start)
I noticed on LinkedIn that the Crown Prosecution Service was recruiting for legal trainees. At the time, I didn't really know much about the organisation – but the more I looked into it and the further along the application process I got, the more excited I became. There are some obvious benefits of being an employee – a guaranteed job at the end of training and job security really appealed to me. I can also train as a solicitor and still have a court-based advocacy career at the end of it.
The trainee scheme is structured in a way that offers great flexibility, to ensure that you're equipped with the skills and knowledge to become a really good crown prosecutor. You receive excellent in-house training to support this and your ongoing career development. But the highlight for me is that there isn't a definitive day in the life of a legal trainee. Every day is different and this makes the training exciting and interesting. One day I may be observing in the Magistrates’ Court and the next I might be in the Crown Court. I also spend some time reviewing charging decisions, drafting court applications and doing legal research.
One of the important things I’ve found as a trainee is the great support from all the staff that I meet, from my supervisor and line manager to prosecutors and administrators. Despite being really busy, they all go out of their way to answer any questions or point me in the right direction. Another huge benefit is that there are so many other trainees based all around England and Wales who started at roughly the same time as I did. We have a group chat that's very supportive, and it's nice to meet some of these people face to face.
Before I joined the Crown Prosecution Service, I hadn't realised that there are lots of different career paths available, and I could take whichever one I felt suited me and fitted in with my career plan. I feel really privileged to have this opportunity in front of me. I'm not sure which path to go down yet, but I'm certainly looking forward to the journey. If you have an interest in criminal law, advocacy and justice, and are thinking about applying for the legal trainee scheme, my advice would be just to go for it. You won't regret it. It's a fantastic opportunity and I wish you lots of luck.
Amy is a Crown Prosecution Service legal trainee.
You can find out more about the national legal trainee schemes currently recruiting below. If you are a Welsh speaker, we have a recommended bilingual route. Applications close on 6 February 2025.
National Legal Trainee Scheme - Barrister - January 2025 (October 2026 start)
National Legal Trainee Scheme - Solicitor - January 2025 (October 2026 start)
What's it like being a legal trainee at the Crown Prosecution Service? Amy describes what drew her to the role, the skills required and a typical day in the life
Update from the Chair of the Bar
AlphaBiolabs has been awarded the contract to provide drug, alcohol, and DNA testing services for Hull City Council, following a rigorous competitive tender process
By Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group
Modernising communication and collaboration at a leading Chancery set. A Zexi case study
How to build profile without compromising professional duties. By Naumaan Farooq, Co-Founder of Inked PR
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, examines the role of cut-off levels, and the wider range of factors that must be considered when interpreting results for family court proceedings
A decade of reviews and research has disrupted accepted thinking in the search for causality. Suicides following abuse have overtaken domestic homicides. Is the law keeping up? Professor Susan Edwards KC (Hon) examines recent cases and the obstacles to successful prosecution
At least not that way, says Richard Paige
The case against judge-only justice – and why efficiency is not enough. By Professor Leslie Thomas KC
Heritage as an anchor and a compass, finding our common humanity and embracing the power of the outsider – Melina Antoniadis’s lessons learnt
Lauren Fullerton examines the how, what and why of setting up a second chambers base
